Best Playing the Ghost Rules

Vinnie

Vinnie

pool is cool.
Silver Member
After wading through endless threads on the "ghost", I've concluded that the following are the best rules for playing the ghost...

* Rack and break from the kitchen. If the game ball is made on a legal break, you win (if allowed for in the rules of the game being played). Any scratch or foul on the break - ghost wins.
*Take ball in hand and attempt to run out. Any miss or foul - ghost wins. Optionally, if there is an open shot after the break, do not take ball in hand.
*If necessary, a safety attempt is allowed and must be intentional. If the safety leaves a direct hit on the object ball - ghost wins. If the safety is successful, take ball in hand and continue to run out.
*Standard race is to seven, but may be adjusted for more accurate results.
 
Neil said:
Sorry, Vinnie. You may like those rules, but that isn't how you play the ghost. There are no safeties when playing the ghost. And a scratch on the break is not loss of game.

Your way, you get two ball in hand turns to run out. That can greatly increase your chance of winning, so the results are very scewed when comparing to others ability to beat the ghost.
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Yeah, that makes it almost easy, the direct hit rule. In reality that shot your taking ball in hand for could be a cakewalk kick or easy jump for your opponent that you wouldnt get ball in hand for. No safes when playing the ghost, you gotta get out...
 
I let my buddy play the 9ball ghost the other night on a bar table. He hung in there for a pretty good while but eventually lost due to the pre-set time limit.

I think he might have beaten it if he had played a race to 7 or 9 or something like that.
 
Vinnie said:
After wading through endless threads on the "ghost", I've concluded that the following are the best rules for playing the ghost...

* Rack and break from the kitchen. If the game ball is made on a legal break, you win (if allowed for in the rules of the game being played). Any scratch or foul on the break - ghost wins.
*Take ball in hand and attempt to run out. Any miss or foul - ghost wins. Optionally, if there is an open shot after the break, do not take ball in hand.
*If necessary, a safety attempt is allowed and must be intentional. If the safety leaves a direct hit on the object ball - ghost wins. If the safety is successful, take ball in hand and continue to run out.
*Standard race is to seven, but may be adjusted for more accurate results.
Click to expand...

I like the safety rule Vinnie. Most won't agree, and it might not get you comparable results, but as far as practice goes this is the best way imho. You get runout and safety practice. It also puts you in a pressure situation to make those safeties or you lose the game. If you're like me, you need all the safety practice you can get.
 
I like it! Never tried it but it sounds interesting. You could add an extra ball or two this way, safety is a big part of rotation-pool.

Will try 11-ball with maybe a small spot next week. Thanks for the tip.

And no, you cant compare this game with reg. Ghost, but who cares?
 
I think it was Bob Jewett that published some articles about some different ways to play "Ghost". Since this is a 'solo' game you can play any rules, but tracking your results is key to long term benefit IMO. If you find your safety play needs work then by all means incorporate it into your game. Just keep in mind that your results may differ greatly from what others say about how they match up to the 'standard' game.

In the article I read with the safety allowed IIRC the safety was only allowed (i.e. not scored as a miss) if the OB was moved to at least 2 diamonds away from CB and it was more than a 1 rail kick. Tough to accomplish for most players, but a GREAT goal and forces you to bear down.....which is the key to this game IMO. Good luck.

td
 
Vinnie said:
After wading through endless threads on the "ghost", I've concluded that the following are the best rules for playing the ghost...

* Rack and break from the kitchen. If the game ball is made on a legal break, you win (if allowed for in the rules of the game being played). Any scratch or foul on the break - ghost wins.
*Take ball in hand and attempt to run out. Any miss or foul - ghost wins. Optionally, if there is an open shot after the break, do not take ball in hand.
*If necessary, a safety attempt is allowed and must be intentional. If the safety leaves a direct hit on the object ball - ghost wins. If the safety is successful, take ball in hand and continue to run out.
*Standard race is to seven, but may be adjusted for more accurate results.
Click to expand...

The nice thing about playing the ghost is that you can play it any way you want if you don't plan on comparing yourself to other players.

