Shane says, "9 ball is too easy"

9 ball is sequential a computer could solve the shots quickly.

8 ball a computer will struggle to find the best solution for the player at the table.

14.1 is a good middle ground.

SVB can play whatever he hosts.
 
Honestly though... at the elite level. It's the manifestation of "luck" (good/bad) that's typically the most memorable.
It took a little luck to hide it, skill to hit it, luck to make it, and I'll be damned if this wasn't incredibly entertaining to watch (for me at least) after Selby hit 68 following those first few misses:

 
I think that's exactly why it is. Nine foot tables are increasingly hard to find in the wild. The rooms, not to mention the bars, are 9:1 7ft tables to 9ft. Nineball on a big table is foreign to most casual players. Barbox eightball they 'know' and play. People seem to like pro English eightball fine in England.
Not in North Carolina. I don’t know of any pool rooms featuring 7 foot tables. No one here wants them.
 
Yep.

You don't know how many times I have to ask the rules of 8 ball because every pool room's "house pro" or money player plays the game differently.

If you scratch it is ball in hand at some places and it is behind the kitchen at others (normal). This is probably the biggest confusion.
I've beaten many "house pros" and most of them are a joke and wouldn't stand an hour in a pool hall.

The main reason i really don't play is rule variations. I'm not in the mood to start a fight over a single 8 ball game
 
The main reason i really don't play is rule variations. I'm not in the mood to start a fight over a single 8 ball game.
I don't gamble anymore but I can definitely relate. Every poolhall think there version of rule altering is the best. Then you walk up to the bartender or the guy working at the pool hall and ask them what the real rules are and they will most likely state the same rule as the player you're playing. LOL

8 ball is the only game you better ask the rules before gambling.
 
The pros should play:

10-ball
Callshot
10-foot table
4-1/4" pockets
No jump cues
Break from anywhere in the kitchen
Upon pocketing the 10, if the cue ball ends up in the kitchen, the winner breaks from the cue ball's position. If the cue ball doesn't end up in the kitchen, the loser breaks from anywhere in the kitchen.
 
Per Shane Tyree, ex director of the BCA 90% of the American public only knows/understands two games.

9 & 8ball Period.

This is the demographic that will put the most butts in the seats.

Like golf, I never play it, took care of courses for many years, but Enjoy watching it, it's production is good/especially the Masters.
Many times a pro golfer will get a lucky roll and win a PGA Major event, I saw it this past year.


9 ball from my perspective is nearly identical in my mind.
Pros removed the Corey Duel Break long ago.

After every 9 ball break shot, the player has to avoid the trees (balls) look out for the water holes (pockets) and avoid the rough (getting behind other balls) and going out of bounds (off table).

Life being predictable is very boring, then one loses interest.

I'm always amused at one pocket players (not the top end pro players) because many in that group of lower level players think 9 ball has too much luck.

And keep in mind, the top one pocket players were/are great at 9 ball.

In one pocket NO one knows where all the 15 balls will lay after the rack side is scraped, sometimes it leaves dead combinations and shots/pure luck that can and do easily turn the tables on the breaker who supposedly has a huge advantage.

bm
 
Haven’t watched the video yet but I will.

Wonder what Shane’s thoughts are on Saratoga? Seems like an obvious hybrid, meet in the middle kinda thing between 9 and 8 ball THAT IS EASY TO FOLLOW for both players and spectators alike.
I like that game too- but random luck also plays a factor in that game too- it is not uncommon for one group of balls to be much easier to run in order than the other off the break
 
Its not that the 9 ball luck factor enables weak players to beat superior players but can and definitely does decide games and matches between relatively equal players.
Well luck does come into play, but it comes into play just as much in 8 Ball. I've watched more times than can be counted a guy play for a ball, not get shape and shoot what ever ball is available and then runout, luck. How many times have you seen somebody pocket the 8 ball out of sequence and lose, luck.

I like all the games, I just dont think luck is a much bigger factor in 9 as it is in 8.
 
Maybe we need a tournament game with more luck, so the masses would enter believing they have a chance against the elite players (eg the Chris Moneymaker at WSOP effect).

Having a hard time figuring out a pool game with as much luck as poker, however. Might have to involve a deck of cards lol.
 
I think it would be interesting to see how Team USA would do against Team Europe in bar table 8 ball on a Valley! I think we'd stand a decent chance- Shane and Corey are two of the top bar table 8 ball players in the world. Americans play so much more bar table 8 ball- perhaps that would level the playing field.
 
90% of the luck in 9 ball is lucky safes. Apply the Grady rule of giving the incoming player the option of making his opponent shoot again after a non-called safe, and nearly all of the luck would disappear, especially below the pro level.

Here's my favorite "new" game: 15 balls, break hard, run any 6 balls in any order, and then run the remaining 9 balls in numerical order, with the final ball serving as the winning "9" ball. This could be any ball between the 9 and the 15. As in all traditional games, if you make a ball on the break you get the first shot after that, so if (say) you make 2 balls on the break, you only need to shoot 4 balls in any order before reaching the rotation stage.

