Which game do YOU like to see?

JAM · Jan 9, 2005

Pocket Billiards consists of a variety of games, and understanding the rules can be challenging for the average layperson. Tournaments favor 9-ball in these times.

Due to the recent controversy of the players' dislike for the alternate-break format, it would be interesting to see what is the consensus among the members of this forum.

Which game would YOU like to see, and why? The poll is limited to 10 selections and will end in 7 days.

JAM

cuesmith · Jan 9, 2005

JAM said:
Pocket Billiards consists of a variety of games, and understanding the rules can be challenging for the average layperson. Tournaments favor 9-ball in these times.

Due to the recent controversy of the players' dislike for the alternate-break format, it would be interesting to see what is the consensus among the members of this forum.

Which game would YOU like to see, and why? The poll is limited to 10 selections and will end in 7 days.

JAM

I find one-pocket infinitely more interesting than any other game, BUT, it's also easy to see that it would not be practical for TV!

Sherm

chefjeff · Jan 9, 2005

I wanted to vote twice (8-ball, too), but chose the 9-ball format of loser breaks, because if the break goes any other way, it seems kinda stupid. I know this has been discussed til we puke, but I compare it to a football/basketball/etc. where when after a goal has been scored the other team gets its chance at scoring.

I also like 3-ball with a group of people playing. This is more like golf, where everyone faces the same "hole."

jmho,

Jeff Livingston

JAM · Jan 9, 2005

cuesmith said:
I find one-pocket infinitely more interesting than any other game, BUT, it's also easy to see that it would not be practical for TV!

Sherm, out of all the games, I enjoy watching one-pocket much more in person.

The Capital City Classic promoter told me that years ago, ESPN came to Maryland to film a one-pocket match. After 1-1/2 hours, they made the decision to quit filming and packed up all of their equipment because it wasn't suitable, in their opinion, for TV viewing. Nick Varner was one of the players, and I can't remember who the other one was.

Recently, I watched a captains one-pocket game, which held the interest of most everyone in the pool room until the wee hours of the morning. However, one railbird did state he found one-pocket boring and enjoyed seeing 9-ball much better due to the fast pace.

JAM

breakup · Jan 9, 2005

I prefer to watch one pocket for the simple reason that I can really learn valuable information by just watching. There are many situations that come up in one pocket that require a simple yet ingenious solution where it does not take Buddy’s stroke or Efren’s speed to execute properly you just got to see it. Sure I do enjoy marveling at the flawless execution of a 100 ball run or rack after rack of 9 ball, but for the most part give me the elegance of one pocket and the opportunity to pick up tips from pros that are applicable to my game.

sjm · Jan 9, 2005

JAM said:
Pocket Billiards consists of a variety of games, and understanding the rules can be challenging for the average layperson. Tournaments favor 9-ball in these times.

Due to the recent controversy of the players' dislike for the alternate-break format, it would be interesting to see what is the consensus among the members of this forum.

Which game would YOU like to see, and why? The poll is limited to 10 selections and will end in 7 days.

JAM

Interesting poll, JAM. I'm looking forward to seeing the results.

JustPlay · Jan 9, 2005

As a pool player, I like to sweat a good straight pool match, 9-ball match with push-out on every shot (it eliminates the need for safties and challenges each player more). 10-ball is most likely to start popping up in the near future...

Rickw · Jan 9, 2005

For pure viewing enjoyment, I gotta say that a ring game or skins game has got to be the best. You get to see many different players and the interaction between the players.

Snake · Jan 9, 2005

cuesmith said:
I find one-pocket infinitely more interesting than any other game, BUT, it's also easy to see that it would not be practical for TV!

Sherm

I think it depends on who is playing 1 pocket. Last Sunday I saw Efren playing a guy in 1 pocket at Hardtimes in Bellflower. Efren was giving the guy 15 to 3, there was a large crowd watching due to the fact that the Pechauer tournament was going on at the same time. Anyway the first game (Efren was not even warmed up yet) he runs 15 and out. It was unbelievable. I've been an avid 8 ball and 9 ball player for my entire pool life but am now a large fan of 1 pocket.

JimS · Jan 9, 2005

Let's see some 10 ball, winner breaks, Diamond Pro tables with 4.5" pockets and deep shelf. It's the deep shelf that'l drive you nuts.

jjinfla · Jan 9, 2005

Jam,

I was too hasty and voted for 9-ball winner breaks. But I liked the skins games format too. And that format moved along pretty fast and I got to see a lot of different people play. It was geat to watch.
But you actually mixed up a game with a format in the poll.
Too bad you can't have people rank each choice. 1st, 2nd, 3rd.

Jake

Troy · Jan 9, 2005

For me it was an easy choice... One Pocket
Playing or watching, it's my game of choice simply because of the numerous options on every shot.
The game of choice for thinkers IMO.

