Playing pool with two cueballs

hang-the-9

hang-the-9

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
This thread about making several different ball sets https://forums.azbilliards.com/showthread.php?t=501500, although by itself not a good idea got me thinking about something with the "more than 15 balls" idea.

Have any of you tried to play a game of pool with two cueballs? With the Measels being pretty distinct you can use one of those and a single dot ball and have a game where you and your opponent have two different cueballs.

You can setup the the game where moving or pocketing the other cueball on a shot would either give or subtract points, depending on how you feel like playing.

This way it would actually be very close to golf, you play 8 ball, he shoots at his side with his ball, you shoot at it with yours. It would add some special needs to play safe, I think would be a fun game.
 
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gogg

gogg

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Nice idea.... lots of game options open up.
I haven’t really done that, but I have played for hours with two cueballs on a coin-op to work drills and “woodshed”.
 
JazzyJeff87

JazzyJeff87

AzB Plutonium Member
Silver Member
I’ve messed around with different ways to play 8 ball and 9 ball with 2 different cue balls, like each having their own, one being a “free ball” to get position off of or as a last ball to be made. I never did settle on a good game that I liked but there were some interesting half formed ideas while I was doing it.
 
Patrick Johnson

Patrick Johnson

Fish of the Day
Silver Member
Years ago I saw Marco Marquez throw two sets of balls (32 balls including two cue balls) onto the table for practice. If he got stuck with one cue ball he'd use the other one.

pj
chgo
 
hang-the-9

hang-the-9

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
JazzyJeff87 said:
I’ve messed around with different ways to play 8 ball and 9 ball with 2 different cue balls, like each having their own, one being a “free ball” to get position off of or as a last ball to be made. I never did settle on a good game that I liked but there were some interesting half formed ideas while I was doing it.
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I am going to play a bit tonight with some pool buddies and will propose this idea to mess around with a good rule set for play.

I don't think I have ever seen an "official" two cueball game of pool written up, but we do have a few people on AZB that contribute to the official rule books.
 
hang-the-9

hang-the-9

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
pt109 said:
I’ve played a lot with two cue balls.....but there were no pockets on the table.
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I have a funny quote about that I like to use for one pocket slowness.

I started a game of 8 ball on a 3 cushion table, still got finished faster than the one pocket game on the other table.
 
Black-Balled

Black-Balled

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Patrick Johnson said:
Years ago I saw Marco Marquez throw two sets of balls (32 balls including two cue balls) onto the table for practice. If he got stuck with one cue ball he'd use the other one.

pj
chgo
Click to expand...

I've played around with that and if you keep the cbs clear, it isn't too bad.
 
9

9 Ball Fan

Darth Maximus
Silver Member
I have thought about playing with 2 cue balls.

Allow both cue balls to be in play at all times, for all players. And; allow the option of cue ball to cue ball contact, prior to striking the object ball. The object ball still must be hit prior to any other numbered ball.

You'd have fewer strong safeties; and a little easier game, with more possibilities for pattern play. It could be interesting to try playing that way.
 
Johnny Rosato

Johnny Rosato

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
You can use it for a handicap too. After the break, place a 'marked' CB at a pre-determined spot. When it's your turn, you can shoot the regular CB or the 'marked' CB, opponent, (better player), can only shoot regular CB.
 
hang-the-9

hang-the-9

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I played a few games of this with my son, 8 ball, two cueballs.

The non-breaker cueball we placed in center of the table.

It went like a normal game of 8 ball both games, the extra cueball was run into a few times so position may be a bit tougher with an extra ball in the way.

Accidental safes and safes in general are a whole different story, but we did not get into the safety area that much. Having to play where you need to place a ball between the second cueball and the object ball is for sure a different feeling of strategy.

Was fun to play, I'll try it out some more next time I get together with the pool buddies.
 
JazzyJeff87

JazzyJeff87

AzB Plutonium Member
Silver Member
I like the idea of each player having their own cue ball. And you can’t hit their cue ball directly ever, have to hit your own suite or lowest ball first. Make it tough to bury their CB. Deciding how to get it in the game is tough. Back of pack doesn’t seem very fair but maybe it’ll get slammed around. Maybe put it in front like the pink in snooker. Force a 2nd ball break. I think it would work best with 8 ball anyway. Must try some more but if you come up with anything else throw it out here.
 
G

garczar

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
JazzyJeff87 said:
I like the idea of each player having their own cue ball. And you can’t hit their cue ball directly ever, have to hit your own suite or lowest ball first. Make it tough to bury their CB. Deciding how to get it in the game is tough. Back of pack doesn’t seem very fair but maybe it’ll get slammed around. Maybe put it in front like the pink in snooker. Force a 2nd ball break. I think it would work best with 8 ball anyway. Must try some more but if you come up with anything else throw it out here.
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Seriously?? One game might take an hour. To me it sounds worse than watchin' paint dry.
 
forabeer

forabeer

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
How about a simple 2 cue ball idea . . . 8ball, 9ball, or 10 ball.

-Pick one of the above games
-Utilize 2 cue balls, 1 reg, & 1 measle
-Choose which Cueball will be the breakers
-Rack for selected game and place the non-breaking cueball on center spot
-Flip for break
-Each player has to use his/her designated cueball but here is the unique twist . . .

IF YOU MAKE CONTACT WITH YOUR OPPONENTS CUEBALL ITS A LOSS. (EXCEPT ON BREAK SHOT)

Interesting.
 
Saturated Fats

Saturated Fats

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Straight Pool?

My friends and I used to play 14.1 with two sets of balls on the table - but just one cue ball. One set racked on the head spot and one set racked on the foot spot. I enjoyed it, but it didn't catch on with everyone else. IIRC there was usually only one set of balls that were opened up at a time. Because of that, the table didn't get as crowded as it might otherwise. The balls were reracked when you got down to the last ball, just like in 14.1.So instead of 14 balls per "rack", there were 29.
 
JazzyJeff87

JazzyJeff87

AzB Plutonium Member
Silver Member
garczar said:
Seriously?? One game might take an hour. To me it sounds worse than watchin' paint dry.
Click to expand...

I’ve played a few times, a lot of the time I break and run out and it doesn’t matter that there’s 2 cue balls until after the 8. I like having to make the other CB last. I think you may be picturing the wrong thing here. It’s just an extra cue ball you have to pay attention to because of you miss your opponent will be playing from that CB. So you wanna try to nudge it bad if you can without compromising your run.

I’m not sure what to do with my own cue ball when I scratch. Or what to do with opponents cue ball when I knock it in on a legal shot or foul.
 
Fatboy

Fatboy

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Could be a good gambling game too.

The stronger player has 1 CB and the weaker player has 2 CB’s. Spotting someone the CB would be a lot of weight.

Interesting....how come in 35 years this never occurred to me?

Not the sharpest knife in the drawer,
Fatboy
 
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