Blackball

I'd like to see a few English pubs here in the states put in some Black ball tables. It might just catch on big with so many asking for tighter pockets. I think its a very cool game. Johnnyt
 
Johnnyt said:
I'd like to see a few English pubs here in the states put in some Black ball tables. It might just catch on big with so many asking for tighter pockets. I think its a very cool game. Johnnyt
Click to expand...

So do I Johnnyt. The strategy involved is perfect for many of the bars I used to play in. So many of the mid-west bars had the space for a snooker table back in the 70's but now its rare to see even a 5x10. The small BB tables have similar rails and look and play like their monster cousins.
Playing some Black ball is on my bucket list.
 
English pool, blackball or as it is known here simply "pool" is most frequently played in pubs as a recreational game rather than for stakes or competitions. Mostly it is coin op tables with a "winner stays on" one frame mini match format.

Where competition takes place it is most usually in the form of pub vs pub team leagues of between 4-7 players per team.

Higher standard players "tend" to first play "interleague" or "superleague" which is "teams that represent leagues" and then "county" pool where all the leagues in a county geographical area contribute players to a team that plays other counties divided into regions.

Pub pool leagues, interleague and county are usually where players from each team play a "one frame match".

The quality of the equipment found in typical pub pool league venues, the rules and the cut of the table etc mean that apart from at elite levels, "running racks" is rare.

Singles tournaments (best of 5 and above) and tours (pro, am or proam) tend to be played by players of interleague standard and above and reserved for "primary hobby" cue players.

Pub standard > Interleague > County > Tour player is not an indication of standard.
 
voiceofreason said:
English pool, blackball or as it is known here simply "pool" is most frequently played in pubs as a recreational game rather than for stakes or competitions. Mostly it is coin op tables with a "winner stays on" one frame mini match format.

Where competition takes place it is most usually in the form of pub vs pub team leagues of between 4-7 players per team.

Higher standard players "tend" to first play "interleague" or "superleague" which is "teams that represent leagues" and then "county" pool where all the leagues in a county geographical area contribute players to a team that plays other counties divided into regions.

Pub pool leagues, interleague and county are usually where players from each team play a "one frame match".

The quality of the equipment found in typical pub pool league venues, the rules and the cut of the table etc mean that apart from at elite levels, "running racks" is rare.

Singles tournaments (best of 5 and above) and tours (pro, am or proam) tend to be played by players of interleague standard and above and reserved for "primary hobby" cue players.

Pub standard > Interleague > County > Tour player is not an indication of standard.
Click to expand...

Pah! What would you know about it anyway :wink:
 
surfed a bit to see what's up,

this is a enlightening page: Blackball.UK: blackball gallery

following the comments page till 2018 Feb then, poofff, nothing... except for some attempts with ads at tournaments in 2020, 2021...

It's a sit back in your chair realization what the deep state world order of communist did to the world just to or, tried to do, to defeat America First.
If blackball is being played, theirs isn't much of a current conversation about it, understandable.
There's reason to be optimistic though...
..starting a frame with a hit on black first.

..say Bob, that link to your pdf is not there,
sure would like to know what that was about...
...kinda like to know what influences I'm misinterpreting.
 
I just wish there was more of an active interest in English pool on the main forum. The English pool category is basically dead and the majority of posts I see are to do with American pool. It's the same on Reddit - hardly any blackball discussion.
 
"Blackball" is one of two "official" sets of rules (along with "World Rules") and is the version recognised by the WPA. The game is called pool, English pool or British pool and Blackball is just a ruleset.

Ties between the International Pool Association (IPA) and Blackball International (BI) (which both claim to run either the "professional" or "amateur" game) are loosening, and the WEPF which uses World Rules is rumoured to be switching to "International Pool Rules" (used in the recent Ultimate Pool Shootout where Chris Melling beat reigning World Rules champion Michael Hill in the final). International Pool Rules are as similar as they can be to WPA "American" 8 ball rules given that the balls are not numbered so call shot is difficult (rumour also has it that the creator of International Pool Rules, previously known as
Supreme Pool Rules, Lee Kendall wanted to revert to numbered balls).

English pool has suffered from silly "two shots" rules that didn't consider consequences and led to inconsistencies in the rules. Subsequent rulesets attempted to address this and Blackball, imho, is the best official ruleset in doing so.

The game itself is interesting and the top players have some skills that the top players of "American" pool don't. It is common though to see players raised on English pool, who land in environments where 9ft 8 ball is king, take a dislike to their old game and call it "negative" or "daft",

Put a "blackball" table in a club or bar in the US where there are serious pool players looking for a challenging game - and just play standard 8 ball rules call pocket (call shot when the table is open, on last red or yellow, or on the black) and I agree you will have a great game. There were some great tactical frames on Monday in the Ultimate Pool Shootout that would never happen on a 9ft with straight angled pockets.
 
say Swighey,
thanks for the insight
that Monday Ultimate Pool Shootout, bing'd that, all that was coming up were f****ook post's,

on that tactical frames on Monday in the Ultimate Pool Shootout that would never happen on a 9ft with straight angled pockets.
The tables were 7' or 6? are the pockets protected with snooker bend cushions?



..a note a foot,
Easy to say than do I realize and the pipes for its travel may not be as fast at first, however, these organization's forming the rulesets, the gaming formats and the accolade's for the pro and amateur really should have their own server(s) to control the content. For me it is as important as the rule(s).
 
Last edited:
Dan_B said:
say Swighey,
thanks for the insight
that Monday Ultimate Pool Shootout, bing'd that, all that was coming up were f****ook post's,

on that tactical frames on Monday in the Ultimate Pool Shootout that would never happen on a 9ft with straight angled pockets.
The tables were 7' or 6? are the pockets protected with snooker bend cushions?
Click to expand...
It was broadcast in the UK on a channel called Freesports. It's probably available on the Freesports player, which you "might" be able to access from outside the UK ;) The match will eventually make its way to Facebook and/or Youtube.

Yes the tables were 7' with the snooker style pockets. Way harder to cheat the pockets.
 
My mistake, it's actually called Champions league pool. You won't find the finals yet on the youtube channel but there are some earlier group matches. There is one non-standard rule in this tournament to juice things up as its a "shootout" with a 20s shot clock - golden break (black on the break) is a win and "golden duck" (black and white on the break) is a loss.
 
..while sizzling on the cooktop last night I'll slip out for a quick little drill,
on the break, potted white three times in row on this one with the second break potting the black down here in the "I",
I called it a night, wasn't thinking golden duck, certainly more appropriate and, it wasn't what was sizzling.
Rh1.jpg
 
...having caught a little bit of the matchroom gig currently in play and I did check out the ultimate shoot out a week or so back fine the shootout more entertaining. That clock use has its game about it, especially for that hill hill situation.
It feels to be a more serious, time management kind of game, plus the table conditions put that little extra pinch for skill in a ready to go, no snooze getting lazy mind frame.
Dam shame the no fans scene, with no covid I can see the pub rock'n with a couple of competing tables in that shoot out shot clock format.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top