I f****ng loved Bonus Ball

hlymnstr14

hlymnstr14

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I hope everyone watched and will watch ESPN3's coverage of Bonus Ball. Whoever thought this up did a great job making a game that is good for TV. The shot clock forces the action and these top level pros were having a hard time adjusting to it which raised the stress and tension level which made for great watching. I like that the players were mic'd up. I liked the referee, the bonus ball girl (my god who wouldn't), the uniforms and the game itself.

I would love to have this on ESPN on a regular basis. It would be great to watch all the matches from the regular season and all the playoffs and championship match.

If you haven't watched it and think it's not for me but you love pool, you need to watch it. You will be hooked right away. It's still the game you love just different and maybe better. I don't think it will catch on in the pool halls because there is a lot of things to keep track of that the telecast and announcers do for you. It's TV perfect. The production is top notch.

And Scott Frost was excellent in the booth. Having a guy like that commentating that really knows what's going on in a players head was fantastic. Better than some stiff that was announcing horse racing last week and figure skating the week before that.
 
I'm a die hard league player. I grew up in my old man's pool room. And I never thought I would like a new game. But it's quite a good game. Maybe it is the 1P banger in me that likes it so much.

But a lot of strategy involved, and it's part 9b, 8b, banks, 1P and then you have a straight pool re-break to boot ... how cool is that, and I don't even play straight pool but love the concept.

I'm gonna try and get a local tourney with BB. Using stripes and solids instead of the orange and purple. Maybe 2-person teams, and if folks play it, they may find they like it. Not to mention, there are many folks that still have not heard of it.

But if there is money in the pot, some folks will play it regardless if they know how :)
 
It is a very tricky game that has great subtleties. Though obviously very skillful, it is not that easy to follow and its pace can slow down to a crawl, as did the final rack of NY vs. Atlanta between Strickland and Daulton.

I recall one shot in that match in which Scott Frost said "that was a fantastic shot" and I really couldn't figure out why. The learning curve is a bit long for a fan.

I think the game is part one pocket and part straight pool with a few elements of a couple of other games, and it should appeal to many serious diehard pool players.

Good luck to all involved with Bonus Ball.
 
sjm said:
It is a very tricky game that has great subtleties. Though obviously very skillful, it is not that easy to follow and its pace can slow down to a crawl, as did the final rack of NY vs. Atlanta between Strickland and Daulton.

I recall one shot in that match in which Scott Frost said "that was a fantastic shot" and I really couldn't figure out why. The learning curve is a bit long for a fan.

I think the game is part one pocket and part straight pool with a few elements of a couple of other games, and it should appeal to many serious diehard pool players.

Good luck to all involved with Bonus Ball.
Click to expand...

How true. A game that "forces the action," "requires constant strategic adjustment," "invokes tension,"
"incorporates one-pocket, 14.1, and rotation style of play," "promotes a team-based concept," AND
"presents it in a professional and sports-like atmosphere." And now it's on ESPN?

Larry is an innovative, courageous, patient and business genius!

All you people who bad-mouthed this game....can....well, eat your words.

If a person doesn't have faith in something new, that could mean that the person is too old (not in age, but in thinking).
-Yours truly
 
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ChicagoRJ said:
I'm a die hard league player. I grew up in my old man's pool room. And I never thought I would like a new game. But it's quite a good game. Maybe it is the 1P banger in me that likes it so much.

But a lot of strategy involved, and it's part 9b, 8b, banks, 1P and then you have a straight pool re-break to boot ... how cool is that, and I don't even play straight pool but love the concept.

I'm gonna try and get a local tourney with BB. Using stripes and solids instead of the orange and purple. Maybe 2-person teams, and if folks play it, they may find they like it. Not to mention, there are many folks that still have not heard of it.

But if there is money in the pot, some folks will play it regardless if they know how :)
Click to expand...

We held a Bonus Ball tournament at Bull Shooters in Phoenix using stripes and solids. It was a singles tournament and we got about 30 players. They all enjoyed it. Of course, the added money helped.

We're now going to see if we can get a team league started. It may be tough at the amateur level, but we won't know until we try. :)

Roger
 
Roger Long said:
We held a Bonus Ball tournament at Bull Shooters in Phoenix using stripes and solids. It was a singles tournament and we got about 30 players. They all enjoyed it. Of course, the added money helped.

We're now going to see if we can get a team league started. It may be tough at the amateur level, but we won't know until we try. :)

Roger
Click to expand...

so, did everyone just have paper and pen to track scores? How did folks handle the orange/purple fouls ? I mean, If someone forgot they were on one color but shot the other, how does one even know your opponenet remember correctly ??
 
ChicagoRJ said:
so, did everyone just have paper and pen to track scores? How did folks handle the orange/purple fouls ? I mean, If someone forgot they were on one color but shot the other, how does one even know your opponenet remember correctly ??
Click to expand...

You do the best you can with what you have.
I would imagine, yes, they used paper for tracking.
Being that it was Bull Shooter's first Bonus Ball event, "ball tracking" probably wasn't easy.
It turns out though the event was a pretty big success.
That should speak volumes right there.
 
