About those Chinese 8-ball tables

Kim Bye said:
....Blackball comes from tiny British pubs not having room for bigger tables, I suspect it's much the same with Chinese 8 ball, you can have a "mini snooker table" at home.
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Credit where it's due, it was the Australians who came up with the idea. Rex Williams (former snooker and english billiards pro) saw them while visiting Aus and brought the idea back to England in the 1970's I think. Not as popular in British pubs now as they used to be.
 
Siz said:
Credit where it's due, it was the Australians who came up with the idea. Rex Williams (former snooker and english billiards pro) saw them while visiting Aus and brought the idea back to England in the 1970's I think. Not as popular in British pubs now as they used to be.
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You have it backwards. Blackball is a spin off version of American 8 ball. Then spread to the UK and the British put their twist on the game in the early 70's. From there is spread wider to other countries like Australia.

It was around 1970 that the first pool tables began to appear in the UK's pubs.
The game's rapid increase in popularity was due entirely to the availability of the small-sized table which, when installed in pubs, provided a welcome additional source of income for landlords.
In those days there was some experimentation with the table specifications and a variety of coin-operated tables were manufactured for the booming pub scene.

Some designs were more successful and aesthetically pleasing than others, but as time passed a degree of standardisation was achieved.

By the late 1970s the game had become well established throughout the United Kingdom.
Other countries in which it gained rapid acceptance were Ireland, France, South Africa and Australia.

Reflecting its American origin, when first introduced to the United Kingdom pool was played with solid-coloured balls numbered 1 to 7 and striped balls numbered 9 to 15, of the kind shown below.
Such ball sets were referred to as 'spots and stripes' in the UK and they continue to be used in the games of American pool and Chinese Eightball.
 
I was living in Germany in the mid 70's as the pubs started installing the black ball coin operated pool tables. In Germany, they put their own twist on the game and turned it into 8 ball last pocket!!! Qin thousands $$$ playing against the German locals in Frankfurt in the clubs!!
 
realkingcobra said:
You have it backwards. Blackball is a spin off version of American 8 ball. Then spread to the UK and the British put their twist on the game in the early 70's. From there is spread wider to other countries like Australia.
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I agree that of course the game is a spin off from US style 8 ball; but whereas in the US the 'bar box' is cut down pool table, in the UK it is a mini snooker table; and whereas in the US, coin operated tables employed an oversized cue ball, in the UK a smaller white was used.

But I would question whether the direction of travel was from the UK to Aus rather than the other way round - do you have a source for this? My source was (I think - I cannot check now) one of Clive Everton's books on the history of cue sports.
 
Siz said:
I agree that of course the game is a spin off from US style 8 ball; but whereas in the US the 'bar box' is cut down pool table, in the UK it is a mini snooker table; and whereas in the US, coin operated tables employed an oversized cue ball, in the UK a smaller white was used.

But I would question whether the direction of travel was from the UK to Aus rather than the other way round - do you have a source for this? My source was (I think - I cannot check now) one of Clive Everton's books on the history of
Siz said:
I agree that of course the game is a spin off from US style 8 ball; but whereas in the US the 'bar box' is cut down pool table, in the UK it is a mini snooker table; and whereas in the US, coin operated tables employed an oversized cue ball, in the UK a smaller white was used.

But I would question whether the direction of travel was from the UK to Aus rather than the other way round - do you have a source for this? My source was (I think - I cannot check now) one of Clive Everton's books on the history of cue sports.
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www.blackball.uk

Blackball Pool Overview

Blackball pool as played in the United Kingdom, and indeed throughout the world, has its origins in the game of 8ball popularised in the U...
www.blackball.uk www.blackball.uk
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realkingcobra said:
Would you bet on that shot, or take your chances with a 2 rail kick???
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2-rail of course. Have no idea why he played it that way, unless it was a setup to make a viral video.

But the lock-up safety played first was a very high level of difficulty, too, which dramatically lowers the odds of the video being “fake” (as in set up with multiple attempts).

Plus he looked at the 1-rail kick first, but it wasn’t available, another sign that it’s legit. Maybe he didn’t like cueing over the black for the 2-railer? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
 
Thanks for the link - very useful.

However, reading it I note that it does not actually say whether this form of pool originated in the UK or elsewhere. All it says is "By the late 1970s the game had become well established throughout the United Kingdom. Other countries in which it gained rapid acceptance were Ireland, France, South Africa and Australia."

I will contact the author to see what he says.
 
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