Why eight ball????

Nature Boy

Nature Boy

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I was at my local bar tonight. I couldn't find a game so I just sat around and watched. I could sit around and watch all night. I am also a golfer, and I do the same with that game.

My question is, why eight ball?

I understand that Fast Eddie said checkers sells more than chess, but I still don't get it.

If television drives the game (it does most everything), why do people still play that game. The last time I saw eight ball was as a kid when Wide World Of Sports used to do it.

If you are a decent player, the game sucks! All you do is run your balls and then wait until your opponent misses six times and then try and get out.


Is the lure of having so many possible balls to shoot at just that great?
 
softshot

softshot

Simplify
Silver Member
8 ball is a great game... made for a bar box...

8-ball on a 9 foot ... is like 9-ball on a bar box... not very challenging to a competent player..

8 ball on a box played correctly by skilled opponents is every bit a chess match.. rivaling one pocket in complexity..

come play some 8-ball with me:)
 
Nature Boy

Nature Boy

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
softshot said:
8 ball is a great game... made for a bar box...

8-ball on a 9 foot ... is like 9-ball on a bar box... not very challenging to a competent player..

8 ball on a box played correctly by skilled opponents is every bit a chess match.. rivaling one pocket in complexity..

come play some 8-ball with me:)
Click to expand...


Are you serious?

As I said, I don't have a problem with eight ball between two competent players. I just don't understand why the masses play it.

I think I will pass on your offer for now.:p:p
 
softshot

softshot

Simplify
Silver Member
Nature Boy said:
I just don't understand why the masses play it.
Click to expand...

because you put your dollar in.. and you get to use all of the balls... for one

if you play 9-ball.. what do you do with the other 6 balls... wasted money

tight traffic... and 14.1 quality position play.. that is why the game is challenging..

play safe till you can run ALL of them...

cluster breaking safety's..

hiding pockets with slow rolled balls...

you thought he was a banger... till you sold out and he ran out..

box 8 is a game that scales like chess.. it is as complicated as you want to make it..

play it with some big kids who know how..

you will earn a lot of respect for the game in a hurry...
 
pt109

pt109

WO double hemlock
Silver Member
8 & straight

I like Soft Shot's thinking.8-ball is played well by 14&1 players because
patterns are the most important part of the game.1-pocket players do
well at it also.Danny D,who plays 14&1 and 1-pocket world class,won
the world 8-ball at his first attempt.Straight shooting can win at 9-ball
where the shot selection is more obvious.
On a coin-op table any speed gets more value for their money.
 
i4pool

i4pool

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
softshot said:
because you put your dollar in.. and you get to use all of the balls... for one

if you play 9-ball.. what do you do with the other 6 balls... wasted money

...
Click to expand...


For the masses, I completely agree with this statement. Heck I prefer 9-ball but when
I'm dropping a dollar to play for fun I'd rather use all of the
balls. Btw, I
have a lot of respect for Box-8. :thumbup2: I use to think it was an easy game.
But quickly learned otherwise when I participated in
a 8B league with really good players. :eek:
 
Nature Boy

Nature Boy

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
softshot said:
because you put your dollar in.. and you get to use all of the balls... for one

if you play 9-ball.. what do you do with the other 6 balls... wasted money

tight traffic... and 14.1 quality position play.. that is why the game is challenging..

play safe till you can run ALL of them...

cluster breaking safety's..

hiding pockets with slow rolled balls...

you thought he was a banger... till you sold out and he ran out..

box 8 is a game that scales like chess.. it is as complicated as you want to make it..

play it with some big kids who know how..

you will earn a lot of respect for the game in a hurry...
Click to expand...

If only I had played you in the past. I probably would think differently of the game.

As Johnny cash said in his song, " if I had of known you, when you were a little younger, maybe you'd shoot straighter than you do".


