How many of you can beat the 9-ball ghost?

[Andrew Manning]

-break the balls anywhere from behind headstring
-Any balls made on the break stay down. If the 9-ball is made it counts as a win.
-There is no penalty if you scratch on the break
-You may take ball in hand after the break anywhere on the table.
-You shoot the balls in sequencial order until you either make the 9-ball or miss. Combos, caroms, and banks are allowed
-You win if you make the 9 ball, you lose if you fail to run out.

I thought the more standard way was that a scratch on the break was a loss. That's the way I keep score, anyway.

I think, even with BIH after the break, that beating the ghost is all about spreading the balls well. I think if I had Bustamante breaking for me on an average 9' table, I could probably beat the 9-ball ghost in a race to 5 maybe 20% of the time. With my own break, that number drops to around 2% of the time (I've beaten that sucker once).

-Andrew

 

[Dan White]

I watched Gabe Owen play the 12 ball ghost for $250 a rack...

So if Gabe beat the ghost, how exactly did he plan on collecting? Put the money from his left pocket to his right?

dan

 

[dogginda9]

The pool room I used to gamble at alot, had several different pocket sized Gold Crown III's. On the loose ones, I had to give a little bit of weight back to the bettor. On the single shimmed tables it was an even bet. And on the brutally tight and gaffed up table it was a very tough game and I had to be playing well to win. Made a few pretty good scores playing the ghost.

 

[TATE]

I don't know if there is "standard" rules for playing the 9-ball ghost, but this is how I play it:

-break the balls anywhere from behind headstring
-Any balls made on the break stay down. If the 9-ball is made it counts as a win.
-There is no penalty if you scratch on the break
-You may take ball in hand after the break anywhere on the table.
-You shoot the balls in sequencial order until you either make the 9-ball or miss. Combos, caroms, and banks are allowed
-You win if you make the 9 ball, you lose if you fail to run out.

This is definately a difficult game on tight pockets. If this game is too easy you can progress to 10 ball, etc...

If the game is too hard, you can play 8 ball ghost, 7 ball ghost, etc...

It is strickly offensive and a keen test of your nerves.

Regards,
Doug

Sounds good to me.

 

[PlynSets]

I'd like to know who the 16 guys are that are 50% and above on beating the ghost in a race to 5 or better..

That's pretty strong in my book.

DJ <--- going to go play the ghost tonight.

 

[sjm]

It has been about three years since I tried it, but I'd say I used to beat the ghost by an average socre of 7-5.

 

[Aaron_S]

So if Gabe beat the ghost, how exactly did he plan on collecting? Put the money from his left pocket to his right?

dan

The 12-ball ghost has no problem finding backers. He works cheap, he never sleeps, and he never dumps.

 

[unknownpro]

I'd like to know who the 16 guys are that are 50% and above on beating the ghost in a race to 5 or better..

That's pretty strong in my book.

DJ <--- going to go play the ghost tonight.

Winning 50% of the games in
9-ball: 9/10 = 0.9 = 900 accustats
10-ball: 10/11 = .909
11-ball: 11/12 = .916
12-ball: 12/13 = .923
13-ball: 13/14 = .9285
14-ball: 14/15 = .933
15-ball: 15/16 = .9375

It's only 375 points from 9-ball to 15-ball. If I add 29 points a year to my best game of 12-ball I can make it to 15 in 5 years? Now I just have to get back to 12-ball level before the end of this decade. Got to go practice.

unknownpro

 

[TSW]

For practice, I prefer a 10 rack 10-ball version: same rules as the 9-ball ghost, but instead of just winning or losing any given rack, your score for each rack is how many balls you can run before missing. For example, running six balls before a miss would give you a score of 6; running out counts as a score of 10. Do this for 10 racks and you've got an easily-interpretable score on the 0-100 scale.

 

[hobokenapa]

14.1 ghost

How would the 14.1 ghost work?

An idea may be set up a break shot and start the rack. If you can run the entire rack, play a break shot and leave yourself a shot on ball 16 that is a win. Otherwise the ghost wins. What speed of player would win a race to 9 with the 14.1 ghost?

 

[PlynSets]

For practice, I prefer a 10 rack 10-ball version: same rules as the 9-ball ghost, but instead of just winning or losing any given rack, your score for each rack is how many balls you can run before missing. For example, running six balls before a miss would give you a score of 6; running out counts as a score of 10. Do this for 10 racks and you've got an easily-interpretable score on the 0-100 scale.

I usually practice with 10 ball.. I don't usually break though, just throw out 10 balls (nice open rack) and take ball in hand..

If you start a thread though and others have any interest in trying this and throwing up a "real" score I'll video my 10 racks and put em up along with the score.

