Short rack banks.What offensive games rules have you come across, where defense is rare and a player often has little choice other than to attempt a big shot?
My favorite is ring game 10-ball, and occasionally 8-ball, when a player becomes committed to finishing in that shot or losing.
Some drill like games come to mind, such as golf and ghost games.... interested to hear of offensive games.
FWIW: I consider 9 and 10 ball to be about the most defensive of all games, post a great / fortunate break.
Colin
Is it 9 balls racked in short rack Fred?Short rack banks.
Thanks guys!
Have been experimenting for years with offensive game formats and got a couple of good ideas to consider from this thread.
Am planning a live stream challenge event in a couple of months, to see if viewers enjoy it.
I want a game that forces players to play more of the shots that demonstrate an advanced stroke and skill with rails.
It's called Strokepool, and the version I like is 2 Rail, where 2 Rails need to be hit in addition to pocketing a ball. That can be a bank + CB or other OB hits 1 rail, or any other combo... though most shots are direct pots with CB going 2 or more rails to position.
There is a rotation version and a Solid v Stripes version. Once a player finishes their run, the opponent has ball in hand... but gonna try out the send player back option. I just worry that players will be tempted to push out instead of going for a huge shot that could be a highlight.
Usually making 4 balls in rotation is a good result, as averaging over 3 balls per visit is a sign of a pretty experienced player. My best is a run of 23. Gawd knows what the likes of Efren in his prime could run, but sure would like to see them try it.
I prefer to score it in points per ball. Can have long races but I think short races such as races to 25 would work better for TV... a little like darts being broken up into short legs, which puts pressure on players to finish or risk losing a set every 4 or 5 visits.
It may sounds like a bashers game, which it can be at times once out of shape, but with some practice there can often be finesse to keep right side of shots for building runs. That said, you'll get to see some power stroke shots that you'll never see in a 9-ball tournament.
I use a lot of inside english in this game to run 2 and 3 rails to bring the CB through center of the table. Not many shots don't have some side english.
Colin
I'd love to see safety play banned in league matches I've played in, but you'd just get players playing safe but making it look like they went for the pot. Rattle a ball but make sure you get the white in a place that leaves the guy completely screwed.
Is it 9 balls racked in short rack Fred?
And I saw some mention of it being played in rotation some times. That's not standard right?
The most common short rack form is with 9 balls, racked in a diamond. First to 5 balls wins. 11 ball Banks is also played. Adds a slight bit more defense since the racks (Christmas Tree) aren't so opened up.
Derby City Classic has had the 9 ball Banks division since its inception.
Players might practice or gamble this way, but I've never heard of a tourney held like this.
Freddie
Colin:
I agree with Freddie, in that short-rack bank pool (racked like 9-ball) is a very offensive game. Just FYI about bank pool; you know that the balls are not shot in rotation, right? You can shoot any ball, but it must be a bank shot, and most importantly, it must be CLEAN -- i.e. no caroming off another ball into the pocket -- and it must be as you called -- i.e. you can't call a cross-side bank and have the ball go double into the opposite side pocket. Any improperly-potted balls spot back up.
Some argue that it's the purest form of pool there is -- no slop (every shot is called, and the shot must go as called with no extra contacts), and defense is very rare.
Examples:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=hPMIEr0frj0
http://youtube.com/watch?v=oppGT2l_wZ4
Short-rack banks is a blast as a ring game!
-Sean