Best Pool Game for Seniors - 1 Pocket or 14.1?

[3kushn]

Seniors? How Old??

Of course I'm thinking of Caroms

 

[CocoboloCowboy]

Best is like Beauty, or favorite it is a personal choice. My personal Choice is One Pocket, but I will admit playing 14/1 by my lonesome for practice, as it is a good way to learn toread racks, learn kick, and figure out how to make balls.

One of the BEST TEACHING AIDS that helps with both One Pocket, and 14/1 is Ray Martin’s 99 Critical Shot Book. Book can be found under 12 bucks.

But you must read cover to cover many times to unlock info you missed first time, then practice what Ray teaches, to see improvement.

Do not buy the book, place on shelf, never read, if you expect to get anything out of it. Or placing under your pillow at night while you sleep , hoping to absorb the info, will yield same results nothing.

JMHO

 

[white1]

One pocket. Just no one playing it in southern ky

 

[Island Drive]

14.1
One pkt can become too much standing up Or too much up & down.
14.1 you can sit and think about your last shot while watching your opponent..... and rest the body after your mistake.

bm

 

[L.S. Dennis]

I am going to suggest a variant of 8-ball known as 1-15 (sometimes called Panama).

There are 3 special rules::
a) the 1-ball must be made in the right hand side pocket while the 15 must be made in left hand side pocket while looking at the rack from the breaking end of the table. If the 1 or 15 is made in the wrong pocket instant loss of game.
b) It is loss of inning if you {directly or indirectly} move the opponents 1 or 15.
c) I forgot (sigh)

These rules double the complexity of 8-ball.

Sounds very similar to a game I've heard called 'Alabama Eight Ball' with slightly different rules regarding the 1 and 15.

 

[R2PQZ]

My choice is bank pool. Great gambling game.

 

[InsertCleverNameHere]

Back pocket 8ball is the right answer.

 

[Fatboy]

I’m facing the realization that rotation games such as 9 ball have become just too challenging and frustrating for us senior players, including those of us who played these games quite well in our younger years. I’m wondering if other senior players agree, particularly as it relates to matching up against skilled players often less than half our age?

In choosing a game to focus and concentrate on trying to play as best I can for the next hopefully final 10-20 years of my pool playing life, the logical choice for me is between 1-Pocket and 14.1. Not that 8-ball isn’t a good game, but I just don’t think it’s as challenging a game as the other two, and at the risk of insulting those here who play it and love it, it seems to be the preferred game for recreational players and bar players.

I’ve played very little 1-Pocket, but I know it’s a great game that many players of all ages have become hooked on and it seems to be a game that senior players can remain quite competitive in, even in to their 70s. The issue for me would be the lack of 1-Pocket players in my area to learn from and to compete against. Even as our shotmaking skills naturally deteriorate in our advanced years, the knowledge and the defensive moves that are so critical in 1-Pocket are what allows senior players to still be a formidable challenge to a much younger 1-Pocket player.

By contrast, 14.1 is the game I grew up playing and loving for most of my first nearly 10 years of playing pool in the 1970s before 9-Ball took over as the preferred game for most serious players. Yes, there are still certainly shotmaking skills that younger players will always possess over us seniors. However, my premise is that if one can play 14.1 really well, with knowledge, simple positioning and limited cue ball movement, in the course of running a rack most shots should be relatively short, high percentage shots that even us seniors can handle as well as we ever have. And if we are faced with a longer or lower percentage shot, our defensive skills should be able to limit our opponent’s opportunities.

Any thoughts from others on this topic?

1P for old people is best by a mile.

 

[grindz]

I am going to suggest a variant of 8-ball known as 1-15 (sometimes called Panama).

There are 3 special rules::
a) the 1-ball must be made in the right hand side pocket while the 15 must be made in left hand side pocket while looking at the rack from the breaking end of the table. If the 1 or 15 is made in the wrong pocket instant loss of game.
b) It is loss of inning if you {directly or indirectly} move the opponents 1 or 15.
c) I forgot (sigh)

These rules double the complexity of 8-ball.

It really depends on the disparity of players as much or more than whether or not anyone is a senior IMO.

I would suggest this (1/15) as well.... Almost entirely unheard of outside of the senior circuit. At least I had never heard of it until
I started visiting a nearby senior center, and am now somewhat of a fan.

Different rules in my neighborhood, 1 or 15 in any 'other' pocket is immediately spotted unless your opponent makes your
ball in your pocket... they can be spotted as many times as needed. Also, indirect hits on your opponents ball are allowed,
ie; you can hit any of your balls into the opposing 1/15 to move it. Seems to always be some rule to argue about where I
play..... but that's just what old farts do.

Also, if a big disparity of players, you can play last pocket, and your opponent plays regular 8 ball.... with some added caveats
to offset the spot. In addition to that you play 1/15 last pocket while they play 8 ball, also with the added caveats. Most won't
want to accept the spot even if they desperately need it though, if so then you can do it in secret. ;-)

td

 

[white1]

It really depends on the disparity of players as much or more than whether or not anyone is a senior IMO.

