Ghost rules?

I play it the same as you do.

For practice I will start with the 6 ball ghost and play a race to five. After
that I go to 7 balls etc.
For me on a bar table I can beat it all the way to 9balls but have much tougher time with 9 than with 8. Only one ball but it makes a huge difference to me.

On a big table it all depends on the day. Crazy difference in success rate on the bar table compared to the 9 foot. Also theres not much as much difference between 8 balls and 9 balls on the big table. I guess because I am not getting out as frequently anyway on the big table.

Every now and then I rack 15 balls or somewhere between 9 and 15 and play the ghost. Mainly I look for patterns and trouble. I dont play good enough to come close to beating the ghost this way but it makes you think alot.

lights_out said:

I've been beating the 8 ball ghost lately (in rotation, not the game of 8 ball) and have recently been told by a friend and one of the best players I know that I've been doing it wrong. I rack 8 balls, break, and take bih. My friend tells me that I should be racking 9 balls and I win if I legally get out on the 8 or 9. There's probably not a right or wrong way to do this but what do most of you do? Also, is the money ball snapped on the break a win or is it spotted? Is a scratch on the break a loss? Thanks.

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I agree that you are doing it the "normal" way...if there is any such thing.

The point of reducing the ball count is to eliminate balls that block routes.

I approach the game a little differently than you to the extent that I rack all 9 balls...because the break shot is one of the most important but underpracticed shots.

If I am playing the 8 Ball Ghost and don't make a ball, I remove the 1 ball (so as not to be able to remove the most troublesome ball necessarily) and take bih at that time.

If I make more than 1 ball, then that's tough luck for the ghost...I SHOULD be rewarded for making more than one ball.

As I have posted in other threads, I also allow one safety option per rack without which, the game does not measure that VITAL aspect of the game.

If I hook the Ghost so that he has a 1 rail escape...NO direct path...then I get bih again and continue the run.

The Advanced version requires you leave him with a jump shot or at least 2 rail kick.

If you attempt the safety and don't get the hook, it's loss of rack.

Also, I play a scratch on the break as loss of rack...as it certainly would be against the Ghost who never misses.

I think the introduction of the safety option and the scratch on the break far more closely resembles actual match conditions and without which, any "ranking" of your speed is significantly deficient by not measuring those two critical aspects of the actual game of 9 Ball.

Regards,
Jim

we play it is breaks ball in hand, and if you miss you lose, if you're getting the 8 you still rack 9 balls, but you can win with the 8 or 9, no loss of game for scratching on the break either! but there is no right or wrong way, as long as you decide ahead of time, and stick to it.
it's just supposed to put the pressure of not being able to miss on the person practicing!
jeremy

The toughest place to beat the ghost is St Louis. I think it's Louie.

I play the ghost rarely, but if/when I do play... this is how I play:

- Full Rack Break
- BIH after break
- 9B break is spotted but counted as a win
- Scratch is a loss (edit)
- 1 safe per rack, lock up (Frozen or 2 rail out only)
- 7ball ghost... after break leave lowest but drop next 2... creating 7 total balls.
6 ball ghost... same thing, but drop the next 3.. etc.
for example... 6 ball ghost, dry break... I take bih but leave the 1 where it is, and drop the 2, 3, & 4... leave the 5 6 7 8 9 where it is.
- Ball on break counts as a dropped ball (ie; playing the 6 ball ghost... I drop the 7 and 5 on the break... so I drop the 2ball and take BIH)

Hope that made some sort of sense

Fatboys rules

when i play the 6 ball ghost I rack the normal 6 ball triangle and take BIH aftere I smash them, and run out or lose, for 7 ball I break the 6 and spot the 7th ball in the middle of the table and take BIH and run out out, For 8 ball I break the 6 balls and spot the 7 the in the middle and the 8 th ball on the foot spot. For 9 ball I rack the full rack and take BIH and run out, no hooks, if I miss I lose simple as that. I spot the balls in the middle on the 7 and foot spot on the 8 ball ghost because that way they are in the middle of the table and I should get shape.

I do make an effort to squat the rock even though I get bIh sometimes I dont take it when I dont need it. Its stupid to just smash the balls being careless, every shot counts. I dont play 10 ball ghost because I cant beat it, I can BNR a 10 ball rack sometimes, sadly not at the Derby , and I had my shot, but not often enough to practice it yet, I do sometimes just to see how I'm progressing. the 6 ball is easy, sometimes the 7 ball is, there is a big jump for me from 7 to 8 balls and remember I spot them in the middle, its a total offence game for me so I dont play safe, if I break bad and tie up balls that I cant untie and it ends my run I lose simple as that.

those are my rules, I made them up, if I didnt then I'll give credit to who ever did, great minds think alike.

I hope this year to get to the 8 ball ghost 70% win to loss ratio. its funny how easy the 6 is and just 2 more balls changes everything and its not like making 2 balls is all that hard, this game never ceases to amaze me.

have fun, someday i might keep records of my practice and build a data base and watch the progress, when your not gifted and running 6 packs at 17 years old you gotta do it the hard way.

Fatboy said:

I hope this year to get to the 8 ball ghost 70% win to loss ratio. its funny how easy the 6 is and just 2 more balls changes everything and its not like making 2 balls is all that hard, this game never ceases to amaze me. .

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It't the math. 8 is 33% more than six...but it's worse than that. Since the 9 ball doesn't get removed during the runout, the 6 ball ghost is actually 5+1 and the 8 ball ghost is 7+1 so the difference in the "blocker balls" is 40% which is a BIG deal!

But it's worse. Those two extra balls can block A LOT more than two extra routes.

But it's worse. Having those extra balls on the table increases the chances of a cluster you can't reasonably get into.

So, I would say that the 8 is twice as hard as the 6 and the 7 is 50% harder than the 6.

Like you, I haven't kept stats but my 7 ball % (thanks to Allison, Gerda and Scott Lee) is at least 80% now (without the safety option).

Regards,
Jim

PS: One of the reasons I so favor the safety option is that you not only need to be able to execute them but also be able to SEE them. I can't tell you how many times I've played with top players who, when I failed to run out, pointed out that I had a lock up safety opportunity that I never saw.

So the process of LOOKING for them as a routine part of the run out translates really well to actual match play IMHO.