Is "pattern" racking cheating in 9 ball?

i have question if you are in a tournament playing rack your own.i have won the coin toss to break.i'm going to rack the balls myself what order should i rack the balls in to give me the best possible pattern when i break to give my self good chance to run out eveytime?
 
av84fun said:
Neither the BCA rule set (which refers to the WSRs but is NOT the exact same rule set) are dictatorial, official and final such as the USGA Rules of Golf (which provide for local rule variations within limits).

So, except for tournaments that specifically ADOPT the BCA or WSR rule sets, it's like there's no law west of the Pecos pardner.

The DCC, for example, has its own rules on certain matters as do many other events.

So NO, pattern racking is NOT cheating by rule or ethics unless a specific rule set has been agreed to that prevents it.

Besides, have you seen anyone sit there and chart the opponent's racking pattern? I haven't.

Regards,
Jim
Click to expand...

Jim,

Any rules I've read in the past regarding 9-ball state that the one is on top, the nine is in the middle, and the rest are racked at random.....if someone is racking them in a specific order, it's not at random, and that is cheating.....I think people have forgotten that you don't have to get caught to be guilty of wrongdoing :D

Regardless, maybe the rules have changed and I'm sure different rule groups say different things and if they say in any order, then you are certainly right....I've been wrong before and will do so again....but if it says random, randon is not a pattern in my book :D
Jason
 
professor1967 said:
i have question if you are in a tournament playing rack your own.i have won the coin toss to break.i'm going to rack the balls myself what order should i rack the balls in to give me the best possible pattern when i break to give my self good chance to run out eveytime?
Click to expand...


Well, to be honest I think the first rack is kind of up in the air because each table is different. You're going to want to break on that table a few times to see where the balls are going. With that said, in my opinion, I think it's a waste of time except for watching where the 1 ball goes and then adjusting your break to play position on the 1 ball. After that it's all up to you. I don't care what anyone says about being a rack mechanic or racking balls in certain position within the rack, it's random. If it wasn't people would be running out constantly. There is no way on this earth to predict where those balls are going. Sure, you can get a general idea of a general area but all it takes is one ball kissing another one to throw all of that right out the window. I think the safest bet is what I said before, find out where the 1 is going off of your break and then start playing position off of your break for the 1 ball.
MULLY
 
No problem Jason. I'm just saying that there is no single "official" set of rules and that...unlike what constitutes a cue ball foul where there is virtually no argument among reasonable people....pattern racking has been used consistently and on a widespread basis for decades except in fairly major tournaments where a neutral racker is used.

My only point is that pattern racking is such a COMMON practice throught America and probably the world, that it is inappropriate to accuse people of "cheating" especially when BOTH players in the same match are doing the same thing.

Regards,
Jim





Big Perm said:
Jim,

Any rules I've read in the past regarding 9-ball state that the one is on top, the nine is in the middle, and the rest are racked at random.....if someone is racking them in a specific order, it's not at random, and that is cheating.....I think people have forgotten that you don't have to get caught to be guilty of wrongdoing :D

Regardless, maybe the rules have changed and I'm sure different rule groups say different things and if they say in any order, then you are certainly right....I've been wrong before and will do so again....but if it says random, randon is not a pattern in my book :D
Jason
Click to expand...
 
Random Racking?

When I rack the balls for 9 ball I always make an effort to give as good a rack as I would like to get. That is to say that I always rack the balls randomly and I try to ensure that all balls in the rack are in contact with adjoining balls. If my opponent grouses about the rack I always offer to let them rack their own...it matters little to me. Honestly there are very few players out there who can run more than 3 balls and then they start ducking so the argument over "pattern" racking is generally moot.
If you're involved in a game where you're giving weight (such as a wild 7 and the breaks) then it should be established before the game starts that the 7 will be racked in a way that reduces the probability of holing it on the breaks. Even with that stipulation the wild 7 and the break is a lot of weight in 9 ball. The thing is there should be a clear understanding of the game and the rules etc before the game begins.
 
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