MR format racking preferences

Flakeandrun

Flakeandrun

Well-known member
Racking the 2 ball at the back or wings of the rack has bee the requirement for a while now in this format.

When playing 'rack your own' - casual/petty cash games - I used to favour putting it on the left wing, matching the side I am breaking from (Logic being that there was a possibility the CB might knock it toward center table on the way in and out of the pack).

Lately, I started trying to experiment in practice sessions and recording the possibility of simply a shot on the 2, or clearing the table, and making notes on the spread. Seems to have had really good spread and results by placing the 2 ball at the bottom of the rack. I've been keeping track of short sessions for about three weeks now, spend 30 minutes at the start of my practice session each day breaking the balls (10 minutes with the 2 ball in each acceptable spot). I seem to have noticeably better results with the 2 ball at the bottom of the rack than at the wings. Far more likely to not just have a shot on the 2, but to clean the table.

I am giving it a fair bit of power, as mentioned in previous threads, and I have good success on the one in the side, while getting the CB in and out of the pack.

Just curious where others prefer to put the 2 ball if they're racking their own, and why?
 
When Efren and Ralf Souquet played in the Sands Regency Finals in Reno years ago Ralf would rack the 2B in the 2nd row, on the opposite side of where he broke from. The announcers even said he did that so it would come down table along with the 1B.
 
I think the rack should be randomized for 9 and 10 ball. Fedor and SVB used a neat widget in their jumbo races to tell them where to rack everything. I think it should be like that. Fixing a ball in the rack (especially the deuce) is an advantage to these elite players. They know where it's going.
 
sudocrushms said:
I think the rack should be randomized for 9 and 10 ball. Fedor and SVB used a neat widget in their jumbo races to tell them where to rack everything. I think it should be like that. Fixing a ball in the rack (especially the deuce) is an advantage to these elite players. They know where it's going.
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Right, as I said, this is mostly during "rack your own" casual and petty cash play. Most tournaments here, if not racked by the ref, have enough refs to make you avoid the funny business. I am just curious if there is a noticeable 'best' configuration for this format. I have noticed that with the 2 at the bottom of the rack, it either heads back up table, or sometimes will carom of another ball into a bottom corner. So it is either playable, or made, more often than when I have placed it on the wing.

DrCue'sProtege said:
When Efren and Ralf Souquet played in the Sands Regency Finals in Reno years ago Ralf would rack the 2B in the 2nd row, on the opposite side of where he broke from. The announcers even said he did that so it would come down table along with the 1B.
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Yeah, my logic for putting it at the bottom, is that it seems to make its way back up table with this MR break format. At least it has in the short time I have been making a more conscious effort to observe it.
 
DrCue'sProtege said:
When Efren and Ralf Souquet played in the Sands Regency Finals in Reno years ago Ralf would rack the 2B in the 2nd row, on the opposite side of where he broke from. The announcers even said he did that so it would come down table along with the 1B.
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Well, I don’t about what the announcers said, but if you’re breaking from the wing, the ball that you place behind the 1 in what you identify as the “second row” on the opposite side that you break from. That ball becomes the second most likely to go on the break, the first most likely being the wing ball, at least in the traditional manner of racking the 1 on the spot as it was back then when the match you reference occurred.

The ball in that position generally goes directly to that sides long rail, and often off that rail directly into the opposite side pocket.
 
I rack the 1 on the spot (9-ball) and 2 at the back. I break from the right side of the original box and the 1 comes up table to the left corner and the 2 to the right corner. I usually make a wing ball almost every break and if the CB doesn't scratch or get kicked I've got a shot on the 1 ball.
 
Frosty said:
Well, I don’t about what the announcers said, but if you’re breaking from the wing, the ball that you place behind the 1 in what you identify as the “second row” on the opposite side that you break from. That ball becomes the second most likely to go on the break, the first most likely being the wing ball, at least in the traditional manner of racking the 1 on the spot as it was back then when the match you reference occurred.

The ball in that position generally goes directly to that sides long rail, and often off that rail directly into the opposite side pocket.
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you are way more experienced than me so i have to respect your statement i bolded above
but
i thought that if you were giving me the wild 7 in 9 ball
most experienced players giving the spot would stipulate the 7 gets racked behind the 1 ball when racking
said another way
the money ball for me got spotted behind the 1
if its the second most made ball
why would it get spotted there?
am i wrong ?
 
Flakeandrun said:
Just curious where others prefer to put the 2 ball if they're racking their own, and why?
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I prefer a game played according to official WPA rules of play. There is a clear statement: balls are to be racked randomly. Hence, there is no ground for any personal preference.

Of course, there is always an option of following "my home, my rules" principle.
 
In nine ball, I only care about the one ball being at the top, and the nine ball in the middle. I use a hard break then deal with balls wherever they end up. This is the way I learned and like to play, and do not plan to change.
 
