How To Stop Pattern Racking

Johnnyt

Johnnyt

Burn all jump cues
Silver Member
All you have to do is go to pro any tournament or match-ups or watch them on the stream to see that just about every pro does it. You can't blame any of them for it; no one does anything about it. They have to do it even if they don't want to because their opponent is doing it. This is a business for them, or at least it should be. If you don't pattern rack when others are, you're costing yourself money.

There is a very simple way to stop pattern racking in 9-ball and 10-ball tournaments. The 1-ball and 9and 10 ball have to be in a certain place, leaving 7 random balls in 9-ball and 8 random balls in 10-ball. Make up a set of cards with about 50 different racking patterns on them. Leave out the ones that are an obvious advantage. Before the player racks for his/her turn…they pick a card. The card you pick is how you must rack them. Case closed. Johnnyt

PS: Make up a set of cards Corey and get to work on it.
 
I agree, I pattern rack, especially in 9 ball. I didn't know you were watching me. It is almost subconcious. For me it can be the difference between winning and losing. I think it is why the soft brreaak is coming into vogue. With a hard break you can screw up the pattern. With a soft break and making a ball, running out is a very real possibility EVERY TIME. Now, who will teach the women this? Seriously, is it just me or do the women almost never runout 9 balls! Sorry, my bad for saying it!

Not sure, but this seems like a rotation game only issue.
 
I think it's one of the skills involved in playing the game and that there's nothing wrong with pattern racking.
 
JimS said:
I think it's one of the skills involved in playing the game and that there's nothing wrong with pattern racking.
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It's not a skill it's breaking one of the rules ...NO pattern racking. Balls other than 1, 9, in 9-ball and 1,10 in 10-ball will be racked random. Johnnyt
 
how about get cards from a deck numbered 2-8 and just shuffle them and then rack in the order the cards say
 
Some 10 ball events require that the 2 and 3 balls are placed on the bottom corners of the rack.

I like this rule, because both of those balls have a good chance of 4 railing in to the corners by where they started. Since the 1 almost never goes in the side, this makes it easier to predict where the balls will land after the break.

I wouldn't even mind if there was one standard pattern that everyone had to rack the same way, every time.
 
Pattern racking

A rule that most everyone seems okay with breaking. It reminds me of burning music. Everyone abides by most rules in pool just like most people don't shoplift but stealing the music is the one time it's ok.
 
My opinion, 420 has it right

the420trooper said:
Some 10 ball events require that the 2 and 3 balls are placed on the bottom corners of the rack.

I like this rule, because both of those balls have a good chance of 4 railing in to the corners by where they started. Since the 1 almost never goes in the side, this makes it easier to predict where the balls will land after the break.

I wouldn't even mind if there was one standard pattern that everyone had to rack the same way, every time.
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Johnny,

Your idea is good but drawing the card still means that some racks will be easier to run out than others. I think the real solution is two patterns. A set pattern and the mirror image of that pattern to accommodate breaking from either side of the table. The breaker's choice which pattern is used.

With the present rules random is only as random as the racker wants it to be.

Hu
 
the420trooper said:
Some 10 ball events require that the 2 and 3 balls are placed on the bottom corners of the rack.

I like this rule, because both of those balls have a good chance of 4 railing in to the corners by where they started. Since the 1 almost never goes in the side, this makes it easier to predict where the balls will land after the break.

I wouldn't even mind if there was one standard pattern that everyone had to rack the same way, every time.
Click to expand...

I believe the top 100 or more pros can make the 1-ball in the side 50% or more if he wants to. Some don't want the 1-ball to go, they want it to hit the side-rail and come back toward one of the corner pockets at the head of the table and keep the QB in the middle of the table. Johnnyt
 
Racking 10-ball 1,2,3 on the corners seems to take most of it away. Until the rest of the pool playing world breaks like "Xerox" Van Boening, I don't think 10-ball will be "solved". As a lowly B-player still struggling with an 8'/5" pockets, I'm not really worried about it yet. :grinning-moose:

If you (or the TD) sees the same pattern thrown up 2-3 times, you should be able to address it. I think there was a thread about someone addressing this with CD at a tour stop.

In 9-ball, it's universally agreed (even if some don't want to admit it) that the shape of the rack is "broken" and patterning is all too easy.

I would be happy to see some "mandated randomization" like 3 in the second row, 2 in the fourth, the other five random. That should make that game as fair as it can be, winner or loser racks.

I practiced with my total newbie brother in law the other night, we were just playing the ghost and "talking through racks" as a way to see what the other guy was thinking.

He was playing the 3 and 4 ball ghost, I was playing the 9-ball ghost and "adverse pattern" racking myself; 2/4 up front, 3/5 in the rear, 5/7 on the wings, 8 on the tail. (I think Tommy Kennedy showed me this one years ago, but I may have it wrong).

Aaaaaaaaaaaanyway, point is, I run pretty much even with the 9-ball ghost on this table normally, when I break from the side rail and truly randomize all balls but the 1 & 9.

