Bowliards

MattPoland

MattPoland

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Is this going on everywhere or just in Michigan? Super forgiving rules. Rack 10 ball. Free break. Start with BIH like you’re playing the ghost. Shoot any ball (not rotation). Runout equals a strike. Miss, you play it where it lies. Runout after a miss. That’s a spare. Two misses and the ball counts on each inning are your two scores on that open frame. Score it like bowling in an app. People are using video chats on their phone and squaring off frame by frame. Top players are bowling 300 (multiple times) but everyone else dogs a shot in there somewhere, scoring from low to high 200s. It’s like all the easiest parts of 10b, 8b and 14.1 combined into the easiest game that can snag you if you drop focus. During stay-at-home they are having tournaments and talking leagues.

I’m sure there’s other nuances to the rules. Are others seeing this pop up?


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bowliards

MattPoland said:
Is this going in everywhere or just in Michigan? Super forgiving rules. Rack 10 ball. Free break. Start with BIH like you’re playing the ghost. Shoot any ball (not rotation). Runout equals a strike. Miss, you play it where it lies. Runout after a miss. That’s a spare. Two kisses and the ball counts on each inning are your two scores on that open frame. Score it like bowling in an app. People are using video chats on their phone and squaring off frame by frame. Top players are bowling 300 (multiple times) but everyone else dogs a shot in there somewhere, scoring from low to high 200s. It’s like all the easiest parts of 10b, 8b and 14.1 combined into the easiest game that can snag you if you drop focus. During stay-at-home they are having tournaments and talking leagues.

I’m sure there’s other nuances to the rules. Are others seeing this pop up?


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Matt,

I have played Bowliards since I was a kid. I grew up with 14.1 and just played this a few times for novelty. Now I use it with my beginner students.

It's designed for lower level players. Players that can't play rotation because they can't spin the ball around the table and don't know multiple rail routes. Players that don't have the tools to play effective straight pool because they can't really break open balls well.

I used this game for my daughter when she was 10 and 11. She was learning to run balls using vertical access only. Mostly stop shots, stun shots, roll forward a bit here, pull back a few inches there. Good patterns. Routine transitions. Trying to put together runs. It was good for her. In the beginning she was missing ball in hand or running 1s and 2s. Towards the end she was getting her share of strikes and spares, which at the age of 12 on a 9' diamond was pretty satisfying for her.

So I do think this is a good practice for beginners. It builds pressure later in the game and the runs themselves get tougher as often they end up shooting a few recovery shots towards the end. Good stuff. Once that gets easy they need to be switching to rotation and moving on to side spin and more complex cue ball paths, but you have to start somewhere. You're right that for serious players this is far too easy.
 
We play with no ball in hand after the break. It makes it a bit harder, but because you can make any ball in any order, it’s still not that hard. Good practice for just a good solid break, keeping the cue ball in the middle, and avoiding a scratch.
 
I play with ball in the kitchen after the break and I'm certain that is the official rule. I've been playing and keeping track of my average for 10 years.

Awesome game...
 
MattPoland said:
Is this going on everywhere or just in Michigan? Super forgiving rules. Rack 10 ball. Free break. Start with BIH like you’re playing the ghost. Shoot any ball (not rotation). Runout equals a strike. Miss, you play it where it lies. Runout after a miss. That’s a spare. Two misses and the ball counts on each inning are your two scores on that open frame. Score it like bowling in an app. People are using video chats on their phone and squaring off frame by frame. Top players are bowling 300 (multiple times) but everyone else dogs a shot in there somewhere, scoring from low to high 200s. It’s like all the easiest parts of 10b, 8b and 14.1 combined into the easiest game that can snag you if you drop focus. During stay-at-home they are having tournaments and talking leagues.

I’m sure there’s other nuances to the rules. Are others seeing this pop up?


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We were playing this in our local room on a Sunday thing with a handful of guys for a while, easy game to learn. Not sure if I have seen a big move to the game, only place I have seen it played is in that one room on Sundays hehe. We were thinking of doing a league based on that game since it's so easy for a new player to get and start shooting. I think this is the second post about this game in a week or so, although the other one called it something else. I'll have to have a chat with the guys again about the league thing once the rooms open up again.
 