I would suggest this (1/15) as well.... Almost entirely unheard of outside of the senior circuit. At least I had never heard of it until
I started visiting a nearby senior center, and am now somewhat of a fan.

Different rules in my neighborhood, 1 or 15 in any 'other' pocket is immediately spotted unless your opponent makes your
ball in your pocket... they can be spotted as many times as needed. Also, indirect hits on your opponents ball are allowed,
ie; you can hit any of your balls into the opposing 1/15 to move it. Seems to always be some rule to argue about where I
play..... but that's just what old farts do.

Also, if a big disparity of players, you can play last pocket, and your opponent plays regular 8 ball.... with some added caveats
to offset the spot. In addition to that you play 1/15 last pocket while they play 8 ball, also with the added caveats. Most won't
want to accept the spot even if they desperately need it though, if so then you can do it in secret. ;-)

td

The old guys called it California 8 ball in the small room I grew up in in the early 70’s-they’d play partners and argue all morning. Now I’m old enough to play it but there are no rooms to play in. Very sad.

 

[MitchAlsup]

Different rules in my neighborhood, 1 or 15 in any 'other' pocket is immediately spotted unless your opponent makes your
ball in your pocket... they can be spotted as many times as needed. Also, indirect hits on your opponents ball are allowed,
ie; you can hit any of your balls into the opposing 1/15 to move it. Seems to always be some rule to argue about where I
play..... but that's just what old farts do.

We disallowed the indirect hits because in 1-15 you may spend several turns getting your 1-15 into shootable position. It seems unfair to allow opponent to blast it to an unshootable position.

 

[mikemosconi]

When you watch top top pro 8 ball in the BcA format - I think that one can become aware of just how demanding the game actually is in terms of pin point position play and planned pattern play. Top pros almost never play safes in 8 ball bc their CB control permits run outs from the break very often - run outs in frequency well beyond the capabilities of even most mid 600 fargo players

 

[Lucky_one2]

I grew up in Chicago playing 14:1 because that's what everyone was playing. Now ~5 decades later I practice 14:1 but prefer 1 pkt.

 

[garczar]

Why not just regular old-school 8ball? We have a lot of sr. players where i play and its easily the most popular game. Only a few play 1p and zero play 14.1 I live in Okla. and i would bet i haven't seen twenty games of 14.1 in my entire life and i've been playing since '78. Straight-pool has never been a thing in the south or midwest other than maybe Chicago.

 

[Texas Carom Club]

When you watch top top pro 8 ball in the BcA format - I think that one can become aware of just how demanding the game actually is in terms of pin point position play and planned pattern play. Top pros almost never play safes in 8 ball bc their CB control permits run outs from the break very often - run outs in frequency well beyond the capabilities of even most mid 600 fargo players

pros play with brand new balls magic rack and new cloth
the spreads are far more generous than what we play on normally, that with the pin point precise cue ball positioning
its gives the false idea that its an easy game
when the stats show still its only 30-40 bnr percentage even at pro level

 

[Bavafongoul]

The best game for seniors is 10 ball. You never forget what ball is next to shoot at so forgetting if you were stripes or solids never happens. It is always the lowest number ball remaining on the table. If you make the last ball (the 10 ball), you win.

There isn’t any slop or luck since every shot is a intended called pocket just like in 14.1 which is the greatest game ever invented. When you run the table, or however many object balls remaining, you feel like you accomplished a feat and based on the lay of the table, it might even have been a difficult run to complete. Running 10 can be easy or can be hard.

10 ball is a shortened one rack equivalent (10 balls vs. 15 balls) of 14.1 without leaving any OB for a break shot. It is
a fair game because you can’t slop a ball in a pocket and then keep shooting. Nope, every pocketed ball is intentional.
9 ball is better for gambling or tournaments because it is faster and games end sooner. 10 ball is almost miniature 14..

 

[jtompilot]

When I was younger I never liked 14.1 and hated 1P. In my 40’s I started getting burned out playing 8/9 ball and starting playing some 1P but still hated 14.1 Now it’s almost all 1P with an occasional 8/9/10 ball tournament when I’m out of town and can’t find 1P action. I now make too many mistakes to even think about 14.1 so I absolutely hate it

 

[Jimmy_Betmore]

For competition I prefer onehole just because I enjoy the strategy aspect of it and the shots that don't come up in any other game. But for practice, I prefer 14.1 and even bowliards. Both of those games give you actual scores you can use to track progress.

 

[Black-Balled]

...If you can occasionally run 20-30 yourself, you can demoralize your opponent.

This applies to 1p too!!

 

[Black-Balled]

When I was younger I never liked 14.1 and hated 1P. In my 40’s I started getting burned out playing 8/9 ball and starting playing some 1P but still hated 14.1 Now it’s almost all 1P with an occasional 8/9/10 ball tournament when I’m out of town and can’t find 1P action. I now make too many mistakes to even think about 14.1 so I absolutely hate it

When I practice 14.1, it invariably turns to bank pool or 1p before I hit the end of rack #2.

Any ball/ any pocket...how hard can it be?!?!?