Pool? If you can only play one game?

eastcoast_chris said:
Best rotation game for sure ... Call shot/Call safe is great. Only rotation game I'll play when gambling.

Really screws with people that think they're good rotation players, but actually just enjoy winning from getting rolls.
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The rolls go both ways for sure......eventually, but call shot, call safe makes the rolls less important, meaningful.
Miss your shot and you can hand it back or keep it and play a lock down safety or call a ball.
It's all on the shooter not the roll of the balls.
 
Even though I really enjoy and have played lots of 1p, I don't think there is a better feeling in pool than playing dialed-in 9 ball. Long runs, letting the stroke out, multi rail position. It just feels great.
 
for practice anything is fine.

for gambling no luck in game means no takers for you

for tournaments no luck means no spectators.
 
I’ve played more than half the games in the BCA official rule book. I can’t play any of them worth a darn, but if I had to choose, probably 8 Ball.

8B seems to include facets of all the other games and can easily be tweaked for variety.
 
philly said:
The rolls go both ways for sure......eventually, but call shot, call safe makes the rolls less important, meaningful.
Miss your shot and you can hand it back or keep it and play a lock down safety or call a ball.
It's all on the shooter not the roll of the balls.
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Sorry I missed you yesterday. That corner table has some bad roll offs. I wish the owners would learn how to level the Diamond tables.
 
I would also have to say one pocket. When I find myself thinking about playing pool, it is inevitably one pocket that comes to mind. I don't play it as often as I would like, mostly because I don't really like to gamble and the one pocket players near me only play for money.
 
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One pocket. The rest(8,9 and 10) are for bangers. The banking and defensive skill one need for one pocket can be applied to other games. No jumping. Jump cues are a crutch and should be outlawed.
 
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2+ rail banks, short rack. That means the banked ball has to 2 hit rails or more before going in a called pocket. Can't disturb any other ball or it's a foul. Long rack could work but would take a longer time given traffic. Straight pool , one pocket, and anything else is way too easy to be playing for eternity as you can make all kinds of other shots: straight in, carom, masse, jump, etc. At least with 2 (or even 3 rail) banks, you will need a level of skill never before seen in a tournament or any pool hall to date. For sake of skill, can add bank combinations and caroms (have to bank 2 rails or more then hit another ball or cueball hits another ball before entering a pocket).
 
baalpeteor said:
2+ rail banks, short rack. That means the banked ball has to 2 hit rails or more before going in a called pocket. Can't disturb any other ball or it's a foul. Long rack could work but would take a longer time given traffic. Straight pool , one pocket, and anything else is way too easy to be playing for eternity as you can make all kinds of other shots: straight in, carom, masse, jump, etc. At least with 2 (or even 3 rail) banks, you will need a level of skill never before seen in a tournament or any pool hall to date. For sake of skill, can add bank combinations and caroms (have to bank 2 rails or more then hit another ball or cueball hits another ball before entering a pocket).
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I love Banks myself, but this is a bit much if you ask me. Banks "by the rail" already has nice options for creativity. In my experience plenty of one rail banks are extremely tough, and tricky due to potential scratches, kisses, or thin cut, or extreme english, so why exclude them at all? The one thing I would agree to add would be rail first banks -- those are a hell of a lot of fun to hit well (and sometimes they even go lol)
 
philly said:
Actually prefer call shot, call safe 10 ball.
Takes an amount of luck out of the game and adds thinking and strategy to the game.
Prefer call the 9 in 9ball also as there is enough luck in 9ball.
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I agree. Call shot/Call safe I enjoy. If the opponent plays an uncalled safe, or makes an uncalled ball, giving the option to play or ask the player to shoot again.
I like this format.
 
Pushout said:
Straight Pool. It's common knowledge that 14.1 teaches you more about playing ALL pool games than any other game, by far. I've won 9 ball matches with shots that people who don't play Straight Pool didn't even know existed.
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L.S. Dennis said:
If I had to choose just one it would be 14.1 by far. A second choice would be 10 ball with no jump cues or jump shots.
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Don’t you know how to jump?
 
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sjm said:
Played "take what you make" 8ball, which was used in Darren Appleton's superb world pool series, it's a stiffer test. With choice after the break, it's too easy for the top pros except on very tight tables.

Agreed it's a great game, but as currently contested, it's no more than a breaking contest at top pro level, as the runout rate after a wet break is ridiculously high. I also buy into your argument that 8ball is the game everyone knows, and that certainly weighs in its favor for tournament play. Of course, the version of 8ball known as black ball already has a pro tour.

That said, the thread title asks what game I'd like to play, not what game I'd like to see the pros play.
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When I learned to play 8 Ball, the 1 and 15 balls had to be pocketed in the side pockets, balls were spotted after fouls and you had to take what you make. You lose the game if you failed to hit the 8 ball
 
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