Here are rules from the BCA RuleBook...

BOWLLIARDS -- Except when clearly contradicted by these additional rules, the General Rules of Pocket Billiards apply.

TYPE OF GAME -- Bowlliards applies the scoring concepts of bowling to pocket billiards. It's one of the few games that can be quite interesting as a solitary exercise since, like bowling, there is a perfect game score to strive for, and a player can measure improvement quite easily over the course of time playing Bowlliards.

PLAYERS -- Any number.

BALLS USED -- Any 10 object balls, plus cue ball.

THE RACK -- Standard triangle position (front apex ball on the foot spot), using a 1-2-3-4 rack configuration.

OBJECT OF THE GAME -- To score a perfect score of 300 points in 10 frames (innings) in solitary play. In competition, to score a higher point total in 10 innings than opponent(s).

SCORING -- Each legally pocketed ball is scored as one point, regardless of ball number. The points scored per the "Rules of Play" below are treated exactly as is the pinfall in bowling.

OPENING BREAK -- At the start of player's inning (frame), he has a free break (no special ball-to-cushion or other requirements once break stroke commences, and a jumped or scratched cue ball is without penalty). Any balls pocketed on the break are spotted, and player follows break by beginning scoring play with object balls in position and cue ball in hand behind the head string. (The opening break takes place at the start of every inning.)

RULES OF PLAY

1. A legally pocketed ball entitles the shooter to continue at the table until failing to pocket a called ball on a shot, or until scoring (10), the maximum total per inning possible. The player may choose and shoot any ball, but before shooting, must designate a single ball that will be pocketed and the pocket into which the ball will score; the shooter need not indicate kisses, caroms, combinations or cushions (none of which are illegal) .

2. Player has two chances to pocket the 10 possible balls of each frame. If player legally pockets 10 consecutive balls on the first chance of a frame, that frame is completed and player scores the frame exactly as a strike in bowling. If player fails to pocket 10 consecutive balls on the first chance, the player takes a second chance immediately. If the shooter succeeds in legally pocketing the remaining balls of the 10 on the second chance, the frame is completed and player scores it exactly as a spare in bowling. If player fails to legally pocket all 10 balls in two chances, the frame is then completed and is scored just as in bowling; a "strike" in the 10th inning earns two extra shots, a spare one extra shot.

3. If players tie for high game total in competition, additional innings are played alternately by the tied players, with the first player posting a superior score to that of the opponent(s) being the winner ("sudden death ").

ILLEGALLY POCKETED BALLS -- On the break, illegally pocketed balls are spotted prior to player beginning scoring play (first chance of the frame). During scoring play, illegally pocketed balls are spotted.

OBJECT BALLS JUMPED OFF THE TABLE -- All spotted. The stroke is a foul and the penalty for fouls is followed.

CUE BALL AFTER JUMP OR SCRATCH -- Only applies if occurring as player's first foul of a frame, player has cue ball in hand behind the head string to begin a second chance of the frame.

PENALTY FOR FOULS -- One point is deducted from offender' sscore for each loul. If a foul ends the player's first chance of a frame, he has cue ball in hand behind the head string to begin his second chance of the frame.
 
Equal Offense

In one of Robert Byrnes early books he listed some games to play. Equal Offense is scored like bowling also.
Jerry Brieseth was credited for this game.
 
If you make your called shot while slopping in additional balls do the slop balls stay down a la 14.1 or get spotted?
 
wild8bill9 said:
In one of Robert Byrnes early books he listed some games to play. Equal Offense is scored like bowling also.
Jerry Brieseth was credited for this game.
Click to expand...
Usually Equal Offense does not have a concept of score carry-over with strikes and spares. The standard maximum per try/break is 20 balls. When there was an organized national competition run by Pool & Billiard Magazine in the 1980s, I believe the maximum possible score was 200 for ten tries, except there were handicaps.

Internet Equal Offense (in the late 1990s, 5-player teams reporting scores over the internet) was played to a maximum of 200.
 
