8ball vs 9ball. Which game is more difficult?

TheNewSharkster

TheNewSharkster

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
My friend have been debating this the last few weeks. I personally think 9ball is more difficult since your position play need to be better to set up your shots. On the other side of the coin you can hit a simple combo shot and make the 9ball and win.

Anyways, I thought I would get opinions from some people on this board.

Thanks in advance!
 
TheNewSharkster said:
My friend have been debating this the last few weeks. I personally think 9ball is more difficult since your position play need to be better to set up your shots. On the other side of the coin you can hit a simple combo shot and make the 9ball and win.

Anyways, I thought I would get opinions from some people on this board.

Thanks in advance!
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9 ball and rotation games are more difficult than 8 ball, IMHO. In 8 ball, there are often several choices as to one's next shot in terms of which ball to shoot, except near the end.

9 ball however requires a different set of skills, or at least an more developed set of skills generally, for instance kicking skills need to be honed and used more often than in 8 ball.

Also, 9 ball often requires stroke shots, at least it sure seems to.

Hopefully a pro will come on here and tell us which he thinks requires greater skill.


Flex

P.S. Most of the buddies I shoot pool with (not counting those at the pool hall) don't want to even think about 9 ball. Some of them revert to total bangers, or just melt down.
 
Thats funny flex. Just last night I was playing 9ball with a friend who usually plays 8ball and he was trying silly carom and combo shots to try and get the 9ball every shot. I mentioned he needed to learn how to play the game if he expected to win.
 
they both have things that make them easier or harder than the other game. 8 ball has more traffic to navigate in order to runout. 9 ball requires more of a stroke. Everyones got their own opinion
 
Given the choice, I'd much rather play 8-ball-as long as we're playing by something resembling real rules. Call ball and pocket and no slop on the money ball makes the difference for me. I realize 9-ball can definitely be more scientific as far as position play, since it's play by-the-numbers, but we're also starting a rack with 6 less balls, so there's less traffic, especially on a barbox. Also, safety play IMO is a little tougher in 8-ball, since you have to hide the CB from a whole group, rather than just one ball. Just my opinion.
Bill
 
Flex said:
9 ball and rotation games are more difficult than 8 ball, IMHO. In 8 ball, there are often several choices as to one's next shot in terms of which ball to shoot, except near the end.

9 ball however requires a different set of skills, or at least an more developed set of skills generally, for instance kicking skills need to be honed and used more often than in 8 ball.

Also, 9 ball often requires stroke shots, at least it sure seems to.

Hopefully a pro will come on here and tell us which he thinks requires greater skill.
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I agree 100%
 
TheNewSharkster said:
Thats funny flex. Just last night I was playing 9ball with a friend who usually plays 8ball and he was trying silly carom and combo shots to try and get the 9ball every shot. I mentioned he needed to learn how to play the game if he expected to win.
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That's the quickest way to lose a game of 9 ball against a decent player. Going for the cheese when it's not reasonable is usually the way to sell out. How do I know? I'm guilty of doing it too often, and the result is frequently the one I mentioned.

Flex
 
personally, I can't believe there is much debate. But to each his own opinion of course, I respect that.

For me, 8-ball is a much harder game! here's why.

both games require precise cue ball positioning, and excellent safety play when necessary. However, safetys are often more difficult and require more creativity in 8ball. Also, position play is more difficult and less obvious at times with 8ball with the extra traffic and clusters. This is relevant for both bar tables and big boxes.

In addition to the extra skill and consistancy required to play 8ball at a high level, there is the aspect of strategy. Strategy is almost non-existant in 9ball. IMO its limited to choosing between 2 position routes, or deciding between a risky offensive shot and a defensive one. I know a lot of people will take offense with that comment, however I really believe that 8 ball is much more-so a thinking mans game - when played at a high level that is! There are ten ways to run every 8ball rack, and it really depends on a player's exact skill set, preferences and experience.

comments?
Jon
 
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jondrums said:
personally, I can't believe there is much debate. But to each his own opinion of course, I respect that.

For me, 8-ball is a much harder game! here's why.

both games require precise cue ball positioning, and excellent safety play when necessary. However, safetys are often more difficult and require more creativity in 8ball. Also, position play is more difficult and less obvious at times with 8ball with the extra traffic and clusters. This is relevant for both bar tables and big boxes.

