Who says barbox 8-ball is harder than 9-foot?

I have run out some sets to 7 and 6 from start but I also have got same treat many times.

One particular was just 3 years ago when me and my buddy who have status of GOAT in Finnish Kaisa Billiards. We had good open money Kaisa tournament coming up next weekend and we agreed to play some money matches to sharpen us for that. We played most of games race to 1, 20€. Some race to 2, 50€ and we played about 5-6 hours and got even. Loser always started new game.
Then i said " Ok i got enough but let´s play one more for 20 and lag for break and no more after that"
I lagged 1-2mm from rail and he lagged perfect and got cueball frozen to rail. Then he ran out game from start. '
How hard that is? we have 500€ bonus from that in official tourneys, and it wont be always gone every year.. He won the tournament too.

Also lost 8-ball ranking final on very tight table years ago where opponent ran 8-and-out. Only shot i did was lag and it was good one but not good enough.

Most memorable was long time ago in Nordic Champs where i played very good and race to 9 (9-ball) was leading 8-0. Then had thin hit close to ball one 1-ball after break and cueball hit my tip when coming back from rail. Norweigian guy ran out the set from there...

Great Stories! Seems like you have both given out and received some crushing play. Makes for great memories.

Hu
 
I happened to watch a video of Shane Van Boening a little earlier today. The person doing the voice over said that Shane's favorite game was barbox eightball. That doesn't address harder or easier but is an interesting bit of information.

Hu
 
I believe it is skill dependent.

For me it is much easier to run racks playing bar table 8 ball. I simply miss far, far less often on a smaller table. Yes, you have smaller landing zones and more congestion, but I happen to have very good cue ball control so for me the gain in pocketing far exceeds the drop in tight targets.

For others who's cue ball control isn't as strong and who live by their recovery shots and power stroke, maybe they'd prefer the open racks of big table.

It's also table dependent. On a new cloth 9' table where the racks open so well you can't tell which end the balls were racked on and no two balls are touching, AND the new cloth allows the pockets to play friendly, yeah, that's pretty easy. But I've played on new cloth 7' tables that were just as soft. On my 9' Diamond with worn cloth it isn't so easy to run racks.

In general 9' is much harder, and if you disagree I believe that says more about your cue ball skills than about the difficulty of bar table pool. This question is kind of a litmus test of playing ability.
 
My sisters husband is Estonian and often goes back and forth to Helsinki. I meant to go there last summer. Maybe this summer I’ll try and get there
Finland's capitol Helsinki is a 2,5h ferry ride away from Estonian capitol Tallinn. If you are visiting Estonia, I would definitely recommend to drop by in Helsinki for a visit, I can help you get around with nice places to visit with pool and other billiard sport experiences! I think we have covered this topic before and the offer is still standing ;)
 
i've never heard a pro make the claim that it's harder on a barbox. but i think the main point is that for pro level players, 8-ball on any table is too easy. you have to throw in a wrench somehow to make it tougher, which is why promoters have stuff like short shot clock (ultimate pool) or rounded, tight pockets (heyball).
I think nine ball is easier for the pros, heck most times they are playing 7 ball and after the break have a shot on the lowest ball.
 
I think nine ball is easier for the pros, heck most times they are playing 7 ball and after the break have a shot on the lowest ball.

Both eight and nine ball need contorted rules to make individual games more balanced. Longer races are needed but there is no time for them.

Hu
 
I agree. The pro game has become way too easy, with pros mastering the break and jump cues. I’d like to see 8 ball become the game of choice among pros with Chinese 8 ball style pockets
I actually played Darren Appletons 8-ball WPS back in 2017 in New York. Got there through qualification tournament in Finland that had couple Finnish pros and Estonian and Russian Pros, including Fedor ;).
I think Darren got it right. Make break box where you need side rail break and very tight pockets. You also had to take what you make more. That created harder and more interesting run outs. Melling did his 8-ball break there. I saw it live!
He also had rule you could only after you came to table after opponents inning so if you snookered yourself. Jump shot was not allowed with jump cue.
I think those rules with WNT 4 inch pocket tables(they also had 4 inch pockets there. Just Brunswicks so pockets were still not so difficult) would be perfect for pro level 8-ball.
It is still pool and not Heyball. I would love to watch it and I can´t watch normal 8-ball...
 
