8 Ball Online Guide

[DogsPlayingPool]

OK, this conversation started to piss me off a little. I dare you all to visit the bars and other places where they have pool tables (skip the professional clubs) and tell me how many people actually used the pro rules.

Look my friend, sorry to get you so upset. But you asked for our opinion and you got it. I don't understand why it would piss you off unless...are you the author?

The stuff covered in this material is not even pertinent to any banger bar I've ever heard of. For example, it discusses 7 power levels for shots to use while playing 8 Ball. Well, the first two are both fouls and gives ball in hand to your opponent. Power level zero says "You simply touch the white ball without moving it at all. Used for some defensive tactics." While deliberate fouls can be a legitimate strategy in games such as one pocket or straight pool where the penalty is one point, it is basically useless for games like 8 Ball where ball in hand is the penalty.

We gave you our opinion. You are free to learn and practice everything you can from this source, but don't expect us to cosign this B.S. If you get serious about this game you will probably have to unlearn much of it.

 

[ThaPoolFreak12]

LOL yeah sure I'm the author. I definately look like a super skilled player ready to write a pool guide... listen, sorry if I was rude, I just got the feeling you didn't really understand my question. Nevermind, I'll do my best to figure it out myself. Thanks for help anyway :smile:

 

[Pre-Flag Master]

I read through the guide a little. The earlier comment about the terminology being wrong should be headed. I mean it's pervasive. Wrong terminology for physical equipment, types of shots, etc, etc.

Also, there is a lot of info that's just plain wrong. There's a page showing 5 pictures of bridge hand bridges (in the guide called "shooting modes" ). I see problems with at least three of them.

They say when racking, place the eight ball on the spot, should be the head ball on the spot.

They say when you hit a bank hard the ball goes more toward the center of the table than would be normally expected. They really mean the angle shortens up. But whether that's toward the center of the table, depends on the side of the table the shot started from and the direction of the shot.

"Turn Skipping", really? If that's allowed where you play, what's to stop the other guy from "turn skipping" right back at you?

The verbage is hard to read.

The format is hard to navigate.

At first glance it doesn't seem complete. Was there any mention of the tangent line?

Seriously, take everyone's advice and just get one of the books mentioned.

If you want to play in your local bar by your local bar rules, fine. But if you want to get better at pool, don't waste even as much time as I already have looking at this useless guide. You asked, "Is it an OK manual to learn from?" The answer is "no, it is not."

If you really thought this guide might be useful, I (we) are just trying to help you out by steering you away from it. If you are the author, know the author, or contributed - sorry for the harsh criticism, but it's the facts.

Fatz

 

[kaylaemarx]

Hello all

I had some questions about 8 ball rules. There are some rules I am not clearon even after looking at the official written rules :-

1) After break,as the table is open, I can play any combination except the black e.g if i pot a solid i can still play any combination that resulted in pocketing a solid or stripe as long as i call it - is this correct ?

2) if i miss my nominated ball in the pocket but still hit a ball then it is a fol but not ball in hand but if i completely miss my ball and od not hit any of them or hit my opponents basll first then it is ball in hand - is this correct ?

3) if after a foul i am in a position where i cannot see my own balls what do i do. i had a very unusual situaiton recently where my opponent had fouled but i was not able to play any kind of shot (i was tight in the corner). Surely if a player fouls but t that then disadvantgaes the opponent it seems unfair - not sure what the rules are around this .

would really appreciate any input on these few questions - many thanks all

 

[Pre-Flag Master]

Online Resources

This website is great, but very, very in-depth. It could take you years to digest all the info here. So just start with the second link below.
http://billiards.colostate.edu

Good Beginner's Guide
http://billiards.colostate.edu/pool_tutorial.html

As for 8-ball specific info, here is a good thread. I'm afraid I don't know of any online 8-ball articles or guides per se.
http://forums.azbilliards.com/showthread.php?t=270309&highlight=ball

 

[topcat1953]

LOL yeah sure I'm the author. I definately look like a super skilled player ready to write a pool guide... listen, sorry if I was rude, I just got the feeling you didn't really understand my question. Nevermind, I'll do my best to figure it out myself. Thanks for help anyway :smile:

My advice is to take the cotton out of your ears and put it in your mouth.

