PracticeChampion
Well-known member
Hands down I love 9 ball, the speed of a rack and having to move the cue ball 3-4 rails often for shape is fun. I'm better at 8 ball though
8 ball vs 9 ball
- Thread starter SeniorTom
- Start date
By the way, I fixed the thread title typo. I didn't realize that till this morning it was bs instead of vs, lol (damn voice to text).
Anyway, I find 9 ball a bit more defensively challenging due to the fact that you have one particular object ball instead of 7 balls like in 8 ball. I find myself thinking defense much more often playing 9 ball than I do with 8 ball. It is a great game of strategy and takes skill to be able to contact the object ball and put it into position where it blocks out your opponent. I like both games for what they offer, and aren't they the two games that dominate league play ?
Anyway, I find 9 ball a bit more defensively challenging due to the fact that you have one particular object ball instead of 7 balls like in 8 ball. I find myself thinking defense much more often playing 9 ball than I do with 8 ball. It is a great game of strategy and takes skill to be able to contact the object ball and put it into position where it blocks out your opponent. I like both games for what they offer, and aren't they the two games that dominate league play ?
Zerksies
Well-known member
8-ball is for bar bangers. 9-ball is for players.I have always used a simplistic comparison. 9 ball is the young man's game and 8 ball the old man's game.
I'm definitely a stronger 8 ball player, but I like all rotation games. I won't gamble on 9 ball if it's not 9 ball/Last ball.
For rotation I like 10 ball call shot/call safe the most. Favors the better player and removes most of the luck.
8 ball on a 9 foot is really too easy of a game, but it's the same for both players. (and we play it a lot locally)
8 on a 7' is a completely different game. Glad I don't play on 7's much, but it is challenging when I do... just completely different.
9 ball on a 7' is stupid. No thanks. On a 9', it is a good game, minus the flukes.
For rotation I like 10 ball call shot/call safe the most. Favors the better player and removes most of the luck.
8 ball on a 9 foot is really too easy of a game, but it's the same for both players. (and we play it a lot locally)
8 on a 7' is a completely different game. Glad I don't play on 7's much, but it is challenging when I do... just completely different.
9 ball on a 7' is stupid. No thanks. On a 9', it is a good game, minus the flukes.
boogieman
It don't mean a thing if it ain't got that ping.
I'm the opposite, I won't gamble on 10B unless to 10 can be shot early (must be called). Different strokes for different folks!
It's best to play ''all games'' to improve. Each one teaches you different thought processes' and each table size does the same 7' 9'.
Example....Tony Cohan is a very good 9 ball player on a full size table.
WobblyStroke
Well-known member
9b is my fav game. Requires you to let your stroke out a bit and hit some tough shots that you'd never choose in an 8ball pattern. Def a shot maker's game.
8b is a puzzle solving game. The hardest part is the 1-2min before your first shot after the break where you 'solve the puzzle' of the rack (provided somewhat open table, which on a 9' is pretty often). After that, if you chose your pattern right, you just have to hit a bunch of stops, stuns, and natural rolls. Maybe a half decent draw, but really the challenge is finding the most efficient route through the rack while the execution is fairly simple.
9b OTOH leaves very little to think about pattern-wise other than which side of a ball to be on but the execution can be quite challenging. You might need as many stroke shots in one rack of 9b as you would in a set of 8b.
8b is a puzzle solving game. The hardest part is the 1-2min before your first shot after the break where you 'solve the puzzle' of the rack (provided somewhat open table, which on a 9' is pretty often). After that, if you chose your pattern right, you just have to hit a bunch of stops, stuns, and natural rolls. Maybe a half decent draw, but really the challenge is finding the most efficient route through the rack while the execution is fairly simple.
9b OTOH leaves very little to think about pattern-wise other than which side of a ball to be on but the execution can be quite challenging. You might need as many stroke shots in one rack of 9b as you would in a set of 8b.
If I lose, I want you to beat me, not out fluke/combo me.I'm the opposite, I won't gamble on 10B unless to 10 can be shot early (must be called). Different strokes for different folks!
Pool Hand Luke
Well-known member
We're not playing league, just rec so to make things more interesting we've been playing 1 15 8 ball. No gambling allowed where we play either so only a few of us play 9 ball. One guy will play 10 ball with me, but it's an 8 ball crowd.
