8 Ball on the Break rule

I think it's a little more fair in APA because even though the 8 on the break is a win, you also must take what you make. In BCAPL where the 8 doesn't count, you have choice anyway.

I think, for most professionals and high-caliber amateurs, when choice is available after the break, the sole object is to make ANY ball on the break and just run-out. I don't know if going for the 8 offers much of a statistical edge because you're also getting a weaker spread on the rack by hitting the second row. If you're breaking & running 25% of the time, you're not going to improve your odds of winning by much by going for the 8.

With that said, I think 8-ball should always be played-out. The early 9 in 9-ball makes sense because any combination on the 9 is a win, why should the break be different? In 8-ball, all early 8s are a loss so why should it now be a win? As well, the 8 on the break (when hitting the 2nd row) is arguably as much as 3x easier than making the 9 on the break. What makes it even uglier is how the 8 predictably heads toward the same pocket and with genuine speed. In 9, any movement on the 9ball is often the fault of the racker. In 8, you have 8s dropping on perfectly tight racks and there's no stopping it. I have yet to see more than 3 in a row but it wouldn't surprise me at all.
 
poolguy4u said:
:ok:


Nothing wrong with slop or being lucky to win a pool game.

The biggest thrill in pool is when a lousy player beats a great player.

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No, the biggest thrill in pool is when you can actually break, and run out, because you feel like you accomplished something, and the other player knows you did too. But if folks get off on 'easy" wins, not much reason to put in any practice time :)
 
ChicagoRJ said:
No, the biggest thrill in pool is when you can actually break, and run out, because you feel like you accomplished something, and the other player knows you did too. But if folks get off on 'easy" wins, not much reason to put in any practice time :)
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yea I'm with you..The only people I see get jacked over 9 ball on a break and scream nice shot to the breaker our apa players because they get another much coveted 9 on the snap patch!! lol
 
ChicagoRJ said:
No, the biggest thrill in pool is when you can actually break, and run out, because you feel like you accomplished something, and the other player knows you did too. But if folks get off on 'easy" wins, not much reason to put in any practice time :)
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:smile:

For real...that is much too easy. I've seen a handicap #3 do it already and of course she got disqualified for playing too good.

Breaking and running is too easy and boring.:D
And for some people, they take way too much time.:smile:
 
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It's hard to justify calling it a win since the object of the game is to pocket the 8 legally in a called pocket after all your suit of balls are off the table. It could be argued that it is a loss if there were no special rule for the break. All that said, every bar I've been in would all it a win and every structured game I think would spot it and move on. Keep in mind, many bar rules are due to coin tables...once the 8 drops it is gone, the game is over and a win makes more sense than a loss. Asking the breaker to break defensively to avoid making a ball awould suck.
 
I've spent a bit of time thinking about this, stoked by a video I saw where Steve Mizerak talked about winning tournament games this way.

To those that say 8 ball is a call pocket game, it is usually. But the break is always a slop shot.

No biggie.
 
I play at bar banger central at the moment, I snapped off the 8 and he called a loss because I pocketed another ball also, lol
 
If you have a good 8ball break you give yourself around a 10% chance of winning in one shot..... not saying it is right or wrong but if it counts I play second ball break every time.
 
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