Troy

JAM · Jan 9, 2005

jjinfla said:
Jam,

I was too hasty and voted for 9-ball winner breaks. But I liked the skins games format too. And that format moved along pretty fast and I got to see a lot of different people play. It was geat to watch.
But you actually mixed up a game with a format in the poll.
Too bad you can't have people rank each choice. 1st, 2nd, 3rd.

Jake, that's a good point about the division of the 9-ball game. I wanted to get a flavor, though, for what folks thought about the breaking formats.

Interesting results so far. It seems that one-pocket, ring games, and skins format are the top picks out of the 40 AzBilliards posters so far. And in the 9-ball categories, the winner's break format is ahead!

JAM

sjm · Jan 9, 2005

Troy said:
For me it was an easy choice... One Pocket
Playing or watching, it's my game of choice simply because of the numerous options on every shot.
The game of choice for thinkers IMO.

Troy

I'm encouraged to see that about half of us (19 of 40 so far) have chosen either one pocket or straight pool, the two games of choice for thinkers.

JPB · Jan 9, 2005

I voted straight pool, but I almost voted for banks and here's why. In the pool hall I learned to play in nobody played banks. I remember maybe a half dozen games of full rack banks played. Just wasn't played in the area I started in. I recently got some of the Derby City bank tapes from accu-stats and was blown away by the shotmaking. I think a network should take a flyer and put some short rack banks on because the game can be played wide open and have some spectacular shots. Sure, some defense is played, but it isn't as drawn out as a tight one pocket match. Pool players can appreciate it as can people who just play a little in bars. Everybody who has ever played has tried to bank a ball, but few have tried one-pocket (percentage wise) I think banks might make for some good tv. Has to better than the wierd rules 7 ball on ESPN.

JAM · Jan 10, 2005

The vote so far seem to indicate that out of 55 responders, who most likely have a familiarity with most pocket billiard games, the majority so far favor seeing games other than 9-ball. Yet, 9-ball, for the most part, is what is shown on TV.

JAM

mike · Jan 10, 2005

I voted for one pocket though that might be because it's kind of the 'game of the month' for me at the moment. We don't see much one pocket (or, really, anything that isn't 8/9 ball) here in the frozen north.

JPB's comment regarding banks is good though and I think it's got legs. Certainly, given some more thought, I'd vote for _anything_ that got more play on tv. I love watching it all. Some variation of bank pool might well be packaged for tv. Certainly for the duffers amongst us it's nearly trick shot magic

Fred Agnir · Jan 10, 2005

I think that more 8-ball needs to be on TV from the simple fact the majority of the general public who knows anything about pool only know 8-ball.

From an excitement point of view, I'd like to see short rack banks and Scotch-Doubles (mixed and non-mixed) 10-ball.

Fred

jjinfla · Jan 10, 2005

JAM said:
The vote so far seem to indicate that out of 55 responders, who most likely have a familiarity with most pocket billiard games, the majority so far favor seeing games other than 9-ball. Yet, 9-ball, for the most part, is what is shown on TV.

JAM

You have 8 people selecting the 3 variations of 9-ball and 13 selecting the ring game which is 9-ball so it seems to me that 21 people have selected a version of 9-ball.

You aren't going to play with the statistics are you Jam?

Jake

JAM · Jan 10, 2005

jjinfla said:
You have 8 people selecting the 3 variations of 9-ball and 13 selecting the ring game which is 9-ball so it seems to me that 21 people have selected a version of 9-ball.

You aren't going to play with the statistics are you Jam?

LOL, Jake!

True, it is the same game, but it is a different set of rules utilized with the Ring/Skins format than the three break formats of one-on-one 9-Ball.

After reading this thread, though, I wish I could have added more selections than 10 for the poll, but it only allows for 10 selections. That is why I had Ring and Skins in one category. Both of them are group 9-ball games, if you can call it that.

Golf and snooker are some other pocket billiard games, too, and then there is 3-cushion billiards!

So, taking into account what Jake has just mentioned, it isn't so much that 9-ball is the least favorite choice of the over-60 responders. Rather, it is the format of one-on-one 9-ball that is not as popular as one-on-one 1-pocket, straight pool, 8-ball, 10-ball, and 7-ball.

I will never forget the time I was in Chattanooga, Tennessee, many years ago. It was dry county at that time, and we were pressed to find a place to play pool and, thus, get a little action. We walked into this joint which had several bar tables, and when you put the quarter in the table, only 9 balls dropped out, as if that was the ONLY game played in those parts! (LOL). It was a great room, folks country-clogging to the music. I always liked Tennessee!

JAM

Which game do YOU like to see?

Which game do YOU like to see?

10-Ball

9-Ball (Alternate Break Format)

9-Ball (Winner Break Format)

9-Ball (Challenger Break Format)

8-Ball

7-Ball

One-Pocket

Straight Pool

Banks

Ring Game and/or Skins Game

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