costa-rican- 8ball games

billiardshot

billiardshot

AzB Gold Member
Gold Member
Silver Member
matt-games-1.jpg


Newcomers to Costa Rica encounter many challenges: A language barrier for non-Spanish speakers, cultural differences, dietary adjustments to name just a few. And for anyone who enjoys the distraction of games, there are small, curious variations to get used to.

The first time I ever played a game of pool in a rural campesino bar, I knocked my first shot in a corner pocket, and before I could line up another shot, my opponent stepped in, pulled my ball out of the pocket and spotted it on the table, and took his own shot. I was bamboozled. What the hell just happened?

Then I saw a semi circle drawn around both side pockets. The number 1 was inside one circle, the number 15 inside the other. Before you can attempt to run the table, you must first put the one ball or the fifteen ball into the corresponding side pocket.

Once you have successfully sunk one, you may then proceed to play the rest of your ‘stripes’ or ‘solids’. I would forget and not shoot for the one or fifteen, and nobody would say anything until I made an illegal shot.

Link:
ticotimes.net

Costa Rican Games: Expect Peculiar Rules and 'Superkings'

From billiards to cards, Costa Rican games have peculiar rules that can throw newcomers for a loop. Variations like counter-clockwise dealing, pocketing the 1 ball, and superpowered checker kings.
ticotimes.net ticotimes.net
 
billiardshot said:
View attachment 728299

Newcomers to Costa Rica encounter many challenges: A language barrier for non-Spanish speakers, cultural differences, dietary adjustments to name just a few. And for anyone who enjoys the distraction of games, there are small, curious variations to get used to.

The first time I ever played a game of pool in a rural campesino bar, I knocked my first shot in a corner pocket, and before I could line up another shot, my opponent stepped in, pulled my ball out of the pocket and spotted it on the table, and took his own shot. I was bamboozled. What the hell just happened?

Then I saw a semi circle drawn around both side pockets. The number 1 was inside one circle, the number 15 inside the other. Before you can attempt to run the table, you must first put the one ball or the fifteen ball into the corresponding side pocket.

Once you have successfully sunk one, you may then proceed to play the rest of your ‘stripes’ or ‘solids’. I would forget and not shoot for the one or fifteen, and nobody would say anything until I made an illegal shot.

Link:
ticotimes.net

Costa Rican Games: Expect Peculiar Rules and 'Superkings'

From billiards to cards, Costa Rican games have peculiar rules that can throw newcomers for a loop. Variations like counter-clockwise dealing, pocketing the 1 ball, and superpowered checker kings.
ticotimes.net ticotimes.net
Click to expand...
Just a variation of the original 1948 BCA 8-ball Rules.. You’ll see a version in a lot of senior centers.
 
1948 Year I was born

Scoring: The striker is entitled to all balls legally pocketed, unless he pockets a ball belonging to his opponent, in which case, the opponent is credited with that ball. If player pockets only an opponent's ball and none of his own group, it is a miss.


Combination shots are allowed at times, except in an attempt to pocket the 8-ball. Player may play combination off opponent's ball.


The rules of Eight Ball specify that the player pocketing the high numerical group of balls must pocket the 15-ball in the left side pocket, that is, in the side pocket to his left as he stands at the head of the table facing the foot of the table.


The player scoring the low numbered balls must pocket the 1-ball in the right side pocket. If the 1- and 15-balls are not placed in these pockets as required by the rules, they are spotted and respotted until the player is successful in accomplishing this purpose.


After a player has pocketed all the balls in his numerical group, he shoots to pocket the 8-ball, calling his shot. If shooting directly at the 8-ball (not banking), the player must pocket that ball or cause the 8-ball or the cue ball to contact a cushion.


Loss of Game: If the player, shooting directly at the 8-ball, fails to cause the cue ball to go to a cushion after hitting 8-ball, or the 8-ball to contact a cushion, he loses the game. If banking 8-ball, players must hit the 8-ball. If a player accidentally pockets the 8-ball before he pockets all the balls of his numerical group, he loses the game.


When playing for the 8-ball, player must hit that ball first. If he pockets the 8-ball on a combination, he loses the game. If he fails to hit 8-ball on bank, he loses game.


Since a player is required to call his shot when playing for the 8-ball, he loses the game if the 8-ball drops into a pocket not designated on the call.


When player is shooting to make the 8-ball, he loses the game if cue ball scratches in pocket.


Within the String: When player has cue ball in hand and object balls rest within the head string, the object ball nearest to the string is spotted on the foot spot. The same is done when the 8-ball is the object ball and lies within the head string and the player has the cue ball in hand.






Painting ...Look like 2 Pencils​

 
Doesnt that result in very frustrating games where players prevent their opponent from potting their ball in the side?
And once you make yours the game is pretty much won. Because chance are it's hard to make his 1/15 in the specific side pocket.
 
When I was a young pool guy later in Gloucester, we played this game and added another wrinkle. You had to pocket the one and fifteen ball in the opposite side your opponent sunk his ball.

Then you had to bank the 8 ball into the pocket your last ball was pocketed into.

So it became a game of 1 & 15 side pocket, bank the 8 last pocket game.

It required some thinking, planning and moving balls when it became necessary.

It was a great hustlers game for the inexperienced players. After losing a few they would catch on but it was all good fun!
 
DaWizard said:
Doesnt that result in very frustrating games where players prevent their opponent from potting their ball in the side?
And once you make yours the game is pretty much won. Because chance are it's hard to make his 1/15 in the specific side pocket.
Click to expand...
The way I have played it and have seen it played, you keep shooting if you pocket the 1 or 15, but it gets spotted. So the trick was always to make the 1 or 15 and play below the spot so you could shoot that ball into the side.

But yeah, it’s a bit of a gaffe which is why the rules of 8-ball changed to something more palatable. “Official” 8-ball rules kept changing up til maybe 10 years ago.
 
Used to play the 8 Ball games on 5x10 table mid '50,early '60 .... Before seeing a coin-op table!!!
straightline said:
Maybe. Why two? Why not brushes? Why only two? Why is he holding the 6 ball? And they look like nails.

:LOL:
Click to expand...
Funny the painting show no side pocket neither!!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top