Ace the break in 3 ball???

pfduser

GRABBER GT
Silver Member
Anybody here ever played 3 ball and figured out how to ace the break?It's hard enough just to make one on the break much less all 3!
 

greyghost

Coast to Coast
Silver Member
i mentioned this before, gives you an idea of difficulty

at the tulsa billiards palace the ace pot got up to 10k about 4yrs ago or so. There were 170 people in the tourney trying to snap it off. It took well over 24hrs for someone to finally ace it. I'd say a half dozen or so made two balls and came within a 8-12" of making the last. There were many really good players there Gabe and McMinn were both in it. Gabe I don't think ever made a ball on the break or maybe he finally did.

Thats a tough thing to do, but with having so many people in it, some of us started to just tweak what we were seeing others do that were successful in dropping balls. The Straighter in line you got them the harder it is to ace it, with them all stuck together they just stun off to no mans land

Its a fun game and I have always broke from the top right corner of the box. If the ball are not falling from a square hit from here then I shoot a little low n inside on the cue ball and aim for a 2/3 ball hit. Cue ball stays by spot and the spin helps the balls catch differient angles.

It's fun to play and its cheap, but its a gaff on purposely making the ace IMOP. Just swing away is probably the best advice lol.

Grey Ghost
 

ronhudson

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
To make it more difficult to find a solution, 3-ball is racked different in different parts of the country. Some rack with all three balls in a row and others rack with the balls in a triangle.
 

mooseman

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I did it twice in one night when I was stationed in the UK. This was on a british bar box and I was showing my teammates how to play 3-ball. Unfortunately both times it turned into a 2 count. Why????

Because I scratched as well.

FYI: The balls were set up in a triangle format.
 
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dragdime

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
here we put, 3 ball in a line. last time we played a guy made all three on the break- prob never see that again
 

Pushout

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I've seen a trick shot somewhere where all three were made. I've been trying to remember for years where I saw it. Wasn't guaranteed, but doing it that way made it a higher percentage shot. Not in any of my books.
 

the_professor

Registered
i've seen it done twice. we were playing a cheap game of 3-ball and a guy that cant shoot a lick got up there and blasted them....go figure, ace.

second time, 12 people playing $5/man. guy shot a 2, thought it was in the bag. 3 men later, ace...
 

pfduser

GRABBER GT
Silver Member
To make it more difficult to find a solution, 3-ball is racked different in different parts of the country. Some rack with all three balls in a row and others rack with the balls in a triangle.

Learned something there,I thought it was racked the same everywhere.
 

rossaroni

AzB Gold Member
Gold Member
Silver Member
I have seen it done twice. I did it once on a bar table, and a friend of mine did it on a 9 foot Gold Crown. When I did it, there were 4 of us playing, and 2 of the guys went to the bar to grab a drink right before I went. At least one guy saw it besides me. I usually break about 6-12 inches right of center and hit about center ball-maybe a little right english.

The last time I played, I broke about 6-8 times, and made a ball on the break every time. Btw, we rack them in a triangle.
 

JesseBfan

Motivation, where are u?
Silver Member
I've got one Ace under my belt, we were playing at a bar that isn't there anymore called Leprechauns. We were playing 14 handed or so.. And we were on the 10th time around @ $2 per man. I went first and shot an Ace(triangle style is how we do it here)!! You could just see the wind go out of everyones sails! It was beautiful! I always break from the same place(a diamond to the right of center and on the head string) and I usually make more balls otb than anyone I'm playing with. Occasionally I will mix in a 1/4 tip of english if my standard hard and square hit isn't working. But I always stay in the same place
 

greyghost

Coast to Coast
Silver Member
Maybe I misread, but in Tulsa is the 3-ball game racked in a straight line?

definitely yes! Everything I said about how it was difficult when they are straight in a line can be thrown out the window if they are in a triangle. That makes it tons easier. The only places I've ever seen them play 3 ball in a triangle was in southern bars.
 

pfduser

GRABBER GT
Silver Member
definitely yes! Everything I said about how it was difficult when they are straight in a line can be thrown out the window if they are in a triangle. That makes it tons easier. The only places I've ever seen them play 3 ball in a triangle was in southern bars.

I never seen 3 ball racked in a straight line but I've never played anywhere but the south.
 

tattoo

Tatuaje in the house🤘🏻
Silver Member
houston texas

everyone that i have ever seen plays straight line here...never seen a ace but have seen two balls many times....
 

Pushout

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I never seen 3 ball racked in a straight line but I've never played anywhere but the south.

Then you have seen 5 Ball racked in a straight line? I never even saw or heard of the game until I moved to SC.
 

pfduser

GRABBER GT
Silver Member
Then you have seen 5 Ball racked in a straight line? I never even saw or heard of the game until I moved to SC.

Seems like I remember some kids years ago playing 5 ball and racking them in a straight line across.
 

StormHotRod300

BigSexy
Silver Member
A "real" 3ball game is lined up in a row....

It's funny to see a guys complain about 3ball like your trying to steal thier lunch money, when you want to play 3ball with them lined up, instead of in a triangle......
 

Jallan

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I have seen a 2 with an empty break once; all three were slopped. The original OB missed the pocket, kissed both OB in and slipped in the side. The cue ball only made contact with the original ball. Triangle rack.
 

Irish634

Whatever
Silver Member
We always play with the 3 racked in a triangle. For those of you that rack in a line, do you rack them in a line on the long string or the foot string?
 
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