Eight Ball Or Nine Ball?

Pete

Pete

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Hi all,

I wanted to know what people thought. What game do you preffer and why? Also what game is more of a luck game at your level and above (the break and spread come to my mind). And which is harder (on a 9' tablewith the cloth of your choice, and pocket size and type of your choice, for if the cloth and pocket size and type are the same it should effect both games the same I think)?

Pete
 
I prefer Nine Ball over Eight Ball. Why because it is more fun to play, and require more Cueball Position Control Skill. As IMO you do not have multiple choice shots, just the Next Ball in Rotation order.
 
Aside from what people here will tell you, both are fun and have their merits.

Just don't let people around here know that you play in a league, on a 7' bar box, with a custome cue that costs less that $4,000.00 unless you want people to look down upon you.

LOL. I hope you guys can take my comments lightly and tongue in cheek. I am just having fun, the same as we all try to do when we shoot pool.
 
Gregg said:
Aside from what people here will tell you, both are fun and have their merits.

Just don't let people around here know that you play in a league, on a 7' bar box, with a custome cue that costs less that $4,000.00 unless you want people to look down upon you.

LOL. I hope you guys can take my comments lightly and tongue in cheek. I am just having fun, the same as we all try to do when we shoot pool.
Click to expand...

Only one cue at $4,000.00, you need to go do some cue purchasing man.!!! LOL.
 
9-Ball, because I'm better at it. I stay focused on the 9 at all times and when I get a shot at it I can usually make it. I play in an 8-Ball tournament and a 9-Ball tournament every Sunday, there are always more people in the 8-Ball tournament so they partner up because of limited table space. 9-Ball is always singles and I prefer playing without a partner. Playing partners limits my success.
 
I prefer 9-ball. 8-ball is too straightforward, a run-out game. It all comes down to the break shot in 8-ball. A good player is always a favourite to run out if he makes a ball from the break. In 9-ball you get to use different kind of shots, 8-ball is just pattern play with not much cueball movement.
 
Pete said:
Hi all,

I wanted to know what people thought. What game do you preffer and why?
Click to expand...

I like both. I have big tournament wins in both, but more in 8-ball. Most likelly because more 8-ball tournaments are available. When I want to concentrate on shooting balls in, I play 9-ball. When I want to concentrate on cueball paths, I like to play 8-ball. I guess overall, I do prefer 8-ball.

Also what game is more of a luck game at your level
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8-ball.

IMO, 8-ball has more luck involved than 9-ball by a mile. Two miles. The luck in 8-ball isn't so obvious, however.

Fred
 
9 Ball

More fun to me. Less crap on the table, less luck (except for dropping the 9 accidentally) harder run outs by forcing you to get position on that next ball. In 8 ball if you dont get where you need to be you might still have a shot. 9 ball forces you to get there and will make a better player out of you.

Plus when you go to a bar and you see people put quaters into a table what do they normally play, 8 ball. Not many average non pool players no the rules of 9 ball other then running the balls in order and they think that is to hard for them. 9 ball is just more fun to me.
 
Pete said:
Hi all,

I wanted to know what people thought. What game do you preffer and why? Also what game is more of a luck game at your level and above (the break and spread come to my mind). And which is harder (on a 9' tablewith the cloth of your choice, and pocket size and type of your choice, for if the cloth and pocket size and type are the same it should effect both games the same I think)?

Pete
Click to expand...

Pete, I think both games require great skill to be played at a high level. It's just that the games are different. For me, pocket size and cloth make no difference. Just adapt and play pool, ya know... but, if I had my choice, 9' table, simonis 860, 4-1/2" pockets (done right, not a bunch of stacked up shims).

So, why do I think the games are different. Well, not because of the skillsets required to play them, rather the priority you must give each skill set in order to play them well.

9-Ball Priorities
1. Shotmaking
2. Decision making
3. Position play

8-Ball Priorities
1. Decision making
2. Position Play
3. Shotmaking

Now, just because I prioritized things, doesn't mean you can be any less skilled at one than the other to play the games at a high level, but it's just my way of saying that while both games require the same skills, because of the nature of the games, the skills are considered in different orders of USE.

I do disagree with poolsleuth when he said that 9-Ball requires
more Cueball Position Control Skill
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. In 9-Ball, if you get on the correct side of a ball so you can get to the next ball, you're OK. In 8-Ball, many times, you have to "thread the needle" so to speak, to get position. A LOT more traffic on an 8-Bal table than there is on a 9-Ball table. I know when I change from one game to the other, my stroke speed changes. I shoot much softer and more precise position playing 8-Ball than I do in 9-Ball.

