favorite game

Michael Andros

Michael Andros

tiny balls, GIANT pockets
Silver Member
I have no idea the age mix here, but I'm guessing it's a fair microcosm of any mix of people gathered in one place. That said, 1hole tends ( tends meaning it certainly doesn't have to be the rule ) to be the game most people, how shall I say this graciously, "later in life", tend to favor. Rotation games, especially 9 and 10 ball tend to be younger people's favorites. 8 ball seems to bridge the gap. 14.1 ( sadly enough ) doesn't seem to be played by anyone much anymore.

So, with all those huge generalizations said, I was curious just what game is the favorite of those here. As I say in my profile, I was born the 9th day of the 9th month, so I've never had any choice. It's 9ball for me, all the way.
 
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Michael Andros said:
I have no idea the age mix here, but I'm guessing it's a fair microcosm of any mix of people gathered in one place. That said, 1hole tends ( tends meaning it certainly doesn't have to be the rule ) to be the game most people, how shall I say this graciously, "later in life", tend to favor. Rotation games, especially 9 and 10 ball tend to be younger people's favorites. 8 ball seems to bridge the gap. 14.1 ( sadly enough ) doesn't seem to be played by anyone much anymore.

So, with all those huge generalizations said, I was curious just what game is the favorite of those here. As I say in my profile, I was born the 9th day of the 9th month, so I've never had any choice. It's 9ball for me, all the way.
Click to expand...
This is a great idea - I'd like to see a poll.

pj
chgo
 
Michael Andros said:
I have no idea the age mix here, but I'm guessing it's a fair microcosm of any mix of people gathered in one place. That said, 1hole tends ( tends meaning it certainly doesn't have to be the rule ) to be the game most people, how shall I say this graciously, "later in life", tend to favor. Rotation games, especially 9 and 10 ball tend to be younger people's favorites. 8 ball seems to bridge the gap. 14.1 ( sadly enough ) doesn't seem to be played by anyone much anymore.

So, with all those huge generalizations said, I was curious just what game is the favorite of those here. As I say in my profile here, I was born the 9th day of the 9th month, so I've never had any choice. It's 9ball for me, all the way.
Click to expand...

Eight ball has almost always been it for me. It's what I grew up playing, and what I have memories of as a kid.

As for other games, I'm beginning to shoot more now than I have at any other point in my life. More the point, I'm beginning to shoot more on a competitive level. I have a certain respect for nine ball. I am capable of running racks in eight ball. But in nine ball, I can't do it. With eight ball, I can be entertaining to watch play. But with nine ball, I don't play the same way. Nine ball is a different beast. And for that reason, I'm beginning to shoot nine ball a little more.

I've played 14.1 on a few occasions. I have a friend who is still learning to shoot pool. I like 14.1, as it seems to be a great way to practice stroke, and ball pocketing. For this reason, I like to use it on tables I haven't played on before. It seems to help me pick up on the finer details of the table, like felt speed, table consistency, cushion action, and the like, without being bound to a certain style of play prior to that.

I have never tried ten ball. I have recently come across a video on YouTube about seven ball. It was played between Minnesota Fats and UJ Puckett. I wouldn't mind trying that out at some point.
 
I was born in 1961 and started playing 8-ball in bowling alleys around 1975 and later the same in bars and a few actual pool halls. Mostly playing coin tables, people play 8-bal to get their money's worth and honestly although I knew about 9-ball and straight pool, I didn't learn the games until coming back to the game after sitting out most of the 1990's and 2000's.

My preference today with the home table (and my short attention span) is definitely 9-ball.
 
1 Pocket - creativity and "trading blows" format
8 Ball - just enough thinking
10 Ball - best short game

pj
chgo
 
Michael Andros said:
I have no idea the age mix here, but I'm guessing it's a fair microcosm of any mix of people gathered in one place. That said, 1hole tends ( tends meaning it certainly doesn't have to be the rule ) to be the game most people, how shall I say this graciously, "later in life", tend to favor. Rotation games, especially 9 and 10 ball tend to be younger people's favorites. 8 ball seems to bridge the gap. 14.1 ( sadly enough ) doesn't seem to be played by anyone much anymore.

So, with all those huge generalizations said, I was curious just what game is the favorite of those here. As I say in my profile, I was born the 9th day of the 9th month, so I've never had any choice. It's 9ball for me, all the way.
Click to expand...
Favorite game for practicing by myself - 14.1

Favorite game for local weekly handicap tourneys - 9-ball, Texas express, spot 9-ball made on break

Favorite game for larger higher entry fee non-handicap tourneys or when gambling against a similar level player - 10-ball, strict call shot, call safe
 
I probably don't have a favorite anymore, since I can't play like
I used to..... but the most fun I had was playing partners in short
Rack snooker with 6 cherries...Americanized rules...on a 5x10

Td
 
Poodle of Doom said:
Eight ball has almost always been it for me. It's what I grew up playing, and what I have memories of as a kid.

