Why Not Rotation?

PhilosopherKing

PhilosopherKing

AzB Gold Member
Gold Member
Silver Member
If the the Filipinos are, as a whole, the best players in the world, and their proficiency can indeed be credited to playing rotation, -That's what I'm always hearing from video commentators- then why aren't more people in the U.S. pushing for and playing rotation?

Thanks
 
Last edited:
Good question- love that game, too- great training game, too. Here in germany rotation isn t played often :(
 
How do you play rotation? :shrug:

I think that is the problem. Most everyone starts playing pool with 8 ball. It is easy, you either shoot in all of the solid or striped balls and then the black ball. There is no counting involved.

The other is rotation of 15 balls would take too long and probably not make for a good league game.
 
Rotatation/Chicago as we called it

Growing up in the 50`s we played straight pool ,chicago(rotation) ,cribbage, 9-ball, 8 ball, and 3 cusion billards, All of these games and the knowledge they provided make you a better player (IMHO).Today at age 75 i still play all the games. I think playing good position/shape had a lot to do with playing different games. And lerning the diamond system is important to kicking in rotatation ergo reyes/busty/and the filipinos also the asian women. Who knows maybe the old games will become new again.
 
rotation

Yes rotatation might be too long for leauge games.No leauges back in my day. Just word of mouth. I lived and played in jesey city and was a pretty good straight pool player .Had a high run on a 5x10 of 53 balls but mostly runs in the 20,30 range We heard there was a hot player in union city (next town) So we went up and played some 14.1 for $10.00 (75 point games ) he beat us all pretty easily. By the way his name was Pete Margo and he was about 16....Met Pete in Middletown NY in late 70`s or early 80`s . He was giving an exibition > he was cordial ,but still whipped my butt. ...HI Pete wherever you are...
 
TheBook said:
How do you play rotation? :shrug:

I think that is the problem. Most everyone starts playing pool with 8 ball. It is easy, you either shoot in all of the solid or striped balls and then the black ball. There is no counting involved.

The other is rotation of 15 balls would take too long and probably not make for a good league game.
Click to expand...

Because the game is point based, I think it could be adapted to suit handicapping, time constraints, and other snafus that arise in league play.

I wasn't thinking about leagues when I posed the question. I just thought it would be refreshing and a good sign to see two kids walk into a room and bang away at a game of rotation instead of 8-ball.
 
PhilosopherKing said:
If the the Filipinos are, as a whole, the best players in the world, and their proficiency can indeed be credited to playing rotation, -That's what I'm always hearing from video commentators- then why aren't more people in the U.S. pushing for and playing rotation?

Thanks
Click to expand...

Cuz it's so dang hard!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:banghead: :wink:


td
 
Speaking from my own experience, Rotation is a game you play as a beginning player because of it's simplicity. As a players skill developes, so to does their desire to engage in more challenging games.
 
Tramp Steamer said:
Speaking from my own experience, Rotation is a game you play as a beginning player because of it's simplicity. As a players skill developes, so to does their desire to engage in more challenging games.
Click to expand...

Just to clarify, I'm referring to 15-ball rotation, not 9-ball.

I think it's a pretty demanding game, but I'm just one voice.
 
I love full rack rotation. It's the game I first played, 1940, can't get anyone too play it today.

Dave Nelson
 
jerseybillG said:
Growing up in the 50`s we played straight pool ,chicago(rotation) ,cribbage, 9-ball, 8 ball, and 3 cusion billards, All of these games and the knowledge they provided make you a better player (IMHO).Today at age 75 i still play all the games. I think playing good position/shape had a lot to do with playing different games. And lerning the diamond system is important to kicking in rotatation ergo reyes/busty/and the filipinos also the asian women. Who knows maybe the old games will become new again.
Click to expand...

I too grew up in the 1950's on Long Island, NY. We also played 14.1, 15-ball rotation (there are at least 5 different 15 ball rotation games and many more off-shoots from them), 3 cushion billiards, bottle and pill-pool, and most all games. (9-ball...not so much back then.