During the finals of the Seattle Open, Skyler Woodward was very vocally upset about the ref constantly putting the two ball in the back for his opponent. Basically, he was implying that the two in the back is an advantage for the breaker. I was surprised to hear this but I'm obviously not going to doubt someone of his level.
 
George the Greek said:
I rack the 1 on the spot (9-ball) and 2 at the back. I break from the right side of the original box and the 1 comes up table to the left corner and the 2 to the right corner. I usually make a wing ball almost every break and if the CB doesn't scratch or get kicked I've got a shot on the 1 ball.
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I like one on the spot, especially on these 4” corners. I kind of treat it as solo practice. No one will agree to play it for even petty cash where I live.

Vahmurka said:
I prefer a game played according to official WPA rules of play. There is a clear statement: balls are to be racked randomly. Hence, there is no ground for any personal preference.

Of course, there is always an option of following "my home, my rules" principle.
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Sometimes people will play 9 on the spot here, WPA style as per China open. I enjoy this format.

My post is simply referring to people’s experiences with 9 on the spot MR style. Most American table enthusiasts are playing this, and seeing this as ‘the standard’ here these days.

Was just curious.
 
kingwang said:
During the finals of the Seattle Open, Skyler Woodward was very vocally upset about the ref constantly putting the two ball in the back for his opponent. Basically, he was implying that the two in the back is an advantage for the breaker. I was surprised to hear this but I'm obviously not going to doubt someone of his level.
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Interesting. This is the kind of info or discussion point I was hoping for. I certainly have to say I have noticed from my observations recently, in this format, the 2 at the back has been much more workable than anywhere else. I’ve been recording layout information and it seems to reflect this.
 
bbb said:
you are way more experienced than me so i have to respect your statement i bolded above
but
i thought that if you were giving me the wild 7 in 9 ball
most experienced players giving the spot would stipulate the 7 gets racked behind the 1 ball when racking
said another way
the money ball for me got spotted behind the 1
if its the second most made ball
why would it get spotted there?
am i wrong ?
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Read the part you bolded again. You’ll notice I stipulate that “the ball behind the 1, in the second row ON THE OPPOSITE SIDE that you break from is the second most likely ball to go after the wing ball”.

You’re correct in that those offering a spot ball like to rack it behind the 1, “BUT ON THE SAME SIDE YOU’RE BREAKING FROM”. That is one of the least likely balls to go, it generally drifts to the side in between where the rack is and the side rail unless it’s kicked.

There’s an entire section on this, likely paths of balls out of the rack, in Jack Koehler’s book Upscale 9 ball.
Or if like myself, you don’t get bored spending hours and hours racking and breaking balls from different positions with different speeds and spins and logging and analyzing your results as I did as a young man. If you like to gamble, the break is such a large part of 9 ball that I needed to spend time not only working on it, but analyzing the results looking for consistencies and regular results and patterns for an edge.
 
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Frosty said:
Read the part you bolded again. You’ll notice I stipulate that “the ball behind the 1, in the second row ON THE OPPOSITE SIDE that you break from is the second most likely ball to go after the wing ball”.

You’re correct in that those offering a spot ball like to rack it behind the 1, “BUT ON THE SAME SIDE YOU’RE BREAKING FROM”. That is one of the least likely balls to go, it generally drifts to the side in between where the rack is and the side rail unless it’s kicked.

There’s an entire section on this, likely paths of balls out of the rack, in Jack Koehler’s book Upscale 9 ball.
Or if like myself, you don’t get bored spending hours and hours racking and breaking balls from different positions with different speeds and spins and logging and analyzing your results as I did as a young man. If you like to gamble, the break is such a large part of 9 ball that I needed to spend time not only working on it, but analyzing the results looking for consistencies and regular results and patterns for an edge.
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thanks....(y)
 
Flakeandrun said:
Interesting. This is the kind of info or discussion point I was hoping for. I certainly have to say I have noticed from my observations recently, in this format, the 2 at the back has been much more workable than anywhere else. I’ve been recording layout information and it seems to reflect this.
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'recording layout information'????? Seriously????? You REALLY need to get out more.
 
garczar said:
'recording layout information'????? Seriously????? You REALLY need to get out more.
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Is this you? 😂
IMG_6376.jpeg

I’d love to play you some day. Think it would likely be hilarious.
I don’t think noting certain aspects is particularly unusual while practicing the break.
 
well first off the breaker can move the cue ball where he wants after it is racked.

also if where the balls are in the rack matters, then simply have the opponent set the balls in the rack. no matter who is racking.
then it is fair for both.

or all balls put in order with the 9 in the middle. fair for everyone.
 
I am assuming it would be child's play for an app maker to come up with a random generator for a phone that creates a random order for the balls to be placed each time they are racked.

Any coders out there?
 
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