Chinese 8 ball - what are your thoughts now?

S

smashmouth

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I've watched closely that last couple years both live streams and on youtube a good several hundred hours over five or so big tourneys that included the elite of pool uk8ball and snooker

some random observations;

-pockets are in fact too tight, ending runs early, encouraging slow and repetitive safeties and preventing shots with excessive cueball english

-wouldn't mind seeing 9 ball on these tables

-amazed that the uk 8 ball guys have done so well while the pool and snooker guys not so much

-not as much fun watching as it was a couple years ago, maybe the novelty has worn off but also, just lack of big runs due to table difficulty

-break shot is a useless crapshoot

-the top chinese guys are super specialists who imo could not compete playing american pool

also, almost anything to do with this game and rules and equipment is virtually invisible on the english internet
 
Have mad respect for the top Chin.8b players but i find it kinda boring to watch for reasons you pointed out. I'd like to try it but don't think i'd want to play it on a regular basis.
 
This game needs the position and safety play of pool with the pocketing of snooker. I think it's a great game to showcase the pro level players, but like other billiard games the skill will be lost on the casual player/viewer.

I do enjoy the tough and fancy shots that a pool table allows as far as hitting hard with spin and other shots needing to create angles with hitting to one side or the other. The current 4.5" and under pro equipment is great for pool, I think 4.25 should be the pro standard. But since so many of the big events are played on 7 footers with who knows what cut of pockets till there is a national pro tour again, we are left with Chinese 8 ball and Snooker as the only pro cue sports is seems.
 
smashmouth said:
-pockets are in fact too tight, ending runs early, encouraging slow and repetitive safeties and preventing shots with excessive cueball english

-wouldn't mind seeing 9 ball on these tables
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Surely the tactical drudge fest is better suited to 8 ball than 9 ball?

smashmouth said:
-amazed that the uk 8 ball guys have done so well while the pool and snooker guys not so much
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We've only seen a handful of tournaments so it might be too early to say - but Selby and Robertson did just fine. No surprise that the UK pool guys have done so well given that they have all played a fair bit of 9 ball on 9ft tables, have played snooker on 12 fts and have played 8 ball pool on tables with tough pockets. The younger "American" pool guys will do better eventually. Might be a while though.

smashmouth said:
-not as much fun watching as it was a couple years ago, maybe the novelty has worn off but also, just lack of big runs due to table difficulty
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I dismissed it at first but now love it.

smashmouth said:
-break shot is a useless crapshoot
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No, it's not. Maybe we have become too conditioned to expecting the breaker to control the table before the break has been made?

smashmouth said:
-the top chinese guys are super specialists who imo could not compete playing american pool
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Complete and utter nonsense

smashmouth said:
also, almost anything to do with this game and rules and equipment is virtually invisible on the english internet
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Yes and this is surprising. Give it time though, tables are arriving in the new and the old world and the rules will become relevant soon enough.
 
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It comes off as kind of a gaff game to me. It's never going to have mainstream success simply because it requires the biggest and most expensive kind of new equipment. 8 ball is the right direction for the game especially the pro game in my opinion, but I like what Darren is doing with his WPS events more than trying to expand Chinese 8 ball.
 
Some shots are unplayable

From certain angles some shots are virtually impossible (even at pocket speed). This is not the case on a snooker table. Would probably make for a good one pocket arrangement.
 
Chinese 8 ball and Blackball are both bastard formats that needs to die as soon as possible! Billiard needs to focus on the 3 established formats Carambole, Snooker and pool. Forcing pool halls to buy two new types of tables, with ballsets, cues etc. is asking way to much of those who run the pool halls.
Besides the games are boring to watch and play.
 
smashmouth said:
-wouldn't mind seeing 9 ball on these tables

also, almost anything to do with this game and rules and equipment is virtually invisible on the english internet
Click to expand...

Yes and yes, excellent observations.

Still enjoyable for me as I have not had much time recently to watch any pool. I'd be down to watch some 9Ball though!!
 
Kim Bye said:
Chinese 8 ball and Blackball are both bastard formats that needs to die as soon as possible! Billiard needs to focus on the 3 established formats Carambole, Snooker and pool. Forcing pool halls to buy two new types of tables, with ballsets, cues etc. is asking way to much of those who run the pool halls.
Besides the games are boring to watch and play.
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Very true.
 
Whatever format or game Yang Fan is playing, I will watch.
I have become a big fan through watching chinese 8 ball
 
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