Riding The 9!

TwistedTexasStyle

TwistedTexasStyle

Active member
If you know the term you have played pool for a while and definitely have played the game 9-Ball. The term is based on a player consistently trying to pocket the 9ball early for a win as opposed to working their way through the progression and winning by making the 9 last. Riding the 9 is frowned upon in many circles and students are taught early on to avoid the temptation ride the 9 as too often it results in a quick end of the player’s turn leading to a loss. Still, the desire for a quick win is strong and the beauty of the 9ball is no matter how the 9 goes in, you win. Riding the 9 is trying to find the quickest way to win, not necessarily the easiest.



What if you change the rules of the game so that riding the 9 is glorified instead of frowned upon? What would that look like? Texas One Shot(TM) is just such a game. In order for a player to shoot again they must make the 9ball move instead of being rewarded another shot for making an object ball. The rules of 9ball are still observed but the reward system is changed. A player hits lowest numbered ball on the table first and if the 9ball moves they shoot again. Pocketing the 9ball is a win. There is no penalty for pocketing object balls but the 9ball must move for the player to shoot again. By the way, the 9 is deemed to have moved on the break by definition even if it is left sitting on the spot because energy went thru the ball. That definition is used though out the game to the point if ANY ball simply rolls up and touches the 9, the 9 is deemed to have moved and the player is rewarded another shot.



Texas One Shot is revolutionary to the game of pool because making the 9 wins the game but making object balls no longer allow a player to shoot again. The shots and strategies challenge even experienced players. Carom shots and combos are standards of the game. Defense is part of the game but may be harder to realize. The game appeals to players and bangers alike. It is easy to understand and fun to play. The game should be short but can go long. In 9ball there are only so many balls to make while in Texas One Shot players move the 9 as many times as it takes to pot it. There is no incentive to make object balls. They should used and abused in pursuit of the 9 or for defense. If potting them helps your strategy, great but that is the only reward you get for potting them. The entire focus is the 9 and only the 9. It is so pure, only one ball counts every shot. Who does not want to win as fast as can? Object balls become tools instead of distractions.



Experienced players have a learning curve because making a ball to shoot again is ingrained in the psyche. Panic may set in when the 9 rolls up to the pocket but does not fall. It can take a second for them to realize it is still their shot, the 9 moved. Sometimes a game proceeds to where the 9 is the only ball on the table. It is virtually a win for the player shooting because as long as they move the 9 it is still their shot. A precarious situation occurs when there is only one object ball and the 9 on the table. If the last object ball is pocketed without the player moving the 9 it generally results in a loss. However, if the player pockets the last object ball and touches the 9ball they are golden. The player would have to foul(not touch the 9ball) or scratch for the opponent to have another turn. This can be particularly annoying if the player(banger) moves the 9 ball 5 or 6 times before pocketing it for the win.



What makes the game especially challenging is there’s only one 9 ball, it is half the size of each of the 6 pockets plus the 9 moves all over the table. Play is simple. Did you pot the 9? You won! Did the 9ball move on a legal shot? Yes, then shoot again. If 9 did not move, your turn is over! The rules are based on BCA 9ball so after contact with the lowest ball on the table a ball must hit a rail or (here is the change in the reward system)- the 9 ball must move. Fouls result ball in hand which can be devastating but is not a guaranteed loss. As long as the 9 moves no ball needs to touch a rail, the player shoots again. This allows a player to set themselves up for potentially winning on the next shot.



The game was designed with fun in mind. It has it own Style of rack. The 9ball diamond is Twisted 90 degrees, the 1ball is moved to the new head of the rack and the 9 ball in the center of the rack goes on the foot spot. One look at it and you will know why it is called the Phat Rack! Players must square-up to break. No breaking from the side rail and no soft breaks. The 9 is deemed to have moved on the break even if it is left on the spot after all the balls have stopped moving. Energy went through the ball. This definition of moving the 9 is used throughout the game. If a ball rolls to the 9 and stops while contacting the 9, the 9 is deemed to have moved by definition.



