Consecutive racks question

K

Koop

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
The post started by Joey got me thinking.

I play APA 8-Ball and the weekly tournament I play is also 8 Ball.
What are everyones high runs in 8 Ball and would you consider it tougher or not to run multiple 8 Ball racks as opposed to 9 Ball racks?

I ask because my high run in 9 Ball is 3 which I accomplished once and my high run in 8 Ball is 2 which I have done several times.
The tournament I play in is open and we have a few strong A players and a local shortstop. All I hear is that the shortstop is nearly unbeatable in 9 Ball but when it comes to 8 Ball he is very beatable. I took him to the hill recently in 8 Ball but would be lucky to even stay in the game if it were 9 Ball.

Just curious to hear what you think.

Thanks,
Koop
 
Interesting question. I also have a high of 2 tables run on 8 ball and 4 in nine ball.(bar tables tho) I have always thought straight 8 was a harder game because each player has his own layout to worry about. Now don't get me wrong if someone is good his good regardless. But sometimes they have a favorite game or a preferrence for that matter. But when you break and pocket a ball in 8 you see your clusters and how you can get out or play safe. If you run 5 and miss your opponent doesn't have 4 balls left he has all his balls left and the 8 thats a big difference. I played in a mini 9 ball tourney and lost in the semi's.The gentleman that beat me won the first four games making only 6 or 7 shots....my bad for having bad shape of course! But I have to wonder what would of happened if we were playing 8 ball? I play in the APA also and am an SL 7 theres a cat in our poolroom who kills me in 9 ball. He spots me the 8 in races to 5 for 5 sets and I always lose at least 3 or 4 sets. But he will not play me 8 ball at all? Strange.....
 
I don't play much 9 ball. After a league night one of the players wanted to play 9 ball. I said ok but it won't be much fun. I got lucky and broke and ran 3 racks. He said you are right lets go back to 8 ball.

In 8 ball the best I did was 2. I arrived for the pool league and one of my teammates said that his cousin was here and wanted me to beat him because he thinks he is such a hot shot palyer. He broke, missed and then I ran out the table. I than broke and ran it out. I then walked away (figuring I better quit while ahead) and told him that I just got in and needed to relax with a beer before I start to play serious in the league.

I am not a break and runner. I am rated a 7 in the APA and have only had one break and run since I started playing. This is only my 4th week in this league and I started out as a 4, followed by being bumped to a 6 and now a 7. I guess it is because I have been smoking the other 5's and 6's.

I was reading (can't remember what book) that the break and runs for top notch pros on a bar box is about 30%. It is not going for the run but playing not to lose, a lot of strategy is involved.
 
Koop said:
The post started by Joey got me thinking.

I play APA 8-Ball and the weekly tournament I play is also 8 Ball.
What are everyones high runs in 8 Ball
Click to expand...

On a 9' table, four, unfinished (9' Sterling/Peter Vitalie). My opponent broke, didn't make a ball, and I ran out the set (race to four). Never came close to doing that again.

and would you consider it tougher or not to run multiple 8 Ball racks as opposed to 9 Ball racks?
Click to expand...
On a 7' table, it's easier to run 9-ball racks, IMO. On a 9' table, it's easier to run an 8-ball rack, IMO. If the pockets are tough, all bets are off on either table.

Fred
 
Great question Koop. I'm not sure, but i think it would be harder to run multiple racks in 8 ball because there's a lot more traffic in 8 ball. My high run in 9 ball is 6, and my high run in 8 ball is 3(about 5 times), but i don't play too much 8 ball. Know that i think more about it, it might be a toss up. More options after the break in 8 ball, and only one option in 9 ball.

Rodney<---just confused myself:confused:
 
Well Koop, here's my take on it, FWIW. 8 Ball is a tricky game if you don't play it a lot. If you go in with a 9 Ball mentality, run out, run out, then trouble will find you. If there are clusters in the lay out, which happens more times than not, you'll have to find a way to get around them or place safe. So, what happens is, you have to play a low percentage shot to keep the consecutive racks string going. But that's not always the best thing to do if you're playing against a worthy opponent. I don't know what my high run is in 8 Ball, maybe a 4 or 5, but I do know I've lost matches to players of lesser ability because of this thinking. My pattern play isn't the best and not just in 8 Ball. I get on the wrong side of the ball a lot but I'm a shot maker so I am able to get back in line a lot of the time. I talk to myself a lot during a match too and when I'm playing 8 Ball, the words, "I'm trapped" come out a lot. If I make this shot, where's the reward? If I hit this ball and not give up BIH, where's the reward? So, the answer isn't always the obvious one. Hell, I've been trapped on a push-out playing 9 Ball plenty of times and it may be tough to imagine that, but it does happen. I look for something that isn't there, make something happen, create something. If you don't have the imagination to do that then this game, pool, will be tough for the rest of your days.

So, what was the question again? Oh yeah, something about a light bulb huh? Get somebody else to do it if you can.:D
 
I'd say the average difficulty of an 8-ball rack is lower, but the probability of a difficult layout is higher. For people good enough to string racks together, most of them would have an easier time with 9-ball. It's less tolerant of mistakes, but it can give you more favorable opportunities on average.
 
