Chinese 8 ball

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Kevin3824

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
How many here think Chinese 8 ball can or will save pool in America? It seems to have exponentially larger prizes and audiences. It requires a lot more skills and is played on tables that are not only more challenging then snooker or American tables but also not half as wide as they are long. Chinese 8 ball table is 9 x 5 and weigh over a ton. I have a hard time picturing them in bars or even most homes here simply because of their size, weight, and lack of mobility. The slate beds appear to be 3-4 inches thick.

I for one would love to see it become popular here though. No more luck shots allowed. All skill game.
 
Kevin3824 said:
How many here think Chinese 8 ball can or will save pool in America? It seems to have exponentially larger prizes and audiences. It requires a lot more skills and is played on tables that are not only more challenging then snooker or American tables but also not half as wide as they are long. Chinese 8 ball table is 9 x 5 and weigh over a ton. I have a hard time picturing them in bars or even most homes here simply because of their size, weight, and lack of mobility. The slate beds appear to be 3-4 inches thick.

I for one would love to see it become popular here though. No more luck shots allowed. All skill game.
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The Chinese 8-Ball tables are the same size as our 4½ x 9 pool tables, i.e., the playing surface is the standard 50" x 100" (1270mm x 2540mm).

I'm not sure why some people refer to them as "9 by 5." [Note that in Gareth Potts' video on the Chinese 8-Ball table, he calls it "9 by 5" but does say it is the same size as an American pool table.]
 
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I have erased the post, I kinda went off on a tangent
 
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ceebee said:
My friend in Australia plays 8 Ball on one of those tables. That's all he knew. He came to the States for 2 weeks, to visit me. Says he can't stand that BS anymore. He has approached the league president about using a cue ball that is the same size as the object ball & found a friendly ear.

Seems the president has been thinking that for several years, maybe change is coming for him. My self, I played Snooker for years, so round pockets don't bother me. When we play golf here, it's on a 5 x 10 Snooker table, with tight pockets & Pool Balls. We play rings games that way too.

The last time I played with an odd sized cue ball was on the early Bar Boxes. What a crop crap that was.

Using odd sized cue balls & cobbing up a table where a rail shot won't go in is lunacy.

Shows to go ya, that being BRITE & BEING IN CHARGE might be two (2) different things.
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Chinese 8 ball uses cue balls that are the same size as object balls. In fact the ball set is identical to American pool. I've played on C8B tables and while rail shots are much tougher than American pool tables (due to the rounded corner pocket facings) they were easier than on a snooker table. In addition, I thought that shots into the side pockets were easier. The felt is also very different from American table...directional, Iike snooker cloth.

I believe blackball uses a slightly smaller cue ball.
 
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AtLarge said:
The Chinese 8-Ball tables are the same size as our 4½ x 9 pool tables, i.e., the playing surface is the standard 50" x 100" (1270mm x 2540mm).

I'm not sure why some people refer to them as "9 by 5." [Note that in Gareth Potts' video on the Chinese 8-Ball table, he calls it "9 by 5" but does say it is the same size as an American pool table.]
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So can you tell me where you found the table size documented at 9 x 4.5 ? The video you refer to by Gareth also shows the thickness. Far as I know in order for a pool table to be considered regulation it needed to be half as wide as it is long. and at least one inch thick slate. The Chinese pool table if it is the same width and length as our current tables is still quite different then what we have available here in the USA. The cushions are steel backed and styled like snooker cushions. I have not seen specs on how high off the bed the nose of the cushion sits. The pockets are a lot more challenging (Tighter) then anything we have here as well. If Chinese 8 ball does overcome american pool in popularity here in the US it would mean that a lot of pool tables would need to be replaced with Chinese 8 ball tables. Just playing by Chinese eight ball rules on a diamond or gold crown will not give you the same game experience.
 
Kevin3824 said:
So can you tell me where you found the table size documented at 9 x 4.5 ? The video you refer to by Gareth also shows the thickness. Far as I know in order for a pool table to be considered regulation it needed to be half as wide as it is long. and at least one inch thick slate. The Chinese pool table if it is the same width and length as our current tables is still quite different then what we have available here in the USA. The cushions are steel backed and styled like snooker cushions. I have not seen specs on how high off the bed the nose of the cushion sits. The pockets are a lot more challenging (Tighter) then anything we have here as well. If Chinese 8 ball does overcome american pool in popularity here in the US it would mean that a lot of pool tables would need to be replaced with Chinese 8 ball tables. Just playing by Chinese eight ball rules on a diamond or gold crown will not give you the same game experience.
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Not sure why you think C8B will replace American Pool in the US??? I see that as highly unlikely.