I was AMAZED how hard it was to get out, hell even get started, when I patterned the balls against me. :yikes: Except for the lack of clusters, it produced very "10-ball like" layouts, where you had to move the length of the table the first three or four shots, aRoUnD all those other balls. I think I went EIGHT IN A ROW where I just could NOT get out!! :banghead:

Patterns are powerful and need to be applied evenly for tournament fairness.
 
ShootingArts said:
Johnny,

Your idea is good but drawing the card still means that some racks will be easier to run out than others. I think the real solution is two patterns. A set pattern and the mirror image of that pattern to accommodate breaking from either side of the table. The breaker's choice which pattern is used.

With the present rules random is only as random as the racker wants it to be.

Hu
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That would work for me. It would be a hell of a lot better than it is now, that's for sure. Johnnyt
 
ShootingArts said:
Johnny,

Your idea is good but drawing the card still means that some racks will be easier to run out than others. I think the real solution is two patterns. A set pattern and the mirror image of that pattern to accommodate breaking from either side of the table. The breaker's choice which pattern is used.

With the present rules random is only as random as the racker wants it to be.

Hu
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Hu, I mostly agree with you here.

In 9 ball I break from one side rail or the other, depending on the table. I use a half speed break, trying to make the one in the side, or the corner ball.

In 10 ball, I place the CB very close to the center of the table, and smack 'em with everything I have...I've noticed SVB does the same thing, and it's never a bad idea to copy greatness.

I don't think the mirror image pattern is necessary for 10 ball, since most successful breakers are very close to the center....the side rail break just doesn't work for 10 ball, imo.
 
Johnnyt said:
I believe the top 100 or more pros can make the 1-ball in the side 50% or more if he wants to. Some don't want the 1-ball to go, they want it to hit the side-rail and come back toward one of the corner pockets at the head of the table and keep the QB in the middle of the table. Johnnyt
Click to expand...

Are you talking about 10 ball?

The 1 in the side in 9 ball is lot easier than with the 10 ball break, at least for me.

In the pro 10 ball matches that I've watched, the two balls behind the 1 seem to go in the side a lot more frequently than the 1. (That's been my experience, also.)
 
Luxury said:
A rule that most everyone seems okay with breaking. It reminds me of burning music. Everyone abides by most rules in pool just like most people don't shoplift but stealing the music is the one time it's ok.
Click to expand...

That's the part I don't get. Why is it OK to pattern rack when it's against the rules? Because everybody's doing it? And if everybody's doing it... Johnnyt
 
interest of fairness

the420trooper said:
Hu, I mostly agree with you here.

In 9 ball I break from one side rail or the other, depending on the table. I use a half speed break, trying to make the one in the side, or the corner ball.

In 10 ball, I place the CB very close to the center of the table, and smack 'em with everything I have...I've noticed SVB does the same thing, and it's never a bad idea to copy greatness.

I don't think the mirror image pattern is necessary for 10 ball, since most successful breakers are very close to the center....the side rail break just doesn't work for 10 ball, imo.
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Michael,

Note that left handed One Pocket players almost always break from the other side of the table. It is a matter of more comfortable shots.

Offering the mirror image is purely in the interest of fairness to people that are right eye/left eye dominant and right or left handed. With the breakers choice of racks it is fair to all. One of my favorite breaks for an eight ball rack was one-half ball to a ball off center. Most tables had one side break a little better than the other. I haven't played a lot of ten ball compared to eight and nine but I suspect that it is much like an eight ball rack. I like to come from my eight ball positions playing ten ball and I can usually get something to fall.

Hu
 
I will not pattern rack unless I see my opponent doing it. IMO, it's impossible to get your opponent not to do it just by asking. Even though it is against the rules, it doesn't bother me as long as we both do it. As far as tournaments go, a standard pattern would be the best way to go.

A couple of months ago, I played Grady in a 9-ball tournament in Starkville, MS. I noticed that he placed the 3,6 in the 2nd row and the 2,4 in the 4th row every time (not playing rack your own). After I noticed this, I racked his the exact same.

Ryan
 
Here is an idea, get a referee to rack them randomly...
Each pro sport has a referee and so should pro pool.
"Rack your own" is the worst format.
 
Ethics is doing the right thing when nobody is looking.......sports have rules for a reason.....people can be a gentleman, or they can be a tool, it's all choice...

As far as TAR or hustlers, if their rule for the match allows pattern racking, let them do it.....it's their match...

As for tournament rounds or other matches played with a "random" rack per the rules, pattern racking is not random and is cheating.....it's very simple.......and those same people are the ones that say their high run is a 10-pack when it's only 6.....and they pocket a new piece of chalk from the pool hall when they get the chance.....or they foul when you aren't looking and forget to call it.....just sad :(

Integrity has fallen out of fashion....
 
skor said:
Here is an idea, get a referee to rack them randomly...
Each pro sport has a referee and so should pro pool.
"Rack your own" is the worst format.
Click to expand...

I agree, but pool touraments say they can't afford that. Johnnyt
 
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