I think some of the reasons it's not played much now is table time, gamblers and TV (F TV) want a faster game, there are a lot of 7-foot tables in the US and they are not good for 15-ball rotation. But like JerseyBill said, playing 15-ball rotation, 14.1, and 3 cushion made for more rounded players IMO. Not talking about pros here. Johnnyt
 
I don't understand why it's not played either. I would be over the moon to see a major rotation tournament. Why play 9 ball or 10 ball at a professional level when you have rotation?

Although it is typical played in single 61 point game format, my favorite variation has the players carrying their scores over from to rack trying to obtain a predetermined score much like 14.1 (I like 500 point games). That way you can't run the last 6 balls and win the after your opponent runs the first 9. But there is still an emphasis on maintaining control of the table so you can score those final 6 balls. Either way, it's still better than making one ball and winning the game.
 
15-ball rotation often degenerates in to long safety battles with 1 or 2 balls per inning once a safety is blown.

By the time you get down to 7-ish balls left on the table, its just like typical 9-ball.

Why it is not played is probably based on people not liking long safety battles, difficult kick shots, and the need for long delicate thin cut shots. Which, coincidentally, is probably why the Filipinos are so good.
 
PhilosopherKing said:
Just to clarify, I'm referring to 15-ball rotation, not 9-ball.

I think it's a pretty demanding game, but I'm just one voice.
Click to expand...


Yes, me to. As teenagers, when my friends and I began hanging around a pool hall, we played 15 ball rotation because the game was easy to learn. How demanding a game might become would, or should, be based upon the level at which you play it. The same could be said of all cue sport games.
 
rotation

I play a couple days a week in Breaktime in wilmington nc, It is amazing to have young guys who are playing a couple of yrs and do not know what or how 14.1 is played.never mind rotation. There are only a handful of players who come to breaktime who play straight pool and all are 60 or over. I think more young people would get interested if the 14.1 world title from last yr would post some of the matche`s on u-tube especially the players they only see playing 9 ball.....a game that kept me in gas/movie money in the 50`s...guy`s like thorsten,ortman ,Nils, and of course our own great J.Schmidt, siegal, etc:
 
During the time that my brother and I were first learning how to play pool at our local dive bar, we would sometimes play pool at this laundry mat while cleaning our clothes. We would get into ring games of rotation with a bunch of guys there ($1 or $2 a game). They played it with all the balls on the rails and the 1 on the spot instead of breaking.

We brought this game to our little dive bar, and it became one of the favorites there. It can be a little long depending on who's playing, but it's very enjoyable. I definitely think people should play this more often here, whether the racked version or railed version.
 
Is there a set of de facto rules out there? I know the Filipinos have their own particular set of rules... like how to rack the balls and what happens on a foul, etc.
 
SouthernDraw said:
Simple, ...it's difficult to keep score when you're drunk. :grin-square:
Click to expand...

:eek::thumbup::rotflmao: First off that's funny,secondly,it can become a long game and most people don't have long attention spans,which is why tv doesn't show 8ball either.And 3rd rotation requires just as much skill as straight,a mistake in either one and it could mean the electric chair.8 & 9 ball (in order)are more forgiving of mistakes.
 
PhilosopherKing said:
If the the Filipinos are, as a whole, the best players in the world, and their proficiency can indeed be credited to playing rotation, -That's what I'm always hearing from video commentators- then why aren't more people in the U.S. pushing for and playing rotation?

Thanks
Click to expand...

15 ball rotation has to be one of the most frustrating games on the planet. It almost gives me the shakes thinking about it.

One day, my idle mind decided I was going to break and run a full rack of 15 ball and record it on tape - just for the hell of it. Now, bear in mind my table has 4" pockets (yes, exactly 4 inches).

Here - enjoy - as I did, breaking and running a full rack of rotation. There is audio but you have to turn up the sound.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HfQxw8lYrVQ

Chris
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top