I've tried to play it with stripes and solids in the poolroom before, and I think I'm going to try it again. The biggest obstacles to overcome were 1. remembering what ball you were supposed to be on and 2. remembering which set of pockets you had. The pocket setup is so different than any other pool game without them being white and black like on the broadcast it wasn't natural to remember.

I get what Stu was saying about the pace slowing down in that last game last night. It turned into a one pocket esque moving battle for more than a few innings. At least with the time clock and shot clock it doesn't turn into a total quagmire. Like I said in another thread I think it's a good game, but it definitely has some room to evolve and become better.
 
I watched half the match, and thought is was awesome as well.

I loved how it drew elements from the many different games. And you could tell the players were "into" it. There was no fake interest last night.

I will go out of my way to watch it again.

But, lose the jerseys with the 24" numbers on them.... LOL! I'm thinking a polo shirt would have been just fine.

Somebody tell potential sponsors!!!! Let's keep this going!
 
StraightPoolIU said:
I've tried to play it with stripes and solids in the poolroom before, and I think I'm going to try it again. The biggest obstacles to overcome were 1. remembering what ball you were supposed to be on and 2. remembering which set of pockets you had. The pocket setup is so different than any other pool game without them being white and black like on the broadcast it wasn't natural to remember.

I get what Stu was saying about the pace slowing down in that last game last night. It turned into a one pocket esque moving battle for more than a few innings. At least with the time clock and shot clock it doesn't turn into a total quagmire. Like I said in another thread I think it's a good game, but it definitely has some room to evolve and become better.
Click to expand...

Yes, I was thinking about the pocket ID issue as well.... Maybe some kind of post-it note overlay would help.

I was thinking it might be a good idea to start buying up a bunch of those old Raschig 9-ball sets without the numbers on them and match up colors to build bonus ball sets with them instead. LOL Actually, just looked on Ebay and there are sports team pool ball sets that would work as well.
 
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I agree. It is a very good game for the pros. It is usually pretty quick and it challenges them. 8, 9, and 10 ball can get somewhat boring because at this level you are practically shocked when they don't run out in those games
 
On Shawn's table at Marietta Billiard Club...

jaetee said:
Yes, I was thinking about the pocket ID issue as well.... Maybe some kind of post-it note overlay would help.

I was thinking it might be a good idea to start buying up a bunch of those old Raschig 9-ball sets without the numbers on them and match up colors to build bonus ball sets with them instead. LOL
Click to expand...

On Shawn Putnam's table at MBC, they put purple and orange circle stickers on the pockets to identify them. Nothing big, just something so that you don't have to keep track mentally.

Yeah, the WPBL needs to release the pro version of the score keeper app.

Jaden
 
Edit: My memory about the scoring was incorrect, someone found Nathan's post. SEE POST #16

Original quote from ChicagoJR:
"so, did everyone just have paper and pen to track scores? How did folks handle the orange/purple fouls ? I mean, If someone forgot they were on one color but shot the other, how does one even know your opponent remember correctly" ??
 
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From Nathan's original post:


-> Each diamond represents 3 points, so you want to move your coin 10 diamonds to get to 30 points. Half diamond if you sink purple, and then onto the next diamond if you sink orange. That gives you 3pts, which is why your coin would stop under a diamond. Full diamond jump for the BB, since its 3pts on its own.It makes it easy, because if you come to the table and your coin is under a diamond, you automatically know you're on purple. If not, you're on orange. Same with your opponent, so its instinctive to always know what ball both players are on.

http://forums.azbilliards.com/showthread.php?p=4590923#post4590923
 
My initial reaction to introducing a new game was a negative one. I was leading the haters club saying, this is lame. After giving it a chance and watching it last night, I have done a complete 180!! This is a great game and like mentioned here it incorporates the likes of straight pool, one pocket, banks, and rotation..It is the most exciting format I have ever witnessed with the possible exception of the Mosconi Cup. I was on the edge of my seat the whole match. The first thing I noticed about the game is the importance of controlling the cueball. I am sold on this game!! You get to see a little bit of everything with shotmaking, banks, safety play, kicking and intense pressure with the shot clock!! Great production, great commentary with Scott Frost, and action packed from start to finish<<<<WELL DONE....I hope this game stays around...
 
hlymnstr14 said:
I hope everyone watched and will watch ESPN3's coverage of Bonus Ball. Whoever thought this up did a great job making a game that is good for TV. The shot clock forces the action and these top level pros were having a hard time adjusting to it which raised the stress and tension level which made for great watching. I like that the players were mic'd up. I liked the referee, the bonus ball girl (my god who wouldn't), the uniforms and the game itself.

I would love to have this on ESPN on a regular basis. It would be great to watch all the matches from the regular season and all the playoffs and championship match.

If you haven't watched it and think it's not for me but you love pool, you need to watch it. You will be hooked right away. It's still the game you love just different and maybe better. I don't think it will catch on in the pool halls because there is a lot of things to keep track of that the telecast and announcers do for you. It's TV perfect. The production is top notch.

And Scott Frost was excellent in the booth. Having a guy like that commentating that really knows what's going on in a players head was fantastic. Better than some stiff that was announcing horse racing last week and figure skating the week before that.
Click to expand...

Is it free on ESPN3?
 
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