Bank the 8(and other versions)

Z3R0

Z3R0

Wolf in Wolf's Clothing
Silver Member
There's a version that my friends and I play all the time, usually only when against each other as a lot of people don't seem to like it. Called "Bank the 8", pretty much like straight 8 except in order to win you're required to bank the 8(or kick or bank the cue ball and connect the eight) to sink it in the pocket called.

Now, to make things more interesting, and to play for bragging rights, we try to 1-Up one another and see who can bank the most rails. We always call our rails(one rail, two rails, three rails, etc).

Thing about this is that, as we play it, if you scratch on the 8 ball, you don't lose. You just take your next shot behind the second diamond as with any scratch. This keeps the game going and provides a looot of banking practice haha.

I find it pretty entertaining. Was wondering though if anyone plays any other versions of 8-ball like this that are fun? I've played 3-ball, 7-ball, 9-ball and 10-ball. I really like playing 3-ball if there's a decent number of players.

So what's your favorite alternative version? Lets here it!
 
Side Pocket 8-Ball

Back in 1979 me and Scotty Townsend was out playing some bars in Longview,Texas and ran across this player that wanted to play (which ever pocket the last ball went) you had to play the 8-Ball in that side pocket, so it became complicated, you had to plan ahead of your shots , playing your shape for the ball before the eight, or if you miss , it was to your advantage to have more than one ball on the table.

It was an amusing game for sure, never played it before then, and never played it since!


P.S.......Oh and I did all the playing, we won $500.00 cash off the guy and somehow or another this guy named "Vergil Saddlewhite " got in on our bet and the last game was for a diamond gold ring, well I won the last rack and Vergile took the ring to the "Talley-Hoe" which was a bar/club there in Longview,Tx. and pawn the ring to the owner "LD" for $125.00, and we was going to take the ring back to the guy we was playing and get $500.00 for the credit he had on it as well, as it turned out the guy was pissed, because the ring was worth $1,500.00, so me and Scotty was pissed......but thats pool!!!!!!!! Virgile Saddlewhite did a SC5-thom on our ass!.........lol

David Harcrow
 
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To count as a made ball, all balls must be caromed off of the cue ball. That is, you shoot the object ball into the cue ball and carom it off of the cue ball into a pocket.

Very hard to run a rack of 8-ball and you'll get damn good at caroms.
 
Oh, that's interesting; I've never heard of that before. I think I saw someone playing a version where you have to follow the 8 into the pocket the last ball was sunk, never played it though.

I occasionally like to play Cut-Throat though, which I think is a lot of fun if you have three people. Man, you were out there playing back in '79. I feel so young now, not to make you feel old! Haha.
 
We play last pocket alot, too. We also play a game, either 8 or 9, where your opponent gets to call which pocket you have to make the money ball in. He doesn't have to do this until you are on the last ball. Once he calls a pocket, tho, that is your pocket until the end of the game.
 
Variations

Some fun variations of 8 ball I've played over the years...

Bank the 8..like you were talking about.... Call pocket and rails
Usually we played bank or 2 or more rail kick

Last pocket 8 ball.. Make the 8 in the pocket you shot your last object ball

Irish 8 ball.... Shoot object balls into the cue ball to pocket them basically the game of scratching....as Tx explained

Rotation 8 ball.... Played like 9 ball you have to shoot your balls in rotation then the 8 ball.... For example if you are stripes you shoot the nine first and so on until you pocket the 15 then you pocket the 8 ball

I've played others too... You can almost make anything up as long as you have a good imagination... You can also combine games like last pocket rotation if you want

Have fun
Shake
 
Banking the 8 to win the game. What will they think of next?
And now you're probably going to tell us about a game that only uses two pockets on the pool table. Wedickuwus. :)
 
Z3R0 said:
Oh, that's interesting; I've never heard of that before. I think I saw someone playing a version where you have to follow the 8 into the pocket the last ball was sunk, never played it though.

I occasionally like to play Cut-Throat though, which I think is a lot of fun if you have three people. Man, you were out there playing back in '79. I feel so young now, not to make you feel old! Haha.
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Dude I'm 52yrs. and am a Spring Chicken!:grin:


David Harcrow
 
Eight ball

Z3R0 said:
There's a version that my friends and I play all the time, usually only when against each other as a lot of people don't seem to like it. Called "Bank the 8", pretty much like straight 8 except in order to win you're required to bank the 8(or kick or bank the cue ball and connect the eight) to sink it in the pocket called.

Now, to make things more interesting, and to play for bragging rights, we try to 1-Up one another and see who can bank the most rails. We always call our rails(one rail, two rails, three rails, etc).

Thing about this is that, as we play it, if you scratch on the 8 ball, you don't lose. You just take your next shot behind the second diamond as with any scratch. This keeps the game going and provides a looot of banking practice haha.

I find it pretty entertaining. Was wondering though if anyone plays any other versions of 8-ball like this that are fun? I've played 3-ball, 7-ball, 9-ball and 10-ball. I really like playing 3-ball if there's a decent number of players.

So what's your favorite alternative version? Lets here it!
Click to expand...

We played a game called Missouri rules (why?) the one ball from solids group must go in left side pocket and fifteen (stripes) must go in right side pocket. Rack these two balls opposite to where they go behind the eight. In your bank game we never allowed easy rail first kicks for the eight. Too easy even though it is a bank. Another great game is backwards pool. Break normal eight ball, but shoot OB's into (carom) cue ball. Notice you are basically purposely scratching. Great way to learn what a scratch shot is of course more combos come up. In coin op tables lots of play for your money. Hit em goos!!
 
Z3RO, Nice thread. I play last pocket 8 ball.

