An Idea To Make 9-ball More Interesting

L

LastTwo

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I was just thinking, that maybe adding a variation to the game of 9-ball might attract more people, and make the game less boring to the public. This isn't that well thought out because I just thought about it out of the blue the other day.

In order to win a game, at least one ball must be banked in. That means that if you run out the whole rack, you must bank in at least one of the balls. If you get all the way down to the 9-ball and you haven't banked anything in yet, you have to bank it in to win. If the 9-ball is pocketed and the player hasn't banked a ball in yet, the 9 is placed on the spot, and the cueball stays where it is. If innings are traded at the table multiple times, either player can win the rack if they have already banked a ball. If you run out all the way down to the 9-ball, and the incomming player has not banked a ball, he/she can bank the 9-ball in to win. You must call your pocket on the bank shot.

What do you think? Lame idea or kind of interesting?
 
LastTwo said:
I was just thinking, that maybe adding a variation to the game of 9-ball might attract more people, and make the game less boring to the public. This isn't that well thought out because I just thought about it out of the blue the other day.

In order to win a game, at least one ball must be banked in. That means that if you run out the whole rack, you must bank in at least one of the balls. If you get all the way down to the 9-ball and you haven't banked anything in yet, you have to bank it in to win. If the 9-ball is pocketed and the player hasn't banked a ball in yet, the 9 is placed on the spot, and the cueball stays where it is. If innings are traded at the table multiple times, either player can win the rack if they have already banked a ball. If you run out all the way down to the 9-ball, and the incomming player has not banked a ball, he/she can bank the 9-ball in to win. You must call your pocket on the bank shot.

What do you think? Lame idea or kind of interesting?
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i think it would be good and bad. good when the bank was available and was made.

but bad when both players got down to the 9 ball, didn't have a bank, and either missed a few times, or played safe 3 times apiece.

just imagine joe shmoe tuning in, just as these guys are missing the 9 ball left and right...........might not look appealing to the non player.

although, it might make the non player feel like he can play(since he misses too)

who knows.

VAP
 
vapoolplayer said:
i think it would be good and bad. good when the bank was available and was made.

but bad when both players got down to the 9 ball, didn't have a bank, and either missed a few times, or played safe 3 times apiece.

just imagine joe shmoe tuning in, just as these guys are missing the 9 ball left and right...........might not look appealing to the non player.

although, it might make the non player feel like he can play(since he misses too)

who knows.

VAP
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Yes but he will notice that they are trying to bank the ball, which might peak his interest.
 
vapoolplayer said:
i think it would be good and bad. good when the bank was available and was made.



just imagine joe shmoe tuning in, just as these guys are missing the 9 ball left and right...........might not look appealing to the non player.

although, it might make the non player feel like he can play(since he misses too)

who knows.

VAP
Click to expand...


And it might also lure a hackmeister like you into a money game because you think they're just ball bangers. God...you'd be so easy. :D :D
 
Make it where the one ball can be made in any pocket but that is the pocket where the nine has to be made. The other six balls have to be made in rotation around the table. The 2 in the left corner, 3 in the side and etc around the table. Will make for a long game but will take some skill. Will be a lot of stategy, and skills.
 
TheBook said:
Make it where the one ball can be made in any pocket but that is the pocket where the nine has to be made. The other six balls have to be made in rotation around the table. The 2 in the left corner, 3 in the side and etc around the table. Will make for a long game but will take some skill. Will be a lot of stategy, and skills.
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How about 9ball straight pool. Gotta hit the balls in order and leave a break shot at the end. It would sure take the whole power break out of the equation. You get one point for each ball pocketed and play to a certain score. None of this I hit in 1-8 you hit in the 9 and you win crap.

I posted a similair idea to this in another post and someone responded saying that a 9ball rack would not speed things up from Regular straight pool. But I thought about it and I think it actually would because there would be less clusters on the table. You could play by hitting balls in order or play by the rules of hitting in any order.
How about you hit them in rotation you get 2 points per ball, you hit them out of rotation you get one point.
If you hit the 9 in you get 3 points.
Any comments, suggestions, ideas for this or something similair?
 
LastTwo said:
What do you think? Lame idea or kind of interesting?
Click to expand...

LastTwo,
Trying to make 9-ball interesting is like making a silk purse from a sow's ear. If our goal is to appeal to the uneducated (at least in a pool sense) masses; then we must use some tried and true principals:

#1 - Human sacrifice. At the end of each set the loser stands before the crowd, Scott Smith gives a thumbs up or thumbs down. Loser is bludgeoned with his own break cue (good incentive for manufacturers to market lighter cues). Oh wait, the Romans already tried this idea, and look what happened to them.

#2 - Disgusting food - The loser of each set must eat some really disgusting food (chopped earthworms mixed with raw frog guts comes to mind). If they eat it, then that effectively buys them back in to the tournament. Oh wait, Fear Factor already did this and it's REALLY LAME.

#3 - Tribal ring game - One week ring game, contestants all live together in one hotel room (no bathroom) for the week, camera's rolling continuously, token hot chick, gay guy, and redneck included. Lively banter while playing should keep the masses entertained. Everytime someone is eliminated their torch is extinguished. Oh wait, Survivor already did this and it's REALLY, REALLY LAME.

#4 - Luck - The masses hate games where skill is involved (they can't see themselves winning if they were a contestant), so let's just change the rules to help them. Power breaks, even if you sink the 9-ball by luck you still win. Slop counts; miss a shot and leave your opponent safe you can still win. Miss a ball and accidentally nudge in the 9-ball, YOU STILL WIN. Miss a ball and accidentally kick in something else, YOU STILL GET TO SHOOT. Oh wait, we've already tried this, it's called professional 9-ball and its REALLY, REALLY, REALLY lame. There's no fixing this game - BRING BACK STRAIGHT POOL!!
 
