8 ball vs 9 ball

[eastcoast_chris]

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.

Ok... maybe I should have worded like "If I lose, I want you to beat me/OUT MOVE ME, not out fluke/combo me."

I know how to play 9 ball, I know all the moves, have the stroke ,etc. Still sucks when things don't roll your way.... which happens a little too often in 9ball relative to the skill of your opponent. Lots of mid/lower level 9 ball player rely on luck as part of their strategy.

Reminds me of playing sets for $100 with a local. First one, I won 9-8. 9 ball, standard rules. Never should have been that close, but they were getting all the rolls. I was going to quit, but that isn't really fair when you're up. So I said, I'll play again, but it is 10 ball call shot/call safe. Long story short, I beat them 9-1. No free games and they screwed themselves a number of times on misses where I put them back in.

 

[ChrisinNC]

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.

That is not how 9-ball is designed to be played, but I guess you might find someone to try it.

 

[Cuedup]

I enjoy the creativity of 1pkt. The caroms ,multi rail banks ,carom banks ,kick combos and so on ,along with the mental calculations of whether it's prudent to take the shot while keeping whitey safe.

Then 8 ball , for the creativity of all the multiple ways to run the rack while dealing with your opponents balls blocking your way out.

Then 14.1 .
Saratoga
That wierd rotation game I play with my Columbian buddies they just call "pool"
Pyramid
10 ball
9 ball.

 

[sorin]

I prefer 8ball but I have to play 9ball and 10ball more often due to circumstances (my weekly tournament favours rotation games).

 

[Zerksies]

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.

People in bars that don’t know how to play are paying 8-ball. Players in pool halls are playing 9-ball. Do I need to explain things simpler for you?

 

[gregcantrall]

People in bars that don’t know how to play are paying 8-ball. Players in pool halls are playing 9-ball. Do I need to explain things simpler for you?

Please explain your self evaluation of your level of skill on the tables. And your level of maturity.

 

[WobblyStroke]

Please explain your self evaluation of your level of skill on the tables. And your level of maturity.

This could be a doozy of a thread in and of itself. Should be at least as entertaining as the GIF thread.

 

[Bob Jewett]

8 Ball is chess. Nine ball is checkers.
...

Which would make one pocket rocket surgery?

Where I learned to play -- college rec center -- many of us knew we didn't play well enough to play 9 ball. The solution was to play six ball with money on the 3 and 6 or nine ball with money on the 5 and 9. I think that no regular ever played 8 ball, but we did play a dozen other games on a fairly regular basis. The standard group game was "money ball" -- partners 15-ball rotation with five money balls. It was a great environment to learn. We also had carom and snooker tables.

 

[trob]

A pro player once told me that a good rotation player will also play great 8 ball. some one who is a good 8 ball player isn’t a good rotation player. I’ve seen it personally to be true. you need more position knowledge to play run out rotation. 8 ball if your patient and good at a finding the path of least Resistance you can be a good 8 ball player. I learned that the hard way myself when after I was told that I started playing nothing but rotation and realized I wasn’t as good as I thought was.
Honestly I see it a lot in the 10 ball league I’m playing in. Guys that I know play 8 ball leagues and our good I’m just running over and I’m just coming back to the game after a couple years off. you can just see they don’t understand the lines. when they have to go from one of the table to the other in small position they just struggle. It’s not something you have to do often in 8 ball.

Also to add before you get the usual you can luck balls in that rarely happens with good players and in 8 ball dogging position but you can play a different ball is just as lucky. rotation you either get on your next ball or you don’t lol you can’t look around and change your out lol. Nothing says you can’t play call shot 9 ball. That’s the way it was before Texas express became the game of choice.

 

[boogieman]

Leagues in our location are mostly 8 ball players. The format rotates between 8B, 9B, 10B each season. Many can manage 9B and it's not such a slog for a better player as you can end it early with an early 9. 10B league here is just painful. 10B last or it spots. It's all call pocket. It would be better to play 3 ball for money where whoever made the 3 last wins. 10B here is just a half assed safety battle for the first 6 or 7 balls, then people try to run out. It's painfully slow, and this comes from a 1P lover.

These games literally take 2-3 times longer than the 9B league and some players struggle to make 3 balls in a row. 10B league starts at 7 and it can last until midnight or 1AM with 5 man teams, playing 1 match each. It's PAINFUL. The bar owners love it because you're bored for hours and bored people drink more.