Z3R0 said:
There's a version that my friends and I play all the time, usually only when against each other as a lot of people don't seem to like it. Called "Bank the 8", pretty much like straight 8 except in order to win you're required to bank the 8(or kick or bank the cue ball and connect the eight) to sink it in the pocket called.

Now, to make things more interesting, and to play for bragging rights, we try to 1-Up one another and see who can bank the most rails. We always call our rails(one rail, two rails, three rails, etc).

Thing about this is that, as we play it, if you scratch on the 8 ball, you don't lose. You just take your next shot behind the second diamond as with any scratch. This keeps the game going and provides a looot of banking practice haha.


I find it pretty entertaining. Was wondering though if anyone plays any other versions of 8-ball like this that are fun? I've played 3-ball, 7-ball, 9-ball and 10-ball. I really like playing 3-ball if there's a decent number of players.

So what's your favorite alternative version? Lets here it!
Click to expand...

Last pocket 8 ball,
This is a great game. The object of the game is to play the 8 ball wherever your last ball is made. The pocket where you played your last ball is your 8 ball game winning pocket. You and your opponent cannot have the same pocket. In addition to that you must call all of your balls and every rail or kick. If you shoot a ball down the rail, and it is not touching the rail and you call it straight in,
and it touches the rail on the way to the pocket before the first diamond from the pocket you lose your shot. No luck in this game at all! Ball in hand is behind the second diamond line where you break the balls from. If the 8 ball goes in any other pocket you lose. If you scratch on the 8 you do not lose the game!!! The other player gets the cue behind the break line. Thanks for this nice thread.
Regards,
Lock N Load.
 
Kick into the last pocket.

I always see games like this being played when there are some bangers playing on a BB in a bar. This happens when an outsider puts money up to be next. The bangers start to play crap like that and stall by not approaching the table when it is their turn, go to the bar to get a drink and etc. They keep this up to just tie up the table until they are ready to leave.
 
Where I winter they play a version that is really crazy. It's basically last pocket eight ball with the addition of all the stripes must be made on the left side and all the solids made on the right side plus the 1-15 must be made in the appropriate side pocket. The rack has the 8 ball at the head, the stripes on the side opposite to the side they must be pocketed, the solids on their opposite side. No BIH, spot a ball for all fouls or if the ball is made on the wrong side. If you directly hit your opponents 1 or 15 first it is considered down. As long as one ball object ball is on the table sinking the 8 in the wrong pocket is not a loss and it is spotted with a penalty ball.

I'm not a big fan of the game
 
around here they call pocket the 8 in the your last OB pocket, Detroit 8. good game. cant touch the 8 directly if your opponent is on it and your not.
 
When I play 8b with myself, I break and then remove the 8 from the table.

Frfrom there it is played just like regular 8b.

It is really hard. in fact, I have never finished a game.
 
In a bar, "bank the 8" or last pocket 8ball is the best game you can get.

I use to play different versions of these games. Like 'gotta bank 2 rails or more' or side pockets only.

If you are playing someone better than you.. Try and talk them into playing last pocket 8ball, but they have to bank last pocket. It's bigger than it seems.
 
Sometimes at a bar we will play double in double out. U need to bank a ball to start your run and then bank the 8. It is just a way to stretch our dollars a little bit.
 
Honolulu 8-ball

A friend and I made up a game we call "anything but" (a regular shot).

8-ball by whatever rules float your boat.

The difference being absolutely no "straight-in" shots are allowed. Each and every legally pocketed ball must be made by means of either:

- bank
- combination
- carom/kiss
- kick shot
- some combination of above

Invented during slow bar times wanting to streatch the quarters.

-------------------

Also, in the BCA rules book there is the similar game called Honolulu. Someone breaks. Call any ball in any pocket; score one point per legally pocketed ball; the first player to make eight points wins.
 
TX Poolnut said:
To count as a made ball, all balls must be caromed off of the cue ball. That is, you shoot the object ball into the cue ball and carom it off of the cue ball into a pocket.

Very hard to run a rack of 8-ball and you'll get damn good at caroms.
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This is called reverse 8-ball among friends
 
Not too many guys in the mid/southwest, I see.

Last pocket 8ball is VERY popular with the hispanic crowd. But you gotta get out of the poolrooms and get into the grungiest of the grungy bars to easily find $20 or $50/game last pocket 8.

I played a bunch of Panamanians starting at $50/game. After a few hours, I was up a couple thousand when we bumped the bet again up to $500. The stack of cash rattled the hell out of me and we broke even...lol.
 
BobTfromIL said:
Where I winter they play a version that is really crazy. It's basically last pocket eight ball with the addition of all the stripes must be made on the left side and all the solids made on the right side plus the 1-15 must be made in the appropriate side pocket. The rack has the 8 ball at the head, the stripes on the side opposite to the side they must be pocketed, the solids on their opposite side. No BIH, spot a ball for all fouls or if the ball is made on the wrong side. If you directly hit your opponents 1 or 15 first it is considered down. As long as one ball object ball is on the table sinking the 8 in the wrong pocket is not a loss and it is spotted with a penalty ball.

I'm not a big fan of the game
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That just sounds really confusing hah. Not sure I'd even attempt that.

cleary said:
In a bar, "bank the 8" or last pocket 8ball is the best game you can get.

I use to play different versions of these games. Like 'gotta bank 2 rails or more' or side pockets only.

If you are playing someone better than you.. Try and talk them into playing last pocket 8ball, but they have to bank last pocket. It's bigger than it seems.
Click to expand...

I agree; "Bank the 8" is my favorite version of billiards. Gives a lot of practice when banking and you can really get creative if you want to. When I play with by friends we have a "2 rail minimum" rule, we don't like just taking the easy banks. Not very many people like to seem to play this from what I've seen though. It's a lot of fun.
 
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