Simple solution for pattern racking

Scratch85 said:
Garczar, I know you know this, but it’s not just the pattern, with a triangle, that gives a racker ways to manipulate the break.

If there was an app that randomly produced the 5040 (hope that’s correct) different racks and a template was the used, it seems mostly random. For big tournaments, iPads and personnel may be needed. For small tournaments and leagues, Smart phones should work.

I have gambled hundreds of dollars on the “coin flip” app. I would gladly accept a “random rack” app.


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If you dictate only one side of the table for breaking 5040 is about right. Use both sides and some racks get mirrored. 2520.
 
King T said:
So whats wrong with making the rue that the balls must racked in the same pattern every game? No advantage to anyone, nothing to argue about.



It wouldn't matter at all in alternate break formats or loser break formats, winner break format bar table might be tougher, but even then it doesn't have to.
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Very good simple rule. Start with a random pattern and maybe change after a certain time frame. Maybe hours maybe days depending on the format.


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Bob Jewett said:
Many tournaments require the 2 to be racked in the back.
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I can only think of two right now. Can you name more please. Also the two in the back further eliminates randomness. A drop from 2520 possible racks, down to 240. Still more than enough patterns for each player to never have the same rack.
 
AtLarge said:
According to the man who has lots of experience with it, "The Random Racking Process takes an extra 2 or 3 seconds."

[And, in some cases, it would be many minutes quicker.]
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Hells bells, if rackers would simply know how to get the head ball to stay put, I'd be happy. The cloth under and behind the rack area gets worn out by all the pushing of the rack forward and backwards, like that helps situate the balls better.

Now that robots are going to replace some jobs, let those replace rack girls' jobs, such as they are at the moment. You old guys know, like it used to be.


Jeff Livingston
 
AtLarge said:
A rack that meets the various rules for random racking can be easily achieved without using cards, coins, computers, printouts, etc. For example, Paul Schofield of Gold Crown Billiards in Erie, PA has been successfully using his "Random Racking Process" in tournaments for a long time. Here is the description from his website:


  • "The Random Racking Process for Nine and Ten-Ball is fast and simple. Non-breaker gathers object balls and prepares the balls for final racking by the breaker. Breaker assists in gathering the object balls. Non-breaker places the object balls in the triangle. Without looking down at the rack, non-breaker spins the triangle once or twice (shuffles the balls). Non-breaker now looks down at the rack. Non-breaker gets his hands, knuckles, or fingers behind all the balls and then pushes them into the nine or ten-ball configuration. Then, non-breaker, while only moving 2 balls, swaps the 1-ball into the head-ball position. Then, while only moving 2 balls, swaps the 9 or 10-ball into the middle ball position. Breaker steps in and pushes the balls up to the spot. He racks his own balls. He may not change the ball positions in the rack. He may not touch the front 3 balls or the 9-ball."
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I don't understand, if the breaker is not changing the locations of the balls, why would they have to step in to final rack their own balls? Just slows down the entire process. Is it to better guarantee they get a tight rack? If so, they can inspect the rack and if they are not tight they can request a re-rack.
 
It is fast. Very fast.

Removing the ball-on-the-break requirement is what really moves the whole process along.
 
I've seen some tournaments where the only rack rule for
9 ball is the 2 ball is at the back of the rack, everything else
is random. And the 9 ball on the break only counts on the
back corners and sides, front corner 9's get spotted.
 
ChrisinNC said:
I don't understand, if the breaker is not changing the locations of the balls, why would they have to step in to final rack their own balls? Just slows down the entire process. Is it to better guarantee they get a tight rack? If so, they can inspect the rack and if they are not tight they can request a re-rack.
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In some matches such requests have gone on for five or ten minutes. That's the main reason many events have gone to rack-your-own. Most self-rackers will give up after two or three minutes if they can't get them perfectly tight.
 
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