Club & Home “Pool Players”

Pete

Pete

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Why do Club & Home “Pool Players” think that calling a shot needs to include all kisses (if they even allow that?), rails (number of times a rail gets hit), and every nit-picky ideas they have???

I’m talking with one of the “club heroes” at the Elks and he says I don’t agree with not calling all these things. He thinks it’s cheap playing that way (almost cheating). He then asks me what I think. So I say I don’t buy into that at all. I like the BCA rules, and feel that if called shot is good enough for 14.1 (straight pool, oh pointer, that’s what he knows the game by, but with his rules). He was surprised with me. But to me, the way his play keeps the stronger players ability to make things happen from happening AKA weakening the chance of running out (especially when they block pockets, or scratch to stick you with kicking at the 8, no ball in hand for fouls.

What do you guys think???

Pete
 
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I think calling ball and pocket is sufficient in any game, and calling caroms and kisses is ridiculous. Most players who taunt these additions to the real rules aren't good enough to play them anyway. In my opinion, the best game ever,,,,,,,one pocket,,,,,,has no call shots at all, and is well,,,,,,the greatest game ever.
 
Pete said:
Why do Club & Home “Pool Players” think that calling a shot needs to include all kisses (if they even allow that?), rails (number of times a rail gets hit), and every nit-picky ideas they have???

I’m talking with one of the “club heroes” at the Elks and he says I don’t agree with not calling all these things. He thinks it’s cheap playing that way (almost cheating). He then asks me what I think. So I say I don’t buy into that at all. I like the BCA rules, and feel that if called shot is good enough for 14.1 (straight pool, oh pointer, that’s what he knows the game by, but with his rules). He was surprised with me. But to me, the way his play keeps the stronger players ability to make things happen from happening AKA weakening the chance of running out (especially when they block pockets, or scratch to stick you with kicking at the 8, no ball in hand for fouls.

What do you guys think???

Pete
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Because that's the way they learned how to play. After all, it's called straight pool for a reason...

Freddie <~~~ do I have to write that I'm kidding?
 
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I think some people are doing it as a way to get you off the table.

I think other people honestly think these are the rules. And the strange thing I've noticed with people and game rules (not just pool) is that they tend to believe the rules are sacrosanct and their version is the only way to play. If I play in a bar and ask the other guy what rules we're playing by, more often than not, I get a "deer in the headlights" look. They honestly can't fathom the idea that there are different rules.
 
At league last night, I got to sit next to the non-league table in the bar we were playing in. There were two a**hats there who were playing "straight eight". BIH in the kitchen, hit your opponents ball first, no need to hit a rail after contact, etc. There were 20 or so league players in there playing and things almost came to blows a few times as one of the a**hats was extremely rude and confrontational about how f'ed up league rules and the people who played by them were and how great these "straight eight" rules were. It made you think and concentrate more and didn't penalize you twice for not making your shot (yeah, missing your shot was punishment enough, why should your opponent also get BIH was one of his favorite arguments). It was pretty comical to watch and sort of participate in. They both agreed that it was okay for whoever had the table to play whatever rules they wanted, but that didn't stop them from carrying on about it while other people were playing by BCA rules. The belligerent one also was giving league players who wanted to play on the table between games or who weren't going to get to play a bunch of crap because the table was not for league play. Appeared to me to be one of those angry guys who loves to be angry.

Sorry, your post rang a bell for me. They were also insisting on calling all kisses, caroms, banks, etc. No ball and pocket. I guess some people are stuck in the past and just don't know how to accept change. Others are clueless and have no desire to become "unclueless".
 
bsmutz said:
At league last night, I got to sit next to the non-league table in the bar we were playing in. There were two a**hats there who were playing "straight eight".
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Unfortunately, some kind of variant of "straight 8" is played by vast majority of people who are counted as participants in our sport.

I don't have a clue how to change that.

Freddie
 
bsmutz said:
At league last night, I got to sit next to the non-league table in the bar we were playing in. There were two a**hats there who were playing "straight eight". BIH in the kitchen, hit your opponents ball first, no need to hit a rail after contact, etc. There were 20 or so league players in there playing and things almost came to blows a few times as one of the a**hats was extremely rude and confrontational about how f'ed up league rules and the people who played by them were and how great these "straight eight" rules were. It made you think and concentrate more and didn't penalize you twice for not making your shot (yeah, missing your shot was punishment enough, why should your opponent also get BIH was one of his favorite arguments). It was pretty comical to watch and sort of participate in. They both agreed that it was okay for whoever had the table to play whatever rules they wanted, but that didn't stop them from carrying on about it while other people were playing by BCA rules. The belligerent one also was giving league players who wanted to play on the table between games or who weren't going to get to play a bunch of crap because the table was not for league play. Appeared to me to be one of those angry guys who loves to be angry.

Sorry, your post rang a bell for me. They were also insisting on calling all kisses, caroms, banks, etc. No ball and pocket. I guess some people are stuck in the past and just don't know how to accept change. Others are clueless and have no desire to become "unclueless".
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When I moved to PDX in 2000, I played by those rules (that's how we rolled in upstate NY bars). I was quickly informed that on the West Coast people play BCA rules. At first I thought they were ridiculous but after playing a couple games, I came to love it.

I don't know how it is now (left Portland in 2005) but back then if you walked into the Silver Dollar, you were playing BCA or getting laughed right back out the door.
 
Cornerman said:
Unfortunately, some kind of variant of "straight 8" is played by vast majority of people who are counted as participants in our sport.

I don't have a clue how to change that.

Freddie
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I've been playing for 40+ years, so I'm familiar with the wide range of rule variations one encounters playing in bars. It seems to me that the older players are the ones who are the most resistant to having a discussion about the rules. Usually, when I see a couple of younger players playing crazy rules, they at least will politely listen if you try to bring them up to date.
 
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After traveling the country / world in the Navy and having to get all the local nit-picky rules straight (because my East Texas nit-picky rules were a different revision) it was refreshing when somebody told me about BCA rules. I didn't immediately catch onto them, but once I did it was so much easier!
 
One can avoid the frustration of having to play by silly bar rules by NOT playing in bars.
 
My annual dues are under $100 per year. We have 2 9' ers.

Can't afford to pay $10+ per hr to practice.

And they all want to beat me when they can...

Pete
 
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