The post about chess got me thinking. Chess has a 50-move rule: if 50 moves pass with neither player taking a piece or moving a pawn, the game is a draw.
Something like this might work in 1-pocket, to cut off those games where all the balls are clumped together uptable and the players just play safe back-and-forth. If, say, 20 innings go by and neither player has made a ball, then do something.
Do what? Maybe restart the game. Maybe rack the remaining balls and start playing from there. Maybe something else. Either way, it will probably give one player incentive to avoid the 20-innings and play more aggressively.
If I need one ball and my oponent needs a bunch, it's to my advantage to move everything uptable and out of play. It's part of the game. To speed it up from there the player who can move and bank the best have the greatest opportunity for the next point. That also, is part of the game. If these aspects of 1 pocket do not appeal to a person they should probably be playing 9 or 10 ball,,,,,at least they don't have to waste time deciding which ball to shoot next.
i agree. the way i learned to play the game in my home pool room was as you stated.
Also part of the game,,,,,,,, which does not require tweeking.
The one rule I would consider adding would be -- once a certain number or balls are up table, the ball closest to the rail (at head of table) gets spotted. This would speed up those up table games and maybe even add MORE strategy.
This has been done online quite a bit, at Colby's or Red Shoes, somewhere, but I don't recall exactly which stream. I don't recall it making that big a difference in the game as far as time goes.
One pocket is a strategy game for people who like to use that as part of their arsenal. If it's just shootout pool you want, then get on a small table with big pockets and see how many games of 9 ball you can bang out in an hour, but please don't try to change 1 pocket.