A variation of Bob Jewett's proposition game
There's actually a variation of this proposition game where the triangle rack itself is placed onto the table, in the normal position where balls would be racked at the foot spot (picture the triangle rack placed at the foot spot as if it were ready to be lifted from a rack of balls ready to be broken, except there are no balls inside the rack). Leave that triangle rack on the table.
The shooter shoots the first ball and tries to get position back to the center of the table. The sitting person (the opponent) calls the next shot, and every shot thereafter. Obviously, the shooter better have that cue ball on a string, returning it to the center of the table each time, otherwise the sitting person is going to call the next shot that resides on the other side of the triangle rack, or otherwise behind another obstruction (e.g. the balls located by the side pocket, which, remember, are a full ball out from the pocket aperture). Otherwise, the shooter is going to find him/herself kicking at balls, or otherwise using a jump cue. If the cue ball touches that rack triangle in any way/shape/form, the game is over (the shooter loses).
This proposition game -- replete with triangle rack located on the table as an obstacle -- seems to be pretty popular here in the Northeast. I found myself on the receiving end of this proposition game, and for the first couple of games, found myself kicking or jumping at balls until I got that cue ball on a string, returning it to the center of the table each shot. (Fortunately for me in those first couple of games, my handiness with a jump cue got me out of a couple binds -- raising a few eyebrows that've not seen this technique implemented in this proposition game -- but sometimes put me where I'd have to repeat the technique again.)
This is also a good practice game for cue ball control -- i.e. returning the cue ball to the center of the table (useful for many games, not the least of which is 8-ball and 14.1).
-Sean
There's actually a variation of this proposition game where the triangle rack itself is placed onto the table, in the normal position where balls would be racked at the foot spot (picture the triangle rack placed at the foot spot as if it were ready to be lifted from a rack of balls ready to be broken, except there are no balls inside the rack). Leave that triangle rack on the table.
The shooter shoots the first ball and tries to get position back to the center of the table. The sitting person (the opponent) calls the next shot, and every shot thereafter. Obviously, the shooter better have that cue ball on a string, returning it to the center of the table each time, otherwise the sitting person is going to call the next shot that resides on the other side of the triangle rack, or otherwise behind another obstruction (e.g. the balls located by the side pocket, which, remember, are a full ball out from the pocket aperture). Otherwise, the shooter is going to find him/herself kicking at balls, or otherwise using a jump cue. If the cue ball touches that rack triangle in any way/shape/form, the game is over (the shooter loses).
This proposition game -- replete with triangle rack located on the table as an obstacle -- seems to be pretty popular here in the Northeast. I found myself on the receiving end of this proposition game, and for the first couple of games, found myself kicking or jumping at balls until I got that cue ball on a string, returning it to the center of the table each shot. (Fortunately for me in those first couple of games, my handiness with a jump cue got me out of a couple binds -- raising a few eyebrows that've not seen this technique implemented in this proposition game -- but sometimes put me where I'd have to repeat the technique again.)
This is also a good practice game for cue ball control -- i.e. returning the cue ball to the center of the table (useful for many games, not the least of which is 8-ball and 14.1).
-Sean