So, yeah, I bailed out on saying which is best! I like playing both games! I prefer OTHER games to both of them, but those other game are hard to get anyone interested in.

Later,
Bankin' Bob (does that tell you what my preferred game is? :D )
 
Good Post Bob.... very nice explanation.

I also find that I like to play both games. There are some players I would rather face in BarBox 8-Ball, than 9' 9-Ball.
 
In 8 ball, the last couple at least are in rotation to some degree. The difference is, that in 8-ball it gets harder and harder as you close, in 9-ball, you can normally pick the winner 5 balls out from the finish and be near certain.

Some 8-ball outs are very easy but just as many require something creative to be done. I find it more interesting and challenging than 9-ball.

In 9-ball, you can lose position and play a safety and remain favorite, but in 8-ball, if you pocket several balls, especially 6 or 7 and lose position your odds of winning drop dramatically.
 
Colin Colenso said:
In 8 ball, the last couple at least are in rotation to some degree. The difference is, that in 8-ball it gets harder and harder as you close, in 9-ball, you can normally pick the winner 5 balls out from the finish and be near certain.

Some 8-ball outs are very easy but just as many require something creative to be done. I find it more interesting and challenging than 9-ball.

In 9-ball, you can lose position and play a safety and remain favorite, but in 8-ball, if you pocket several balls, especially 6 or 7 and lose position your odds of winning drop dramatically.
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I don't know about challenging, since I think there are strong arguments to be made from both sides about why one game might be more challenging than the other, but I agree totally about 8-ball being more interesting, at least to me. There are so many more variables in 8-ball than in 9-ball. Not just which ball to shoot, but how to accomplish break-outs, when to accomplish break-outs, when to shoot for a run out, when to play safe, when to just push balls into places that are good for you and bad for your opponent, etc. Even the simple accomplishment of a run-out, there's more room for creativity in 8-ball than 9-ball, in my opinion.

As for me, 8-ball is the game I prefer to play because I think it's more well-rounded. Whereas 9-ball seems like a game of execution, 8-ball seems like a game of planning, creativity, strategy, and execution to me. But I like 9-ball as a practice tool because it's less forgiving. At my level, it's good for me to play a game that forces me to make a shot and be forced to get on the correct side of the next ball even if that means taking a difficult route, because in 8-ball I sometimes find myself not giving enough attention to how precise my position play is.

-Andrew
 
Both ...

I like both games pretty much, but I have noticed that
my winning percentage, particularly in tournaments, is
greater for 8 ball than 9 ball. It is too easy to get knocked
off by a slightly lessor player or better player in 9 ball. More
complexities in 8 ball, especially when the tables are
not breaking good.
 
I prefer 9 ball, but I'm much stronger at 8 ball. I guess that comes from all the league play.

I recently bought a new break/jump cue and have been able to improve my break in 9 ball. It's amazing how much better 9 ball is with a good break. I've been able to break bigger, yet still control the cueball. Now if I can just figure out how to string 'em together...
 
I prefer nineball.

I prefer nineball. Probably because of different reasons. I think it's easier for a lesser player to run out in eightball than in nineball because of the option of taking a different shot if you mess up or don't even pay attention to shape, but at the same time I think that two high level players playing each other, the better tactician will win, making it more like chess.

nineball in general is a more diffcult game to play in and of itself. It's only when playing an extremely good player in eightball that it becomes crucial to really know the game. Since most people won't come up against the really good players in general, nineball is a more fun game to play for the serious pool player, unless you're in a place like college or hardtimes where you can always find a really good player to play, but I doubt you'll often find them willing to play eightball against a lesser player who's a good ballmaker for the reasons I earlier stated.
 
8 Ball first. One Pocket next. 9 Ball third. 7 Ball fourth.

Yeah, a runout on 9 is fun, but leaving a guy with 5,6, even 7 balls on the table is a much more satisfying feeling for me.

I used to swear by Simonis 860 but after I put Championship on my table, I have changed my preferance.

IMO, the slower cloth helps with my game.


HTH
 
I love to play all games equally. Just tell me what rules, what table and I'm happy just to compete. Over the last 40 years I have tried to polish all three skill levels......SPF-randyg
 
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