However, if it were to happen (a big if), I believe it would be sufficient do simply modify the rail & cushions of Amercan pool tables to have the same specs as C8B tables.
 
Diamond is considering producing a chinese 8-ball top for their 9footers if the sport continues to grow and become popular... I would not look for it in the next few months tho =)
 
Chinese 8 Ball

BJTyler said:
Chinese 8 ball uses cue balls that are the same size as object balls. In fact the ball set is identical to American pool. I've played on C8B tables and while rail shots are much tougher than American pool tables (due to the rounded corner pocket facings) they were easier than on a snooker table. In addition, I thought that shots into the side pockets were easier. The felt is also very different from American table...directional, Iike snooker cloth.

I believe blackball uses a slightly smaller cue ball.
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I think you are right, That is why I didn't mention Chinese 8 Ball.
 
Kevin3824 said:
So can you tell me where you found the table size documented at 9 x 4.5 ? The video you refer to by Gareth also shows the thickness. Far as I know in order for a pool table to be considered regulation it needed to be half as wide as it is long. and at least one inch thick slate. The Chinese pool table if it is the same width and length as our current tables is still quite different then what we have available here in the USA. The cushions are steel backed and styled like snooker cushions. I have not seen specs on how high off the bed the nose of the cushion sits. The pockets are a lot more challenging (Tighter) then anything we have here as well. If Chinese 8 ball does overcome american pool in popularity here in the US it would mean that a lot of pool tables would need to be replaced with Chinese 8 ball tables. Just playing by Chinese eight ball rules on a diamond or gold crown will not give you the same game experience.
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Yes, you are correct that the Chinese 8-Ball table is quite different from a standard 4½ x 9 pool table, except the playing surface is the same size (1 x 2).

I watched some Chinese 8-Ball early this year and learned the table size at that time. Here are some stats from one of the events: http://forums.azbilliards.com/showthread.php?t=386746
 
The Renfro said:
Diamond is considering producing a chinese 8-ball top for their 9footers if the sport continues to grow and become popular... I would not look for it in the next few months tho =)
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It has ZERO chance in the USA. Even in China it's really only played in some parts of China while in others American style tables are dominant.

The tables are truly too tough for American tastes. Trust me on this. American league players NEED loose bar boxes to feel good.

I think it would be ok to produce such a top for those who need to practice for these big events though. With the right type of cloth I think that the experience would be pretty similar.
 
Kevin3824 said:
How many here think Chinese 8 ball can or will save pool in America? It seems to have exponentially larger prizes and audiences. It requires a lot more skills and is played on tables that are not only more challenging then snooker or American tables but also not half as wide as they are long. Chinese 8 ball table is 9 x 5 and weigh over a ton. I have a hard time picturing them in bars or even most homes here simply because of their size, weight, and lack of mobility. The slate beds appear to be 3-4 inches thick.

I for one would love to see it become popular here though. No more luck shots allowed. All skill game.
Click to expand...

It has NO CHANCE in the USA. None. People here like easier tables not harder ones.

And, the specs for most that I have seen are not that heavy. Of course in China ANYTHING is possible when it comes to table construction. The ones I played on there are indeed 4.5x9' and have normal 1" slate from what I remember.
 
I’m trying to understand this table talk; I just watch some 8 ball played in china a few days ago, I noticed the square nosing, snooker bend – pockets on a decent size table, the play was like snooker play – soft shooting, and so, what is the reason for such thick slate? I know that they mine slate in china, it’s plentiful. How does 3 -4” slate become a game changer?

I’ve started building my table; it has K -55 cushions, the snooker bends, I call these snooker bends the gatekeepers, ball return to the center side of the table with my 4Ball racks handy just under the rail right of the ball return, and, the playing surface is 42” x 102”. I’ve almost pulled the trigger on making the top out of acrylic. 4Ball has no break or jumping necessary, the supplier does not recommend however, how, is one going to know if it will work or not without actually building and playing it?

