8-Ball: Winner Break or Alternating Break?

Which do you [U]prefer[/U] for [U]8-ball[/U]

  • Total voters
    77
Bit of a long quiz so I'll answer here:

8 Ball tournaments: Alternate Break
Gambling: let the gamblers decide
Race length: clearly there are more situations in longer races where winner breaks might be appropriate and not so many in shorter races.

Any arguments where someone "doesn't have the right" or something akin to that make my skin creep just a little.
 
Several break formats result in the same chance for the better player to win a match. Choosing between those formats may make the match more interesting to watch or make it seem fairer. They all give the same chance to the better player.

Those formats include, for a race to N racks,

Winner breaks
Loser breaks
Alternate break
Player A breaks N times and player B breaks the rest

Of course this does not include psychological factors such as pressure and momentum. It is impossible to know what effect, if any, those have on a match. The above results are based on the relative strengths of the players and the chance of each to win from their break.
 
If you win don’t you want to see how many you can win? Break and run, crush your opponent! It seems to me that the players who spend the time and work hard to play better, should have the opportunity to run as many as they can. To break and run over and over takes incredible discipline. If they have achieved this discipline, I think they should be able to use it.
 
Bryan13 said:
If you win don’t you want to see how many you can win? Break and run, crush your opponent!
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Hey, I'm all for crushing someone if I can. However a competition wherein the opponent doesn't get an opportunity is actually an exhibition.
 
Well I freakin hit the wrong option in the poll!! :)

Tournament play I favor the alternate break format. Win the flip or lag, run out all your breaks. Force your opponent's hand to do the same or lose the match. As far as gambling goes, two people can agree to do whatever they want.
 
I played a BB 8-ball tournament this past weekend in Mesa, AZ. Only 23 players but a relatively tough field (Fargos of 740, 700, 690, 660, 650, 640, etc). I was down 6-0 in a race to 8 against the 700 speed. We were playing alternate break, and I came back for the 8-7 win! Then, in the finals, I was down 7-3 against the 650 speed. He had the break and the only shots he got from that point on were his three dry breaks. I love BB 8-ball!!
 
Bryan13 said:
If you win don’t you want to see how many you can win? Break and run, crush your opponent! It seems to me that the players who spend the time and work hard to play better, should have the opportunity to run as many as they can. To break and run over and over takes incredible discipline. If they have achieved this discipline, I think they should be able to use it.
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People like this option until it happens to them. Then they complain on how they didn't get a chance to play.
 
Bryan13 said:
Also I think they should ban the acu-rack. The rack is too perfect. A great player has the definite advantage with an acu-rack. When you rack the balls with the triangle there can be subtle differences from rack to rack increasing the chances for ball to roll more randomly.
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Honestly I got bored of breaking off template. I'm no pro but it really makes the game a bit boring. Especially if you play somewhere that insists on 2 in the back. I get it, it can speed up racking, and it's perfect, but breaking an "imperfect" rack is also a skill.

If I'm playing a long set, like a race to 20 or something it's usually template but again, just a bit too predictable. And this is from someone who can pocket the wing and 1B in the side reliably. If the 2 is in the back there's also always a shot on it.

EDIT: sorry I was talking 9B. 8B I don't like templates because they are generally in the way and can't be removed for a while.
 
I've gambled a lot against a guy that insists on alternating breaks. I prefer winner breaks, but as a compromise we agreed that a break and run results in the runner being able to break again. At least that way, packages are still possible.
 
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