8 ball, 9 ball, or 10 ball?

jrctherake

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Of these 3 games; which do you prefer?

Depends on the situation, such as:

If its on a barbox.....8 ball.

If its a shorter races and/or rack template........10 ball.

If its a longer races and/or wooden rack......9 ball.

Of the three above, i like 9 ball with a wooden triangle.

If i could choose "any" game, it would be 14.1. 14.1, has and always will be my "goto" game when I find myself needing a little jumpstart.
 

9 Ball Fan

Darth Maximus
Silver Member
My user name says it all...

9 Ball Fan

I like playing 8 Ball too, but I get "more" excited when I see that 9 Ball rack.
 

sjm

Older and Wiser
Silver Member
As a player, I like 9-ball best of these three games.

As a fan, I've always preferred 9-ball over ten ball. That said, the last Bigfoot 10-ball event at Derby City, because it was played on a ten footer with Texas Express rules, showed how great ten ball can be under the right circumstances. Played Texas Express, 10-ball is every bit as good as 9-ball, perhaps better.

I must clarify, however, that as a fan and as a player, the call shot/call safe version of nine/ten ball is repulsive to me, and I'd much rather play eight ball than play rotation pool with those rules in use.
 

RiverCity

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
My vote. :thumbup2:

48102074698_699002162c_z.jpg
 

Skratch

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I getcha...but

As a player, I like 9-ball best of these three games.

As a fan, I've always preferred 9-ball over ten ball. That said, the last Bigfoot 10-ball event at Derby City, because it was played on a ten footer with Texas Express rules, showed how great ten ball can be under the right circumstances. Played Texas Express, 10-ball is every bit as good as 9-ball, perhaps better.

I must clarify, however, that as a fan and as a player, the call shot/call safe version of nine/ten ball is repulsive to me, and I'd much rather play eight ball than play rotation pool with those rules in use.

SJM: I feel similar for 9ball, but its what separates 10ball. Without it in 10ball, it makes it 9ball with an extra ball. Not much difference there. I prefer playing 10ball over 9ball because of these added conditions. Lucky or 2way shots, I feel, have their place in 9ball, but not 10ball. :grin:
 

Michael Andros

tiny balls, GIANT pockets
Silver Member
As a player, I like 9-ball best of these three games.

As a fan, I've always preferred 9-ball over ten ball. That said, the last Bigfoot 10-ball event at Derby City, because it was played on a ten footer with Texas Express rules, showed how great ten ball can be under the right circumstances. Played Texas Express, 10-ball is every bit as good as 9-ball, perhaps better.

I must clarify, however, that as a fan and as a player, the call shot/call safe version of nine/ten ball is repulsive to me, and I'd much rather play eight ball than play rotation pool with those rules in use.

As usual, right on the beam.

Tap tap tap.
 

JazzyJeff87

AzB Plutonium Member
Silver Member
SJM: I feel similar for 9ball, but its what separates 10ball. Without it in 10ball, it makes it 9ball with an extra ball. Not much difference there. I prefer playing 10ball over 9ball because of these added conditions. Lucky or 2way shots, I feel, have their place in 9ball, but not 10ball. :grin:

I’ve been playing more 10 ball lately. I’ve been moving away from the call shot/safe aspect as well. I think those rules come in handy in certain situations but don’t like them for pro or spectator events, only mismatched gambling.

Playing 10 ball with Texas express rules, that 1 ball makes a big difference. The break is different obviously, not harder but the layouts are tougher most of the time in my experience. Even making a ball or 2 the layouts still somehow seem different.

With a good 9 ball break its like the table is already empty sometimes. Either way though I think they’re both great but I might love 8 ball a little more.

I go through phases of intensely playing a game, with others and against myself while really studying what’s going on and the best way to go about it. I always go back to a little 8 ball though.
 

sjm

Older and Wiser
Silver Member
SJM: I feel similar for 9ball, but its what separates 10ball. Without it in 10ball, it makes it 9ball with an extra ball. Not much difference there. I prefer playing 10ball over 9ball because of these added conditions. Lucky or 2way shots, I feel, have their place in 9ball, but not 10ball. :grin:

Yes, but nine ball has some shots that can't be played in ten ball in which you give yourself a chance to pocket two balls on the same shot (such as making the three while also trying to carom the nine in while maintaining shape on the four). In addition, certain bank shots can be played in a way that you, with knowledge and skill in stroke and speed selection, give yourself an extra chance to double bank the shot on a miss. Some of these multi-purpose shots represent the highest heights of imagination in our game, and call shot takes them away. All rules that remove any of the game's most majestic shots rub me the wrong way.

Yes, I like ten ball played, as Jay Helfert has referred to it, the Fillipino way, which, as you note is nine ball plus one ball more. This year's Bigfoot, in which it was played this way, was the best one ever.

Snooker, a greater test of pocketing skills than any game played on a pool table, never requires calling a shot, and while it would be impractical on the reds unless they were numbered, one could easily be asked to call the pocket when shooting at a color. Snooker, however, doesn't see it as necessary, and it doesn't cheapen the game in any way.
 
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Texas Carom Club

9ball did to billiards what hiphop did to america
Silver Member
I'll play any game with anyone
Dont matter to me

Id rather play with someone than alone
 

Black-Balled

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
As usual, right on the beam.

Tap tap tap.

It is somewhat unexpectedcted to me that that 10b with called shots isn't your preferred ruleset...given the lucky leave is a complaint for you.

InI...rotation games. Wouldn't oppose call pocket, but reg 9b rules are used by me 99.99475j45 times, out of 10.
:embarrassed2:
 

Pete

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I play 8 Ball best.

Love 9 Ball more so (less luck in Rotation Games imo).

!0 Ball even more before the rules got Wonky.
 

logical

Loose Rack
Silver Member
9 ball is the only one that moves fast enough to hold my limited attention span on a big table. 8 ball on a coin op bar table is about all the that makes sense so I'll fight through that when necessary.

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk
 

atlas333

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
8 Ball has always been my game

I prefer 8 ball but I have played so little of the other games that I am not a good judge really. To me it takes more skill to me to break and run in 8 ball than in 9 ball but as I said I am a poor judge.
I do think I may sign up for a 9 ball team this fall in my APA league so I will learn once I spend so months playing.
 

JazzyJeff87

AzB Plutonium Member
Silver Member
I prefer 8 ball but I have played so little of the other games that I am not a good judge really. To me it takes more skill to me to break and run in 8 ball than in 9 ball but as I said I am a poor judge.
I do think I may sign up for a 9 ball team this fall in my APA league so I will learn once I spend so months playing.

The way I see it (and we all know of my high opinion of myself..) 9 ball is a bit more difficult to run out overall just because if you miss position you have no other OB to go after. And you have only 1 pattern to play basically. You can choose 2 rails instead of 1 sometimes or a side pocket instead of corner but the break pretty much gives you one road map to follow, where in 8 ball you have many different patterns available if you break well.

But 9 ball also has tons more luck as in a lesser skilled player being able to pick up games like when you: scratch while making the 6 or 7, hang the 8, hang the 9. Yeah not luck per se but kinda.

In 8 ball if you’re much more skilled than your opponent it’s very possible you could win every game indefinitely since they will always have to make all their balls and the 8. I’ve played beginner type players where I’ve struggled to have them actually win a game.

Anyway, don’t know where I’m going with my analysis but I do love 8 ball and don’t see why more people don’t play it seriously.

And atlas the APA 9 ball runs off points instead of racks so what I said about lesser players picking up easy games from mistakes doesn’t really apply. You get 1 point per ball, 2 for the 9, and you play to a certain number. Kinda cool.
 
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