In years past I avoided the US Open Bar Table 9 ball event because I couldn't stand the magic rack. Something about playing opposition that was pattern racking and soft breaking, getting shape for the 1 and 2 balls every time, and running out 75% of the time or more from their breaks just didn't sit well with me. It seemed like it was making a difficult game into a joke. I didn't like eliminating the hard break, the moving, the game management, and so much of the pool that is normally played in an already short race.
This year I decided that if I can't beat them I had to join them. The tournament director told us that they didn't really care if we pattern racked as it was a rule they weren't prepared to enforce, and since they knew some players would do it they felt they shouldn't stop anyone else from doing it. They told me in the future they will make pattern racking officially legal, but for today it was unofficially legal. This was a strange spot for me but since my opponents were doing it, I followed suit.
So I learned which patterns worked well. I learned the key to getting a rack on the magic rack where the wing ball would go every time (yes, it should be automatic, but even with the magic rack and a tight looking rack it can miss, there is a technique to ensuring a really tight rack). And I learned the correct speed to use to play the one in front of the corner and the two in front of the opposite side.
What surprised me was how much I enjoyed the contest. Not because I was winning, as my opponents were doing this too and had just as many opportunities to run racks as I did. Rather, I liked that we were getting fair and even chances at the table so the sets were being decided by who made the most of them. So many times in the past I've been playing great but simply was kissed in on a hard break, got hooked repeatedly, or came up dry several breaks in a row. This is part of the game and I can handle it when those are the rules. But with this format we both get fair opportunities to start each rack.
And I was also pleasantly surprised with the challenges still there to overcome. The remaining 6 balls would all end up at the rack end of the table leading to some delicate and surgical run outs, so all the pool wasn't removed from the game. Many patterns requiring tight maneuvering, short side shape for side pockets or up table corners, combinations, caroms, banks, and delicate breakouts came up. It actually felt like I was playing a hybrid 9-ball/Straight-pool mix, like you started with a 'break ball' but had to carve through the rack in rotation.
Other players found other breaks that they preferred. Amar Kang was breaking firmer, drawing the cue ball to the head rail, taking slightly more risk at having a ball hook him on the 1 but ensuring an easier run out with less congestion. Other players soft broke early, but then would hard break if they were in a deficit. In this way breaking became a bit strategic, much like the opening preparation chess players put together prior to match play.
In the end I found myself really enjoying the matches and have a newfound appreciation for the magic rack. I watched some of the world championships and saw that they were breaking with medium speed and cutting in the wing ball using template racks as well. Instead of shaking my head with how we've made the game too easy, I found myself smiling at the skills these players have developed in their post break play and glad that would be what determined who would be crowned champion.
This year I decided that if I can't beat them I had to join them. The tournament director told us that they didn't really care if we pattern racked as it was a rule they weren't prepared to enforce, and since they knew some players would do it they felt they shouldn't stop anyone else from doing it. They told me in the future they will make pattern racking officially legal, but for today it was unofficially legal. This was a strange spot for me but since my opponents were doing it, I followed suit.
So I learned which patterns worked well. I learned the key to getting a rack on the magic rack where the wing ball would go every time (yes, it should be automatic, but even with the magic rack and a tight looking rack it can miss, there is a technique to ensuring a really tight rack). And I learned the correct speed to use to play the one in front of the corner and the two in front of the opposite side.
What surprised me was how much I enjoyed the contest. Not because I was winning, as my opponents were doing this too and had just as many opportunities to run racks as I did. Rather, I liked that we were getting fair and even chances at the table so the sets were being decided by who made the most of them. So many times in the past I've been playing great but simply was kissed in on a hard break, got hooked repeatedly, or came up dry several breaks in a row. This is part of the game and I can handle it when those are the rules. But with this format we both get fair opportunities to start each rack.
And I was also pleasantly surprised with the challenges still there to overcome. The remaining 6 balls would all end up at the rack end of the table leading to some delicate and surgical run outs, so all the pool wasn't removed from the game. Many patterns requiring tight maneuvering, short side shape for side pockets or up table corners, combinations, caroms, banks, and delicate breakouts came up. It actually felt like I was playing a hybrid 9-ball/Straight-pool mix, like you started with a 'break ball' but had to carve through the rack in rotation.
Other players found other breaks that they preferred. Amar Kang was breaking firmer, drawing the cue ball to the head rail, taking slightly more risk at having a ball hook him on the 1 but ensuring an easier run out with less congestion. Other players soft broke early, but then would hard break if they were in a deficit. In this way breaking became a bit strategic, much like the opening preparation chess players put together prior to match play.
In the end I found myself really enjoying the matches and have a newfound appreciation for the magic rack. I watched some of the world championships and saw that they were breaking with medium speed and cutting in the wing ball using template racks as well. Instead of shaking my head with how we've made the game too easy, I found myself smiling at the skills these players have developed in their post break play and glad that would be what determined who would be crowned champion.