A New Game Idea. Pros and Cons Please?

Colin Colenso

Colin Colenso

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I'd like to see a game that best tests the player's shot execution skills, rather than their strategical skills, as we see in 14.1 and 8,9 and 10-ball to various degrees.

One game format, that jumped into my head for some ungodly reason, is what may most appropriately be called, 2 cushion 6 ball.

It borrows a bit from 3-Cushion Carom Billiards and a bit from rotation games like 9-ball.

The basic premise is that the balls are pocketed in order, 1 through 6, but the requirement of a legal pot is that the cue ball must hit a minimum of 2 cushions.

Scoring may be that the potter of the 6 ball wins the frame or that the players are awarded points to the value of the ball potted.

What attracts me to this type of game is that it encourages the execution of more advanced positional shots. There's little doubt such a format would result in regular creative positional play, combined with the challenge of making the pots far more challenging. Most pots would have to be taken from further distances and from less perfect angles than is typical in current game formats.

I appreciate the skills of 14.1 and 9-ball, but I want to see players challenged more often to make tougher pots, combined with difficult positional shots. Ring game 10 ball is a format that brings out some of these super shots, but wouldn't it be great to see players consistently challenged to pull out shots that are more complex and wonderful to watch?

This is not an attack on other games, just a request for ideas on formats that are more challenging in an executional aspect and more interesting from a viewer's aspect.

Replies, thoughts, appreciated.

Colin
 
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Maybe something like this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H06YNt0lIjI

It's a drill from the PAT Level 2.
Maybe if you had to go 12 rails total, or got one point per rail,
plus one point per ball pocketed, that could make it more interesting.

I really like the multi-rail position shots.
They look a lot more artistic, more pleasing to the eye.

I have heard that "the Monk" has a game/league coming out
that is all about shotmaking, no strategy.
Shots are selected from a deck of cards.
 
FastMikie said:
Maybe something like this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H06YNt0lIjI

It's a drill from the PAT Level 2.
Maybe if you had to go 12 rails total, or got one point per rail,
plus one point per ball pocketed, that could make it more interesting.

I really like the multi-rail position shots.
They look a lot more artistic, more pleasing to the eye.

I have heard that "the Monk" has a game/league coming out
that is all about shotmaking, no strategy.
Shots are selected from a deck of cards.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the vid. Similar idea, but he was able to use 1 rail shots there.

I don't think a game can be devoid of strategy, in fact I wouldn't want it as such. I just want to see a game where strategy is less important that pure stroke making.

I want to see players demonstrate a great range of shots, demonstrating a great range of skills, not players who have figured out simplistic methods of making a certain game easy.

Colin
 
steev said:
let's not go too far and turn pool into bowling! i like the strategy...

-s
Click to expand...
This is like turning chess into checkers. It may be good for a beginner to learn the game, but strategy is what makes pocket billiards fun. I enjoy the mental challenge just as much as the physical shotmaking.
 
IMO too many people keep trying to reinvent pool. I know the IPT is almost like a cuss word any more but I think Trudeau was right. 8-ball is the game. I know Im likely to catch some heat for saying it but think about it. Every league: APA BCA VNEA TAP ACS all play 8-ball. Every bar player in the country plays 8-ball. Every one from the most novice player to the top rated pros have played 8-ball. People know it and understand it. IMO if you want people to watch it on T.V. thats the game the pros should be playing.
 
chris_williams said:
IMO too many people keep trying to reinvent pool. I know the IPT is almost like a cuss word any more but I think Trudeau was right. 8-ball is the game. I know Im likely to catch some heat for saying it but think about it. Every league: APA BCA VNEA TAP ACS all play 8-ball. Every bar player in the country plays 8-ball. Every one from the most novice player to the top rated pros have played 8-ball. People know it and understand it. IMO if you want people to watch it on T.V. thats the game the pros should be playing.
Click to expand...
Chris,

I get what you mean. I grew up with 8-ball, albeit the Australian version, and I played 2 IPT events. I appreciate the strategy of 8-ball over 9-ball.

But say I am confident of playing 3/4 table length pots with tons of inside english and judging position 2 or 3 rails. Fact is these shots come up rarely in 9-ball and even more rarely in 8-ball and 14.1.

Why shoudn't we have a game that allows shotmakers to play big shots, as an option to games that give more reward to the chess-like champions?

Colin
 
nothing wrong with inventing a cool new game. The guys that have been playing for years might enjoy something new and fresh to play. I like the idea Colin. If we play it I want the 7 out.
 
Luxury said:
nothing wrong with inventing a cool new game. The guys that have been playing for years might enjoy something new and fresh to play. I like the idea Colin. If we play it I want the 7 out.
Click to expand...

Cheers Luxury,

Glad you appreciate the concept.

I'd so love to see Efren, Hohmann, Duell etc using their talents to play bigger shots more often, rather than the 1 big shot per game, followed by a pencil-in rack win. I think such a format would separate the shotmakers from the planners.

Heck, 3-cushion is a big shot game. Few shots are over 70% likely makes. But in 9-ball, players are shooting 90+% after first ball made. There's little thrill in most shots made.

Colin
 
colin i've sat and thought about it for a few minutes and i have to say I think you're on to a great idea!

like you said, no matter how good you play the game position wise, you're still gonna have to make some damn tough stroke shots to get out. as opposed to conventional rotation games where if you play position really well, the shots execution wise can be pretty simple.
 
worriedbeef said:
colin i've sat and thought about it for a few minutes and i have to say I think you're on to a great idea!

Like you said, no matter how good you play the game position wise, you're still gonna have to make some damn tough stroke shots to get out. as opposed to conventional rotation games where if you play position really well, the shots execution wise can be pretty simple.
Click to expand...

WB,
Glad you thought through the 2 cushion 6-ball concept. I've tried it and it is a tough game. As you said, in normal rotation, most often a good player has roll in and stun shots once they find position with 6 balls to go, in this type of game, every shot requires at least semi-skilled positional shots and once or twice every rack requires some advanced potting and positioning.

It's not a game for beginners, but it's a heck of a lot more testing for pros that running a rack of 9-ball. Won't people enjoy seeing more big shots from pros?

Colin
 
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