Island Drive said:

Stu I just want to watch match & NOT know who won the game before I watch the match later on U Tube.
Some of these heads up matches here are great, I enjoy the background cheering.
But seeing to two great players meet/play for the first time from different walks of life and how it plays out I like.
Like a Wu/Gorst match... oh yeah one of em won 11-5.

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Cleveland_Rocks said:

My understanding is that there are two main accepted ways to "Play the Ghost". One, the "pro" version is to break and play from the break. This would mean that one would need a full, true break and run more than 50% of the games to win. Two, the more common "amateur" version, where one breaks and then takes ball in hand after the break, regardless of what happens on the break.

For me, I see the "amateur" version is being something that encourages laziness or apathy on the break, or to just "get a good spread" to beat the ghost and not necessarily make a ball. So I came up with what I call the "modified pro version".

In the modified pro version, one gets 2 points for a break and run, and the ghost gets 2 points for a scratch on the break. With a break that does not make a ball, then one takes ball in hand and runs out from there. With a break that does not make a ball, if one runs out after taking ball in hand its 1 point. If one misses at any time, the ghost gets 1 point. So - make a ball on the break, its on for a break and run and potentially 2 points, no ball in hand. Scratch on the break, the ghost gets 2 points. Any other miss, whether one made a ball on the break or not, the ghost gets one point.

This encourages practicing the break in a way that break and runs are sought after, and laziness or apathy on the break are discouraged. As most serious 9 ball players are aware, a scratch on the break is asking for a loss of game and loss of momentum, so the scratch on the break is heavily penalized.

In my earlier pool playing time, not too far back, I beat the ghost in the "modified pro" version twice, and I did so on a 9 footer. The 9 footer I used to beat the ghost in the "modified pro" version was not my home table, and I used a triangle rack. I generally play on 9 footers as a default, only playing on bar tables for occasional tournaments.

Of course, my "modified pro" version uses all 9 balls.

2 questions:

1. Has anyone ever heard of the "modified pro" version that I came up with being used?
2. What other variations of "playing the ghost" are you aware of?

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loggerhead12 said:

There's no capitalism without customers. And customers can be POS's too.

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july9x said:

Hello APA players and Fargo 600+,

I have a GC3 pool table, but I only play about 1 - 2 hours per week, yes that's right!

The new cloth and rails (new rubber/cushion) were installed two years ago, and they still look and feel practically brand new. I keep the table covered all the time.

The balls slide really fast, and the rails don't seem to grab English as well as the tables at my local pool hall with well-worn cloth.

Is there anything I can do to make my table play more like a well-used pool hall table? Any tricks to wear the cloth out without actually playing on it? LOL.

I swear, next time I change my cloth, or when a pool hall replaces theirs, I'm going to ask if I can take their worn cloth and pay for new cloth for them.

I'm looking for ways to slow the balls down a little and get better action off the rails. Any suggestions?

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jay helfert said:

All four semifinalists are Pinoy! I rest my case! Am I allowed to say I told you so?

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trokiki said:

Nice app. How accurate it is? I’m asking because it seems like very difficult to implement.

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SA96 said:

Thorsten in the Mosconi is going to be a joke.

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SA96 said:

Thorsten in the Mosconi is going to be a joke.

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