Appealing to the masses: Short Rack Bank Pool

iusedtoberich

iusedtoberich

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
What about Short Rack Banks as a game to appeal to the masses, as opposed to the already tried 14.1, 8 Ball, and 9 Ball?

Anytime a banger sees a bank, they are "wow, did you see that!".

Bank Pool has tons of high powered offensive shots. Single, double, triple rail banks. Most shots are hit HARD. Lots of back and forth between opponents.

Yes, some games can take a safety turn. I think the offensive power far outweighs the safety aspect, from a mass appeal standpoint.

Even as a player, I enjoy watching banks more than any other game. There is a constant POW POW POW in that game that is not in any other.

Thoughts?
 
iusedtoberich said:
What about Short Rack Banks as a game to appeal to the masses, as opposed to the already tried 14.1, 8 Ball, and 9 Ball?

Anytime a banger sees a bank, they are "wow, did you see that!".

Bank Pool has tons of high powered offensive shots. Single, double, triple rail banks. Most shots are hit HARD. Lots of back and forth between opponents.

Yes, some games can take a safety turn. I think the offensive power far outweighs the safety aspect, from a mass appeal standpoint.

Even as a player, I enjoy watching banks more than any other game. There is a constant POW POW POW in that game that is not in any other.

Thoughts?
Click to expand...

It is by far my favorite game to gamble at and even watch...
 
it beats 9 ball
but straight pool has the class especially if tuxedo and class
people who don't whine,brag or strut could participate

but until someone with deep pockets and a plan gets involved
things will not change
 
iusedtoberich said:
Even as a player, I enjoy watching banks more than any other game. There is a constant POW POW POW in that game that is not in any other.
Click to expand...

It can also turn into a rail-banging game at times. But, yeah, when somebody is banking them well, it's oohs and aahs. More edge-of-your-seat kind of stuff.

The hall closest to my house has a monthly 14.1 tournament, so I've been wanting for a while to try and start up a monthly banks tournament. Now, if I could just get myself to take time off from leagues.
 
It's only good if the guys playing are good at the game.

The gap between a great banker and a good banker is huge. Even more so than the gap between a great 9ball player and a good 9ball player.
 
I like the idea. How would you rack the balls? Rack 6 balls? Winner is the first to bank any 3 balls? Or rack 3 balls and the first to bank 2 balls wins?

One of my fondest memories of pool is playing 9 ball bank pool with the best player in my pool hall who is also a very close friend of mine. First one to bank any 5 balls wins. I beet him. He couldn't believe I beet him. We played a second 9 ball bank game and I won that game to. I was never a great banker but I was a good banker.

Someone had the idea of a short rack 8 ball game. 4 solids and 4 strips with the 8 ball where the 9 ball goes in a 9 ball rack. I'm going to have a short rack 8 ball tournament in a couple of weeks to see how well the customers like the game. I think it is really a good idea. Shoot well my friends.
 
bountybuddy said:
I like the idea. How would you rack the balls? Rack 6 balls? Winner is the first to bank any 3 balls? Or rack 3 balls and the first to bank 2 balls wins?

One of my fondest memories of pool is playing 9 ball bank pool with the best player in my pool hall who is also a very close friend of mine. First one to bank any 5 balls wins. I beet him. He couldn't believe I beet him. We played a second 9 ball bank game and I won that game to. I was never a great banker but I was a good banker.

Someone had the idea of a short rack 8 ball game. 4 solids and 4 strips with the 8 ball where the 9 ball goes in a 9 ball rack. I'm going to have a short rack 8 ball tournament in a couple of weeks to see how well the customers like the game. I think it is really a good idea. Shoot well my friends.
Click to expand...

It's racked like 9b, race to 5 balls.

Edit: I see you've played it. Yeah, it's also called short-rack banks.
 
Keep the comments coming.

Yes, huge gap in bank pool between skilled and non skilled.

My OP was really meant for professional play. Something to put on TV that the masses would enjoy watching. So there would be an extremely high level of banking.

Bonus Ball tried to make the game more exciting by forcing difficult shots due to its rule set. That got me thinking that Bank Pool already has exciting shots.
 
And yes Short Rack Banks and 9 Ball Banks are one and the same.

I didn't want to specify full/long rack banks because the safety play in that version is much more prevalent.
 
derby banks

I'm hoping someone will stream at least some of the banks at the Derby. Its very disappointing to me they are going to PPV stream the Bigfoot in the arena the first 3 days and backseat the banks.Lots of us around here feel that the banks IS the main event at the Derby. As for the Bigfoot I'm just not very interested in watching another rotation game played on a size table i will never play on.
 
