A fun practice game I learned yesterday

[Masayoshi]

Here is a fun practice game I learned yesterday. It makes you work on cue ball control and object ball control to help with your safety game, but I must warn you, it is VERY difficult although entertaining even if you aren't able to score a point.

Start with 4 balls, the cue ball, the 1 ball, the 3 ball and the 11 ball. Throw them out on the table randomly. If a ball goes in the pocket, spot it up. If 2 balls go in, spot the other ball on the head spot.

From here, you have to make a succession of 3 shots to make a point.

First shot: Carom the cue ball off a red ball and the yellow ball in either order. The Cue ball CANNOT hit all 3 object balls, but it is okay for the object balls to hit the 3rd ball. If any ball goes in a pocket, it spots up, even the cue ball. If you miss the carom or hit all 3 balls, your turn is over. If you make a legal carom, you continue even if the cue ball scratches.

Second shot: Carom the cue ball off of both red balls. Same rules as the last shot.

Third shot: Carom the cue ball off all 3 object balls.

If you have done these shots in succession, you have scored 1 point and you can try to continue your run (good luck with that, lol).

Try it out, its a lot of fun, but its also a lot more difficult than it sounds. The most important thing is coming up with ways to group the balls so that you can set up position for the last shot. You can play by yourself, or with an opponent, but its also a great game for doubles.

 

[framedglasshadd]

Is this like straight rail but played on a pocket table?With one more ball, too. Perhaps I can try this new game today. Instead of 3-cushion I guess you can call it... 3-carom? LOL

Have you tried playing this on a carom table? Since it doesn't matter if you scratch...

 

[CreeDo]

er, how many points were scored when you last played it? It sounds so difficult you could go an hour without scoring. Which wouldn't be much fun.

 

[Black-Balled]

I have been playing that Cowboy game and I have never struck all 3 balls with the cb...only a few close efforts.

And I am the best player in my house.:frown:

 

[GADawg]

This game is a favorite after hours money game between pros in Taiwan and China with payment made after all three shots are completed.

I have never played myself but have seen three people accomplish the three shots four times consecutively. Amazing cue control.

In China, the game is called 2-5-8. Don't know why.

 

[PaulieB]

I have been playing that Cowboy game and I have never struck all 3 balls with the cb...only a few close efforts.

And I am the best player in my house.:frown:

I say that too, but I live by myself...

 

[Masayoshi]

er, how many points were scored when you last played it? It sounds so difficult you could go an hour without scoring. Which wouldn't be much fun.

I was playing doubles, with a pro. Our opponents were also an A/pro pair. It took about an hour to score the first point and we quit about half an hour later, although we had maybe a dozen or so shots that were very close. Like I said, very difficult, but fun and challenging. I bet if a pro played by himself there would be more than a few points made, but with doubles, its a little difficult to match what you have in mind with what your partner has in mind. Next time I get ona table by myself, I'll tell you how I do.

Is this like straight rail but played on a pocket table?With one more ball, too. Perhaps I can try this new game today. Instead of 3-cushion I guess you can call it... 3-carom? LOL

Have you tried playing this on a carom table? Since it doesn't matter if you scratch...

I imagine this would be slightly easier on a 3 cushion table because it is faster and you can use the corners to group the balls, although the extra distance might be a challenge.

This game is a favorite after hours money game between pros in Taiwan and China with payment made after all three shots are completed.

I have never played myself but have seen three people accomplish the three shots four times consecutively. Amazing cue control.

In China, the game is called 2-5-8. Don't know why.

In Japan, its called the Taiwan practice game, apparently. lol.

 

[Masayoshi]

Okay, I tried this out by myself for about 3 hours yesterday and ended up scoring 7 points, but the first hour was completely dry, lol. Once you get used to getting the correct position, its not nearly as difficult as it seems at first (although still quite difficult). I could see short runs being possible with a little more practice, but I don't know about a 4. That just seems out of this world.