Texas One Shot is also a great teaching game. By removing the need to pocket a ball to shoot again a young player’s focus on ball control is heightened. Object balls become tools to hide behind or used to move the 9. Virtually every shot involves three balls- the cue ball, an object ball and the 9 ball. Bangers soon learn hitting hard tends to separate the three balls while a softer shot may leave the balls aligned for an easier win. When riding the 9 becomes the game, strategies change and the resulting shots make show-offs grin. This makes Texas One Shot a very spectator friendly game and while fun to watch it is even more fun to play!





For information concerning Texas One Shot(TM) please contact:



Reed Moore-manager

Twisted Texas Style LLC

5501 Balcones Drive Suite A145

Austin, TX 78731

winner@TX1Shot.com

TX1Shot.com



Twisted Texas Style LLC is committed to seeing Cue Sports played in the Olympics so that one day a Texan may play pool for a Gold Medal. Be it Texas One Shot, 3cushion, Snooker, 1pocket, 8,9,or10ball, etc- Let’s make this happen!

No! I'm not changing the name but in your house you can call it any thing you want. I hope you choose to call it FUN!
 
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basically if you rarely run out then you should always ride the 9 if you can get a chance. especially against a better player.

if against a weaker player ride it as well except on times you wont get a good ride or can find a safety that will get you ball in hand.

basically most players should be riding the 9 anytime there are 5 balls or more left on the table. unless you feel you can run out from there.
 
I heard the pool hall “Ride the 9” in Bloomington, IL closed last year after 33 years in business.. approx 40 minutes from me
 
tim913 said:
I heard the pool hall “Ride the 9” in Bloomington, IL closed last year after 33 years in business.. approx 40 minutes from me
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I love your cue selection. I have a hard time recognizing a hard tip on a house cue so I go for thr heaviest house stick I can find for breaking. I hope Ride the 9 was not the closest poolhall to your house.
 
Agreed, there is no need for another game as there are plenty good ones out there. There is room for a new game but it better be good! I love 1pocket because it got me to think about defense a whole lot more. I love Texas One Shot because it encourages me to take shots I would normally pass on. It is THE game for showoffs!

The point is all about the fun. Hero shots are a blast to try and they get the adrenaline flowing when they work. It's cool to draw the cue for a win! It's fun to watch people think and come up with obscure solutions. Seeing people execute technical shots is plenty of fun too. And it is a good game to teach with as well. Ball control is more important than shot making!

It may be the funnest game you play! Try it and find out.
 
i’ll try it next time i have a layover at DFW at the 24/7 twisted phat pool room in terminal B that will no doubt be full of future olympic gold medalists

i like the concept but you should really write the rules instead of telling stories about the rules with in-game-references and examples

good luck!
✌🏻✌🏽✌🏿(peace sign emoji)
 
markjames said:
i’ll try it next time i have a layover at DFW at the 24/7 twisted phat pool room in terminal B that will no doubt be full of future olympic gold medalists

i like the concept but you should really write the rules instead of telling stories about the rules with in-game-references and examples

good luck!
✌🏻✌🏽✌🏿(peace sign emoji)
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I know I left those rules around here somewhere!
Thanks for the good wishes!
 
My thoughts on riding the 9...

It's all about percentages. If you have 7 balls left on the table that are say a 90% make chance each, and you have a "nine ride" that is a 70% chance to make, you are much better shooting the 9 early. I don't feel like explaining the math, but one 70% chance is better than seven 90% chances.

If you are guaranteed to pocket the OB and send the 9 on a ride with a chance to make it 30% of the time, it's still a decent chance. Caroming/billiard-ing off the 9, using it as a "backboard" can often be successful, even if unintentional. It's quite odd, but often a carom angle off of the 9 that results in a pocketed OB will often connect the 9 to another pocket on the table. There's probably math to it but it's beyond my knowledge. I'd guess that if a ball comes off a tangent line at 90 degrees, the "backer ball," in this case the 9 has a good opportunity to find another pocket. The table is 2 squares after all.

