9-Ball vs. 10-Ball from a spectator's point-of-view

gobrian77 said:
It's funny- it's 11:40am over here in Thailand, and there's an hour of coverage of the Predator 10-Ball on ESPN and three hours of coverage from the Philippine 10-Ball on Star Sports right now (both rebroadcasts, obviously).:wink:
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Brian,

I totally agree with your take on the two games from a viewer/fan point of view. 9 ball is much more fun to watch than 10 ball, especially given the diluted, screwed up rule changes they keep coming up with.

I am promoting a concept that will make 10 ball at least as exciting to watch (if not more so) than 9 ball.
I'm betting that when Bartram sees it, he will love it, once he learns how to match up at it. :eek:

Coming soon,.... to a tournament near you ! ;)

Dick
 
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I thought the 10-ball coverage was quite good. I don't really like shot clocks, but there were definitely times when I could understand why others would want one while I was watching this tournament.

9-ball at the professional level is drop-dead boring. It's the most boring way to present pool. If they have a shot after the break, they will usually run out. There aren't many clusters, and these guys and girls are too good to find much challenge in 9-ball, it seems to me.

Me, I'd vote for 8-ball personally, as I think a lot more people are familiar with it, and I'd be interested in seeing how the pros choose to run racks. There's usually "one right way" to run out a 9-ball rack, but that's less often the case in 8-ball.

And, please, for God's sake don't dumb the rules down for TV. That's one reason TV pool is in the state it is now. The Philippine Open used WPA 10-ball rules, and that was fine by me. One of the commentators, I didn't catch his name, was very good and did a good job of explaining why the 10 was spotted and other rules that the audience might not be familiar with.
 
I like watching 10-ball with two good players for high stakes. As for me playing, I guess I like 9-ball better than 10-ball because I'm better at 9-ball. In 10-ball I can't get out as much as 9-ball, but I'm working on it.:). Johnnyt
 
JakartaDean said:
I thought the 10-ball coverage was quite good. I don't really like shot clocks, but there were definitely times when I could understand why others would want one while I was watching this tournament.

9-ball at the professional level is drop-dead boring. It's the most boring way to present pool. If they have a shot after the break, they will usually run out. There aren't many clusters, and these guys and girls are too good to find much challenge in 9-ball, it seems to me.

Me, I'd vote for 8-ball personally, as I think a lot more people are familiar with it, and I'd be interested in seeing how the pros choose to run racks. There's usually "one right way" to run out a 9-ball rack, but that's less often the case in 8-ball.

And, please, for God's sake don't dumb the rules down for TV. That's one reason TV pool is in the state it is now. The Philippine Open used WPA 10-ball rules, and that was fine by me. One of the commentators, I didn't catch his name, was very good and did a good job of explaining why the 10 was spotted and other rules that the audience might not be familiar with.
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I have no complaints with the coverage (we got four or five hours per day minimum)- watching Yang move at a glacier-like pace in the final was a bit trying, though.:wink:

I really disagree that 9-Ball is boring, but we all have different tastes, I guess.

We get 8-Ball coverage once in a while (Indonesia and Thailand probably get the same sports channels)- there's not a lot of advertising, though- you have to check your satellite guide or you'll miss it (same with other tourneys- you never know what you'll get here- trick shots, billiards, whatever:thumbup:).
 
mantis99 said:
I prefer 9 ball also. I just think they should get rid of the slop rule. Professionals should have as little opportunity for luck as possible IMO.
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10ball is moreabout the break than 9 ball wich gives the weaker player a better chance to win cause the balls stay bunched up. 9 ball is the superior game.
 
End of the day it is a preference thing. I prefer 10 ball because I don't think anyone has mastered that break yet and it's a difficult game for everyone. I hate alternating break with a passion because I think the packages determine the difference in matches in pros. 30-40 second shot clock should be in effect for TV matches. I like when they play call shot, but really the pros don't slop many balls in. I get bored watching break contests but maybe that's just me. Plus we'd get to see more of our top players at the end of the tourneys. I dont get tired of seeing Allison and Monica and the same girls at the end of the tougher tourneys.

10 ball all day......plus it's the hottest cash game getting played right now. No one wants to see 1 pocket on TV cuz no cameras could do that game justice and keep a time slot.
 
I actually prefer 10-ball, but we play it just the same as 9, just with the added 10.....luck still plays a very small role.....

IMHO, your arguement around slow play is incredibly valid.....a shot clock is imperative, at any event.....even in social games, I avoid incredibly slow players, it takes away from the enjoyment of the game......people tune in to see great play, fantastic shots, all at a reasonable pace.....slow play or endless safeties drive away viewers.....

I still think playing a rotation ring game with all offense would rake in a huge audience...
 
gobrian77 said:
Cool- that's the "Player's point-of-view"- when I'm sitting around on a Sunday flipping channels, the finals of a major pool tourney should never lose out to the 250cc (minor league) race of the MotoGP as far as my viewing goes (though it did yesterday) as the pacing of the game was too boring.:wink:

When I watch a tourney it's 9-Ball baby.:grin-square:
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I agree with you on the shot clock issue. I don't care which game it is, it benefits the fans to have a shot-clock. It also benefits some players. But I think the majority would prefer to have as much time as they needed to shoot, without the added pressure brought on by the clock.

I am a fan and a viewer, nothing more, and I prefer to watch 10-ball. So I have to respectfully disagree with you on that one. I like 9-ball just fine. I would watch it all day if it was on, but I would rather see 10-ball.
 
I thought they went to 10 ball because of the wing ball issues with the 9ball break.
 
Island Drive said:
I thought they went to 10 ball because of the wing ball issues with the 9ball break.
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Partly. And with the change in configuration of the rack, the one doesn't seem so easy to pop into the side. Also, the extra ball, coupled with the increased difficulty of snapping in 2-3 balls, does make the run out more difficult.
 
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