I saw an interview with Efren on inside pool, and he mentioned that he grew up playing balkline, and I have never seen it played.
Best type of pool game for best ratings on tv
- Thread starter real irish
- Start date
Balkline is IMO the most difficult cue game. It's played on a billiard table with a grid drawn on the table so you have several boxes drawn. You have to make a billiard (just making the cueball hit the other two balls) but you can only make two consecutive billiards in the box you're in and then you have to make a ball (any ball) leave the box on your next billiard. At the highest level the game is unbelievably skillfull. Frederic Caudron is far and away the best at it, he's something to see. Sometimes when he gets slightly out of line, he'll send one object ball three rails around the table and make it come to rest with the other two balls. I've seen pool players try this and they look just like any other total novice player. It takes yerars to really become somewhat proficient at.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Balkline_and_straight_rail
The poster was joking. Balkline is borrrrrrring. It was replaced by three cushion because it became too easy for the masters.
On it's current path, pool will most certainly not become a tv sport. But there isn't any credible evidence that it doesn't have potential. The public will never unanimously decide to start setting their digital recorders to capture pool events, it just doesn't work that way. But it seems as though the pool industry hopes it will.
Pool is already a popular game. Millions of people play it each week. Millions more play it on regular or semi-regular basis. We don't need all 60 million people in the US to watch it regularily, even just a sixth at a time would be decent ratings.
What the game desperately needs is some good marketing. The only organisations that I am aware of that try to bring in new players and fans are the leagues.
Pool is already a popular game. Millions of people play it each week. Millions more play it on regular or semi-regular basis. We don't need all 60 million people in the US to watch it regularily, even just a sixth at a time would be decent ratings.
What the game desperately needs is some good marketing. The only organisations that I am aware of that try to bring in new players and fans are the leagues.
That was straight rail. Balkline is too easy for top players in the same way 14.1 is too easy for John Schmidt and Thorsten Hohmann. Though I agree some may find it less interesting than 3 cushion
In straight rail they would run 300 to 500 like it was nothing. When they introduced Balkline it didn't take long before they were back running hundreds again. Honestly, it is hard to believe that either game had an audience. I watched straight rail played in Europe in the 90's at a world tournament. It was almost unbearable. The funniest part is, as easy as a pro makes straight rail look as they run hundreds, the average player has a hard time running 10. Try it you will see. Years ago I saw a good straight rail player giving some very good three cushion players 125 to 10 and never lose a game.
The only thing that could be more boring than balkline might be line-up straight pool.
I guess it's about time someone linked to it:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=msFGy5_h7YU
I guess it's about time someone linked to it:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=msFGy5_h7YU
I meant that straight rail was too easy for them, not balkline. Yes they run hundreds in balkline but not with the same consistency. Personally I find it to be a beautiful game to watch.
I've never played on a billiard table, but I've dabbled in english billiards. Even in a perfect nursing position, I am lucky to manage more than 10 cannons.
I actually like this idea. Believe me, it would rather see a well executed safety than a jump shot any day, but the average viewer (non-pool player) is going to get bored with safety play very quickly. The failure to pocket a ball resulting in BIH rule would certainly speed up the game.
It seems to me like there was a format similar to this at one point... I just can't remember what it was.
8 ball. Its the game everyone has played at least once in their lives. 9 balls been on tv for years and still no one watches it. 8 ball should at least be given a chance. If it dont work then it dont work, it cant hurt thats for sure.
I think team pool like the world cup could be a hit because the audience could conceivably span the globe. And the game(s) should be a mixture of whatever is popular in the countries involved. It would be fun to see all the great players from around the world.
The majority of pool players play in leagues on week nights work 40+ hours weeks and spend weekends with their families. They have little or no interest in watching outdated or pre-recorded pool matches that are boring with boring announcers telling them that a long straight in shot took years to master. If Billy Incardona, Buddy Hall, Grady Matthews or my personal favorite Danny Deliberto were doing the announcing, they would tell it like it is and provide fun entertainment for the viewing audience!
