I posted this in another thread (I'm sure all of AZB has been waiting to hear wait Cory thinks!). For those who have tried Bonus Ball, what do you think? For those that haven't, why not?
To get things rolling, here are my initial thoughts.
1. "Bonus ball" is a lame name. Need something catchier. "Sequence" is the best I have come up with, but there are many people more creative than me.
2. To form a real opinion on the game, you need to try it on a table for a few hours and watch the US v. Canada match. It's hard to understand one without the other.
3. There's a lot to like about BB. As you play it, you can tell how the makers tried to combine the better elements of 8-ball, rotation games, one pocket, and a little straight pool, while trying to increase the pace of the game relative to one pocket. I think they succeeded in that attempt. Also, it's interesting and challenging that, in the early part of a rack, it's pretty wide open and there are lots of options on how to run balls (like 8-ball, but with a modest sequence requirement). Later in the rack, you want to put balls by one of your holes while keeping them away from your opponent's holes. Even though there are three pockets, this part is more like one-pocket than you might think -- that is, the extra pockets don't play much of a role (see the John Barton thread on getting spotted two extra pockets in one-hole against a champion).
4. Drawbacks. It's a change. I had to actively think to remember my 3 pockets and assess a layout; in 8/9 ball and one hole, assessing a layout is pretty much automatic. It's especially tricky to remember that if you make the first ball in a sequence but miss the second, you have to start on the ball that you missed. (Yes, that sentence is probably inscrutable if you haven't tried the game.)
One pretty neat aspect of the game is the strategy changes a bit depending on whether you and the opponent are both on the same color or different colors.
5. Production. Nathan M. is good. Much better to watch than the pool matches you used to see on TV.
6. The game will force you to take some creative banks, and the clock forces a fast pace. As good a chance as any, probably better, to create an exciting game of pool. The way I see it, pro 8-ball, 9-ball, and 10-ball are too easy (80% either run out while holding the line or safe); one pocket is awesome but boring to the lay person. Bonus Ball strikes a pretty good balance.
Long story short: good game, needs a better name.
Cory
To get things rolling, here are my initial thoughts.
1. "Bonus ball" is a lame name. Need something catchier. "Sequence" is the best I have come up with, but there are many people more creative than me.
2. To form a real opinion on the game, you need to try it on a table for a few hours and watch the US v. Canada match. It's hard to understand one without the other.
3. There's a lot to like about BB. As you play it, you can tell how the makers tried to combine the better elements of 8-ball, rotation games, one pocket, and a little straight pool, while trying to increase the pace of the game relative to one pocket. I think they succeeded in that attempt. Also, it's interesting and challenging that, in the early part of a rack, it's pretty wide open and there are lots of options on how to run balls (like 8-ball, but with a modest sequence requirement). Later in the rack, you want to put balls by one of your holes while keeping them away from your opponent's holes. Even though there are three pockets, this part is more like one-pocket than you might think -- that is, the extra pockets don't play much of a role (see the John Barton thread on getting spotted two extra pockets in one-hole against a champion).
4. Drawbacks. It's a change. I had to actively think to remember my 3 pockets and assess a layout; in 8/9 ball and one hole, assessing a layout is pretty much automatic. It's especially tricky to remember that if you make the first ball in a sequence but miss the second, you have to start on the ball that you missed. (Yes, that sentence is probably inscrutable if you haven't tried the game.)
One pretty neat aspect of the game is the strategy changes a bit depending on whether you and the opponent are both on the same color or different colors.
5. Production. Nathan M. is good. Much better to watch than the pool matches you used to see on TV.
6. The game will force you to take some creative banks, and the clock forces a fast pace. As good a chance as any, probably better, to create an exciting game of pool. The way I see it, pro 8-ball, 9-ball, and 10-ball are too easy (80% either run out while holding the line or safe); one pocket is awesome but boring to the lay person. Bonus Ball strikes a pretty good balance.
Long story short: good game, needs a better name.
Cory