In addition to the extra skill and consistancy required to play 8ball at a high level, there is the aspect of strategy. Strategy is almost non-existant in 9ball. IMO its limited to choosing between 2 position routes, or deciding between a risky offensive shot and a defensive one. I know a lot of people will take offense with that comment, however I really believe that 8 ball is much more-so a thinking mans game - when played at a high level that is! There are ten ways to run every 8ball rack, and it really depends on a player's exact skill set, preferences and experience.

comments?
Jon
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I agree with the points you bring up but when I play 8ball I get many more long runs because of having more balls to shoot at. Even if you miss your position you can still have a great chance of running out.
 
TheNewSharkster said:
I agree with the points you bring up but when I play 8ball I get many more long runs because of having more balls to shoot at. Even if you miss your position you can still have a great chance of running out.
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that's probably because you choose good patterns in the first place that give you options! Nice job - you're doing it right.
 
I believe, in a TAR interview, this question was asked of SVB. He said 8 Ball on a bar box was the hardest game.
 
jondrums said:
that's probably because you choose good patterns in the first place that give you options! Nice job - you're doing it right.
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:grin: True, using that to your advantage is a good strategy. My point was having multiple options simplifies the game a little when compared to 9ball.
 
10 ball. Ok, 9 ball, if I can only choose between the two. Anyone who thinks that there is more of a luck factor isn't playing it well. Any decent player should get out 75% of the time they get an open shot playing 8 ball, and probably close in 9 ball. That is the reason that 10 ball is quickly becoming the game of choice for most good players.
 
We have a local Friday night tourny where the winner of the lag chooses 8 or 9 ball. When a low ranked player is matched up against a high ranked player, the low ranked player will almost always choose 9-ball...the high ranked player will choose 8-ball. I believe it takes more skill to run an 8 ball rack. Luck can play a much greater roll in 9-ball.

Steve
 
jondrums said:
personally, I can't believe there is much debate. But to each his own opinion of course, I respect that.

For me, 8-ball is a much harder game! here's why.

both games require precise cue ball positioning, and excellent safety play when necessary. However, safetys are often more difficult and require more creativity in 8ball. Also, position play is more difficult and less obvious at times with 8ball with the extra traffic and clusters. This is relevant for both bar tables and big boxes.

In addition to the extra skill and consistancy required to play 8ball at a high level, there is the aspect of strategy. Strategy is almost non-existant in 9ball. IMO its limited to choosing between 2 position routes, or deciding between a risky offensive shot and a defensive one. I know a lot of people will take offense with that comment, however I really believe that 8 ball is much more-so a thinking mans game - when played at a high level that is! There are ten ways to run every 8ball rack, and it really depends on a player's exact skill set, preferences and experience.

comments?
Jon
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I totally agree with this post. Hands down, 8 ball because its more of a strategic game. I have to put on my thinking cap when I play 8 ball.
I will admit though, my fav. game is 9 ball. LOL
You can let your stroke out and "hot dog" a little bit in 9 ball. LOL (but not too much if you are playing a tournament) LOL
 
Neil said:
What do you mean by long runs? Do you mean balls made in one game, or games won? If you mean balls in one game, you have to realize it's not about how many you can make in a row. It's about winning. And if you are taking all your balls off without winning, you make the game a whole lot easier for your opponent to win.
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I totally agree. I try to play the percents as much as possible and if I don't think I can get out I will play more defense. Don't get me wrong though, I don't get out every time I try :)

I was more talking about average amount of balls made per turn (when not playing D).
 
chevybob20 said:
I believe, in a TAR interview, this question was asked of SVB. He said 8 Ball on a bar box was the hardest game.
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Note that he said on a bar box. It's definitely more difficult than on a 9 footer. It's a very different game on the box.
 
Flex said:
Note that he said on a bar box. It's definitely more difficult than on a 9 footer. It's a very different game on the box.
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I agree, and if you add in last pocket...
 
chevybob20 said:
I agree, and if you add in last pocket...
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That's not fair, lol! Any self respecting player will play the 8 ball ghost on a bar box, but that is an entirely different game!:grin:
 
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