Has Ball In Hand taken position play and shot making out of the Game
- Thread starter BarneyCalip
- Start date
ROLL-OUT IS GREAT, BUT...
I also like playing roll-out; it's the way most serious games were played when first picked up a cue 56 years ago. On the other hand, I once played an 8-ball team match (25 games) using the roll-out rule (or two foul ball in hand), and it took seven hours! Not good for anyone involved except the owner who sold more beers. We had three foul loss as a rule in 8-ball for a few years, but that was eliminated because there were just too many games decided in this manner among defensive masters. I'm convinced that the one foul BIH rule makes the game better for most players and spectators. What really irks me are leagues that play slop 8-ball and pros playing slop 9-ball!
I also like playing roll-out; it's the way most serious games were played when first picked up a cue 56 years ago. On the other hand, I once played an 8-ball team match (25 games) using the roll-out rule (or two foul ball in hand), and it took seven hours! Not good for anyone involved except the owner who sold more beers. We had three foul loss as a rule in 8-ball for a few years, but that was eliminated because there were just too many games decided in this manner among defensive masters. I'm convinced that the one foul BIH rule makes the game better for most players and spectators. What really irks me are leagues that play slop 8-ball and pros playing slop 9-ball!
Black-balled
You played pushout at westmont..you just wern't very good at it..lol..at least that's what Ricky & Randy said.
Anyway, I like pushout. Nine ball was designed to be a shooting game...not a safety game. There was already a safety game, 1 hole. Play safe every shot if you want...but you will get beat by the shooter most times. Knowing how and where to pushout is an art like playing safe and kicking. Too bad you can't choose which game to play as almost nobody even knows the rules to pushout. 1 foul is a good game when played by the top players as they shoot much more than they duck. Same with 1 hole.
And so...the battle never ends...lol
You played pushout at westmont..you just wern't very good at it..lol..at least that's what Ricky & Randy said.
Anyway, I like pushout. Nine ball was designed to be a shooting game...not a safety game. There was already a safety game, 1 hole. Play safe every shot if you want...but you will get beat by the shooter most times. Knowing how and where to pushout is an art like playing safe and kicking. Too bad you can't choose which game to play as almost nobody even knows the rules to pushout. 1 foul is a good game when played by the top players as they shoot much more than they duck. Same with 1 hole.
And so...the battle never ends...lol
Relative to one-shot shootout, ball-in-hand has increased the penalty for position poorly played. When you hook yourself, you should not be allowed to push.
Still, the original poster is right in suggesting that the old rules favored the shotmaker more than today's rules. Lassiter, probably the greatest ball pocketer in the game's history, was pretty close to unbeatable using the old rules, but would have been more vulnerable in the version played today.
Defense is a big part of pool's majesty, however, and today's rules reward you more for defense well played than the old rules.
Any steps in the direction of total offense devalue the game of pool.
Still, the original poster is right in suggesting that the old rules favored the shotmaker more than today's rules. Lassiter, probably the greatest ball pocketer in the game's history, was pretty close to unbeatable using the old rules, but would have been more vulnerable in the version played today.
Defense is a big part of pool's majesty, however, and today's rules reward you more for defense well played than the old rules.
Any steps in the direction of total offense devalue the game of pool.
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