WobblyStroke
Well-known member
I'm opposite. I love the luck of 9b. I love the randomness to it. The creative 2way shots. Freebie runs at the 9 when playing safe.
I played a best 2of3 set match the other day and got to the third set feeling like clear favorite. Well, the other guy won 3 games on 4 shots at the table. Then missed his match ball bank so bad he dbl banked it in the side. Honestly, it made me laugh when he got out like that. Love it. Then again, I'm just about as lucky as one can be, so maybe that's why I love a good slop game. Been on the right side of slop enough, I can't even be mad at losing cuz the other guy gets all the rolls for a set.
How many of you play 9-ball with the winner just having to sink the nine ball? Or play the system where each ball sunk is 1 point, and sinking the 9ball is 2 points? You could actually be the winner of the game and have less points earned than your opponent who does not sink the 9-ball. Example, 3 to 7 for the winner.
WobblyStroke
Well-known member
The APA points based way of playing 9b is a farce. It serves the important purpose of making all balls matter for matches between weaker players since really who cares what happens on balls 1-5 if neither player is going to run 4 balls in rotation more than 20% of the time? But for real 9b, you need the heat of basically betting the game on every shot knowing that if you leave you opponent a shot, you're probably watching him break pretty soon and hoping you get back to the table next rack. If guys aren't runout players, I don't get the appeal of 9b. But if you can get out a decent amount of the time, it's a great game.
As a somewhat weaker player than many, I have to agree with you that the allure for me is that I can still get some points even if I don't run out and sink the nine ball. I don't think that's necessarily a negative thing, I think it is a positive because everybody wants to be able to compete, and everybody knows the circumstances before they get involved in such a game.
The appeal is when you play against players with similar skill sets. Not everybody is SVB.
WobblyStroke
Well-known member
I agree with you on the point system making things matter so it is good for weaker players. That's why I said it serves an important purpose....even tho it is a bastardization of the game I love.
And there is a million miles between SVB who is a 95%+ lock to get out of an open rack with BIH and a guy who gets out a 'decent amount'. I think if you can run 6 balls fairly consistently, 9b can be really fun. 4 balls and below, you absolutely need funky point rules to make most of the rack matter at all. It's a completely different game.
boogieman
It don't mean a thing if it ain't got that ping.
And I like to keep people guessing if it was a fluke. This helps keep the fish on the hook for longer.
9 Ball is a shot maker's game but not everyone can see different types of shots. Straight in shots and cut shots are only a portion of what's available. I'm guessing 90% of people think a carom into a bank or kick is slop. It's just a lower percentage shot. If I can hide the CB/control my opponents next opportunity, why wouldn't I go for such a fun shot? No risk, all reward, and it's fun!
You don't have to make every shot, just make sure you leave them a low probability of getting out. Leave them snookered, leave them a hard shot, a 2 rail kick, leave them a shot with no hope for position on the next shot or a few shots down the line. Leave them a shot that will force them to play a safe or break out a problem area. 9B is as much controlling the opponent's options as it is making balls. The more haphazard it looks the better. Pool is also about people watching.
This is also the reason that we struggle against better players. They aren't leaving you any gravy shots. You'll think you're having a bad day at pool but it's just you've only shot at 20 percent shots and lower for the set. Pool is about table control, 9 ball lets control look like luck if you're careful about it.
I used to Love it when they thought I had, "out fluke/combo me." Part of setting the hook
APA 9 ball is not 9 ball. It is a ball race in rotation format. That does not make it necessarily bad and it can be fun with the right opponent. What I don't like about it is there is a lot less tension around pocketing the nine ball. It is nice to sink it because it gets you the break and the balls that drop count but that is it. I hate to play a 2 or a 3. I will frequently work on my safes to exhaust their timeouts and make the match about that unless there is a clear run out all the way. This can backfire sometimes LOL. I would much rather give someone games on the wire.
This statement brings back a golden memory from high school....probably 1966 or 7. Our English teacher got a few of us males that were on the football team and put us up to making an ignorant statement and then defend it in our classroom forum. It was interesting and obviously entertaining for him.
The statement was, "I think girls sports are stupid." Even afterwards when he told the girls that he had put us up to it, there was an alienation that was not a good thing to have when a sophomore and seeking a girl friend.
So I can only assume that your statement is a troll attempt.
WobblyStroke
Well-known member
Legend. Cock block as an assignment!