Do you concede games?

[Avenger]

I have only done it once. I fouled, my opponent had ball in hand on the 8 ball. It was one diamond away from the pocket. But I knew this guy was a shooter not a banger so I did it. Normally I would not do it. Make them earn the win.

 

[ironman]

I'm confused...a ring game is the only time I would NEVER give an out because I am not the only opponent involved and would be making the decision for others.

I was just funnin!!!

 

[TheNewSharkster]

Although I wasn't shooting, I learned a very important lesson. It was the final match, final game of the league session. It was Hill Hill and a 7 (hi handicap in the league) in 8 Ball was shooting on the 8 for the game, match, and 1st place for his team. If he made the ball his team won 1st place and automatically went to the regional playoff. If he missed, and the other player made it, that team (my team which was tied with the other team) won, we would go to the playoffs.

OK, picture this. 8 Ball is in the center of the table just a foot from the pocket. Q ball in center of the table 1 foot from the 8. Perfectly straight in. Extremely easy shot. This top player wanted to show off a little and really wackes the Q ball. He hit low to make a fantastic draw. Well, he miscued and scooped the Q which flew off the table. He LOST on a straight in shot on the 8 ball, just 1 foot from the pocket. I bet he felt like a real jerk.

Taught me a lesson, never conceed. Wait till the fat lady sings. As old Yogi Berra said, "IT AIN'T OVER TILL IT'S OVER."

For one reason or another, even the best or worst player can miss a shot, no matter how easy it is. To this day, I have never conceeded a shot, and once it worked when the other player hit an easy shot on the 8 a little too soft and it hung right on the lip. I won.

Charlie

This one made me laugh. I cannot believe that guy was able to become a SL7 in the first place. In that situation you do a simple stun stop shot or draw it back a couple inches. If I am playing with some friends or practicing with someone I like to concede on the 9 or 8 and I also like to play around with silly position shots if it is easy but in a serious situation you should treat it as such.

 

[Fatboy]

And I do not play for free, so that is not a factor for me. I gamble or I play tournaments 100% of the time.

I was like that years ago and if I could play enough on a regular basis, I wouldnt play for free often, I perfer to have something bet,

 

[junksecret]

Originally Posted by ironman
I only concede balls in ring games.

I'm confused...a ring game is the only time I would NEVER give an out because I am not the only opponent involved and would be making the decision for others.

I was just funnin!!!

hehehe....without a smiley I didn't know....shoulda known from all your rep but I thought......maybe he's just a REALLY nice guy..........

.

 

[tatcat2000]

A note from the BCAPL

I've seen players concede a game at the US Open 9 ball Championship, they lose that game and the next one as a penalty.

With Nationals coming up it would be good to note that the BCAPL has a similar rule for concessions: first offense, warning; second offense, your score reduced by one game in addition to the game you conceded; third offense, loss of match.

See BCAPL Rule 1.43 (pg. 33) and Applied Ruling 1.43 (pg. 83) at

http://www.playbca.com/Downloads/Rulebook/CompleteRulebook/tabid/372/Default.aspx

However, just like most other rules, at a BCAPL event a referee will not become involved until being invited to the table. So if you concede and your opponent does not ask for the penalty to be enforced then there is no consequence.

That having been said, the penalties can be severe and you would be well advised not to test your opponent. At least when playing at a BCAPL event, let the game play out.



Buddy Eick, BCAPL National Senior Referee and
BCAPL Referee Training Coordinator
bca_referee@yahoo.com

 The contents of this post refer to BCA Pool League (BCAPL) Rules only. The BCAPL National Office has authorized me to act in an official capacity regarding questions about BCAPL Rules matters in this forum.
 The BCAPL has no association with the Billiard Congress of America (BCA) other than in their capacity as a member of the BCA.
 No reference to, inference concerning, or comment on any other set of rules (WPA, APA, VNEA, TAP, or any other set of rules, public or private) is intended or should be derived from this post unless specifically stated.
 Not every imaginable rules issue has been addressed by the BCAPL. Nor will it ever be, as evidenced by the seemingly endless situations that people dream up or that (more frequently) actually happen. If I do not have the answer to a question I will tell you so, then I will get a ruling from the BCAPL National Office and get back to you as soon as I can. If deemed appropriate, that ruling will then be added to the "Applied Rulings" section of The Official Rules of the BCA Pool League.

 

[pistolero]

I made an opponent shot ball in hand on the nine once and he missed. Latter in the same tourny I made another player shot ball in hand on nine and he missed. I never give a ball anymore.

 

[matcase]

If the opponent has made a nice run and has an easy shot, I'll throw in the towel, however, if they get out of line on the winner, I like to see if they can bear down and knock it in.

 

[tom haney]

I do, but some inexperienced players don't like it.
They want the pleasure of shooting the game winner in.
I know a girl who's been mad at me for 5 years for not giving her the satisfaction of shooting the 8 ball in on me.

 

[Fatboy]

I know a girl who's been mad at me for 5 years for not giving her the satisfaction of shooting the 8 ball in on me.

thats exactly my point, it can be used as a tactic in action to get the other guy soft or pissed, it works better than wishing for a million to one miscue on a hanger. It might seem like I'm giving up something by throwing in the towel on a $$$ ball or a couple easy shots but in reality its a move, wishing for a million to one miscue is for less experienced gamblers IMO. I aint the strongest player but I gamble real good-there is a big difference there, think Justin vs. John Morra. sure those guys are great players but even weaker players can moce good, however they didnt give up any if any balls-sometimes I dont either, it just depends.