Until then.....................................................................................





















































:boring2::boring2::boring2::boring2::boring2::boring2::boring2:





:p:p
 
J

James2003

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
softshot said:
because you put your dollar in.. and you get to use all of the balls... for one

if you play 9-ball.. what do you do with the other 6 balls... wasted money

tight traffic... and 14.1 quality position play.. that is why the game is challenging..

play safe till you can run ALL of them...

cluster breaking safety's..

hiding pockets with slow rolled balls...

you thought he was a banger... till you sold out and he ran out..

box 8 is a game that scales like chess.. it is as complicated as you want to make it..

play it with some big kids who know how..

you will earn a lot of respect for the game in a hurry...
Click to expand...


When I paly 9 ball on a pay table we catch 3 balls and play two racks out of it. I agree 8 ball is more fun on a bar box.
 
JimS

JimS

Grandpa & his grand boys.
Silver Member
I think 8 ball is a better game. 9 ball is too easy.. usually very little stratagy.
 
greyghost

greyghost

Coast to Coast
Silver Member
dude its completely obvious why everyone plays 8 ball. Most everyone that plays pool plays in the bar, on a bar box. You get more for your money playing 8 ball than 9 ball. That is the reason why 8 ball is more popular, and thats the BIG secret. It's all about the quarters.
 
dave sutton

dave sutton

Banned
the better player will win playing8ball much more then 9ball. 9 ball is good and fast for tv. 8ball required more skill to win. there are many more aspects of the game that can make you win besides playing safe and running out. breaking balls out. moving balls. taking pockets. just "moving" in general. like chess

if i were you i wouldnt even think into why people in bars do what they do. id rather not play pool then playb in a bar
 
D

Dave Nelson

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Nature Boy

If 8 ball is too easy for you because of too many balls to shoot at, try some full rack rotation. I will chance a prediction that you wont like that either. I don't care for 9 ball but why knock another persons game?

Dave Nelson
 
WilleeCue

WilleeCue

The Barefoot Cuemaker
Silver Member
Ya walk into a bar, place your two quarters on the pool table and then wait 5 or 6 games to get a chance to play.
Ya want to watch the other break and run 9 ball or do ya want a shot at the table. Even the best players have a hard time breaking and running a bar box in the game of 8 ball.

The history of pool is an interesting study.
Why did 8 ball become the defacto favorite of bar tables instead of some other older more traditional game like 14:1?
When and where did the game of 8 ball get its start?

Here is what I found on the internet:
The game of eight-ball is derived from an earlier game invented around 1900 (first recorded in 1908) in the United States and initially popularized under the name "B.B.C. Co. Pool" (a name that was still in use as late as 1925) by the Brunswick-Balke-Collender Company. This forerunner game was played with seven yellow and seven red balls, a black ball, and the cue ball. Today, numbered stripes and solids are preferred in most of the world, though the British-style variant uses the traditional colors. The game had relatively simple rules compared to today and was not added (under any name) to an official rule book until 1940.
 
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Pushout

Pushout

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I would personally rather not play than play 8 ball on a bar table. From 1973 on I played in the one pool room in NYS that even had bar tables, the 3 x 6 variety. The players NEVER played on them and NEVER played 8 ball. I've played more 8 ball since I moved to South Carolina in about three years than I played in 25 or more in NY. I've resolved not to play it any more. I just don't like the game. I learned to play playing Straight Pool, as did most people at that time, so 8 ball is relatively easy for me. Comparing it to One Pocket is a joke as far as I'm concerned.
Until I came to AZ, I never heard anyone considered a player say they liked 8 ball better than 9 ball, not ever. I don't care what Trudeau's whore says.
I understand why bar players might prefer it on coin op tables but I just don't like it. I don't think it was ever designed to be a game for skilled players.
 
Maniac

Maniac

2manyQ's
Silver Member
This is all I'm going to say: In 9-ball you can break and run out all the way to the 9, get bad shape on it, miss it and lose the game. Your opponent wins after sinking only one ball :rolleyes:.

In 8-ball your opponent is gonna have to sink eight balls to win.

8-ball on a barbox against a skilled advesary can be quite the challenge.

I don't dislike any game in pool. I have my preferences which I'll keep to myself. 8-ball IMO definitely has it's place on the list of great pool/billiards games.

Maniac
 
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