Magic Rack @ Texas Open
- Thread starter JoeyA
- Start date
I agree. Watching the world 9ball championship, with those bucket pockets, was horrible.
Texas open results and magic rack
There was a lot of racking drama at the Texas Open, even with the Magic Rack.
Some un-related match details from the 2014 Open here:
http://forums.azbilliards.com/showthread.php?p=4872417
There was a lot of racking drama at the Texas Open, even with the Magic Rack.
Some un-related match details from the 2014 Open here:
http://forums.azbilliards.com/showthread.php?p=4872417
No soft breaks, four balls past the head string, or whatever the current rule is for that.
You opponent can only pattern rack in his favor if you allow him too. The Texas Open is rack for each other unless you both agree to rack your own.
So the question is, why would you let your opponent rack his own with a magic rack?
That's just silly.
Agree.
Pattern racking is a separate issue. Players can easily patter rack with or without the magic rack, if it's allowed.
There are certain problems that come with using the magic rack, but they are far outweighed by the problems with allowing players to rack with a normal, triangle rack. I'd use it for every tournament.
Splitting the back 3 balls from the first 6 will kill the wings and make players HAVE to play the 1 in the side or blast them.... I just don't know that the pros would accept a split rack.... Even if it puts the big break back into the game since if it's split rack harder means more of a chance to make a ball...
I'll have a cpl of split rack templates made and get back to everyone in a few weeks.
Chris
I could be wrong , but I believe that most tournaments have a rack sponsor and the tournament has to use that rack. Magic Rack type templates are cheap meaning a small profit=can't afford to do more than give the racks to the tournament.
Playing 9 ball on any size table just move the 9 on the spot and use a 4" break box. No cut breaks. It worked out well, I thought, at the MC. It stops the wings from going in on my 7' table also.
No one wants to do a fix that cost nothing. If someone can't make a buck on it, it can't work in pool. Johnnyt
Playing 9 ball on any size table just move the 9 on the spot and use a 4" break box. No cut breaks. It worked out well, I thought, at the MC. It stops the wings from going in on my 7' table also.
No one wants to do a fix that cost nothing. If someone can't make a buck on it, it can't work in pool. Johnnyt
It's an interesting idea, but can't we accomplish the same thing by just moving the rack so that the nine is on the spot? You still have the one in the side, but that is a more skillful shot than making an easy wing ball, in my opinion, and it also stops you playing position on the one (racking the two at the back also helps here).
Luckbox2013
Registered
We were told by the directors it was rack your own unless agreed to rack for each other
Joe T
Well-known member
Out trying to build us a national qualifying tour
Oh yea, we use all 15 balls, alternating break, rack your own and no matter what kind of luck happens on the break the breaking player starts the rack with ball in hand. After one year I don't think we've had a single racking issue, besides players accidently slugging themselves.
playing with splits and pattern racking
Chris, while you are playing with splits, would it be possible to make a template that positions each ball an eighth or quarter inch apart? Been wondering what that would do for adding randomness to the break for a few years.
One thing that seems obvious to me, is made more obvious every time a better rack comes out or Corey comes out with a new strategy, we need pattern racking! It has never seemed to me that the game should be about how the balls are placed in the rack. Gain an advantage, hinder the opponent, either is not in the spirit of the game in my opinion.
While it has been argued endlessly, "random order" means random order, not any order you choose! The catch is that anyone that plays a lot of pool can toss balls in a rack and get them exactly like they want them or very close every time while declaring the rack to be random. There is no way to prove if a rack is random or not unless you watch someone carefully arrange balls.
The solution is pattern racking. Decide on a pattern and standardize it for each game within an association. Only that pattern and the mirror image of it, breaker's choice, would be legal. No more advantage to knowing how to make it easier for yourself or harder for the other player.
Might add breaking from the end rail inside the diamonds only also.
I'd raise the basket for pro basketball up a few feet too, I'm just thataway!
Hu
Chris, while you are playing with splits, would it be possible to make a template that positions each ball an eighth or quarter inch apart? Been wondering what that would do for adding randomness to the break for a few years.
One thing that seems obvious to me, is made more obvious every time a better rack comes out or Corey comes out with a new strategy, we need pattern racking! It has never seemed to me that the game should be about how the balls are placed in the rack. Gain an advantage, hinder the opponent, either is not in the spirit of the game in my opinion.
While it has been argued endlessly, "random order" means random order, not any order you choose! The catch is that anyone that plays a lot of pool can toss balls in a rack and get them exactly like they want them or very close every time while declaring the rack to be random. There is no way to prove if a rack is random or not unless you watch someone carefully arrange balls.
The solution is pattern racking. Decide on a pattern and standardize it for each game within an association. Only that pattern and the mirror image of it, breaker's choice, would be legal. No more advantage to knowing how to make it easier for yourself or harder for the other player.
Might add breaking from the end rail inside the diamonds only also.
I'd raise the basket for pro basketball up a few feet too, I'm just thataway!
Hu
This I really like, promotes pool products and the buyer can benefit from a consistent rack. The Desert Classic Tour lets you use magic racks if you have them and the opponent agrees to it. I have yet to play anyone who doesnt want to use one.
Well I'm glad you chimed in. I thought I was the only one in the world that thought making the racks available for sale at the events was a good idea.
Heck, if my opponent didn't buy one, I would rent him mine by the game.
This would speed up racking the balls and there are so many events these days that need speeding up, it's pitiful. A weekend pool tournament with 128 players is a tough thing to do, almost impossible. An extra hour of sleep for everyone would be GREAT!
JoeyA
I'm glad you mentioned this. It so hard to play in a two day tournament with family at home, especially if it's out of town.
Even a one day tournament takes all day and ends late in the evening. At least with golf I can start at 7 am and finish by lunch time and the family doesn't even know I am gone.
The actual WPA rule should leave no room for debate: "The other balls will be placed in the diamond without purposeful or intentional pattern". Thus, it doesn't say "random order" - it says without purposeful or inentional pattern.
Gideon