I'm not knocking it, but it's not for me.

 

[MitchAlsup]

These games literally take 2-3 times longer than the.....

Why is the <lack of> duration of a game critical to your enjoyment ??

{It works the other way around in sex}

 

[boogieman]

Why is the <lack of> duration of a game critical to your enjoyment ??

{It works the other way around in sex}

To be honest the games aren't too long when played at a higher level. The problem is our "pond" is full of players that can't run out 1/50 times against a 9B ghost. Why do they insist on playing 10B?

IMO they do because they think it gives them an advantage. They think they are better shotmakers than the guy they saw carom a CB off the OB and 2 rail kick the pocket hanger 9B in. "Damn the luck, everyone has luck but me," they think. They think they can play safeties. They think 9B is luck and 10B isn't. These same guys get destroyed by the same players that destroy them on 9B but somehow they think it's more fair because non-obvious shots were called.

The scores are the same but they have the security blanket of thinking luck is minimized. The secret is luck over time is skill. Poker players look for tells. Maybe pool players should too?

10B is not enjoyable for me on league as I have to sit in a bar for 3-5 hours to play 5 games of 10B. That is boring.

And if I'm wanting a more strategic/safety type game, 1P scratches that itch much better for me. It's not that a long game is bad, it's just I don't enjoy 10B.

It's different strokes for different folks, I just don't enjoy 10B.

 

[tomatoshooter]

Leagues in our location are mostly 8 ball players. The format rotates between 8B, 9B, 10B each season. Many can manage 9B and it's not such a slog for a better player as you can end it early with an early 9. 10B league here is just painful. 10B last or it spots. It's all call pocket. It would be better to play 3 ball for money where whoever made the 3 last wins. 10B here is just a half assed safety battle for the first 6 or 7 balls, then people try to run out. It's painfully slow, and this comes from a 1P lover.

These games literally take 2-3 times longer than the 9B league and some players struggle to make 3 balls in a row. 10B league starts at 7 and it can last until midnight or 1AM with 5 man teams, playing 1 match each. It's PAINFUL. The bar owners love it because you're bored for hours and bored people drink more.

I'm not knocking it, but it's not for me.

I enjoy 9 ball, but 10 ball is just like you say, a slog. If I was a better player, it might be fun.

Why is the <lack of> duration of a game critical to your enjoyment ??

{It works the other way around in sex}

It's not about the duration, but the time between meaningful shots. The way boogieman's associates play 10 ball, it's like saying your sex lasted for a year when it's been 12 months since you got laid.

 

[Bob Jewett]

... Why do they insist on playing 10B? ...

I think because they see champions playing it and they think of themselves as not far under SVB. You could ask them if they would like to try the 6-ball ghost if you want to realign their views.

 

[The_JV]

It's different strokes for different folks, I just don't enjoy 10B.

10ball was invented by those who hated losing racks of 9 ball to those who they thought weren't superior players. Literally every rule in 10ball that separates it from the 9 ball version is scripted to eliminate the "luck" out of the game. Once you get to a certain level of proficiency though. Calling shots and the additional ball really mean nothing. It seems the additional rules rarely come into play.

I'm really indifferent to what game I play. However 10b seems to be the game of action these days. People just seem more comfortable betting into a game where the benefit of luck is at a minimum. At the spd I'm currently playing at/with. A rack of 10 ball take no longer than a 9.

The only advantage a 9 baller has over an 8 ball specialist is a power stroke with heavy english. That's generally something that doesn't pop up much when running racks of 8ball. The rest of 8ball makes it the more skilled game by a long shot.

 

[SeniorTom]

I am going to play 8 Ball tonight in a league, and would rather be playing nine ball instead. In nine ball, at least the way our league plays it, I feel I have a better chance of winning because every ball sunk gives me a point, even if I end up losing the game. 8 ball is so one-sided to the winner that it gets a bit unnerving to me.

 

[Swighey]

8 ball is so one-sided to the winner

 

[bbb]

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 think there is onepocket player hidden inside you.....

 

[bbb]

what is the game saratoga thats been mentioned?

 

[SeniorTom]

I am not saying that is wrong or a bad thing, but I think 9-ball the way we play it, is easier to stay in the game so to speak.