New 9-Ball Game! This is the one...

5

5aheadforpinks

Nit Picker
Silver Member
This game IMHO is the game that we all should be playing, especially with the best players in the world in very large tournaments. This is the NEW nine ball!

Rack/Break like 9-ball. Play in rotation, but once you make a legal shot (legal according to BCA 9-ball) you must pot the nine ball.

Nine spots on the foot spot, and then you shoot the next lowest ball on the table, and again back to the nine.

You score one (1) point for every nine-ball you make.

Slop counts, and any time you make the nine-ball on a legal shot you get one (1) point and the nine spots. If you make the nine-ball as you pot the eight (8), the nine-ball is spotted to be made again. Game ends when last nine-ball is made.

Play to any amount of points; I played to 20 and my opponent had me 19 to 7, I came back making my 19th point after the eight and the whole match came down to my break. I made a ball but missed the one, my opponent masse'd the one-ball in and made the nine on his next shot to win. Talk about intense!

Cue ball fouls only, ball in hand, push out, 3-foul rule results in a five (5) point deduction but never below zero (0).


This is it!! The game that beats all others (except maybe snooker). There are some variations I found interesting also, spot the nine-ball half-diamond from the back rail as in the black-ball snooker spot. You could also change the 3-foul rule as you see fit.
Gambling and giving weight is simplified!
All-in-all, this is the game Ill be practicing before any tournament. Try it! Let me know what you think, get your practice dummy and spot him some points!
If you read this Grady, what do you think the potential is with this format in a large scale tournament?

Thanks for listen' fella's, ya'll are the best!
 
It sounds like a snooker version of 9B. Could be fun to practice with.

On a similar note, I was watching the 1992? I think challenge of champions yesterday and they were hocking a game called "99". Something like you are talking about, but they used black and red balls. You shot a black then a red or something like that?.....seemed kinda gimicky to me.

anything to keep it fun though.......

G.
 
Gerry said:
It sounds like a snooker version of 9B. Could be fun to practice with.

G.
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I thought the same thing.

You might try it getting the actual point value of the balls you make.

Or one point for balls 1-8 and two or something else for the 9.

And change the color of balls 1-8 to red.

And maybe add a few other colored balls that are worth different points.

Oh wait, that is snooker.

Jake
 
I like this idea alot. What do you all think about these suggestions:

1) Instead of shooting the low ball and then the nine, you can also bank, carom, or kiss the nine in off the low ball for a point?

2) How about every time you make a legal nine ball pot, you have the option of shooting the nine for a point or continuing the run as usual until you have a good shot to play position for the nine. In other words, if you make the one, you can either shoot in the nine for a point or you can shoot the two and then play for the nine and the point or continue with the three, etc. until you have a good opportunity to attempt the nine.
 
Bump

I really like this idea, so I thought I would give it a bump to try and get some more opinions and/ or discussion going.
 
after playing some more..

we started spotting the nine a half diamond off the end rail to make it more challenging. Found I could still run quite a few nines, and so could my opponent, but we never really kept score, besides per game in our heads.

I like Room101's idea,

2) How about every time you make a legal nine ball pot, you have the option of shooting the nine for a point or continuing the run as usual until you have a good shot to play position for the nine. In other words, if you make the one, you can either shoot in the nine for a point or you can shoot the two and then play for the nine and the point or continue with the three, etc. until you have a good opportunity to attempt the nine.
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This would allow you to play more conservative if your ahead and don't need the points; and still allow you to keep full control over the table, thereby eliminating safties except in extreme circumstances.
I believe I could come up with an accurate rating system for this game, and play it like USPPA with score sheets but a better algorithm.

This is a game of skill, you cant win the game in one shot. (Unless I spot you 4 in a race to 5!:D )
 
half breed 9-ball

:rolleyes: it sounds to me like someone has had a good idea,or maybe more time than the rest of us to figure this out!
 
my MODIFIED suggestions

Rack/Break like 9-ball. Play in rotation, but once you make a legal shot on any object ball, (legal according to BCA 9-ball) you must pot the 9-ball. If you miss potting the 9-ball, the opponent shoots from the Cue Ball's final resting position.

The 9-ball always spots on the foot spot, and then you shoot the next lowest object ball on the table, and then again back to the 9-ball.

Slop DOES NOT count. If you make the 9-ball, after you pot any object ball, the 9-ball is spotted, to be made again. Game ends when the last 9-ball is made.

The 9-ball has to be potted twice after the 8-ball is potted.

