How does your rack look???

I

Ilove2playpool

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Basically, how do you rack 'em? Most of us have seen people constantly shuffling balls around while putting together an 8Ball rack, and while watching this I find myself asking, "Is there any rhyme or reason to what this person is doing, other than making sure the 8Ball is in the center"? Then one day I tried something. What I did was, rack the balls so that I matched the colors together and in a (somewhat) numerical sequence.

That is, I start with 1Ball (which is solid yellow) in the head spot, then I put the 9Ball (which is the yellow striped ball) diagonally behind it. Then I put in the 2Ball (which is solid blue). Then behind the 2Ball I put the 11Ball (which is blue striped). Then I put the 8Ball against the 9Ball, 2Ball and the 10Ball. Then I put the 3Ball behind the 9Ball, and I follow the 3 (red solid ball) with the 11Ball (which is red striped). Then I put the 4Ball along side the 11Ball, and then I following the 4Ball (which is solid purple) with the 12Ball (which is purple striped). Then I put the 5Ball next to the 12Ball, and I follow the 5 (orange solid ball) with the 13 (orange striped ball). Then I put the 6Ball next to the 13Ball, and then I follow the 6 (green solid ball) with the 14 (green striped ball). Then I put the 15Ball next to the 14Ball, and then I finish off by placing the 7 (burgundy solid ball) in the corner, along side the 15 (burgundy striped ball).

MyRack.jpg


Anyway, what I've found is that by doing this I always know how I'm going to rack 'em when I approach the table. I've found that I'm racking them faster, and my racks have somewhat of an evenly dispersed stripe ball/solid ball pattern. And at the corners of the rack, I always have a strip ball in one corner and a solid ball in the other. So now, not only do I spend less time racking, but I've found that the balls spread pretty evenly and nicely around the table.

So I'd like to know if anyone sees any flaws or benefits in this pattern I've being using. Also, I'd like to get some feedback from others to see what racking patterns or methods you are using, because sometimes I see folks just throwing balls around, and I wonder if they really have a method to their madness.
 
Ilove2playpool said:
I'd like to get some feedback from others to see what racking patterns or methods you are using, because sometimes I see folks just throwing balls around, and I wonder if they really have a method to their madness.
Click to expand...
I put the solids and stripes in this order. I do not pay any attention to colors, or numbers.

Tracy
 

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Ilove2playpool said:
So I'd like to know if anyone sees any flaws or benefits in this pattern I've being using. Also, I'd like to get some feedback from others to see what racking patterns or methods you are using, because sometimes I see folks just throwing balls around, and I wonder if they really have a method to their madness.
Click to expand...
If I rack using a full rack pattern, I rack them exactly like you have.

Solid on top,
solid biased right,
solid biased left,
solids biased right,
solid left corner

Just by random tossing, the second row sometimes is 'solid biased left,' which reverses everything else down.

The only question is what to do with the three balls in the center of the bottom row. There will always be a row of solids or stripes somewhere. Unless you're willing to put both solids in row four next to each other (stripe-stripe-solid-solid). My O.C.D. won't allow that.

Fred
 
Well, during practive sessions, it is strongly encouraged that when u rack, u rack them in a consistent order. This will improve your breaks (when it comes to what exactly is happening when u break).

When it comes to matches, you'll need to watch ur opponent and determine what is the best rack you can setup so that when ur opponent breaks, the run-out will be challenging. Keep in mind, that means u will need to do some homework and find the common areas of where cue placment is on a break. Keeping consistent-configured racks will allow ur opponent to correct his/her errors immediately. (That is of course, if anyone thinks of looking at the rack in the first place)

So that also means that you should watch ur opponent racks. See if they are consistent (somewhat) and utilize it to ur advantage.

Example:
I could be wrong on this, but if u notice most 9-ball matches on ESPN, they're racked purty consistently. Ever notice how the shooter will adjust in order to achieve the maximum results? Again, anyone out there, correct me if i am wrong.

Note:
If ur puprose is just to rack faster... this is a sure-fire bet. :)

Configuring 8-ball racks is a bit more challenging than 9-ball.

Hope that helps.
 
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Ilove2playpool said:
Basically, how do you rack 'em? Most of us have seen people constantly shuffling balls around while putting together an 8Ball rack, and while watching this I find myself asking, "Is there any rhyme or reason to what this person is doing, other than making sure the 8Ball is in the center"? Then one day I tried something. What I did was, rack the balls so that I matched the colors together and in a (somewhat) numerical sequence.
Click to expand...
I just looked at your photo again. If you swapped the 6 & 14, yours would be the same as mine, but in reverse.

