Sinking the 8 on the break, twice in one day.. in a row..

[Bob Jewett]

I like how nobody answered the question, and all of you bragged about doing it 2, 3 times lmao. The odds of 3 in a row are astronomical more than winning the lottery. Making it once is 1/25 or 1/30 u can't just double that and say 1/50 or 1/60 respectively. If any mathematician can please calculate the odds of 2x in a row, please post the answer.

If you are 1 in 30 to make it on one break, the odds of making it on all three of your next three breaks is 1/27000. If those odds are correct and considering there are maybe a million eight ball games played every day, there are going to be about 30 three-packs every day and maybe 1 4-pack.

1 in 30 is a little high, I think, unless it is a gaff rack, intentionally or not.

 

[maha]

the odds are almost certain you will do it if you play often and have a decent break.

after you make it once which you will do many time in life the odds of making it on the next break are the same as you made it on your last break.

and with bobs price it would be 29 to 1 on making it a second time.
and about a 20 tries to be even money to make it.

probably few will understand this.

 

[j2pac]

What's the chances if you had to guess ( 8 ball )? Bout 1 in a thousand? More?

It just happened. 8 in the left corner, then in the opposite corner consecutively.

It's happened to me on two separate occasions. It was a very long time ago. I don't play enough anymore to have decent odds of doing it again.

 

[gregcantrall]

2 games in a row........

I actually sank the 8 on the snap 2 games in a row. It was back in the late 80's in a local bar. We had a regular challenge table where games went from $2 to $5 a game with occasional ring games. Bar table 8 ball was the big game and it was a built in rule : if you make the 8 on the break, the opponent can play again right away. There was always at least 6 sets of quarters waiting to play on the rail.
Anyways, this poor guy was waiting about an hour to play, he racks em good and I break the 2nd ball down cause in those days if you made the 8, you win. The 8 just flew in the side pocket and the guy fumbles around for another set of quarters. After a couple minutes he gets the balls tight again. I break and the 8 flies in the side again, I never felt so bad for anybody. He just looked at the table and threw his hands up. It was .50 cents for another game but he was done. If I remember right, we were'nt even playing for anything. He was short on money and just wanted to play for fun.
That was the first and last time I made the 8 twice in a row.:sorry:

Looks like this is a good place to insert my story. I have yet to read the rest but suspect my story is ....well here we go.
At the Time Out tavern in Federal Way, there was a weekly 8 ball tournament $5. The rules were that the 8 ball break was neither win or loss. An 8 ball break provide the option to spot the 8 and continue with open table or repack and break again. AND there was an 8 ball break pot for $1. Just throw in your buck before you break.
The Timeout was adjacent the truck terminal and got a truck driver in our tournament. He was told of the break pot of $80 before his first break. He declined and broke in the 8. A random unplanned path that scored. He was explained his options and chose break again. He was reminded of the pot and declined. Sure enough he did it again....to a different pocket! So at the repacked(to the giggles of the regulars) he chose to throw a dollar in....and of course did it again. Different Pocket !!!
So now the guys that built the pot want to protest the $80 award, as he wasn't in it soon enough or uh well they were giggling.

 

[gregcantrall]

There's a specific break that helps send it towards the side. I think I heard that using that break might make it as often as 1 in 30. I think it was ShootingArts who played someone who called it and made it 3 times in a row. Some rack-reading trick?

Towards the corner is pretty rare. I wouldn't guess 1 in 1000 tho. Depends a lot on the quality of the table and the rack and stuff. There's probably a certain gap in the rack that makes it more likely to move towards the corner.

The specific break came from a book by Mosconi. I would inspect the rack for a Crack between the first and second. A gap that Jr hustlers thought was a good trick. The gap seems to let the 8 escape on a good line to the side. Not always but more often. So I always wanted to hit the other second ball and pull whitey to the side rail. The scratch to the corner has cost me a big pot. Or was it jumped the rail with whitey as the 8 entered the side. think I have done both. That Big cueball couldn't have been me.
One place gave a steak sandwich for the 8 ball break in the tournament. Twice I won the tournament with 8 ball break in the final. Kinda nice winning the cheese and a steak sandwich.

 

[dquarasr]

Not exactly the same thing but…

I snapped in the 9. I broke again and put the 9 in the jaws of the same corner pocket. My opponent won that rack.

He then broke and snapped the 9, same corner pocket.

 

[gregcantrall]

I also get a lot of clusters with that break.

That's an absolute feature! It gives advantages to the Old Fart. Well it gives advantage to precision control of whitey regardless of age. Players that over power me in 9 ball might not be able to out maneuver in 8 ball. Jim Ward through his son charged me my weekly allowance for that lesson.
When I faced Ken Dodd in the 8 ball Masters at hill hill he broke second ball and left a technically challenging table. He even baited me with my break ball. Leaving a shot that would have whitey abandoning a couple of balls in distress. Can't remember how now but I took the bait and got out the hard way.

 

[gregcantrall]

If you're getting the same rack it's a lot easier. Different tables have different odds. An honest rack in competition can lead to interesting results. With an honest rack the path of the 8 can be adjusted with the special sauce on whitey.
My competition non 8 ball break story: First break had 8 ball hitting the rail just below the side pocket. Made adjustments for second break that had the path a Hair too long and missed on the other side. The final adjustments had the 8 ball traveling straight as an arrow right at the heart. Only to have a stray ball interception when the pocket was just inches away.
Well back in the day I would have put a proposition bet in the 10 to 1 range. Now it's been years since I have even threatened to make an 8 on the break.

 

[gregcantrall]

Perhaps it was a feature of the big cueball. I haven't even seen one in years or decades. Hmmmm.???
A little Bar in Benton City had a break pot that got to 250ish. In the small tournament with single game break determined by coin flip. It was a big chance for me . I made the 8 in the side but jumped the rail with the big ball. There was 1 other 8ball break expert that night. He got the money shortly after.