You must care enough about the game that you joined the AZ forum and invested so much time to put together such a lovely manual. If you really do, then allow the suggestions to sink in a little and do yourself and the game, you seem to enjoy, the justice of getting your facts right. To publish and pass along this gibberish is borderline offensive, comical at best.

 

[Tony_in_MD]

EVERYONE in my area play by call pocket, ball in hand rules in eight ball. Actually they follow BCA rules. This includes bars, because we have no professional clubs.

No need to get pissed off, unless you are associated with the guide in some way.

I am starting to think that is the case.

OK, this conversation started to piss me off a little. I dare you all to visit the bars and other places where they have pool tables (skip the professional clubs) and tell me how many people actually used the pro rules.

 

[Tony_in_MD]

No, personally I think a non-skilled idiot wrote the pool guide.

LOL yeah sure I'm the author. I definately look like a super skilled player ready to write a pool guide

 

[hang-the-9]

OK, this conversation started to piss me off a little. I dare you all to visit the bars and other places where they have pool tables (skip the professional clubs) and tell me how many people actually used the pro rules.

I'm confused here. You post asking what we though about that guide and that you wanted to "learn". Lots of people have told you that that guide is useless and pointed out several places to learn how to play.

What is the issue? If you wanted to learn how NOT to play, you don't need to go to a pool site for that. If you just wanted someone to say that this "guide" is great, you should ask some of those bar players.

It does not matter that a million bar players and hacks play the wrong way, the guy that wrote that crap is making this the only point about why that thing was done. He said "30 million people play this way, we just wanted to make an official rule book for that way of playing". Any sane person would reason that 30 million people doing something the wrong way is just that, 30 million wrong ways of doing things. I'd listen to 10 people that know something about the topic than 10 million that don't.

 

[Pre-Flag Master]

It does not matter that a million bar players and hacks play the wrong way, the guy that wrote that crap is making this the only point about why that thing was done. He said "30 million people play this way, we just wanted to make an official rule book for that way of playing". Any sane person would reason that 30 million people doing something the wrong way is just that, 30 million wrong ways of doing things. I'd listen to 10 people that know something about the topic than 10 million that don't.

Yeah, that's the weird thing I have noticed about pool. There are a LOT of people who are very ill-informed (new word :thumbup. I had one guy tell me that you would get a better break if the rack was loose. Had one guy tell me you have to jack up to get good draw. And on, and on.

I'm done here.

 

[Bob Jewett]

... I just want to hear some opinions...

As others have already stated, that on-line guide is really, really bad. It is not just a waste of time, it would be detrimental to most players' improvement.

There is lots of free stuff on the internet that will actually help a casual player's game and for $10 you can get a book from Amazon that if followed will let you beat 99.9% of the people in bars.

 

[TheNewSharkster]

OK, this conversation started to piss me off a little. I dare you all to visit the bars and other places where they have pool tables (skip the professional clubs) and tell me how many people actually used the pro rules.

You said it yourself, you are interested in the technique portion. So forget about the rules (which are made up) in that guide and rate it on the technique portion. Sorry to say it but the technique portion of that guide is as bad or worse than the rules section. For example you shouldn't be "shooting from the hip".

Why is your name poolfreak? Obviously you don't much care to listen to people who have spent years playing. Maybe it should be poolidiot12

 

[PGHteacher]

I think that guide is meant to be humor; I don’t think it can really be construed as a guide to pool. If it is meant in all seriousness then

I guess you're just not familiar with casual pool games.

Almost everyone here “started” where you are right now but have moved long past it.

All the guys me and my friends know use "unofficial" rules. I can't just persuade them to change to official rules cause nobody would want to play that way.

It isn’t a “different way” its “the wrong way” as I said it just takes some pool knowledge to know that; that’s what everyone is saying.

We mostly just want to have fun, not try to be pro.

Then why do you want to study anything about the game? Just play and “have fun”. But once you cross that line of reading a book, watching an instructional vid, practicing or anything like that it now MUST be that you want to get better it isn’t “JUST or mostly for fun” anymore.

