Speaking of difficulty of games and worthiness of play, I came up with a variation of 8 Ball I've been meaning to share. Historically I've played bank the 8 or last pocket to add something to standard 8 ball. A friend of mine plays on a predominantly spanish speaking 8 ball league with some interesting rules that he tried to relay to me. About a week later I tried remembering them, but totally misunderstood what he had told me and in the process created a new thing. I still call it Spanish Pool though it's my own fabrication.
Essentially, it's standard 8 ball. Rack with the two balls behind the 8 ball in a matching color (2/10, 4/11, etc.). These balls need to be pocketed in the side pocket oposite the side they are racked. If one of these balls is pocketed in a different pocket it gets spotted. I play that this is not a foul if you call the pocket, which often sets up a series of positioning shots. Vary the rules as you like. Coin table; call it a foul instead of spotting. Generally we've been playing if your oponent hits your ball in it stays in.
This variation has become a house favorite on free pool night. Sometimes there's a waiting list that might take a half hour before you get to shoot. After such a wait, the last thing you want is the guy to break and run out on you. With the added difficulty, I also think it's a more interesting game to watch.
