First try at 6 pocket

bchilton said:
6 pocket is a very interesting game. It is very simular to 14.1 Straight Pool in the paterns that you use to clear the table; however, the major difference is that you break the rack wide open and try to run out in any order that you see fit.

Most people say that the game seems too easy. Well, it is pretty easy for a good player until you are playing a match with an equally good player and you know that when you miss a shot, your turn at the atble is over.

Over the course of a 10 rack match, one missed shot is going to make the difference between winning or losing the match when the 2 opponents are fairly evenly matched.

I have had the pleasure of meeting these two guys who brought this game out into the open. I have had 4 matches where i have scored in the 130 plus range on a shimmed 4 1/2 by 9 Gold Crown, and believe me, it is a bit more difficult that most people realize.

I think that John Schmidt, who is their pro representative averages around 140 on the 9 footers and 145 on the 8 footers. (Don't quote me on that).
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Close Billy, John averages 142 on the 9ft and has shot 3 perfect games on the same.
Even though you have my money in your pocket........I have made it back by betting more people than you can imagine that they can't shoot a 75..........especially when they say thats to easy, any ball in any pocket?
 
great game to teach you the value of every shot, especially the easy shots and sets, but doesn't draw much on other skills
 
Neil said:
This is how I have always seen it played, doesn't matter how many are in it, sometimnes there are ten in it. First guys breaks, and sees how many shots it takes to make all three balls. Then the 2nd guy, 3rd guy, ect. Can't go past 5 shots, that is the same as a scratch, and you are out that round. The lowest number of shots wins that round. If there is a tie, which there usually is, the pot carries over to the next round, and eveyone antes up again. Pots can get rather large at times. A one or a two usually wins the pot. And, the break counts as a shot.
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This is the version of the 3 ball ring game I've played. There's a bar in town I used to go to where the regulars played this game all the time. You can't win unless you make all 3 balls in 4 shots or less, and the break counts as a shot. A scratch is a 3 shot penalty, so if you scratch on the break, you're not officially dead. All you have to do is make all 3 balls on the next shot, and you can still win. :grin:

I've seen at most a 5 player ring game. I don't know if it can go higher than that. The other house rules are just like described above. I've only once seen a guy make all 3 balls on the break.
 
smokeandapancak said:
Disagree here

The less balls on the table the more important position play becomes

There are NO safe plays
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To give an idea of how hard it is for the average player, 5 of us played it yesterday and I put up a cash bonus for the first one to score a 15 and it took 7 full turns before the first 15 was shot, so thats .........35 total racks before there was a 15.......Now I say this because there were as many 10's as there were 3's and 4's:( and you are absolutely right.....the fewer balls left the more difficult it is.:)
 
I thought the game was a bit of a joke
As a 14 1 player with some decent runs under his belt.... it sounded cake.
Granted the fact that I missed the one shot penalty rule after the break cost me more than a few points.... it is still a tough game.


I do think that alternating breaks is a better way to play... . it forces a player to take cooling off break and keeps the other guy from faling asleep.
 
smokeandapancak said:
I thought the game was a bit of a joke
As a 14 1 player with some decent runs under his belt.... it sounded cake.
Granted the fact that I missed the one shot penalty rule after the break cost me more than a few points.... it is still a tough game.


I do think that alternating breaks is a better way to play... . it forces a player to take cooling off break and keeps the other guy from faling asleep.
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In competition play you alternate turns. If 3, 4 or 5 are playing on the same table, each player gets 1 turn at a time, not 1 player shoots all 10.

Hope this helps.:)
 
Robert Byrne (along with Bob Jewett maybe?) came up with "equal offense" about 30 years ago - which is played with an open break and then like straight pool, but you are limited to a run of 20.
Same as 6pocket but a little better, IMHO.

If you play either game with cueball as it lies after the break, it becomes much harder, or riskier if you continue with an all-out power break. You have to go with a softer, controlled break to ensure a following shot, which makes you go back into the rack at some point to break up clusters.
 
I like the Allan Hopkins Q Skills. Same basic game except the last 5 balls must be shot in rotation and are worth 2 pts apiece.

:thumbup:
 
DelaWho??? said:
I like the Allan Hopkins Q Skills. Same basic game except the last 5 balls must be shot in rotation and are worth 2 pts apiece.

