Giving weight in 8 ball

N

noRulez

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
OK, I'm new to all the gambling terminology but I'm learning a lot from this site. I just started playing some cheap sets. Last night I was out with a bunch of friends and we made a few friendly wagers. $10.00 was the max and everything was a race to 3. I won every set I played and then, of course, they didn't want to play any more. Anyway, enough of the circumstances. My point is that I wanted to give them weight so they'd keep playing but I have no idea how that works in 8 ball. Giving the break isn't really worth much especially when they're not real break and run type people. What other ways can you give weight in 8 ball?

edit: I should mention that I'm better than all of them but not that much better so I don't want to give a huge spot or anything.
 
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Games on the wire.

The only other way is prop style games.
Example: I have played were I can only use corner pockets or the other player gets ball in hand to start every inning.

Eight ball is a tough game to handicap.
 
The best thing to do is to lengthen the races and spot them a couple of games on the wire. Say a race to five and spot them 2 games if you were completley dominating them in a race to 3. JMO.

Southpaw
 
I've seen it handicapped like this:

one person has to shoot his balls in in order


one person gets allowance balls, meaning you might give a person the eight or the last and the eight so they have to get out down to the eight ball or their last ball and then they win


The first way is a pretty big spot since it's so easy to play safeties
 
some props you could add:

you bank the 8 ball
you have to shoot the 8 in the same pocket as your last ball
(for bad players) they get to play slop
(and for really bad players) they get a 2nd chance every turn

i tend to prefer giving games on the wire, but watch out for short races...

-s
 
I can't believe I didn't think of that. I could spot 2 or maybe 3 games in a race to 5 and I think that'd even it out. Just out of curiosity, even though I know what you meant, what does "on the wire" mean exactly? I tried to google for it and couldn't find the origins.
 
kryptonite9 is correct is saying that handicapping 8-ball can be problematic. If you offer to take some of their balls off the table after the break, that's actually going to help you, not them, because removing some of their balls makes your run out much easier and allows you to play easier safties. Games on the wire, as has already been suggested, is probably best. Play a race to five games giving your opponent a one game head start. If it is still lopsided, you can give two games in a race to five. And so on.
 
Well, since they are not break & run people you offer them the breaks.

When they get wise to that, you say "I guess it comes to the fact that I'm making more balls then you, so we'll just remove a few of yours after break so you have fewer to make."

When they get wise to that, offer to bank the 8.

When they get wise to that, offer a game on the wire.

When they get wise to that, lengthen the race and offer another game on the wire.

All told, if you spread this over a few sessions you can pay next months rent.
 
mosconiac said:
Well, since they are not break & run people you offer them the breaks.

When they get wise to that, you say "I guess it comes to the fact that I'm making more balls then you, so we'll just remove a few of yours after break so you have fewer to make."

When they get wise to that, offer to bank the 8.

When they get wise to that, offer a game on the wire.

All told, if you spread this over a few sessions you can pay next months rent.
Click to expand...


those are good ideas but I don't think he's trying to rob his buddies:D :D
 
noRulez said:
I can't believe I didn't think of that. I could spot 2 or maybe 3 games in a race to 5 and I think that'd even it out. Just out of curiosity, even though I know what you meant, what does "on the wire" mean exactly? I tried to google for it and couldn't find the origins.
Click to expand...

On the wire.........

Often above the table they will have balls on a wire to keep score. A few games on the wire is exactly that. ie. a few balls moved over to indicate games won.

James
 
Most common are - games on the wire, giving them 1 to 4 games in a race to 5. There is the bank the 8 option where you have to bank the 8 ball (called shot) and your opponent does not have to bank the 8. I have played "Pick" in 8 ball before, where on the 1st time its your opponents turn they get to pick up a designated numbers of balls off the table and drop them in the pocket before they shoot.
 
mosconiac said:
Well, since they are not break & run people you offer them the breaks.

When they get wise to that, you say "I guess it comes to the fact that I'm making more balls then you, so we'll just remove a few of yours after break so you have fewer to make."

When they get wise to that, offer to bank the 8.