As for other games, I'm beginning to shoot more now than I have at any other point in my life. More the point, I'm beginning to shoot more on a competitive level. I have a certain respect for nine ball. I am capable of running racks in eight ball. But in nine ball, I can't do it. With eight ball, I can be entertaining to watch play. But with nine ball, I don't play the same way. Nine ball is a different beast. And for that reason, I'm beginning to shoot nine ball a little more.

I've played 14.1 on a few occasions. I have a friend who is still learning to shoot pool. I like 14.1, as it seems to be a great way to practice stroke, and ball pocketing. For this reason, I like to use it on tables I haven't played on before. It seems to help me pick up on the finer details of the table, like felt speed, table consistency, cushion action, and the like, without being bound to a certain style of play prior to that.

I have never tried ten ball. I have recently come across a video on YouTube about seven ball. It was played between Minnesota Fats and UJ Puckett. I wouldn't mind trying that out at some point.
Click to expand...

14.1 is a great game, a game of champions. You'll never go wrong learning that game.
 
logical said:
I was born in 1961 and started playing 8-ball in bowling alleys around 1975 and later the same in bars and a few actual pool halls. Mostly playing coin tables, people play 8-bal to get their money's worth and honestly although I knew about 9-ball and straight pool, I didn't learn the games until coming back to the game after sitting out most of the 1990's and 2000's.

My preference today with the home table (and my short attention span) is definitely 9-ball.
Click to expand...

I've played everything and played them all fairly well. But 9ball is really all I want to play.
 
ChrisinNC said:
Favorite game for practicing by myself - 14.1

Favorite game for local weekly handicap tourneys - 9-ball, Texas express, spot 9-ball made on break

Favorite game for larger higher entry fee non-handicap tourneys or when gambling against a similar level player - 10-ball, strict call shot, call safe
Click to expand...

But what is YOUR favorite game, strictly for yourself, Chris?
 
grindz said:
I probably don't have a favorite anymore, since I can't play like
I used to..... but the most fun I had was playing partners in short
Rack snooker with 6 cherries...Americanized rules...on a 5x10

Td
Click to expand...

Wow... i always hated playing anything on a snooker table, It always got me wayyyyy out of stroke. That said, I did used to practice 9 ball on a snooker table with regular pool balls. but never trying to shoot anything down the rail.
 
Fav

As a kid in the 60's we played straight pool . When I got back into Pool in the mid 90's it was all 9 Ball.

My favorite after playing a lot of both games is 9 Ball.
 
One pocket for last 5 years,previous 25 years was 9 or 10 ball.Especially ring
games.
 
Michael Andros said:
14.1 is a great game, a game of champions. You'll never go wrong learning that game.
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I agree. There's a lot of technique to it. Definitely a well rounded game, in my opinion. If one is learning the how-tos of billiards, this is a great way to develop a skillset that can be carried out to multiple other games.
 
My favorite game is straight pool. I'm just getting back to the game after a 15 year layoff, and there doesn't look to be many playing straight pool. It was dying when I stopped playing 15 years ago, and it now looks dead.

Good thing I do like 9 ball, or I'd be a lonely player, lol.
 
Poodle of Doom said:
I agree. There's a lot of technique to it. Definitely a well rounded game, in my opinion. If one is learning the how-tos of billiards, this is a great way to develop a skillset that can be carried out to multiple other games.
Click to expand...

Something about 14.1 a lot of people don't know. But first, in 14.1, a 200 ball run is pretty sensational. 300 balls is world class. Some of the greatest, stone-cold world champion 14.1 players' high runs were in the 300s. Very, very few people, and that includes all of those who spent their entire lives playing 14.1, ever ran 400+ balls. Now, that which most people don't know: Earl Strickland's high run in 14.1? 408 balls. And he spent his entire life playing 9ball. Steve Mizerak won 4 consecutive 14.1 US Open titles. His high run? 321. Mike Sigel, who won numerous 14.1 titles? 319. Erving Crane, one of the all time greatest 14.1 players, winner of multiple world titles? 309. And the list goes on. Only 9 people have runs in the 400s. Earl's one of them. God only know what his high run would be if he'd been playing 14.1 all those years instead of 9ball.
 
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