I got my first 300 last night. I narrated my shot selection as I played to make it semi-instructional. My 10th game was a bit challenging (46:10).

https://youtu.be/_nQZKG85Tng

I spent the entire set trying to figure out the 10-ball break. I didn’t get anywhere.


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Bob Jewett said:
Usually Equal Offense does not have a concept of score carry-over with strikes and spares. The standard maximum per try/break is 20 balls. When there was an organized national competition run by Pool & Billiard Magazine in the 1980s, I believe the maximum possible score was 200 for ten tries, except there were handicaps.

Internet Equal Offense (in the late 1990s, 5-player teams reporting scores over the internet) was played to a maximum of 200.
Click to expand...

I played in EO tourneys in the Detroit area during the late 70s. It was always 10 attempts at running a max of 20 balls. Open break, BIH behind the head string. Balls made during each of the 10 innings were totaled to a max of 200 points as played per 14.1 rules. Your placement in the event was simply your total balls scored as compared to all participants. Don't recall any scores of 200.
 
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MattPoland said:
I got my first 300 last night. I narrated my shot selection as I played to make it semi-instructional. My 10th game was a bit challenging (46:10).

https://youtu.be/_nQZKG85Tng

I spent the entire set trying to figure out the 10-ball break. I didn’t get anywhere.


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Hello, Matt -

Real quick since I didn’t watch the entire run of 10 frames (12 racks I presume) because I noticed a few contradictions in rules for Bowlliards that stuck out immediately -

1) balls pocketed on the break must be spotted - I noticed you hadn’t done that.

2) after the opening break, you are required to take cue ball in hand behind the head string for your first shot - noticed you hadn’t done that either.

Unless you are following some other rules that you came across and not the ones I’ve been referencing and using since the game was first introduced in the BCA Official Rules and Record Book back in the revised 1980 edition.....then by all means disregard the rules I pointed out and carry on with however you personally like to play the game

I thought worthy of mentioning these two differences right away in case others use your video purely as a guide to how they should play and score Bowlliards.

~ K.
 
MattPoland said:
Stay down


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Also - these balls must be spotted.

A legally made shot is defined as one called ball in which designated pocket - otherwise it’s called an “illegally pocketed ball” and must be spotted.

~ K.
 
K2Kraze said:
Hello, Matt -

Real quick since I didn’t watch the entire run of 10 frames (12 racks I presume) because I noticed a few contradictions in rules for Bowlliards that stuck out immediately -

1) balls pocketed on the break must be spotted - I noticed you hadn’t done that.

2) after the opening break, you are required to take cue ball in hand behind the head string for your first shot - noticed you hadn’t done that either.

Unless you are following some other rules that you came across and not the ones I’ve been referencing and using since the game was first introduced in the BCA Official Rules and Record Book back in the revised 1980 edition.....then by all means disregard the rules I pointed out and carry on with however you personally like to play the game

I thought worthy of mentioning these two differences right away in case others use your video purely as a guide to how they should play and score Bowlliards.

~ K.
Click to expand...


I appreciate you pointing that out. I was pulled into this Facebook group of people playing.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/658229791617059/?ref=share

They’re playing by modified rules to lower the barrier of entry. I’ve called it Modified Michigan Rules...but perhaps Michigan Express has a nicer ring. Either way, when in Rome...

I think BIH in the kitchen makes sense. Spotting balls after the break really rewards softer breaks. Dropping 2-3 balls nets you an opening table with a caterpillar. So I don’t mind the modified rules there. I can go either way on incidental balls pocketed after a legally pocketed ball. Shouldn’t come up too often unless someone has a wild cueball. Either way that player will tend to score less. *shrug*




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A guy I know used to play this game but he took bih after the break and shot the balls in rotation. He had to run out for a strike. I don’t remember if he took bih again if he missed or shot from where the cue ball stopped. He plays at well over 700 Fargo rate speed and hasn’t shot a ball in over 5 years.
 
Here are two pages I compiled for Bowlliards that I share with my friends, including a Questions section that answers and highlights situations that come up during play:

23041e9abecc52ef3b6f0f8919f5e6e7.plist


a01449a7bd2a0e759b236ddf87c721eb.plist


~ K.
 
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