 

[Shortside K]

address wanted....

I made an opponent shot ball in hand on the nine once and he missed. Latter in the same tourny I made another player shot ball in hand on nine and he missed. I never give a ball anymore.

Man, that must be one heck of a pool hotbed there...

 

[Shortside K]

correct assessment...

If the opponent has made a nice run and has an easy shot, I'll throw in the towel, however, if they get out of line on the winner, I like to see if they can bear down and knock it in.

Exactly as most players do.

 

[jay helfert]

I dont play in tournments much, if I did I would play by the tournment directors rules.


when i'm playing a friend for free I usually like to shoot all the balls thats what i'm there for and let them shoot them unless its gonna slow the game down and its a hanger we shoot them all.

in gambling I will give up a ball or 2 perhaps 3 depending on the situation and how the $$$ stands and the momentium my opponent has, I give up balls as a tactic sometimes, who is gonna get mad for giving them a ball or 2?


Something I noticed when I came back to the "Scene" I dropped out in 94 and only played at home for the most part, when I came back in late 06 I noticed that people are less generous about giving up the last shot or 2. I remember watching Kim Davenport playing ?????, for $2000/set race to 11, 9-ball at Great American Billiards in Sacramento. He was spotting who ever he was playing only the 8 so the other guy could play this was in around 88-89 when Kim was beating the world-well the west coast and shortly there after he was Player Of The Year . The pockets were big and take balls rather easy they were Rebco tables, they would wipe the table sometimes if one of them scratched on the 5 ball for example, just to get to the next rack. Lots of 4 and 5 packs. They hardly ever shot the 9 so it wasnt like they were giving up much IMO. Once in a while they would make the guy shooting shoot them all but not often. Kim and I were talking about this game a couple months ago and we both remembered he won $6,000 but neither of us could remember who he played, it wasnt Tall Paul, or Chris MacDonald, man we were banging our heads to remember, But my point is times have changed and now people make their opponent shoot everything it seems and the rack your own. its all good with me. just sharing an observation of how things change over time, man I feel old like Jay Helfert IS.

I'm not too old to whip your ass....on a pool table!

 

[softshot]

anyone can miss any shot at any given moment....sometimes its astronomical odds.... but it does happen.. and it hapent to the big dogs as well as the pups.. anyone can choke a shot at any time....

the game isn't over till its over.

 

[mullyman]

If I'm shooting with a friend on a regular night just out having a good time I'll give up the 9 if he's got good position. I'll give up the 8-9 if I scratch and give him BIH. We're A class players, 99.9% of the time we're not going to screw them up and even if we did, who cares? It's a friendly game. It's kind of an unwritten rule here but in a friendly game you don't concede if the person is running out from the break. Give them the honor of letting them run the entire rack.

In a tournament setting, no, I don't concede games. I feel like I should but I have experience in that area. I was playing a pro in the top 8 of a tournament and at hill - hill he missed a shot that a C player is going to make 99% of the time. The 9 was in the jaws of the pocket but he made me shoot it. I learned a lot about tournament play in that one course of events. Sure, I respect the people I play against but there is that outside chance that something could go wrong.

MULLY

 

[Jimmy M.]

I've always felt it was a little nitty to sit around and hope my opponent falls over dead and misses a hanger. Unless I'm playing in a tournament where the rules are to let your opponent shoot every shot, I'll usually concede the hangers. Not to mention, I'm usually anxious to put that game behind me and get to the next one. I see no need to watch my opponent pop in a hanger when we could be on to the next rack.

 

[Inaction]

I watched a match years ago in West Central MN between an older guy who liked to play "chess" 8-ball. Soft breaks, rolling balls around, calling safe and pocketing some balls until he was able to easily get out. His opponent was a very good player.

"Jake" missed a safety and left the table wide open. He pulled all the 12+ balls together and racked for the next game, not wanting his opponent to get into stroke.

 

[predator]

Conceding the final ball is a bad habit. What you do in a friendly game can easily transfer to an important tornament or money match. I don't care who the opposing player is...Reyes, Strickland, whoever...nobody can make any given shot 100% of the time. If we really want to save some time, why not concede last 5 balls?

 

[tom haney]

Conceding the final ball is a bad habit. What you do in a friendly game can easily transfer to an important tornament or money match. I don't care who the opposing player is...Reyes, Strickland, whoever...nobody can make any given shot 100% of the time. If we really want to save some time, why not concede last 5 balls?

LOL! I've actually done that in one pocket.

 

[Curtis Smith]

I don't concede games, but at times it seems like it would be okay. What burns me is the people who want to concede two, three or more balls as if to say 'these shots are so easy for me, you couldn't possibly miss those..'.

I watched a match right here on AZ Billiards tv the other day. I don't want to mention who was playing but the one player kept conceding games, sometimes 3+ balls!! Now I realize they are pros and probably wouldn't miss but come on!!!! It pissed me off just watching it. I say let the other guy shoot, give him the satisfaction of winning AND there is the chance he will miss.