Blackball

Sloppy Pockets

Sloppy Pockets

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I've been watching a lot of British blackball ever since Jayson Shaw exploded on the pool scene and I started finding him playing it on YouTube. It looks like a lot of fun, with those tiny balls and extremely tight pockets.

Any fans out there?

Also, where would I get a 3' x 6' blackball table? I just might be able to squeeze one in if I found one cheap enough.
 
Sloppy Pockets said:
I've been watching a lot of British blackball ever since Jayson Shaw exploded on the pool scene and I started finding him playing it on YouTube. It looks like a lot of fun, with those tiny balls and extremely tight pockets.

Any fans out there?

Also, where would I get a 3' x 6' blackball table? I just might be able to squeeze one in if I found one cheap enough.
Click to expand...

It's all I play these days. Most tables are 7x4 BTW.

This site is good for BB vids - the Newbury classic final is a good one to watch for fast, aggressive play. It's much, much more difficult than it looks...

http://www.cuesport.tv/
 
Coming from the UK, it's all I played for the first five years of my pool life. The only thing is, even though the pockets feel much bigger in conventional pool it's still pretty hard to switch up. Now I play 8-ball on nine foot tables, I find the pockets feel really big, but positioning the cue ball is a nightmare, given how the extra weight and size make balls respond so differently to power and spin.
 
Tim, I knew you played it. It looks pretty hard to me. Not only the tiny pockets, but with the small balls it seems like you really have to be careful in order to find center CB. Seems like this game can really improve the accuracy of your stroke.

I noticed how the balls don't really travel far like our pool balls do. Is the cloth real slow, or is it just the smaller mass that is responsible for this.

Thanks for the links, guys. I'm sure there's lots of interesting matches there.
 
Blackball stateside ?

I wonder how this true version of English Blackball would go over if introduced to say a regular tavern bunch of valley table playing 8ballers.

Somebody should switch tables during closing time and suprize them.
Of course rules will have to be posted on a large poster.

I do very much like Blackball and think it is a way better game then the way 8ball was destroyed in many bars stateside. You know the ones. The ones that scratch on purpose and make you kick at the 8 from the kitchen, and other bogus redneck rules that only start trouble.

Any thoughts ?

:cool:
 
Sloppy Pockets said:
Tim, I knew you played it. It looks pretty hard to me. Not only the tiny pockets, but with the small balls it seems like you really have to be careful in order to find center CB. Seems like this game can really improve the accuracy of your stroke.
Click to expand...

Actually, it's a bit more forgiving in terms of finding the centre of the CB, which is why I switched - I mucked about with my action and cannot hit the larger 9 ball CB in the middle anymore. The 1.75" CB leaves less to go wrong, and the larger 2" OB doesn't throw nearly as much if you don't hit the CB in the middle anyway.

In terms of the game itself, I think it's really important to start playing on small tables with small balls. I think it gives UK players a massive advantage over American players, as almost all of us will have started this way as children. It teaches you the importance of accuracy. Accuracy in itself is not enough, either - you have to time the ball, too. Shots down rails are exceptionally difficult without both accuracy AND timing. You MUST strike the CB well, or the OB won't go, no matter how well it is aimed.


Sloppy Pockets said:
I noticed how the balls don't really travel far like our pool balls do. Is the cloth real slow, or is it just the smaller mass that is responsible for this.
Click to expand...

No, it's the smaller mass. The CB is smaller than the OB, so doesn't follow through in the same way. It actually takes quite a lot of effort to play follow shots - soft screw shots are the way.

Obviously it depends on the condition of the cloth but championship cloths are absolutely lightning quick, faster than anything. Control is key.

Supreme Winner tables are pretty standard, but I think you'll struggle to get one over there.
 
oldzilla said:
I wonder how this true version of English Blackball would go over if introduced to say a regular tavern bunch of valley table playing 8ballers.

Somebody should switch tables during closing time and suprize them.
Of course rules will have to be posted on a large poster.

I do very much like Blackball and think it is a way better game then the way 8ball was destroyed in many bars stateside. You know the ones. The ones that scratch on purpose and make you kick at the 8 from the kitchen, and other bogus redneck rules that only start trouble.

Any thoughts ?

:cool:
Click to expand...

8 ball rules are a farce the world over. BB is pretty much adapted to English pool tables only, and wouldn't work on American tables IMO.

Official 8 ball rules are great on tables with big pockets - the challenge is to get everyone to understand them enough to play them. Once this happens, a lot of the problems with pool with vanish and it will become a popular game again. The rules act as a significant barrier in terms of encouraging people to play.
 
TheThaiger said:
8 ball rules are a farce the world over. BB is pretty much adapted to English pool tables only, and wouldn't work on American tables IMO.

Official 8 ball rules are great on tables with big pockets - the challenge is to get everyone to understand them enough to play them. Once this happens, a lot of the problems with pool with vanish and it will become a popular game again. The rules act as a significant barrier in terms of encouraging people to play.
Click to expand...

ty for your thoughts BUT I did say switch tables during closing time !!!

This is a big difference in the thought process.

Proceed.
 
Tim, those were a couple of very insightful posts. Thanks for the info.

I think it would be wonderful to have the rooms that claim to be dedicated to family play add a few of these blackball tables for the kids to learn on. I think the bi-color ball layouts would make it a lot easier to for youngsters to pick up on the correct patterns as well.

Yeah, the whole 8-ball rule thing is a joke over here. I was at a bar a few days ago where if you committed any fouls but a scratch in a pocket you had to accept the CB where it lies. I think standardized rules for all games is needed if we expect new players to take an interest in cue sports.
 
oldzilla...It would NEVER work. Because of the the pockets, nobody would ever make a ball. A league match would take 2 days! LOL

Scott Lee
http://poolknowledge.com

oldzilla said:
I wonder how this true version of English Blackball would go over if introduced to say a regular tavern bunch of valley table playing 8ballers.

Somebody should switch tables during closing time and suprize them.
Of course rules will have to be posted on a large poster.

Any thoughts ?

:cool:
Click to expand...
 
Hey, just because it was succinct, doesn't mean I didn't think about it. Have you ever watched novice players accidentally trying to play on a snooker table? I have, and after nobody pockets a ball for 20 minutes or more, I go over and show them how the pockets are very different (it's an "aha" moment for them...and they go trade for a pool table). Don't you think it would be the same for league players...many of which are novice players? League matches already take 3-5 hours, on average (and players b1tch about it all the time). Playing on tables with tougher pockets would only lengthen that time requirement.

Scott Lee
http://poolknowledge.com

oldzilla said:
ty for not putting too much thought into it.
Click to expand...
 
Scott Lee said:
Hey, just because it was succinct, doesn't mean I didn't think about it. Have you ever watched novice players accidentally trying to play on a snooker table? I have, and after nobody pockets a ball for 20 minutes or more, I go over and show them how the pockets are very different (it's an "aha" moment for them...and they go trade for a pool table). Don't you think it would be the same for league players...many of which are novice players? League matches already take 3-5 hours, on average (and players b1tch about it all the time). Playing on tables with tougher pockets would only lengthen that time requirement.

Scott Lee
http://poolknowledge.com
Click to expand...

just tell them to take the rack off
 
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