Sorry, but we would rather play pool than watch it on tv. :boring2:
Sorry, but we would rather play pool than watch it on tv. :boring2:
That is why it would be nice to mic the players and have them call the shots. Sort of a little showmanship from them. Then maybe an announcer of quality to fill in for a player who is more quiet.
If the 30 year or so history of trying to twist and mould English 8 ball into something that tv audiences will be drawn to is anything to go by there is absolutely no chance whatsoever of rule changes or 'more open play' ever making tournament 8 ball a game (any equipment, any rules) that will draw tv audiences.
Indeed there were higher television audiences for English 8 ball back in the 80's when the rules meant that excruiciatingly long drawn out safety battles were commonplace than there are now when the current rules basically favour trying to break and run almost every rack.
Everything is relative of course and the audiences were, are and always will be less than pathetically small. It is a changing world and there is far too much competition for viewers time, money and attention both on and off tv.
8 ball pool could only ever become a tv 'draw' if it sold it's soul to the cue sport equivalent of "wraslin" moguls. Larger than life goodies and baddies, river boat gamblers and pretend lay preachers, undertakers and ninjas, etc etc etc, fully dressed and kitted out for the cartoon caricature figure they represent. Grudge matches involving forfeits especially designed for the losers dislikes and phobias and money matches etc.....all with moves and results fully choreographed in the green room before they come out to play.
Nobody on this site has any potential interest in such a bastardised circus of course, unless they stood to make a very healthy wedge out of it (we are all pool players after all lol)....but then again no regular on this site actually has the slightest relevance to potential tv audiences for pool in a commercial sense, we are but a merest fraction of what is needed and many of us are already converted.
Indeed there were higher television audiences for English 8 ball back in the 80's when the rules meant that excruiciatingly long drawn out safety battles were commonplace than there are now when the current rules basically favour trying to break and run almost every rack.
Everything is relative of course and the audiences were, are and always will be less than pathetically small. It is a changing world and there is far too much competition for viewers time, money and attention both on and off tv.
8 ball pool could only ever become a tv 'draw' if it sold it's soul to the cue sport equivalent of "wraslin" moguls. Larger than life goodies and baddies, river boat gamblers and pretend lay preachers, undertakers and ninjas, etc etc etc, fully dressed and kitted out for the cartoon caricature figure they represent. Grudge matches involving forfeits especially designed for the losers dislikes and phobias and money matches etc.....all with moves and results fully choreographed in the green room before they come out to play.
Nobody on this site has any potential interest in such a bastardised circus of course, unless they stood to make a very healthy wedge out of it (we are all pool players after all lol)....but then again no regular on this site actually has the slightest relevance to potential tv audiences for pool in a commercial sense, we are but a merest fraction of what is needed and many of us are already converted.
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get some famous hollywood stars like poker and play 8 ball partners.
get some famous hollywood stars like poker and play 8 ball partners.
10-Ball Rail Pool
Ten-Ball Rail pool would be a good test of skill that would attract viewers. In this game the cue ball has to touch a rail after the object ball has been struck. Rotational games take much of the luck factor out of the game and thus require more skill. Requiring the cue ball to strike a rail after the shot removes many of the boring little shots that are played in a match to maintain control. The viewers can easily follow the game with better lighting such as yesterday’s WPA matches on ESPN. I think this would be exciting to watch because players would be required to take more risks.
Another feature that might keep the matches from getting too one sided is to score for each ball made, similar to 14.1. In a race to 11 there are 154 points available. One point for each ball and 5 points for the game (last ball). The first person to score 77 points wins. Lighting is the key to any rotational game so the viewer can follow what is going on.
Another way to do it is to play for one hour, like a football game. This allows for commercials with 15 minute quarters. Using designated pockets, half the pockets for each player mgiht add to the game and viewer appeal. swap side of the table for each quarter.