Even if I wanted to spend 20$ to buy a book, most of it wouldn't help me as we don't play that way.

and what everyone is telling you is that that is incorrect, a good book on pool will help you 100x more than that book (and I don’t think it is supposed to be a “real” guide, I think it might be a joke)

Sorry if I sound boring or stupid, I just want to hear some opinions...

nah just a real beginner I remember being there; most of these folks prob don’t because they started so young.

 

[hang-the-9]

Wrong thread for this, you really need to look this up or start your own.
1. Yes, you can use a solid to pocket a stripe in a combo as a legal shot on the first shot after the break. In the "real" rules I need to add as this thread is all about a guide dealing with made-up rules.

2. If you don't hit your group of balls at all, and then a rail with the cue ball or another ball, it's a foul.

3. If the other guy fouled, you would get ball in hand so you can move the ball to where you can see your ball to hit it. If it so happens that you can't hit your group even with ball in hand, you would need to play a shot that is a foul, then the other guy gets ball in hand. Usually this ends up with him/her breaking apart the cluster so you have a shot next time if they are not a skilled player. Keep in mind there is no 3 foul rule in 8-ball, if neither player has a legal shot they can make, the game can be called a stalemate and re-played. I have seen this happen when the 8 ball is deep in a pocket and there is another ball right on it. Neither player can legally shoot at the 8 or the other ball, so after a series of deliberate scratches, the game is called and re-racked.

Hello all

I had some questions about 8 ball rules. There are some rules I am not clearon even after looking at the official written rules :-

1) After break,as the table is open, I can play any combination except the black e.g if i pot a solid i can still play any combination that resulted in pocketing a solid or stripe as long as i call it - is this correct ?

2) if i miss my nominated ball in the pocket but still hit a ball then it is a fol but not ball in hand but if i completely miss my ball and od not hit any of them or hit my opponents basll first then it is ball in hand - is this correct ?

3) if after a foul i am in a position where i cannot see my own balls what do i do. i had a very unusual situaiton recently where my opponent had fouled but i was not able to play any kind of shot (i was tight in the corner). Surely if a player fouls but t that then disadvantgaes the opponent it seems unfair - not sure what the rules are around this .

would really appreciate any input on these few questions - many thanks all

 

[hang-the-9]

I think that guide is meant to be humor; I don’t think it can really be construed as a guide to pool. If it is meant in all seriousness then
-snip-
and what everyone is telling you is that that is incorrect, a good book on pool will help you 100x more than that book (and I don’t think it is supposed to be a “real” guide, I think it might be a joke)

Sadly, I emailed the guy that wrote it, or one of them, and this is a "serious" attempt at a guide for players. He even read the comments here from us.

Here is a part from his reply. He seems to think that taking a poll from bangers at bars about what to call things and how to play is a better way to write a set of rules and instruction than from people who study the game. To him havnig a large group of people do something badly is better than listening to a small group that does things well.

"So, if 30 million people are strictly against playing by official rules and we decide to give them a standardized version of public rules they'll all be happy with (to avoid having different players playing by different variants like you mentioned), and several thousands players call us idiots for doing so, does it mean that these 50000 people or so are right? We didn't use the old terms as we simply considered them impractical, just like most people we asked before writing the guide. Actually, we often had a good laugh when we talked about what terms to use. We were like "There's the kitchen area! Who's making the dinner today?" I followed that link you posted and I kept laughing for like 10 mins. The poor kid is trying to ask you if the strategies we gave are effective and if you could explain what's actually wrong with them, while a bunch of you is just repeating: "Bad rules! Why read the guide if the rules are unofficial?" like 50 times. Don't get me wrong but this beginner guy seems to have more brains than half the forum out there. He only made a mistake talking to you who are not even aware that these "unofficial" variants (how you call them) are actually completely dominating over the official rules. The only smart thing I saw over there was somebody mentioning 10000 variants of public rules. That's one of the reasons why we wrote the guide in the first place. That number needs to be reduced only to one standardized variant. Then you'll see how vastly outnumbered you are. We hoped you could give us some practical advice, like if we need to change any particular rule, improve some strategy etc. so the game quality rises. And please, give this e-mail to those buddies of yours on the forum so they can speak directly to us, no need to harass that poor guy."

 

[brandoncook26]

Sadly, I emailed the guy that wrote it, or one of them, and this is a "serious" attempt at a guide for players. He even read the comments here from us.

