CanadianGuy
Well-known member
I like express for both 9 and 10
call the 9/10, miss the call and automatic loss
call the 9/10, miss the call and automatic loss
10-Ball Last Rule
- Thread starter heater451
- Start date
My apologies. Wish I was!!
Good advice.
sudocrushms
Well-known member
Ugh... Why is everyone trying to turn 10b into 9b? We have both and that's great, don't make them converge...
Want fast action and high risk/reward? 9-ball.
Want a more deliberate, tactical game? 10-ball.
Simple as that.
Want fast action and high risk/reward? 9-ball.
Want a more deliberate, tactical game? 10-ball.
Simple as that.
boogieman
It don't mean a thing if it ain't got that ping.
I agree, but serious question, have you ever played 10B with 10B being able to be made early? You still had to call it. It was pretty fun and added some excitement.
When I started playing the rules people played were it was exactly like 9B but with an extra ball. It was pretty fun really. It allowed a lot of creativity and 2 way shots. It was also much harder to run out. 1 ball makes quite a difference for traffic and the break wasn't wired.
I know that I will never do another local 10B tournament unless 10B can go early. At lower levels 10B is just bunting balls until 2-3 balls are left that even your grandma could run out on. I have nothing against strategy and safety play, but I'd rather play 1P if I want to stretch that part of my mind. I think the thing lasted until 5am or something. It was just silly. A race to 5 could take 2 hours with the amount of bunting balls. At pro level with actual shotmakers and shot clocks it's a lot quicker. 10B isn't my game but I think I finished tied 4th/5th but it wasn't worth the grind.
sudocrushms
Well-known member
I've never seen a 10b tournament around here (MSP). 10b with no early 10s is definitely not a game for beginners for your reason. I've been a perfect example of that logic lately: run 6-7 balls and leave my buds with the last 2-3 when i dog the 7-9... BUT i'm a glutton for punishment and we don't get any better by not paying for our mistakes and we're not playing for anything so we won't get into the ducking matches...
The only change i would make is a 10b on the break is a win. It's so rare i think it should count.
10 ball IS my game. Why? Because I truly believe playing rotation games forces you to be a better player. One main reason: Cue ball control.
Let's face it, though 8 ball can and sometimes be difficult (eg clusters, traffic, etc,), it can also be "anybody's game" depending on the break. Let's ask ourselves how many times we, (yes, WE), have been beaten by players with less than half our skill set. It can be pretty demoralizing sometimes. Scenario: You win the lag because you are, well, just better. But you break dry. Your opponent chooses high balls and has an easy stop shot, another stop shot, a little roller, then yet another stop shot, then an easy 2' draw, then another stop shot and bang, the 8 is in and you sit in your chair wishing you had just one more game left to prove yourself in that silly race-to-3 tournament. Or worse, it's some dumb bar tourney with a race-to-1 single elimination format, and this guy who's buzzed on weed and 4 beers with a house cue beats you simply because he got super lucky and left you absolutely no shot on your last two balls - one of which was the 8. You can't even believe it. You stand there in denial. Your mind cannot even process the fact that out of the 26 million small matrix dots on the table, especially after this banger just whacked the shit out of the cue ball, it comes to rest on the BACK side of the 8, and your last ball is the 5 sitting nice and pretty, on the FRONT side! Yep, a full lunar eclipse. So you do your best at a kick shot, barely tapping the 5, feathering the cue-ball long and far down toward the end rail, all while acting like you miscued because the alcoholic bar people "frown" on safety play. Then, Mr Weedbeerbuzz hits his easy pocket hanger, one more simple shot, then proceeds to pocket the 8 in the big wide side. Smiling but ripped apart on the inside, you question yourself. You question God. You question pool, and life itself. (Thus the reason(s) I typically avoid 8 ball, and especially with races to 3 or less and most definitely bar 8. No thanks.)
But with the above said, the games I DO enjoy, in addition to 10B, are OneP and even 14:1 as they teach you to look deeper into racks or clusters and "see" shots the average player would often overlook or avoid. Those games tend to refine the player and develop much needed skills such as speed control, offensive / defensive strategies as well as better pattern reading. 9B fun too as it's still rotation pool, but just not a fan of ANY slop. At least its a fast game. Now on occasion, 9B bank pool can be a good road to drive down. It's helpful. Not a lot of people play or practice it. Just don't play it with below-average or slow players.
I guess all games have their place and their fan base. 10B can be a tough game. Someone mentioned earlier of simply "bunting" balls. Nice try, but that's what 8 ball is for. 10 ball means one can be going from one end of the table to the other, 7 different times, each with position. The break, running out 10 balls instead of 8, the challenge of effective defensive shots where there are only 2 or 3 balls left on the table, calling every shot, precise cue ball speed and control, rails, banks, kicks, caroms, jumps, etc. It's all good stuff. I do favor an early 10 though, whether combo or carom, if called. ,
Let's face it, though 8 ball can and sometimes be difficult (eg clusters, traffic, etc,), it can also be "anybody's game" depending on the break. Let's ask ourselves how many times we, (yes, WE), have been beaten by players with less than half our skill set. It can be pretty demoralizing sometimes. Scenario: You win the lag because you are, well, just better. But you break dry. Your opponent chooses high balls and has an easy stop shot, another stop shot, a little roller, then yet another stop shot, then an easy 2' draw, then another stop shot and bang, the 8 is in and you sit in your chair wishing you had just one more game left to prove yourself in that silly race-to-3 tournament. Or worse, it's some dumb bar tourney with a race-to-1 single elimination format, and this guy who's buzzed on weed and 4 beers with a house cue beats you simply because he got super lucky and left you absolutely no shot on your last two balls - one of which was the 8. You can't even believe it. You stand there in denial. Your mind cannot even process the fact that out of the 26 million small matrix dots on the table, especially after this banger just whacked the shit out of the cue ball, it comes to rest on the BACK side of the 8, and your last ball is the 5 sitting nice and pretty, on the FRONT side! Yep, a full lunar eclipse. So you do your best at a kick shot, barely tapping the 5, feathering the cue-ball long and far down toward the end rail, all while acting like you miscued because the alcoholic bar people "frown" on safety play. Then, Mr Weedbeerbuzz hits his easy pocket hanger, one more simple shot, then proceeds to pocket the 8 in the big wide side. Smiling but ripped apart on the inside, you question yourself. You question God. You question pool, and life itself. (Thus the reason(s) I typically avoid 8 ball, and especially with races to 3 or less and most definitely bar 8. No thanks.)
But with the above said, the games I DO enjoy, in addition to 10B, are OneP and even 14:1 as they teach you to look deeper into racks or clusters and "see" shots the average player would often overlook or avoid. Those games tend to refine the player and develop much needed skills such as speed control, offensive / defensive strategies as well as better pattern reading. 9B fun too as it's still rotation pool, but just not a fan of ANY slop. At least its a fast game. Now on occasion, 9B bank pool can be a good road to drive down. It's helpful. Not a lot of people play or practice it. Just don't play it with below-average or slow players.
I guess all games have their place and their fan base. 10B can be a tough game. Someone mentioned earlier of simply "bunting" balls. Nice try, but that's what 8 ball is for. 10 ball means one can be going from one end of the table to the other, 7 different times, each with position. The break, running out 10 balls instead of 8, the challenge of effective defensive shots where there are only 2 or 3 balls left on the table, calling every shot, precise cue ball speed and control, rails, banks, kicks, caroms, jumps, etc. It's all good stuff. I do favor an early 10 though, whether combo or carom, if called. ,
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If you really want to be a good player, you need to practice 14.1, the ultimate pool game. When you can run 50 balls with regularity then you can learn to play any game, and play it well. 14.1 is all about cue ball control and knowledge of how the balls interact.