Cue ball fouls only, ball in hand, push out, 3-foul rule.
Not counting points would be a SIMPLER GAME. Ruling out any SLOP SHOTS brings the accuracy & deliberation back into focus.
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Room101 said:
I like this idea alot. What do you all think about these suggestions:

1) Instead of shooting the low ball and then the nine, you can also bank, carom, or kiss the nine in off the low ball for a point?

2) How about every time you make a legal nine ball pot, you have the option of shooting the nine for a point or continuing the run as usual until you have a good shot to play position for the nine. In other words, if you make the one, you can either shoot in the nine for a point or you can shoot the two and then play for the nine and the point or continue with the three, etc. until you have a good opportunity to attempt the nine.
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I like both of these modifications!
With these two modifications, this could be the most fun version of 9 ball that I've ever heard of. I'll definitely give it a try this weekend during practice!
 
Hey pinks, this game needs a name. Did you make this up or did you get it from someone else? If it was you, then you should do the honors; otherwise, tell us what it is called, please. [a couple of suggestions: Rotation Snooker, 9-Ball Option]
 
I thought it...

I couldnt think of a good name for it, the only thing that ever came to mind was "American Snooker" but I dont know if theres another game called that or not?
"9-Ball Option" is a good discriptive name.
Anyone else have an opinion on this?

Anyone else ever heard of a game like this?
I personally think this game would be better to watch as a fan than current 9-ball. Im thinking about mini-sponsoring a tournament, Im going to try and find a pool hall who will match my added money and we could get a decent tourny.

Id like to see a this style tourny played at Hard Times in Sac, CA.
I dont know how to pitch it though. Im not a good salesman.
 
ok...We played this all day on Saturday and we came up with a problem & a solution.

problem: What happens if you shoot at the 9 & you make a different ball?

Our solution: You continue shooting but you're back on an object ball instead of the 9.
 
Ctatyk said:
problem: What happens if you shoot at the 9 & you make a different ball?

Our solution: You continue shooting but you're back on an object ball instead of the 9.
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I think the nine should be a call-shot at all times, even when you make it by playing off the low ball in the rotation. If you slop it in off the low ball, you spot it up and continue your turn, but no point. If you slop another ball in while shooting the nine, your inning ends. JMO.
 
Only A Suggestion

I like the sound of the game. And the thought of continuing the run until you are ready to shoot the 9 ball in. My thought is to score the match like bowling. Each object ball is a strike until you make the 9 which caps off your run. If you make object ball 1, 2, and then say 3 but fail to make the next ball or fail to make the 9 you get NO points on that run. Just a thought.
 
Ctatyk: I was playing it that if you shoot at the nine, that was the only ball you could make, so if you make another object ball when shooting at the nine while not pocketing the nine, you lost your turn and the ball stays down. If you make the nine and another ball, the other ball stays down.

We were also playing it with slop, no calls whatsoever, and we allowed you to combo or carom the nine in on any shot to score a point.

KY BOY: yeah, you only get a point for makeing the nine ball, no matter how many object balls you make beforehand.

Maybe another variation could be:
Say you break, make the 4 ball, shoot the one, two, and then the nine, and you would get 3 (three) points, nine spots and you continue your run; but if you missed the nine, then you wouldnt get any points. So you would get 1 point for each object ball you made, no points for the nine, but the nine would allow you to solidify your points for your run. So you could run a full rack and still get a decent amount of points for your achievment, instead of just one point...

i.e.: Break and run in order only making the nine at the end, = 8 points;
but then running to the nine and missing it, gives you and your opponent 0 points for making the nine, but whoever makes the nine gets to break. But you still have an option to make the nine ball at any time after pocketing an object ball to string your points up; spot the nine and continue. (Shrug)

Im thinking this way would be much harder to keep track of; but maybe not.
 
Well, the rules stated that slop was allowed, so that's how we were playing it. I do like the idea that the 9 is always a call shot(even when made off of the lowest numbered ball). This also takes the "banger" out of the game. I really like this idea!

I also like the idea of scoring 1 for every ball that you make in rotation but don't get any points unless you "solidify" those points by making a 9 ball. I'll have to see how that works out the next chance that I get to play.

Thanks for the great ideas!
 
I plan on posting this to Billiards Drills .com tomorrow (linking here and giving credit where due, of course). Can the original poster make a new post with his latest rules so that I can get the most accurate version down? I'll be linking to this thread, too, so readers can see the changes, but I'd rather get it as right as possible too.
 
iacas said:
I plan on posting this to Billiards Drills .com tomorrow (linking here and giving credit where due, of course). Can the original poster make a new post with his latest rules so that I can get the most accurate version down? I'll be linking to this thread, too, so readers can see the changes, but I'd rather get it as right as possible too.
Click to expand...
And now it's up:
http://billiardsdrills.com/archives/games/9_ball_option.php
 
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