-Rack all 15 balls, completely randomly. (Yes, a game using all 15 balls!)
-The breaker breaks the balls and keeps control of the table regardless of whether he pockets a ball or not. (Totally gets rid of the luck factor of the break.)
-For the first five shots following the break, the players can pocket any ball to keep control of the table. It doesn't matter how many balls are made on the break, the first five shots following the break can be any ball on the table. (Rewards the bigger breaker.)
-After the five initial shots, the players must shoot the remaining balls in rotation. (The first five shots give you a chance to break up any difficult clusters.)
-For the remaining balls required to be shot in rotation, not hitting the lowest numbered ball first results in a foul. (Still incorporates the safety play of 9-ball.)
-All fouls result in BIH to the incoming player.
-Game is won when the last ball on the table is pocketed. (Hence, "Last Ball" is the name of the game.)
I think this a neat game that focuses on some of the skills needed to play good 8-ball, 14.1, and 9-ball all into one game. By keeping control of the table regardless of whether a ball is pocketed or not, you pretty much eliminate all the luck factor involved with the break. The first 5 shots require strategy and precise position play to break up any clusters that would inhibit running out. And as for the rotation part of the game, you still have all the great characteristics of 9-ball and 10-ball.
What do you guys think? I think I should start my own Last Ball tour.
-The breaker breaks the balls and keeps control of the table regardless of whether he pockets a ball or not. (Totally gets rid of the luck factor of the break.)
-For the first five shots following the break, the players can pocket any ball to keep control of the table. It doesn't matter how many balls are made on the break, the first five shots following the break can be any ball on the table. (Rewards the bigger breaker.)
-After the five initial shots, the players must shoot the remaining balls in rotation. (The first five shots give you a chance to break up any difficult clusters.)
-For the remaining balls required to be shot in rotation, not hitting the lowest numbered ball first results in a foul. (Still incorporates the safety play of 9-ball.)
-All fouls result in BIH to the incoming player.
-Game is won when the last ball on the table is pocketed. (Hence, "Last Ball" is the name of the game.)
I think this a neat game that focuses on some of the skills needed to play good 8-ball, 14.1, and 9-ball all into one game. By keeping control of the table regardless of whether a ball is pocketed or not, you pretty much eliminate all the luck factor involved with the break. The first 5 shots require strategy and precise position play to break up any clusters that would inhibit running out. And as for the rotation part of the game, you still have all the great characteristics of 9-ball and 10-ball.
What do you guys think? I think I should start my own Last Ball tour.