I like the idea of being able to play a lock up safe and get BIH to continue the run. If I were to do it this way I would change the way I kept score. I would score 2 points for a run out and only 1 point if a second BIH were taken to run out. The ghost always scores 2 points. I would also increase the length of the race by 50% or more.

Steve
 
I did a lot of reading on the ghost a few months back -- there are indeed many variations, but safety play was a rare variation. I suppose one problem with the safety rule is that you are predicating that you won't always get shape on your next shot. The idea is that you have to be able to run out -- playing the ghost is a completely offensive exercise. If you fail to get good shape, and you can't work your way out of it, you lose.

And, if the 9-ball ghost is too challenging (as it definitely is for me), you can play the 8, 7, 6, 5, 4 or 3 ball ghost. Just rack the number of balls that best fits your ability to run out.

All that said, the safety rule posted here sounds like a great way to practice safety play, however, the only reason you would get in this situation is if you screwed up the offensive challenge that is inherent when playing the ghost. So, this is a completely different solo game that should probably go by another name. The concept of the ghost is that he is perfect. He can bank any shot, jump any ball, etc.
 
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as is so often the case, parsimony is the best practice.....

-player breaks, after break -- no matter what happens -- he takes ball in hand.

-if he wins the game according to the rules of nine ball in that inning (or if he made it on the break), then he wins the game. if he doesn't win the games in that inning he loses. over!
 
I got a question. Do you guys re-spot the balls you sink on the break? I know some people do it and some don't, comes down to personal preference. But, Which rule do you think is better. Re-spot the ball or no?
 
As enzo said, the rules are pretty straight-forward -- just play like 9-ball. Give it a good break, everything pocketed stays pocketed. If you sink the 9, you win. If you scratch, just take ball-in-hand anyway. If you sink 9 and scratch as well, spot the 9 and take BIH starting with lowest ball on the table. You can do a combo to win as well. Here's me doing this a couple of months ago (a carom, actually) :):

http://www.poolvids.com/view/16/playing-the-ghost-9ball/
 
tonmo said:
As enzo said, the rules are pretty straight-forward -- just play like 9-ball. Give it a good break, everything pocketed stays pocketed. If you sink the 9, you win. If you scratch, just take ball-in-hand anyway. If you sink 9 and scratch as well, spot the 9 and take BIH starting with lowest ball on the table. You can do a combo to win as well. Here's me doing this a couple of months ago (a carom, actually) :):

http://www.poolvids.com/view/16/playing-the-ghost-9ball/
Click to expand...


Thanks for clearifying it for me. I do agree that it should be played just like a normal 9ball game. Re-spotting just doesn't feel right. :)
 
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tonmo said:
I did a lot of reading on the ghost a few months back -- there are indeed many variations, but safety play was a rare variation. I suppose one problem with the safety rule is that you are predicating that you won't always get shape on your next shot. The idea is that you have to be able to run out -- playing the ghost is a completely offensive exercise. If you fail to get good shape, and you can't work your way out of it, you lose.

And, if the 9-ball ghost is too challenging (as it definitely is for me), you can play the 8, 7, 6, 5, 4 or 3 ball ghost. Just rack the number of balls that best fits your ability to run out.

All that said, the safety rule posted here sounds like a great way to practice safety play, however, the only reason you would get in this situation is if you screwed up the offensive challenge that is inherent when playing the ghost. So, this is a completely different solo game that should probably go by another name. The concept of the ghost is that he is perfect. He can bank any shot, jump any ball, etc.
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I agree, but don't want those who are unfamiliar with this to see it in only one light.

Another viewpoint is that it could be a game that approximates how you would play against the best pro. That would involve safety play. There are racks that can NOT be run and require safety play, and if you allow for safeties in practice then you will (hopefully) be better prepared for them as you have gotten used to looking for and playing them. A totally offensive practice game is a good tool but if it changes your thinking to always only be looking to run out, then it may be a detriment.

It may not really matter what it is called unless a person is gambling over it, or using it to measure speed of opponents to match up with. In those cases the definitions mean a LOT.

Either way, it is a great tool and keeping track of your progress can be a fantastic motivator and/or way of measuring ones game. IMHO

td
 
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