The advantage over traditional 9 ball is that there's more traffic to navigate, and more choices to make, but then if (say) the 12 ball winds up near a pocket after the break, then by clearing the 13-14-15 balls off the table following the break, you may be able to set yourself up for a quick win once the game gets to its rotation stage. I invented this game at the Purdue University pool room 46 years ago, when 9 ball wasn't allowed there, and within a few days I found it was a much more popular game than 8 ball, at least for the week I was staying at Purdue.
 
I think that's exactly why it is. Nine foot tables are increasingly hard to find in the wild. The rooms, not to mention the bars, are 9:1 7ft tables to 9ft. Nineball on a big table is foreign to most casual players. Barbox eightball they 'know' and play. People seem to like pro English eightball fine in England.

it's not a big audience sport. other e8b players watch it, but that doesn't mean much. plus, the reason why it's somewhat popular is that it's fairly difficult with its rounded pockets, and i don't see that being imported en masse to the US. icbw.

in most these threads people tend to underrate the pros and base their opinions on what's fun for amateurs to play, and watch play. but watching filler, gorst or orcullo play 8-ball isn't very fun. they almost never miss or get in trouble. watching lesser players play 8-ball is more fun, to me atleast
 
I don't really hate on barbox pool because before our local tournaments I would practice on the table for 30 minutes leading up to the start of the tournament.

When I go on the 9 footers, playing 9 ball, it is so easy. I practice on those tables because it conditions my mind of how easy it is on 9foot and 9ball. It goes away as you start getting use to it again.

This is a secret and more people should apply me methods. LOL
 
it's not a big audience sport. other e8b players watch it, but that doesn't mean much. plus, the reason why it's somewhat popular is that it's fairly difficult with its rounded pockets, and i don't see that being imported en masse to the US. icbw.

in most these threads people tend to underrate the pros and base their opinions on what's fun for amateurs to play, and watch play. but watching filler, gorst or orcullo play 8-ball isn't very fun. they almost never miss or get in trouble. watching lesser players play 8-ball is more fun, to me atleast
as great as the pros are, playing 8 ball on a bar table presents challenges to them in that there are more clusters. True, they still usually manage to navigate the clusters properly, but they usually have to slow down and figure it out.

I really enjoy watching some of the 8 ball matches from the Wyoming Open because of that
 
Maybe we need a tournament game with more luck, so the masses would enter believing they have a chance against the elite players (eg the Chris Moneymaker at WSOP effect).

Having a hard time figuring out a pool game with as much luck as poker, however. Might have to involve a deck of cards lol.
Screenshot_20231219_203638_com.whatsapp_edit_173827079796391.jpg

This I printed for a concept called "8 balls". Might change it to prevent confusion. The goal is to collect 8 balls by potting them. But a ball can only be potted if the corresponding card is available. At first you can only pot one ball, over time more and more balls become available.
+ it is fun to see what ball is drawn from the deck
+ it's fun to collect the cards
- (and a big minus unfortunately) you have to check which balls are on. While in 8-ball or 9-ball you know which ball is on in a glance.
 
Since Matchroom changed the break rule circa August 2022, Shane has come up empty at the 9ball majors. 9ball has done a great job of sorting out who the truly elite are in our sport. That's likely to continue.
is is
As we saw at the World 8-ball, 8ball on the big tables is boring to watch and its, basically, a breaking contest for the most elite players, as the run outs are so easy by world class standards. Shane probably has the best 8ball break in the world, and he rode it to victory. It was reminiscent of the days when Shane dominated with his 9ball break, but today's version of 9ball (tight pockets, tough breaking rules) require a far more balanced skill set than that needed ten years ago.

Shane wants to return to a world in which his break will give him a gigantic edge over his opponents. Can't say I blame him, but it's big table 8ball that's too easy. 8ball, however, an interesting game on a bar box.
This is a popular opinion, as much as I dislike all the break rule changes at least they kept winner break. Changing rules because someone got good or mastered one aspect is no better than handing out participation trophies to me and I'll leave it at that. I do appreciate all that MR is doing for the game, so, I'm on board.

I have to point out, however, I don't believe Shane's break is why he won the WC8. His pattern mapping was far better than his fellow elite players. I watched Albin, Chang, and Ruiz play some awful patterns that cost them dearly after they failed to get out. This is what I believe SVB meant in that interview. More balls, more clusters, proper side position with less open table to work with to move the cue ball. The die hard 8 ballers will argue this over other games all day, SVB has some league 8 baller in his heart for sure...

As for SVB and not winning 9 ball since the break change, that's true, but he's gotten very close a bunch. Usually late in the those rounds the player who knocks him out goes on a hot streak and ends up winning the whole thing... happening pretty often lately, or it seems that way any way...

I'm happy to see so many guys in the 6 figure earnings this year. We, the pool community have a lot to be thankful for. We may be witnessing one or two of the greatest pool playing generations ever, I love it. Can't wait for next year!

have a good day everyone.
 
Back
Top