one pocket ghost
- Thread starter Nami
- Start date
A single player is at the table shooting one pocket. He smashes the balls open and starts to run balls into his pocket. When he misses or fouls, the rack ends. He tries to get a certain number of balls in five racks. Many good players go broke trying for 20. I think Efren was going for 40 or more in five racks.DUOBIS said:
There are various minor rules about scratching on the break. I've seen it played as not an inning-ender, but any ball pocketed in the good pocket spots.
Another version requires the player to run all 15 balls in N tries, where N is about 5 racks. This version may or may not allow ball in hand anywhere after the break.
Bud Green is from the west coast and he has told me that Efren avgs 41 in 5 racks.
I have not seen any of the top players matchup against the 1p ghost. The only thing I know is that it surprises many players how much weight the 1p Ghost can give up and still win. Many A players who are not familiar with the game can sometimes be tempted to try it out at $/per game with 8. Then after they lose they lose again with 7 and then even again at 6. I've given this game to B players and had them lose at 4 and even 3.
I have not seen any of the top players matchup against the 1p ghost. The only thing I know is that it surprises many players how much weight the 1p Ghost can give up and still win. Many A players who are not familiar with the game can sometimes be tempted to try it out at $/per game with 8. Then after they lose they lose again with 7 and then even again at 6. I've given this game to B players and had them lose at 4 and even 3.
I'm assuming making a ball on the break isn't necessary?
Right.supergreenman said:
Nick Varner has been known to play at 32 to 35. I've seen him run all 15 seven times (not in a row!). You don't get an extra rack if you run all 15. Usually the problem with 15 is banking the balls that are too near the head rail to get position on.
Bob Jewett said:
I guess an extra twist to the game would be to make it continuous like 14.1.
Well, I have never seen Efren play the one pocket ghost, but I did witness John Schmidt playing the 15 ball one pocket ghost getting 4 to 1 on the money and he ran the first 2 racks and the guy betting against him pulled up. It was really very impressive watching JS play it. I would have thought there would be alot more banks than he actually did...instead he shot more combinations than banks. I guess that comes from his straight pool background. It was truly artistic.
Southpaw
Southpaw
Cool, I got to try this, the numbers soun very low? (this is where it cuts to me losig lots of cash! lol). I played a rack of 1 pocket once by myself and ran 13 balls leaving two pretty straight forward side rail banks. But of course I couldn't bank at the time so missed the first.
I can't imagine how a pro lvel player couldn't make 5 balls atleast everytime? Is there something I'm missing here?
I can't imagine how a pro lvel player couldn't make 5 balls atleast everytime? Is there something I'm missing here?
uwate said:
Sure I can see how it might be harder making that jump and I'm sure I'll be suprised but it sounds like a good game.
Just to be sure I'm getting it right, you can smash the pack, you don't need to make a ball, and then you get ball in hand and can choose you pocket? Oh and its on any standard billiard table, doesn't have to be tripple shimmed or anything?
I think it was 5 racks, 5 innings not counting the breaks, one miss allowed per rack, and the prop was 36 balls at Hard Times.
The last time he played it was against a Lebanese prop gambler at HT.
The last time he played it was against a Lebanese prop gambler at HT.
The way I've seen it played, you do not get ball in hand unless you scratch on the break and then it is in balk. You must specify the pocket before you break. Any miss or foul after the break ends the rack.TheOne said:
I have never seen it played with one miss allowed after the break. You miss and the rack ends. Perhaps the miss was offered to pull in clients.
Let me amend that. When Deuel was playing to run all 15, he got BIH after the break. Running out all 15 is different from shooting 5 racks for total ball count. Hopkins has been known to try all 15 without BIH to begin, which is quite a bit tougher.Bob Jewett said:
I think it must have been without BIH. If Efren gets BIH after the break, I think he has to go to 50.TheOne said:Sorry probably me bad typingI meant you don't need to make a ball on the break?
So what is it then ball in hand or not, which way did Efren play it?