Awesome post!! Enjoyed the heck out of it!!
That is still my regular practice routine. Keeps my game sharp.
14:1 a fantastic game. Teaches us so much the books and vids don't. Recommend it to all. But no jump cues (whether you are a fan of them or not) and it IS part of today's game. Also seems very few bank shots which are also part of the game. Many people think it's also a slow ball-bunting fest but the reality is ball-bunting is the RESULT of good cue ball control. Let thy onlookers not be deceived. TRY running 40+ balls. Then 50+balls. It can take years to climb just one or two steps higher in the game. 14:1 and 1P are amazing gifts to the world of billiards. 3 cushion too.
Agree.
When you go to practice, play 14.1 against yourself without any imaginary ghost opponent.
Assign a score…..50 points……better yet, 45 points. 3 racks of pool which keeps this short.
So you need to jot down some data but it’s pretty simple info to record as described below.
In fact, I’d even say 2 racks works at the outset is also fine. Now you can play safe during this
practice because the only thing that matters is when you get a object ball to pocket. All you do
record how many innings it takes you, not counting any safeties, to run 2 or 3 racks.
Whatever that number amounts to, just remember it because it’s your average that you want to
beat that next time you do this practice. If you did this once a day for a month, your avg. should
improve. Additionally, you need to also record how many banks and OBs you pocket every inning
It’s only a couple of racks per day so it shouldn’t take long and keep track of your progress.
You should see less innings, fewer banks & a increase in average # of balls pocketed per inning.
You’ll master shot selection & break shot position so much better after a month of practicing this.
Assign a score…..50 points……better yet, 45 points. 3 racks of pool which keeps this short.
So you need to jot down some data but it’s pretty simple info to record as described below.
In fact, I’d even say 2 racks works at the outset is also fine. Now you can play safe during this
practice because the only thing that matters is when you get a object ball to pocket. All you do
record how many innings it takes you, not counting any safeties, to run 2 or 3 racks.
Whatever that number amounts to, just remember it because it’s your average that you want to
beat that next time you do this practice. If you did this once a day for a month, your avg. should
improve. Additionally, you need to also record how many banks and OBs you pocket every inning
It’s only a couple of racks per day so it shouldn’t take long and keep track of your progress.
You should see less innings, fewer banks & a increase in average # of balls pocketed per inning.
You’ll master shot selection & break shot position so much better after a month of practicing this.
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A good prep to that is throw the balls out, shoot 'em in. Learn how the balls move especially the cue ball. Get over the pressure of the mounting number - maybe the most important thing about pool.
My main issue with all ball fouls is if there is no ref at the table. Often you can brush a ball, not feel it, the other player calls it. But they are 10 feet away, and may have been incorrect, it was close but no touch. Personally, I have had a few times where I shot a ball, and thought I did not get a legal hit, but the opponent said that the object ball moved. If someone can be mistaken from 5 feet away, someone can be mistaken from 10 feet away and maybe blocked by something in the view.
I think the game, in theory, should be all ball fouls, as I heard Grady say about it, you should have some respect and dignity for the game. But it is a tough call to make if it's just two players at the table.
It depends on the character of the players, for sure. If your opponent wants to win so badly that he sees things crooked, you have a problem. Or maybe he is not only willing to cheat, but enjoys doing so. If you find yourself in that situation, call someone to watch a lot. I've heard of one tournament player whose opponent's frequently asked for a ref to be present for the whole match.
Not even about cheating, but honestly being mistaken. Close calls can be tough to call.
With express rules ten ball, do players still rack the 1, 2 and 3 on the corners like they did in call shot call safe ten ball? Or is it just the one on the spot and ten in the center?
So far.
They can and this is why players who tend to call these are dubious characters. Anyone who is so "sure" and calls it, from 10 ft away, that their opponent's shirt touched the ball when everybody else would not have called because they were unsure - they are what most us would call a cheat.
If we are not sure, it's not a foul. Anything else and the game loses its integrity.
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