Tracy
 
I thought this thread was about breast augmentations :p


Eric >would rack em the same as ilove2playwithboobs
 
Eric. said:
I thought this thread was about breast augmentations :p
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So did I, however my real racks are not designer series as above. LOL Looks pretty but for 8 ball I rack pretty close as above, I'm just not as color coordinated.

Rod
 
Think you delve too deep into the rack. Heres what I do:

- Throw all 15 balls in the rack
- Look at the top three balls
- if there are two solids in the three balls, put the two solids in row 2. Vice versa for stripes. If all three ball at the top are solids, switch the top ball out with a stripe. Also works for three stripes.
- Alternate down the sides and bottom.
- the balls below the 8ball should then alternate
-then flip the bottom right corner ball with the second-in bottom right ball to get the alternated bottom corners.

Or you could just put the 8 in the middle, make the corners different and then rack em.
 
Before my first night of APA 8-ball league I checked the internet to see if there was an official rack configuration. I found a website that had a set of rules for some tournament that required this configuration:

_____X_____
____O O____
___X 8 O___
__O X O X__
_X O X X O_

So I quickly memorized it and have used it ever since. I don't remember where I found it, does anyone recognize it from a set of rules?

-Andrew
 
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If you want the most "fair" rack, it seems to me that the OP's picture is it.

Ignore the 1, the 14 and the 8 ball for a moment, which are the only balls that cannot have a ball on the opposite side, since they are along the line of symmetry in the rack.

Then, notice that for every solid in one position, there is a stripe in the exact same position on the opposite side of the rack. There is also never two solids in a row nor two stripes in a row, except diagonally (hey, no ones perfect).

What does this mean? I don't know, but that's how I racked too when I played in a tournament that favored (a) BCA rules and (b) having a pattern to the rack. Only difference was that I ignored the numbers, except for the 1, which I put in the front as a courtesy, as its the brightest ball and thus least prone to shadow sharking.

In general, I prefer the BCA rack guidelines because its quick, and I think randomness in the rack is a good thing. :cool:
 
I usually just rack them randomly with the 8 in the middle and a stripe in one corner and a solid in the opposite corner.

Sometimes I'll redistribute the balls a little to more evenly distribute them depending on who I'm playing, but mainly I just go for random.
 
Solid in one rear corner, a strip in the other and the eight in the middle. All of the other balls are evenly distributed which ends up putting two solids and two stipes next to each other.
 
Most of the people I have played or observed playing, only glance (from the other end of the table) to make sure that the 8Ball is in the middle, and the only times I've ever seen someone check the rack for tightness was during money tournaments, and even that is rare. I don't think most players (particularly league players who never know who they'll be match up against) pay that much attention to the rack, which means they don't care about any set rack patterns. Plus, I think that since most people don't have a set pattern, then they never look for (or expect) one, which means they probably aren't practicing breaking based on a particular rack set up. Actually, I think most people are thinking about making that 8Ball on the break (w/o scratching) than anything else.
 
I read the rack every single time, no matter if it's a money game or not.
Sometimes someone will say "you want me to re-rack them?" or start reaching for the rack; and I normally just tell them "no. they're fine".

I'm just getting an idea not only for soundness of the rack, but how they are racked, and any possible small gaps in the rack that could be exploited.
 

_____X_____
____O O____
___X 8 X___
__O X O O__
_X O X X O_


I use this most of the time. It is the mandatory layout in bar table leagues in my country. The term we use for it is the two L's.
 
Cuebacca said:
(snip)
Only difference was that I ignored the numbers, except for the 1, which I put in the front as a courtesy, as its the brightest ball and thus least prone to shadow sharking.
(snip). :cool:
Click to expand...

"Shadow sharking?" I've never heard that term. Is this what you're talking about:

Sometimes when I rack in a tournament or league, I'll put, on the head spot, the solid ball whose color matches the cloth on the table. Usually, the 6 ball on green cloth. I then put the 14 next to it, with the striped portion facing the breaker. On the other side goes the blue 2 (close to green) with the 10 next. I try to keep all the brighest colored balls within the rack.

Is that cheating? I guess I never figured it was, I just assumed that the rules don't cover the colors when racking so I was taking advantage where I could...but...?

Btw, I always try to set the rack tight, square, and directly on the spot...and that HAS cost me a few games, but that, to me, is the rule that must be followed or it is cheating.

Jeff Livingston
 
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