:thumbup:
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That is a great game also...
But you can go into rotation as soon as you want, right? you dont have to wait until the last 5...

The 6 pocket has a better chance of making a name b/c of the organization behind it.... a regional tourney schedule and a good hnadicap system that makes matching up easier.


I could see this taking off, if the promotors play it right.

It is a simple game to explain, but a tough one to master.. .so it appeals to both the novice and the shortstop.


Give it a go... I am sure you would enjoy it.
 
Smoke is right.

It's the whole package that 6 Pocket brings to the industry that could help the industry gain a market share of those 32 million recreationial players that play once a week. These are the players that are not on a league, not a pro, don't care about gambling, don't consider themselves a "Player", a large percentage play at home and they just play for the fun of it but they spend money that is badly needed for the industry.

6 Pocket has the chance to be the common thread that brings these players into the world of billiards as we know it! 6 Pocket as a whole is more than just a game. We have designed our business plan to give back to the billiards industry in an attempt to gain popularity like other individual sports.......golf, bowling and others.

Thanks for listening......
 
smokeandapancak said:
That is a great game also...
But you can go into rotation as soon as you want, right? you dont have to wait until the last 5...
The 6 pocket has a better chance of making a name b/c of the organization behind it.... a regional tourney schedule and a good hnadicap system that makes matching up easier.


I could see this taking off, if the promotors play it right.

It is a simple game to explain, but a tough one to master.. .so it appeals to both the novice and the shortstop.


Give it a go... I am sure you would enjoy it.
Click to expand...
That's true, but only the last 5 are worth 2 pts apiece. Prior to the laast 5 they can be shot in any order. If you wanted to shoot them all in rotation that's your option as it is call any ball in any pocket.

:)
 
delawho??? said:
that's true, but only the last 5 are worth 2 pts apiece. Prior to the laast 5 they can be shot in any order. If you wanted to shoot them all in rotation that's your option as it is call any ball in any pocket.

:)
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You must be thinking of another game. In 6 pocket the point value does not change because there is no incinitive to shoot in rotation. Balls are worth 1 point per ball 15 points max per rack.
 
JohnnyOzone said:
Robert Byrne (along with Bob Jewett maybe?) came up with "equal offense" about 30 years ago - which is played with an open break and then like straight pool, but you are limited to a run of 20.
Same as 6pocket but a little better, IMHO.

If you play either game with cueball as it lies after the break, it becomes much harder, or riskier if you continue with an all-out power break. You have to go with a softer, controlled break to ensure a following shot, which makes you go back into the rack at some point to break up clusters.
Click to expand...

I think that John Schmidt came up with the "Unplayable Lie" rule because of the frequency of getting into trouble after the break. Regardless of how great your "Nineball" break is, if you break hard hitting the front ball, there is a better than average chance that at some point during a 10 rack match, the cue ball is going to get kicked down to the bottom rail or into a difficult position at least once or twice.

I find that breaking from the side rail and hitting the second ball, drawing the cue ball into the side rail and back into the rack gives you the best possible chance of having an open shot after the break.

Either way, the pressure to make a ball early is considerable.

I did a 3 rack exhibition at the Fast Eddie's event in San Antonio last weekend on a fairly tight 4 1/2 by 9. I made a 15 on the first rack, then a 13 and a 12. There was a little bit of pressure to at least make a respectable showing since I was trying to represent Sam and Dick, who are a couple of fine gentlemen, i might add. It also didn't make it any easier with Shane, Hillbilly and Silver Ochoa looking on.:thumbup:
 
D C 6 Pocket said:
Close Billy, John averages 142 on the 9ft and has shot 3 perfect games on the same.
Even though you have my money in your pocket........I have made it back by betting more people than you can imagine that they can't shoot a 75..........especially when they say thats to easy, any ball in any pocket?
Click to expand...

I still haven't cashed the check, Dick. :)
I think i'll put it in a frame and hang it on the wall in my office.
You never know when I might get in a bind and need a couple of bucks.
 
D C 6 Pocket said:
You must be thinking of another game. In 6 pocket the point value does not change because there is no incinitive to shoot in rotation. Balls are worth 1 point per ball 15 points max per rack.
Click to expand...

Right, I was illustrating the difference between 6 pocket and Allan Hopkins Q Skills.

:)
 
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