How does a "spot" work ? thanks :)

[Ishooteem69]

I see and hear talk of spotting a player to make the game more competitive but don't understand some of the terminology. For instance when somebody says they will give you the 6 & the 7,,,, what does that mean?

 

[DogsPlayingPool]

A spot is simply a way of giving the less skilled player a handicap in order to make the game more"equal" and facilitate a wager, similar to giving strokes in golf.

In 9 Ball, the player getting the 6 and 7 can win the game by making either the 6, 7, or 9 balls, while the player giving the spot must still make the 9 ball to win.

Essentially a spot is a handicap.

 

[jamesjr1963]

I see and hear talk of spotting a player to make the game more competitive but don't understand some of the terminology. For instance when somebody says they will give you the 6 & the 7,,,, what does that mean?

Usually works well for the player giving the spot but seldom from the player receiving it.

 

[Bob Jewett]

I see and hear talk of spotting a player to make the game more competitive but don't understand some of the terminology. For instance when somebody says they will give you the 6 & the 7,,,, what does that mean?

As mentioned above, if the weaker player makes the named balls he wins the game and a new game begins. Against a very good player such extra "money balls" are not as large a spot as they seem to most people. There are lots of details, such as what happens if either player happens to make a spotted ball on the break, and those details are rarely all decided before the match starts.

I think a better kind of spot is "games on the wire" which means, for example, that you have to win 3 games before the good player wins 10 and you play by the standard rules of nine ball.