It's apples and oranges. 9-ball you have 9 balls to sink, spread out. 8-ball you have 8 balls to sink with more clusters and blockers. Each has it's own stratagy. Each requires good position play but the skills needed for the position play is slightly different since 9-ball is more spread out over the table.

Terry
 
I'd say 8-ball is tougher than 9-ball on bar table, in 8-ball you'll more likely to have clusters. On a 9-footer, I'd say 8-ball is easier than 9-ball. You can control much more in 8-ball and you'll have less clusters to worry about and more choices if you play bad position. My high run in 9-ball is 5 racks of pure run-outs without combos and 5 racks in 8-ball as well. But, I'm always stringing racks together in 8-ball in tournaments, much more than in 9-ball (on 9' tables). In recent 8-ball tournament I ran 1+2 racks (one clearence plus 2 break-and-runs) in my 1st match and 1+3 in my second match, both were races to 5 and I wasn't even shooting particularly well, just rolling easy balls in without too much of a trouble. Never would have run 4 racks of 9-balls shooting like that. :)
 
Koop said:
The post started by Joey got me thinking.

I play APA 8-Ball and the weekly tournament I play is also 8 Ball.
What are everyones high runs in 8 Ball and would you consider it tougher or not to run multiple 8 Ball racks as opposed to 9 Ball racks?
Koop
Click to expand...
I agree with Cornerman; on a 7-foot table running out a rack of 9-ball is easier than 8-ball because of the clusters; however, on a 9-foot table I think running out 8-ball is easier. With that being said, my high run for both 8 and 9 ball on a 7 foot table is 4 racks and on a 9-foot table is 3 racks for 9-ball and probably 1 rack for 8-ball. However, I rarely play 8-ball on a 9-foot table (less than 20 games lifetime, I would guess).
 
JDB said:
I agree with Cornerman; on a 7-foot table running out a rack of 9-ball is easier than 8-ball because of the clusters; however, on a 9-foot table I think running out 8-ball is easier.
Click to expand...
Ditto for me as well on that theory. With that being said, my high run in 8-ball on a bar table is much higher than 9-ball. I can't explain it. Maybe it is just my disdain for 9-ball that prevents me from running more. Who knows.:)
 
dogginda9 said:
Ditto for me as well on that theory. With that being said, my high run in 8-ball on a bar table is much higher than 9-ball. I can't explain it. Maybe it is just my disdain for 9-ball that prevents me from running more. Who knows.:)
Click to expand...

Maybe if you'd stop dogginda9 you'd like it more :D

Appreciate the response so far.
 
In a moment of sheer dead stroke, no drinking, no music, just pool, I ran 4 in 8-ball. Break and run. It was beautiful. Never did it again or have come close. my highest in 9-ball is 5 and that was the most incredible feeling of accomplishment i have had in pool. Other than a 6 rail carom in 3-rail.
 
It also depends on your playing style. I only play on 9-footers, but I bet I'll have an 8-ball 3-pack at least before my first 9-ball 2-pack. I run a rack or two (non-consecutive) every Thursday night playing 8-ball, but I still get really excited when I break and run a single rack of 9-ball. Maybe it's partly that my 8-ball break is a lot better than my 9-ball break, but I think it's also that I move the cue-ball short distances with so much more precision than long distances. 9-ball is a game of hitting the shot, going about 10 feet using two rails to your next shot, and ending up on the correct side of the ball. 8-ball is a game of stun shots and hitting your position within a very small number of inches, but never having to move all that far, if you plan well. I think I run 5 racks of 8-ball for every rack of 9-ball I run. Then again I play more 8-ball, so take that as you will.

High runs:
8-ball: one rack (but I almost got two once)
9-ball: one rack (I've never even almost gotten two)

-Andrew
 
Andrew Manning said:
I think I run 5 racks of 8-ball for every rack of 9-ball I run. Then again I play more 8-ball, so take that as you will.
Click to expand...

LOL!!! I'm going to guess you play about 5:1 8-ball vs. 9-ball.

I have to believe that anyone's high run in 9-ball is about the same as it is in 8-ball, if they play both games about the same. Anyone?

Fred
 
Cornerman said:
If the pockets are tough, all bets are off on either table.

Fred
Click to expand...

Fred,

Just noticed this and I can't agree more.
The weekly tournament is held on 4 Diamonds and then a bunch of Gold Crowns in the back. The Diamonds play damn near a snooker table which in turn makes the Gold Crowns look like buckets.

Koop - yet to run a rack on the Diamonds.
 
I have to admit I rarely play 8 ball. As a result I think my best was either a 2 or 3 pack.

I agree with what was mentioned earlier that 8 and 9 ball are apples and oranges. You can do well at 9 ball by just being a good shot and decent position player. Whereas you need very good position play to do well in 8 ball, because there are more clusters.

I think that a banger is more likely to run out an 8 ball rack than a 9 ball rack because the easiest 8 ball layout is walk in the park compared to the easiest 9 ball layout. That being said how often do you get either of those?
 
Cornerman said:
On a 9' table, four, unfinished (9' Sterling/Peter Vitalie). My opponent broke, didn't make a ball, and I ran out the set (race to four). Never came close to doing that again.

On a 7' table, it's easier to run 9-ball racks, IMO. On a 9' table, it's easier to run an 8-ball rack, IMO. If the pockets are tough, all bets are off on either table.

Fred
Click to expand...

I agree 100%.
 
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