When they get wise to that, offer a game on the wire.

When they get wise to that, lengthen the race and offer another game on the wire.

All told, if you spread this over a few sessions you can pay next months rent.
Click to expand...

I like this guy.
 
In some pool halls the "wire" is a string above the table used to keep score. In a race to 5 you set five counters off the center counter. If you give the other player 2 then he immediately scores 2 "on the wire."
 
JoeW said:
In some pool halls the "wire" is a string above the table used to keep score. In a race to 5 you set five counters off the center counter. If you give the other player 2 then he immediately scores 2 on the wire.
Click to expand...

Well, that makes perfect sense then. We don't have those in my town but I have seen them in Topeka when I went to watch 9 ball matches. Thanks!
 
I spotted

I spotted a guy "make three in a row" once in a "Gentlemen's" club. That's a pretty interesting way to play.
 
BillPorter said:
...If you offer to take some of their balls off the table after the break, that's actually going to help you, not them, because removing some of their balls makes your run out much easier and allows you to play easier safties...
Click to expand...

I have seen players take balls off the table but at the end of the game. It's pretty tough if the player getting spotted knows the stradegy of keeping the balls on the table that are causing the spotter a problem til the end-clusters (even if they are covering up the 8 ball). Once the number of balls they need to make have been pocketed, the 1, 2 or 3 balls they get to pick up, are then lifted before the 8 ball is shot so if they have been covering up the 8 for your opponent, they will no longer be covering up the 8 for your winning shot.

Anyone else see or play this way?
 
I have only ever seen the "pick" balls taken at the start of the game, not at the end. "Pick" balls at the end are a much bigger handicap.
 
noRulez said:
[...] What other ways can you give weight in 8 ball?
Click to expand...

Assuming these are your friends, you might try offering them ball in hand their first time at the table each game.

..or they make take ball in hand at the start of one inning each game.
 
Here's one that I made up when playing 8-Ball with one of my two sons:

For simplicity, let's call it Odd/Even 8-Ball.

The rules are pretty simple. Let's assume that choice of group has already been made (by whatever rules you normally play...BCA or Vegas). When you start your inning at the table, you can shoot at either an odd-numbered ball of your group or at an even-numbered ball... it's your choice on the first shot of your inning. Let's assume that you make that first ball, you must then shoot at the opposite even/odd of your group... and if you continue to pocket balls of your group on that inning, you must continue to alternate back and forth between the evens and the odds until all of your odds or all of your evens are down. Once that is accomplished, you may shoot your remaining balls in any order.

Example: Let's say that your opponent breaks and comes up dry... and then you legally make the 2-ball on your first shot at the table... therefore solids is your group. So, your next attempt to make a ball has to be on the 1, the 3, the 5, or the 7-ball (the odd-numbered balls of your group). Continuing on, let's assume, on your second shot, that you make either the 1, the 3, the 5 or the 7-ball, so your next shot has to be on the 4 or the 6-ball (since the 2 is already down)... and so on, alternating back and forth... until either all the odds or all the evens from your group are down. After that, you no longer need to alternate (for obvious reasons). :rolleyes:

As in standard 8-ball, when all balls in your group are down, you are then shooting on the 8-ball. All other standard 8-ball rules apply... except that if you are playing BIH rules, then you must make a legal hit on an odd-numbered ball in your group if you must be shooting at an odd-numbered ball in your group. Failure to make a legal hit on one of your odd-numbered balls (in this example) results in BIH to opponent.

Just to emphasize a point made earlier... when each of your innings start at the table, you can shoot at either an odd ball or an even ball from your group... it's your choice.

And when you must shoot at either an odd ball or an even one, you must make a legal hit on one of your odds or even, whichever you must hit at the time. It need not be the one that you are aiming for... but it must be from the same sub-group (odd or even from your group).

When I play my sons, I have to play Odd/Even... and they don't. That's their handicap.

Odd/even is a fun game to play... even by both players... as it adds some additional challenges in planning your runs and your position play. It's not intended for beginners.

Try it and let me know how you like it.

Regards, cd. :)
 
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