I also like what I call "ride and hide" where you ride the piss out of the 9 but hide the CB from the lowest OB if it were to miss. Often these opportunities are basically free rolls. If you slop in a free roll but protect the CB, this is still a win. Pisses off your opponent, but they can do it too if they so choose.

Riding the 9 becomes a much better idea if you have a bunch of clusters or balls in terrible spots.

Riding the 9 and leaving your opponent in jail can and does have psychological effects. Most often you'll hear them utter about 10B being a better game because there is no luck. Most luck in 9B is playing percentages and some people never figure this out. If you want to excel in 9B play 1P and also learn about 2 way shots. When riding the 9, or playing safe, in many situations it can be beneficial to make it look unintentional, like you just whacked the ball. It's all about speed control and angles. Sure, there are many times for a calculated safe, one where it is obvious you are playing safe, but if you make it look like luck/slop it has a tendency to undermine certain opponent's games. They will get frustrated, they will start whacking balls (thinking this is how you are getting lucky, maybe it will work for them), etc.

Above all else, always remember, protect the CB.
 
I’ve never seen that pocketing the nine early as frowned upon. If someone is consistently trying to legally pocket the nine when the runout is there then it just shows their inexperience and playing ability or lack there of. Professional players will take the opportunity to play the nine early if available if the runout is not there… that or play safe. Now slopping any ball in may be looked as lucky or not “earning” the win and even professionals get embarrassed when they are on the winning side of such luck especially when the intended object ball is missed. Riding the nine… context is everything.
 
Rules:

Challenger racks, break your own.

Twist the 9ball diamond 90 degrees relocate the 1 to the new head of the rack and rack with the 9 on the foot spot.(the phat rack, easier if done from the side of the table)

Break from inside the center square created by one diamond in from each side and two diamonds down from the head rail.

Hit the lowest ball on the table, if the 9 is potted it is a win, if the 9 moves the player shoots again and if the 9 does not move the turn is over.

No penalty and no reward for potting object balls and they stay in. If the 9 moved player shots again.

The 9 moves on the break by definition, even if left sitting on the spot, energy went through it and it is deemed to of moved by definition. This definition of movement is used throughout the game to the point if any ball rolls to the 9 and stops touching the 9 the 9 is deemed to have moved.

Ball in hand penalty for not touching the lowest ball on the table first or at all.

Ball in hand penalty if no ball hits a raill after contact with lowest object ball unless the 9 moves. If the 9 moves the player continues shooting.



BCA 9ball rules apply in all other situations.
 
Can you make a video of your game? I’m not too lazy to read everything you posted, just tired. A quick 30 minute video demo would go further with your idea.
 
boogieman said:
My thoughts on riding the 9...

It's all about percentages. If you have 7 balls left on the table that are say a 90% make chance each, and you have a "nine ride" that is a 70% chance to make, you are much better shooting the 9 early. I don't feel like explaining the math, but one 70% chance is better than seven 90% chances.
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if you even have just 4 balls left with 90% chance of each one you should ride the nine/ perhaps even three as you may make another and keep shooting. so three is the right number. here.
 

Here is a link to backwards billiards primer for the game starting at the first game played in the video. Watch all the seconds you want. Playing is even more fun!
 
On the surface, this game has some similarities to Cowboy.

I watched a rack and a half of the introduction video and I will give it a try later but it seems to me that you're making 9-ball harder without adding any real benefit to the players. In other words, if I come to the table shooting at the 4-ball, I could make 10 shots in a row and still be shooting at the 4-ball.

Without playing it, it seems like an effective strategy may just be to pocket balls and play position to hook your opponent until you can play a combination on the 9. I wonder if it would be effective to not even try to hook your opponent, just pocket balls and give up your shot until there are a few balls left on the table.

Maybe I'm misunderstanding the rules, but I just don't see any advantage in trying to move the 9 early in the rack (unless, of course, there's a high-probability combination.)
 
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