That's called Heyball/Chinese8ball and its like watching paint dry.
I know what the game is called. you don’t think nineball on the pro level is boring? They make The 1 95 percent of the time in the side and get shape on the next ball often playing 7 ball after the break. 🙄
 
I agree. The pro game has become way too easy, with pros mastering the break and jump cues. I’d like to see 8 ball become the game of choice among pros with Chinese 8 ball style pockets

i don't know, but i would guess that the very best heyball players run out more times than not. i watched some year ago chu bingjie play and his BNR percentage was probably higher than the top 9-ball players playing 9-ball. so yes they made it harder, but it's still 8-ball, they get out.
 
Finland's capitol Helsinki is a 2,5h ferry ride away from Estonian capitol Tallinn. If you are visiting Estonia, I would definitely recommend to drop by in Helsinki for a visit, I can help you get around with nice places to visit with pool and other billiard sport experiences! I think we have covered this topic before and the offer is still standing ;)
I am in the process of planning summer now, as I won't be traveling home for Christmas. So extra time to get everything organized. Much appreciate the offer :)
 
I have run out some sets to 7 and 6 from start but I also have got same treat many times.

One particular was just 3 years ago when me and my buddy who have status of GOAT in Finnish Kaisa Billiards. We had good open money Kaisa tournament coming up next weekend and we agreed to play some money matches to sharpen us for that. We played most of games race to 1, 20€. Some race to 2, 50€ and we played about 5-6 hours and got even. Loser always started new game.
Then i said " Ok i got enough but let´s play one more for 20 and lag for break and no more after that"
I lagged 1-2mm from rail and he lagged perfect and got cueball frozen to rail. Then he ran out game from start. '
How hard that is? we have 500€ bonus from that in official tourneys, and it wont be always gone every year.. He won the tournament too.

Also lost 8-ball ranking final on very tight table years ago where opponent ran 8-and-out. Only shot i did was lag and it was good one but not good enough.

Most memorable was long time ago in Nordic Champs where i played very good and race to 9 (9-ball) was leading 8-0. Then had thin hit close to ball one 1-ball after break and cueball hit my tip when coming back from rail. Norweigian guy ran out the set from there...
I bet on 2 matches 8 ahead(played at the same time) one was Steve Mcannich(sp?) Playing Larry Nevel for $200, the other was Santos playing Neils for $500, Larry and Neils won their flips.

Larry broke and ran 8 racks and it was over and Neils broke and ran 7, so I had lost 15 games without either of my players touching their cues. Santos battled back after 7 or 8hrs im guessing and won his set( i was in with Shannon daulton and Steve i think) ended up winning $300ish I think lol.
 
Our league has grown very quickly in terms of players and teams, and the pool hall doesn't have enough Bar Box 7 ft tables to accommodate the league. So every week one match is scheduled on the 9 ft tables so everybody can play. We had our turn on the 9-footers for League, and I do a lot of open shooting on the 9-ft tables, and it is harder to run out on the 9-ft tables then the bar box. The pockets are shimmed and tight on the 9 Footers, and your shots are much longer on the 9 footers. The games lasted longer on the 9-footers and guys who normally make all their shots end up missing here and there on the 9 Footers, because you have to be so exact with your shots. Personally, I would rather play the 9-ft tables than the 7-ft tables, because it rewards those who have a better stroke and can shoot straight for the extended distances.
 
Bar Boxes and Nine Footer are two different animals, they all have rail, cloth, and are many different in many ways.

Kind of like asking a Scuba Diver what Shark would be harder to deal with underwater, Great White, or Horn Shark? Both are Sharks, one os Man Eater, the other is Dosel.
 
Compare to trying to play on terrible bar box conditions, I feel like I have never played a game in my life and can't get anything right. I normally don't wish such things on anyone, but I wish everyone who has never played on bad bar tables gets that lovely chance to try it out.

Yeah, shitty bar conditions change everything. Three weeks ago I had to play 8 ball at a bar on 7 foot tables where the conditions were bad, the worst really. Big heavy mudball (only place in town that still uses it), so that alone throws people off. Pair that to ancient balls that are all different sizes, so a tight rack is near impossible. Then the last time the balls were ever cleaned was when they were new, circa 1979. Same with the cloth. Playing on conditions like these sucks and sucks bad. The biggest worry in playing in such a place is not failing to complete a runout, but rather trying your damnedest not to contract an STD.🤬
 
Last edited:
Back
Top