DJ

 

[supergreenman]

I didn't read the question before I clicked %20 - %30 of the time. I assumed it was on a game by game basis and I can do it mayby 2 times out of 10. Which would make me the loser against the ghost in a race to 9 everytime.

sorry for messing up the results of the poll.

 

[supergreenman]

And yes I spelled maybe wrong

 

[JimBo]

I don't know if this has been asked before, but how many of you can beat the 9-ball ghost, say race to 9? Can you do it on a regular basis? Only when the stars align? Let's make this on a 9 foot table, as opposed to a bar box.

I hoping that his gives us a measure of the level of talent on this board. Please be honest in your assessment.


Regards,

Doug

Maybe my rules for playing the ghost are different, but I think at last check there were 16 people who said they beat the ghost here in a race to 9 on a 9 footer. I will go out on the limb and say I think we have 13-14 liars. Unless you are A+ to an open class player I don't believe you can consistantly beat the ghost. Of course pros are a given. But if by playing the ghost you mean you MUST break and run to win any miss being a lose.
I've heard other rules where you don't need to make a ball on the break or you get BIH after the break, in this case I'd lower the number of liars to 11-12, but I doubt 20% of the people here can beat the ghost in a race to 9.
Again to me this means you B&R better the 50% of the time and that's tough action. Any Non-pro who wants to come to CT can get some $100 a set action playing the Ghost races to 9.

Jim

 

[ribdoner]

Maybe my rules for playing the ghost are different, but I think at last check there were 16 people who said they beat the ghost here in a race to 9 on a 9 footer. I will go out on the limb and say I think we have 13-14 liars. Unless you are A+ to an open class player I don't believe you can consistantly beat the ghost. Of course pros are a given. But if by playing the ghost you mean you MUST break and run to win any miss being a lose.
I've heard other rules where you don't need to make a ball on the break or you get BIH after the break, in this case I'd lower the number of liars to 11-12, but I doubt 20% of the people here can beat the ghost in a race to 9.
Again to me this means you B&R better the 50% of the time and that's tough action. Any Non-pro who wants to come to CT can get some $100 a set action playing the Ghost races to 9.

Jim

If they reload after going broke in CT they can empty out again in Tn

 

[enzo]

i gambled against it once and beat it on loose pockets and lost once when i was a youngster on tighter, more humid pockets. i figured when i beat it the last time i should just quite and tell people, oh yeah, i beat it when i played it, lol. so, i havent played it since. in my heart of hearts i think im supposed to beat it though. maybe your post will encourage me to try and beat up on it again if somebody lets me.

 

[Salamander]

I tend to agree. It is very difficult unless you are a superb player to beat the ghost consistantly on a race to 9. Without a doubt there were a few posters that might have inflated their abilities.

My poll assumed ball in hand after the break.

Doug

Maybe my rules for playing the ghost are different, but I think at last check there were 16 people who said they beat the ghost here in a race to 9 on a 9 footer. I will go out on the limb and say I think we have 13-14 liars. Unless you are A+ to an open class player I don't believe you can consistantly beat the ghost. Of course pros are a given. But if by playing the ghost you mean you MUST break and run to win any miss being a lose.
I've heard other rules where you don't need to make a ball on the break or you get BIH after the break, in this case I'd lower the number of liars to 11-12, but I doubt 20% of the people here can beat the ghost in a race to 9.
Again to me this means you B&R better the 50% of the time and that's tough action. Any Non-pro who wants to come to CT can get some $100 a set action playing the Ghost races to 9.

Jim

 

[enzo]

for all the people asking abou the rules, in CA you break how you want. it dont matter if the cueball flies off the table and breaks three lights, you shoot with ball in hand and if you make the nine before missing, and never foul of course, you get a point. didnt know people played it different than that.

your turn ending by scratching or by flying off the table on the break is so much stronger for the ghost, i personally wouldnt play that.

 

[mjantti]

For a period of my practice routine last year I played against the ghost, races to 7. Played maybe 10 sets and won all of them. I also used the rule, that if I scratch on the break, I lose the rack.

 

[Scottster]

How would the 14.1 ghost work?

An idea may be set up a break shot and start the rack. If you can run the entire rack, play a break shot and leave yourself a shot on ball 16 that is a win. Otherwise the ghost wins. What speed of player would win a race to 9 with the 14.1 ghost?

Well, you dont really need a ghost in straight pool. A similar way to gamble playing straight pool is to set up a break shot, select a number of points to run to and if you make it you win the bet, if you dont, you lose the bet.

I would say beating the ghost in 9-ball is equivalent to running 60 in straight pool.

As for myself,

I have beaten the 9-ball ghost on a bar box (Dont care about bar-pool)

Need the 8 on a 9 footer. I play fouls count on the break. Then BIH after.

I am 12 balls short on reaching 60.

There, I have shown my a$$.