Williebetmore said:
LastTwo,
Trying to make 9-ball interesting is like making a silk purse from a sow's ear. If our goal is to appeal to the uneducated (at least in a pool sense) masses; then we must use some tried and true principals:

#1 - Human sacrifice. At the end of each set the loser stands before the crowd, Scott Smith gives a thumbs up or thumbs down. Loser is bludgeoned with his own break cue (good incentive for manufacturers to market lighter cues). Oh wait, the Romans already tried this idea, and look what happened to them.

#2 - Disgusting food - The loser of each set must eat some really disgusting food (chopped earthworms mixed with raw frog guts comes to mind). If they eat it, then that effectively buys them back in to the tournament. Oh wait, Fear Factor already did this and it's REALLY LAME.

#3 - Tribal ring game - One week ring game, contestants all live together in one hotel room (no bathroom) for the week, camera's rolling continuously, token hot chick, gay guy, and redneck included. Lively banter while playing should keep the masses entertained. Everytime someone is eliminated their torch is extinguished. Oh wait, Survivor already did this and it's REALLY, REALLY LAME.

#4 - Luck - The masses hate games where skill is involved (they can't see themselves winning if they were a contestant), so let's just change the rules to help them. Power breaks, even if you sink the 9-ball by luck you still win. Slop counts; miss a shot and leave your opponent safe you can still win. Miss a ball and accidentally nudge in the 9-ball, YOU STILL WIN. Miss a ball and accidentally kick in something else, YOU STILL GET TO SHOOT. Oh wait, we've already tried this, it's called professional 9-ball and its REALLY, REALLY, REALLY lame. There's no fixing this game - BRING BACK STRAIGHT POOL!!
Click to expand...


LMAO....great post Willee...thinking that up sure beats the hell out of trying to figure out how Dr. House comes up with all of those obscure ailments. Did you ever get one of THOSE CASES right yet?
 
Why don't we roll the balls in with our noses. That would make it tougher and more interesting. If your unhappy with 9-ball then change to another pool game, don't change 9 ball. 9-ball is what it is, take it or leave it.
 
LastTwo said:
What do you think? Lame idea or kind of interesting?
Click to expand...

sounds like you are bored,,,LOL

locals here play lots of variations of 8 or 9 ball,,,most of their 'made-up' games are there to keep somebody else from winning,,,banking the last ball, calling every rail, carom, and ball that's gonna be touched and moved in each shot,,,just something to pass the time when they are bored or can't shhot worth a d##n,,,

strip poker worked when I was young (hell, it still works,,,LOL), so lets start "Strip 9 Ball,,,,bring on the cameras and the dirty old men,,,wait a minute, lemme git my hat !
 
Jack Flanagan said:
sounds like you are bored,,,LOL

strip poker worked when I was young (hell, it still works,,,LOL), so lets start "Strip 9 Ball,,,,bring on the cameras and the dirty old men,,,wait a minute, lemme git my hat !
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The hell with dirty old men; bring on the hot young girls.
 
T.V. changes

Yeah this is all mental masturbation but the T.V. game does need to be reformatted to attract more interest and to make it unfair for 1 player to sink 8 balls and lose.
 
Williebetmore said:
LastTwo,
Trying to make 9-ball interesting is like making a silk purse from a sow's ear. If our goal is to appeal to the uneducated (at least in a pool sense) masses; then we must use some tried and true principals....
Click to expand...

You know, Willie, using principals is a pretty good idea, especially ones from schools in supertough neighborhoods.

I also think the time is right for your human sacrifice idea. In the eyes of the UPA, forcing a player to compete on equipment where the pockets aren't ridiculously loose is viewed as an act of human sacrifice. Until pro pool is prepared to experiment with this kind of human sacrifice, it almost doesn't matter whether the game is nineball or straight pool. Loose equipment greatly devalues both games.

Tighten up those pockets to the point that only the elite can run balls consistently, and I'm betting you'll develop a taste for both games.
 
Japanese style 5 and 9

It's called go kyu (five nine). Regular nineball rules apply with a few exceptions:

The fiveball is worth 1 point and the nineball is worth 2 points. Variations include the seven- and/or threeball as moneyballs too. A moneyball made in the side pocket is worth double.

A moneyball made on a combo gets spotted and shooter continues. When sinking the last nine (there are no other object balls on the table), shooter must try to leave the cue ball in the kitchen. If he fails to do so, he gets half value of that nine and opponent gets to break next game.

On a break-and-runout, shooter gets double the points made during the entire runout.

On a foul, incoming player can choose to take the cueball in hand in the kitchen OR have the lowest object ball moved to either the footspot or the centerspot. If player chooses to take cueball in hand in the kitchen and the lowest ball is in the kitchen, he must have the lowest ball moved to either the footspot or the centerspot. On scratches, incoming player must take cueball in hand in the kitchen. All balls made on a scratch get spotted on the footspot. No three-foul rule in this game, and no pushouts.

I've seen it played where a nineball made on the break earns the shooter a 5 point bonus. Another variation applies a one-point penalty for fouls, and whoever wins a game collects all penalty points for that game. A cool variation closes a pocket to a player whenever he breaks and runs out. Example: I break and run out. For the rest of the session I cannot make the last nineball in an assigned corner pocket (combos are ok). If I do it again during the session, the opposite corner is closed to my last nine. This keeps going until I have to quit because of lack of pockets to put the last nine into.

This game is usually played with three or more players, sometimes with players waiting to jump in when somebody quits. At a dollar a point the game can be a lot of fun. It challenges the shooter to look for ways to set up for a moneyball in the side pocket, and to get the cueball to stop in the kitchen on the last nine. Somebody please correct me if I got any of the rules wrong. :)
 
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