Banks said it. It can become a rail beating mess. At the pro level, its a good game to watch. I've hustled banks in the old days. Its tough to keep a customer when he misses bank after bank. He usually quits after a few games. Banks is a good game , but you have to like it and be good at it.
I believe that for mass appeal, American Rotation ( with a few rule changes ) can be the next great game that anyone can play and watch. Change it to all offence by making it ball in hand on any ball missed...no safetes ...if you dont pocket a ball, incoming player has ball in hand. This way , both players ( or both teams ) get to shoot balls in the hole.
 
iusedtoberich said:
What about Short Rack Banks as a game to appeal to the masses, as opposed to the already tried 14.1, 8 Ball, and 9 Ball?

Thoughts?
Click to expand...

8-ball has never been tried as the professional game of pool. It has had a small few one off tournaments and a failed tour that had zero promotion to the masses and absolutely no coverage to the degree that even I could not see any of the matches despite knowing about the tour well in advance and scouring the internet and AZB trying to find a way to watch it.

14.1 and 9-ball have certainly been tried, 9-ball failed miserably, 14.1 actually had decades of fairly high popularity through what can only be seen as the golden age of pool when the top players of the game were actually fairly rich compared to today.
 
iusedtoberich said:
What about Short Rack Banks as a game to appeal to the masses, as opposed to the already tried 14.1, 8 Ball, and 9 Ball?

Anytime a banger sees a bank, they are "wow, did you see that!".

Bank Pool has tons of high powered offensive shots. Single, double, triple rail banks. Most shots are hit HARD. Lots of back and forth between opponents.

Yes, some games can take a safety turn. I think the offensive power far outweighs the safety aspect, from a mass appeal standpoint.

Even as a player, I enjoy watching banks more than any other game. There is a constant POW POW POW in that game that is not in any other.

Thoughts?
Click to expand...
said it for years.
 
iusedtoberich said:
They will hold and then stream live the semis and finals of the Banks after the Bigfoot is done.
Click to expand...
I was very aware of that and to me that's a slap in the face. The Banks is what drives the Derby. It always has. That's why they have 400 players in it. I understand Greg is trying to sell the 5 x 10's and its his ballgame, its just disappointing that he is sacrificing the banks to do it. I also think the PPV stream numbers the first few days will reflect that. I always buy the banks and 1 pocket but i won't buy the Bigfoot.
 
crabbcatjohn said:
I'm hoping someone will stream at least some of the banks at the Derby. Its very disappointing to me they are going to PPV stream the Bigfoot in the arena the first 3 days and backseat the banks.Lots of us around here feel that the banks IS the main event at the Derby. As for the Bigfoot I'm just not very interested in watching another rotation game played on a size table i will never play on.
Click to expand...

I agree with your sentiment completely.
 
Celtic said:
8-ball has never been tried as the professional game of pool. It has had a small few one off tournaments and a failed tour that had zero promotion to the masses and absolutely no coverage to the degree that even I could not see any of the matches despite knowing about the tour well in advance and scouring the internet and AZB trying to find a way to watch it.

14.1 and 9-ball have certainly been tried, 9-ball failed miserably, 14.1 actually had decades of fairly high popularity through what can only be seen as the golden age of pool when the top players of the game were actually fairly rich compared to today.
Click to expand...

Here's a week long tournament I'd love to see...

A) 11 Ball banks... race to 4/3 on one loss side ( it racks like 10B + 1 in back...winner is 1st to make 6 balls)

B) American Rotation (minor rule change) to 200/150 on one loss side.

C) One Pocket ...race to 4/3 on one loss side.

10 Ball for ring game... call everything, can't win on the break, everything spots, make you shoot again if no good hit.


Now this would be a great no BS tournament imo.
 
The best game I ever got to sweat was late night at tunica watching manny chau and Danny smith play full rack banks. I was right next to mr jay Helfert and my cooler of pabst. I don't know how long it lasted but when I walked outside the sun had come up and someone, I won't name names but they know who they are, heisted me at a race to 3 nine ball.
 
Jpowell7575 said:
The best game I ever got to sweat was late night at tunica watching manny chau and Danny smith play full rack banks. I was right next to mr jay Helfert and my cooler of pabst. I don't know how long it lasted but when I walked outside the sun had come up and someone, I won't name names but they know who they are, heisted me at a race to 3 nine ball.
Click to expand...

I saw some of that Danny/Manny match... Later Danny matched up with Busti and Reyes (they were partners) in some 1 hole...Partners won,, For me the mosquitoes won the major 'take' on the night.

R
 
Jpowell7575 said:
The best game I ever got to sweat was late night at tunica watching manny chau and Danny smith play full rack banks. I was right next to mr jay Helfert and my cooler of pabst. I don't know how long it lasted but when I walked outside the sun had come up and someone, I won't name names but they know who they are, heisted me at a race to 3 nine ball.
Click to expand...

Yikes, you got outsmarted?! That shiester must have been a legend... in his own mind...

<====== Legend here:)
 
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