Odd before 8-ball (new rule variation proposal)
- Thread starter Celtic
- Start date
I'd love to claim the idea as my own, but it's actually the same as what they do in golf. The most skillful players must hit their first shot on every hole from further away than players of lesser skill. This ensures that players of the highest skill are sufficiently challenged. Making the pro pool players break from further away would have a similar effect.
Really because I've played 9-ball with my opponent breaking off of the head rail and it didn't seem to be more difficult at all. Was I missing something?
I don't see how the Golf example equates with Pool at all, as there is no hole distance in pool.
Starting farther back in Golf I can see being harder, you're making the hole distance farther.
I don't see how the Golf example equates with Pool at all, as there is no hole distance in pool.
Starting farther back in Golf I can see being harder, you're making the hole distance farther.
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Odds are, you were missing a couple of MPH and making a square hit on the one ball just a bit less often, but I can imagine that you still played at a high level of efficiency.
In 8-ball, I suspect, it would make even more difference, because it's harder to get the rack open.
Option or take what you make?
Let me tell a little story about how "take what you make" cost myself and my team a trip to Las Vegas. I don't play APA anymore, but years ago when I did my team got to the final match to win a trip to Las Vegas and wouldn't you know it came down to my match to see who won the trip.
I was a "7" handicap and I had to play a "5" who was a good player and was under handicapped. I knew the man from the BCA league and we were the same handicap in the BCA so I was spotting the guy 2 games to make the race a 5 to 3 match.
I told my captain I had my hands full spotting him when he played my speed or very close to it. He got out to a 2-0 lead and I needed 5 in a row. I was sweating bullets thinking how much was riding on my match for me and my team. I won the next 4 games in a row and that put both of us on the hill for the Las Vegas trip. Everybody knows in APA you take what you make on the break and wouldn't you know it I broke and made a low ball and literally had no shot plus I couldn't see a safety that I felt I could execute without the danger of leaving him a shot. I knew I was done for if I didn't hide him somewhere and get back to the table. The rack was so bad I couldn't see a safety for one reason all the high balls were sitting near the pockets literally! I took so long trying to figure out what to do they called time on me with one of the Refs. I had to shoot something and I wasn't successful hiding my opponent. The cue ball leaked out just enough for him to see a shot and he ran out and won the match 3-4.
It was such an easy run out if you had high balls you couldn't screw it up and that rule about "take what you make" cost me and my team the trip. If I had choice after the break since I made a low ball I could have taken the high balls and had an easy run out and I could have won the match. I felt so bad about losing and letting my team down after I made such a come back from being down 2-0 and then getting on the hill at 2-4 with me breaking. I played on a BCA team on another night and in that league you had choice after the break if you made something and with that rule I could have won my match by taking the high balls and been the hero for my team so you can guess which rule I prefer playing 8 ball - OATB!
Let me tell a little story about how "take what you make" cost myself and my team a trip to Las Vegas. I don't play APA anymore, but years ago when I did my team got to the final match to win a trip to Las Vegas and wouldn't you know it came down to my match to see who won the trip.
I was a "7" handicap and I had to play a "5" who was a good player and was under handicapped. I knew the man from the BCA league and we were the same handicap in the BCA so I was spotting the guy 2 games to make the race a 5 to 3 match.
I told my captain I had my hands full spotting him when he played my speed or very close to it. He got out to a 2-0 lead and I needed 5 in a row. I was sweating bullets thinking how much was riding on my match for me and my team. I won the next 4 games in a row and that put both of us on the hill for the Las Vegas trip. Everybody knows in APA you take what you make on the break and wouldn't you know it I broke and made a low ball and literally had no shot plus I couldn't see a safety that I felt I could execute without the danger of leaving him a shot. I knew I was done for if I didn't hide him somewhere and get back to the table. The rack was so bad I couldn't see a safety for one reason all the high balls were sitting near the pockets literally! I took so long trying to figure out what to do they called time on me with one of the Refs. I had to shoot something and I wasn't successful hiding my opponent. The cue ball leaked out just enough for him to see a shot and he ran out and won the match 3-4.
It was such an easy run out if you had high balls you couldn't screw it up and that rule about "take what you make" cost me and my team the trip. If I had choice after the break since I made a low ball I could have taken the high balls and had an easy run out and I could have won the match. I felt so bad about losing and letting my team down after I made such a come back from being down 2-0 and then getting on the hill at 2-4 with me breaking. I played on a BCA team on another night and in that league you had choice after the break if you made something and with that rule I could have won my match by taking the high balls and been the hero for my team so you can guess which rule I prefer playing 8 ball - OATB!