That ending is superb - the music thundering in with the sledgehammer break, especially when he's shown that he can get the 9 in on the break easily enough. It's a powerhouse ending, built up with fast-talking emotive dialogue from two well-developed characters and the winner of the match is irrelevant. You just need to know that it's happening.
I love that scene, and it's probably my favourite of the movie. Wouldn't change it for the world.

Yes with the above. It doesn't matter who wins today because they are going to be playing against each other at pool tourneys for the long run.

There's also the point that Eddie has realised that he's more interested in competing than making money - he feels betrayed by Vincent 'dumping' the game, even though he's made a good deal of money out of it. When Eddie goes on to play in the next competition, he will be there to win it, fair and square - but will Vincent?

He's back in the game. He had "had the brakes put on" him a long time ago and had just been around the peripheries of the game, acting as a stakehorse and maybe shooting a little pool now and then. But now he's a real competitor again.
"Unless Alpert's covered in bacon grease, I don't think Hugo can track anything."

I thought it ended nicely.
MY feeling is that Vincent is the better pool player but may be beaten with a savvy and experienced player like Eddie.

No they didn't. The resolution was Eddie rediscovering his love of the game, not whether or not he beat Vince.

@mrkovacs1 Totally agree. Personally, I don't think the final scene could have been done any better.

This ain't Rocky.

I don't really think it matters who won that game even if you just want to compare their skill levels. I just assumed at the end that they would end up playing each other for years and years throughout the pool circuit. So one night of pool probably still wouldn't even definitively decide who was better.
You can compare it to professional tennis. One player might beat the other on one particular day. But they'll probably end up playing each other a dozen more times throughout their career, and that's when you'll know for sure who is truly better.

as am I, but for the sake of the battle, it would have been nice to see who was the victor between the raw rookie and the seasoned vet. I think it would have ended up on the editors floor (for length, if nothing else), but it would have been a good game.

"Remember to douche before you open your mouth - I dunno where it's been."

I'm very satisfied with the ending. Who cares who wins that one game? Eddie even says if he doesn't beat Vincent here he'll beat him in Dallas(Houston, there's nothing coming up in Dallas)and if not then in New Orleans.
I'm glad it ended the way it did. The whole point was for Eddie to regain his character and get back into competitive pool. He did. End of story.
I can see how you might feel cheated ,I just don't share that feeling.

I know. The ending pissed me off too. Scorsesse and the writer took the "artistic" way out to end the film meaning jipping the audience of resolution.

He's back.
He was "retired" and now is out of retirement. He's now doing what he should have been doing for the last 25 years, playing professional pool. He also got his character back and isn't going to let anything,(pride, booze, fear) keep him from competing.
As for what happen between him and Vincent, who knows and who cares because win or lose he's going to be there to give him his best game.