Ten-Ball Rail pool would be a good test of skill that would attract viewers. In this game the cue ball has to touch a rail after the object ball has been struck. Rotational games take much of the luck factor out of the game and thus require more skill. Requiring the cue ball to strike a rail after the shot removes many of the boring little shots that are played in a match to maintain control. The viewers can easily follow the game with better lighting such as yesterday’s WPA matches on ESPN. I think this would be exciting to watch because players would be required to take more risks.
Another feature that might keep the matches from getting too one sided is to score for each ball made, similar to 14.1. In a race to 11 there are 154 points available. One point for each ball and 5 points for the game (last ball). The first person to score 77 points wins. Lighting is the key to any rotational game so the viewer can follow what is going on.
Another way to do it is to play for one hour, like a football game. This allows for commercials with 15 minute quarters. Using designated pockets, half the pockets for each player mgiht add to the game and viewer appeal. swap side of the table for each quarter.
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I think bar box 8-ball might have a following on TV. Like what has been said in a number of posts here, millions play or have played on bar boxes. Also I think you will find more colorful good players on bar boxes. There has to be some talk from the players to off-set the boredom of runouts for the mainstream to stay the coarse.
Back in the 1950's there was a game on TV once a week and tables in the bars of NY and NJ, and maybe other states called Q-Ball. The tables were 3'x6'. and you shot from one end. It had holes in the slate with point numbers from 10 to 200. There was a wooden mushroom in the middle of the table that when knocked down cost you whatever you made so far on that run. Good players banked, caromed, kissed shots, and comboed balls in the numbered holes.
Teams of four players played other bars in an area with the top team from one area playing the top team from another area on TV each week. The same could be done with bar boxes today. Johnnyt
Back in the 1950's there was a game on TV once a week and tables in the bars of NY and NJ, and maybe other states called Q-Ball. The tables were 3'x6'. and you shot from one end. It had holes in the slate with point numbers from 10 to 200. There was a wooden mushroom in the middle of the table that when knocked down cost you whatever you made so far on that run. Good players banked, caromed, kissed shots, and comboed balls in the numbered holes.
Teams of four players played other bars in an area with the top team from one area playing the top team from another area on TV each week. The same could be done with bar boxes today. Johnnyt
I was going to post a picture of a Q-Ball table but can't find one on the net. I know a company in Washington State made an electronic version with scoreboard and sounds. The kids would love it I think and could get them interested in the big pool tables. If someone finds it please post picture of it or give me the link and I will post it. Thank you. Johnnyt
The choice of games isn't the problem. The problem is pool does have the flair, the dramatics, the athletes and action other games provide. It doesn't have the excitement of an all-in bet on a poker table. We don't have dancing girls, running around, scantly dressed, that we can show the world when things aren't as exciting, as the networks want them to be. We certainly don't have a Tiger Woods or Lebron James, superstars, that are well known by all walks of people in every day life. Golf found a way to make the game more exciting to watch. They placed cameras all over the course and if a player hit a great shot they showed it after it happened.
Pool had it's best chance for popularity after the Color of Money movie. There was no organization or leadership. A few people, with limited insight, were our connection to the networks. They took the best deals they could make for themselves, with little concern for the game itself.
I could watch, great pool, morning, noon, and night. I know I'm not the only one. The problem is, the networks don't know it. Call them up. Start petitions. Do something, because what we're doing now, isn't working.
________________________________
This could make a difference,possibly a movie.
Check it out!
tommcgonaglerightoncue.com
Pool had it's best chance for popularity after the Color of Money movie. There was no organization or leadership. A few people, with limited insight, were our connection to the networks. They took the best deals they could make for themselves, with little concern for the game itself.
I could watch, great pool, morning, noon, and night. I know I'm not the only one. The problem is, the networks don't know it. Call them up. Start petitions. Do something, because what we're doing now, isn't working.
________________________________
This could make a difference,possibly a movie.
Check it out!
tommcgonaglerightoncue.com