We play 8Ball on white GC 5 x 10 snooker table all the time, yes it is the preferred main event table of the 2 in the room, making 8Ball the prime time mainstay of the future, humm… what’s it waiting on?
 
Blackball is harder than bar box American 8 ball. So if Chinese 8 ball is much harder than Blackball, I would agree with John, it has a very
small chance of becoming popular here. I wish it would, looks like a neat game, Fun to watch.
 
JB Cases said:
It has NO CHANCE in the USA. None. People here like easier tables not harder ones.

And, the specs for most that I have seen are not that heavy. Of course in China ANYTHING is possible when it comes to table construction. The ones I played on there are indeed 4.5x9' and have normal 1" slate from what I remember.
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Perhaps if an 8 ball tour started and they used Chinese 8 ball tables as the pro table of choice. But you just call it 8 ball, not Chinese 8 ball. I think the name Chinese 8 ball may be hard to market, partly because it makes it seem like it's a whole new game, which it really isn't apart from table specs. The rest of the public could still play on looser tables just like most golfers play on much easier courses.

Ultimately It's still 8 ball just with a few more misses. But I agree that table sales likely won't take off, but pro tournaments might work.
 
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Dan_B said:
... I’ve started building my table; it has K -55 cushions, the snooker bends, I call these snooker bends the gatekeepers, ball return to the center side of the table with my 4Ball racks handy just under the rail right of the ball return, and, the playing surface is 42” x 102”. ...
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Why are you building a table with a 42" x 102" playing surface? Space limitations on the width, but you want to be able to shoot long shots?
 
It looks like a really interesting game and I suspect the doubters are right it may struggle to catch on, but just one thought...assuming they are simply 3/4 size snooker tables room operators could buy 2 sets of balls and use them as dual purpose tables!

If I had room for one I'd be tempted :-)
 
I saw Darren Appleton speaking about it on a video online. Then I saw a few other videos about it on youtube. From what it seems is said on those videos there is a huge market for this Chinese 8 Ball. The audiences they are getting and the prize money is far better then anything I have heard of here in the USA for pool. They compared the top professionals of Chinese 8 ball to making the same money as professional soccer players. If pool of anytype here had audiences as large as they are in china for chinese 8 ball I am sure we would be seeing a lot more of it on television and cable.
 
Kevin3824 said:
I saw Darren Appleton speaking about it on a video online. Then I saw a few other videos about it on youtube. From what it seems is said on those videos there is a huge market for this Chinese 8 Ball. The audiences they are getting and the prize money is far better then anything I have heard of here in the USA for pool. They compared the top professionals of Chinese 8 ball to making the same money as professional soccer players. If pool of anytype here had audiences as large as they are in china for chinese 8 ball I am sure we would be seeing a lot more of it on television and cable.
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Comparing any cue sport to football (or as you call it soccer) has to be a joke. Top football stars will earn £250,000 a week. With many thousands of players world wide earning livings and paying mortgages out of their earnings.

Even non-league football teams in the UK pay their players for matches.

Snooker is easily the biggest cuesport earner and still lists Stephen Hendry as the biggest prize winner of all time at around £9m TOTAL prize money - a couple of years wages for any one of several top football players.

Gareth Potts I know has a sponsorship deal worth $50,000. It would surprise me a great deal to hear that he quadruples that again and makes it $250,000 per annum - less than a week's wages then for top footballers.

Edited to include the current snooker world ranking lists:

http://www.worldsnooker.com/rankings/

And a page listing the top ten football earners:

http://tsmplay.com/top10/highest-paid-football-players-in-the-world/
 
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Kevin3824 said:
How many here think Chinese 8 ball can or will save pool in America? It seems to have exponentially larger prizes and audiences. It requires a lot more skills and is played on tables that are not only more challenging then snooker or American tables but also not half as wide as they are long. Chinese 8 ball table is 9 x 5 and weigh over a ton. I have a hard time picturing them in bars or even most homes here simply because of their size, weight, and lack of mobility. The slate beds appear to be 3-4 inches thick.

I for one would love to see it become popular here though. No more luck shots allowed. All skill game.
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Not the slightest of chances.

Dale

ps: upon further reading I learned John and I are in total agreement on this idea.
Scary as that is should remove any and all doubt about corectness:)
 
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