9 Ball - Really as bad as everyone says?

[CTYankee]

Do not misconstrue my title... I love 10-ball but I also enjoy 9-ball. But I think 9-ball has gotten a bad rep that is not totally deserved. In this posters limited and humble opinion, it is the length of the race that has made 9-ball the bane of the billiard world. In a race to 15... the best player that day will win... period.

Am I being naive? In a race to 15, can some one really "luck" themselves to a win against top talent?

 

[ShootingArts]

the answer is "yes"

Do not misconstrue my title... I love 10-ball but I also enjoy 9-ball. But I think 9-ball has gotten a bad rep that is not totally deserved. In this posters limited and humble opinion, it is the length of the race that has made 9-ball the bane of the billiard world. In a race to 15... the best player that day will win... period.

Am I being naive? In a race to 15, can some one really "luck" themselves to a win against top talent?

The longer the race, the less luck is a factor, just as a matter of statistics. However some days luck rules even in races longer than to fifteen. A "C" player or banger isn't going to beat a top pro but an "A" player or shortstop can and does sometimes.

We could say the same thing about three ball. In a long enough race the best player will win. The problem with three ball and nine ball is that we rarely have the time for the best player at the moment to come out on top in competition. Within the constraints of a standard table and balls, we should be playing fifteen ball rotation to determine the better player in the least amount of games and possibly the shortest amount of time.

Hu

 

[LoReNz]

you always gotta try your best to win your game. even if you get alot of luck and you got skills, if the person you are playing with is just way much better than you+luck, you will lose. now, if he gets really bad luck, then its your time to shine. well, that's how i see it. playing 9-ball is fun as well as 10 ball. that +1ball is a big difference.

 

[worriedbeef]

to a certain extent i agree with you. it is the length of the races that is the problem in general with pool. i mean, to think in a lot of snooker matches the races are equal to a pool game if not more - and one rack of snooker is a lot longer in itself than one rack of pool.

10 ball should still be the game of the pro's though in my opinion. simply put, you need to be a better player to play it well. and you need to have a very good break. you can cut it and hit it soft all you like but it won't give you anywhere near as good results as a hard break. plus the run out is a bit tougher, there's more safety, more kicking.

at a lower level however, 9-ball is fine.

 

[LoReNz]

i agree... 10 ball is the way to go..

 

[Fixer]

My biggest problem with 9-ball is not any justice problem, my main concern is the game has become so boring to watch at high level.

For good players it is still a great game, but not for the pros - and not for TV.

I love 9-ball, always will but 10-ball is needed.

 

[Fixer]

If you type at warpspeed, theere is only one post before you saying the same darn thing..

 

[LoReNz]

they are trying to grow the 10ball tourns... in the WPC2007 in manila, most of the pros are using the soft break. which isboring most of the times. people miss those hard/power breaks.

i read an article about people complaining about the soft breaks. that's why they are trying to have more 10ball tournaments because ten ball requires power breaks as we all know. im pretty sure that couple years from now, 10 ball will replace 9ball tourneys. *THANK POOL GOD'S*

 

[9 on the snap]

I LOVE nine ball. Not everybody does. I call it "sore loser ball", but that's what makes it fun. That's why they have different games I guess.

 

[trustyrusty]

Do not misconstrue my title... I love 10-ball but I also enjoy 9-ball. But I think 9-ball has gotten a bad rep that is not totally deserved. In this posters limited and humble opinion, it is the length of the race that has made 9-ball the bane of the billiard world. In a race to 15... the best player that day will win... period.

Am I being naive? In a race to 15, can some one really "luck" themselves to a win against top talent?

Alot of the complaints that I have about 9 ball is the luck factor....reason being is there aren't and won't ever be any local tourneys (yes, local, I'm no pro) that will have longer races. There are 2 that I'll occasional enter, and one is race to 4 - winner breaks, and the other is race to 5. Guess what, that means I play in more 8ball tourneys ... call pocket (correct ball in what pocket, and make a legal hit) would take care of all the complaining. At least from me.....sick of the guys who just BANG into clusters and hope.

 

[donny mills]

I think 10 ball is luckier than 9ball because of the luck factor on the break, here is an example... i broke tenball and didn't make a ball about 5 breaks, but i left a roadmap for my opponent, my opponent gives himself a bad rack and doesn't make a ball on the break, but the balls keep sticking together and i have no chance to run out because my opponent cant rack the balls good.

 

[Neil]

..............

 

[PinoyAko]

Neil is right

the pros dont miss much so the luch factor isnt as seen as for many of the lower lvl players. but luck or not u still gotta be able to finish the table thats givin 2 u plain and simple.
and concerning the break. if they found a way to have a perfect break in 9 ball its only gonna be a matter of time before they discover a perfect break for 10 ball.
so wut is the solution, just play the game and wutever is givin to you use it.

 

[worriedbeef]

if they found a way to have a perfect break in 9 ball its only gonna be a matter of time before they discover a perfect break for 10 ball

not nessecarilly.

with the addition of just ONE more ball there is so much more going on in the rack. with nine ball, it basically comes down to two gaps and one non-gap most the time for a dead ball.

you don't get this with ten ball. watch joe tucker's racking secrets.

 

[Neil]

...............

 

[avmaster]

The longer the race, the less luck is a factor, just as a matter of statistics. However some days luck rules even in races longer than to fifteen. A "C" player or banger isn't going to beat a top pro but an "A" player or shortstop can and does sometimes.

We could say the same thing about three ball. In a long enough race the best player will win. The problem with three ball and nine ball is that we rarely have the time for the best player at the moment to come out on top in competition. Within the constraints of a standard table and balls, we should be playing fifteen ball rotation to determine the better player in the least amount of games and possibly the shortest amount of time.

Hu

Once again, Hu is dead on the money. Luck can rule the day, I've had it done to me. I also agree on the rotation theory, that pretty much takes luck out of the equation. However, in my case, I still love nine ball and will cruise the three ball route for grins....... and profit.........

<edit> BTW, call shot 8 ball, call the eight, miss the eight you scratch, takes luck out of the game as well........ I used this to get my $$$ back when the guy lucked me out of 6 century notes.......

 

[mantis99]

The only thing I dislike about 9 ball is the "slop" factor. Take that away and it wuold be perfect. 9 ball is a hard enough game at any level. BReas and runs are not so high that it is boring. People watching pool on tv want to have some chance to be able to do what they see the players doing. Change to 10 ball, and you will really diminish their chances and further alienate them. Going to 10 ball would be a very poor idea in my opinion.

 

[av84fun]

hint- the head ball goes in the side with regularity. In time, that shot will be perfected out of necessity. I've allready seen a pro make it at least 5 in a row.

It does in 9 ball too...and for the same reasons.

Regards,
Jim

 

[Fixer]

In 10-ball the better player wins more often, we call shots, there are more safeties, a powerbreak is needed, and to run out you have to make 9-10 balls instead of 6-7 balls.

And the break can be really tough. Sure you can get the 1-ball 5 times in a row now and again, but you can miss it a couple in a row too.

If you concentrate on the 1-ball and lose speed you are in trouble if it does not go. Besides the 2-ball could land anywhere, stringing racks is no parkwalk then.

A world champion should really be a champion if you catch my drift. In 10-ball he will be.

 

[Cameron Smith]

The only thing I don't like about 10 ball is that the difficulty of making balls on the break can sometimes make it a disadvantage to break. That increases the luck factor even further.

However I could live with that if we brought back the old pushout rule.