New Way to Play 9ball Matches

[BeiberLvr]

Hi All,

Long time listener, first time caller...

I "came up" with a new way to play a 9ball match that while confusing at first, I think is more fun than your typical race to x. I'll try to explain the rules the best I can.

First, instead of playing to whoever wins x games first, you would play to whoever reaches an agreed upon number of points before the other player. The rules I came up with are as follows:

1. Alternate breaks
2. Each win will count as 10 points, whether on your break or your opponent's.
3. If you lose on your break, you deduct 5 points from your score, and your opponent gets 10 points for winning. This makes it very important to hold your break.
4. If you snap the 9 ball on the break, you have the following options

A. Take the game, but only win 5 points instead of 10.​

B. Spot the 9 ball, take ball in hand anywhere on the​

table, and have one attempt to run the table.

If you run the table, you get your ten points.​

However, if the run out attempt is not successful,​

then your opponent gets those 10 points.​

All other rules are Texas Express.

I'm sure something similar has been thought of before. I don't know how well this would do in a tournament setting, but I think it would be fun for gambling.

 

[CreeDo]

Bieber Lover eh? That's gotta go over well when you roll up to the jukebox at the pool hall

I'm not sure how fair or fun this point system can be because the average player doesn't run out in 9 ball, and usually ends his inning by trying to run out and missing the ball. That effectively makes it a crapshoot who wins, which means if the breaker loses, he gets docked 5 points on top of the 10 point lead his opponent just gained. I guess the idea is to promote table control, but ultimately I think the point system just adds a random element to things... like "I won, but due to something mostly beyond my control, it only counts 50%"... or "I lost, but because I broke dry, it counts 150%".

I sort of like the APA's system of assigning points to the balls for 9 ball. You get credit for the balls you run, though the 9 is still important in that it counts double and earns you a break as well.

 

[Tony_in_MD]

Complicated.

What about early 9 ball combos are they scored the same as a 9 on the break?