Here is a part from his reply. He seems to think that taking a poll from bangers at bars about what to call things and how to play is a better way to write a set of rules and instruction than from people who study the game. To him havnig a large group of people do something badly is better than listening to a small group that does things well.

"So, if 30 million people are strictly against playing by official rules and we decide to give them a standardized version of public rules they'll all be happy with (to avoid having different players playing by different variants like you mentioned), and several thousands players call us idiots for doing so, does it mean that these 50000 people or so are right? We didn't use the old terms as we simply considered them impractical, just like most people we asked before writing the guide. Actually, we often had a good laugh when we talked about what terms to use. We were like "There's the kitchen area! Who's making the dinner today?" I followed that link you posted and I kept laughing for like 10 mins. The poor kid is trying to ask you if the strategies we gave are effective and if you could explain what's actually wrong with them, while a bunch of you is just repeating: "Bad rules! Why read the guide if the rules are unofficial?" like 50 times. Don't get me wrong but this beginner guy seems to have more brains than half the forum out there. He only made a mistake talking to you who are not even aware that these "unofficial" variants (how you call them) are actually completely dominating over the official rules. The only smart thing I saw over there was somebody mentioning 10000 variants of public rules. That's one of the reasons why we wrote the guide in the first place. That number needs to be reduced only to one standardized variant. Then you'll see how vastly outnumbered you are. We hoped you could give us some practical advice, like if we need to change any particular rule, improve some strategy etc. so the game quality rises. And please, give this e-mail to those buddies of yours on the forum so they can speak directly to us, no need to harass that poor guy."

I am pretty sure that the OP is connected to this website, simply from his remark about the "super skilled player" writing the guide. Also, I think it's funny how the guy in the email probably talked to 5 guys he plays with, and somehow equates that to 30 million people not wanting to play by "official" rules.

Live and let live. If it makes them happy to try and change the game then more power to them. Hopefully, they will enjoy banging balls into the rails so much that they will buy tons and tons of cues and equipment.

 

[PGHteacher]

Sadly, I emailed the guy that wrote it, or one of them, and this is a "serious" attempt at a guide for players. He even read the comments here from us.

That's


:yikes:
:banghead::thud:
:speechless::shocked2:
:shocked::scratchhead::bash:

 

[LucasBilliards]

I am almost positive this guy is a troll. His posts make zero sense. I could be wrong but I don't think so.

Now as for the "author" of this "guide" I can't even explain the stupidity in his responses. No sense in arguing with a fool so let him think what he wants. I have friends that know absolutely nothing about pool but if presented with this logic they would facepalm too. Millions of people do it wrong so that should be the standard rules. ????????? Huh???????

 

[Poolkillers81]

I'm pretty sure this guy isn't the author of the guide. That's because we are. One of you fools gave us a link of this thread and we just had to join for ourselves. We'd advise you to stop embarassing yourselves by talking shit to this dude who seems to be here to learn. I'm putting the link of our own thread so if you want to countinue the debate, please do it over there. ThaPoolFreak12, e-mail us with everything you want to know. Stop wasting time on these idiots...

http://forums.azbilliards.com/showthread.php?p=3697132&posted=1#post3697132:bash:

 

[Tony_in_MD]

You aren't Bujak19 from Youtube fame also known as Felize from AZ are you?

Pocketpoint maybe?

If not, you do have the same mental condition as them.

The only way your 'rules' make sense is by drinking, alot. Unfortunately, I think that all your rules will serve is to confuse players, and start a lot of bar-fights especially when employing your SP0 shots.

Why don't you do us all a favor and make up a set of rules for shuffleboard or darts. Leave pool alone, we don't need your help.

I'm pretty sure this guy isn't the author of the guide. That's because we are. One of you fools gave us a link of this thread and we just had to join for ourselves. We'd advise you to stop embarassing yourselves by talking shit to this dude who seems to be here to learn. I'm putting the link of our own thread so if you want to countinue the debate, please do it over there. ThaPoolFreak12, e-mail us with everything you want to know. Stop wasting time on these idiots...

http://forums.azbilliards.com/showthread.php?p=3697132&posted=1#post3697132:bash: