Diamondball

RubixOne · 2022-07-12T18:02:53+00:00

I am rather fond of nine-ball, but it seems like that game has some problems, particularly on the break shot, where a soft break with a pattern rack can make an absolute mockery of the game. So I decided to make my own variant of nine-ball that fixed those problems, while also having unique aspects derived from eight-ball to spice it up a bit and make the game playable on coin-operated tables. The result was Diamondball. Diamondball is played similarly to nine-ball, but has several differences. The balls are racked in a diamond shape with the 1-ball in the front, the 9-ball in the center and situated on the foot spot, and all other balls placed randomly, with all balls touching Object balls that are pocketed or forced off the table remain off the table for the remainder of the rack Potting the 9-ball without hitting the lowest numbered ball first is a foul (this prevents an easy win via push out) The game is decided as soon as the 9-ball is off the table, or when the opponent resigns or commits three consecutive fouls The player wins if they legally pocket the 9-ball or the opponent resigns The former can happen earlier than the 9-ball being the sole remaining object ball on the table if it is pocketed via a combination or other indirect method The player loses if they pocket the 9-ball and commit a foul, force the 9-ball off the table, or commit three consecutive fouls If the 9-ball has left the table but the winner cannot be identified, the situation is handled like a stalemate