TAR 34 SVB/Efren 8 Ball: Open After Break or Make It Take It?

Open After Break or Make It take It ?

  • Open After Break

    Votes: 141 57.8%
  • Make It Take It

    Votes: 103 42.2%

  • Total voters
    244
If you start a thread/poll on a public pool forum where people discuss and debate pool asking for thoughts and opinions about something pool related, you might actually get people posting their thoughts and opinions on your question as per your request.

Just a heads up on that for the future.

Thanks for the heads up.
 
I agree too. Ask Efren, he's earned that consideration, especially since he's spotting Shane quite a few years. My guess is he will pick open table after the break though, cuz the magician likes more choices, and he's a smart guy, knowing Shane will probably have a choice either way (mostly), on his break.
 
Personally, I liked last night's match precisely because of the standard rules and huge packages. I enjoyed seeing how these guys handled the SAME game that I play.

My vote is to keep it open after the break. Lets just play 8-ball and sit back and enjoy the match!
 
I think take what you make is the better way to play. It doesn't necessarily favor the bigger breaker because he would have to consistently be making at least one ball of each group. Sometimes two of the same group are made. It would turn more into a strategic battle which I think would give Efren a better chance of winning. I prefer to watch back and forth games instead of run out fests.

No, It doesn't add to strategy. It punishes a person who makes a great break if all the balls pocketed are the most difficult group. Why would anyone want to do that?
 
Winner.

That way if Efren loses I wont have to fade the "You just made the rules so Efren would lose".

Although the facts probably wont make any difference anyway.


I wish I could figure out how to give a 2thumbs up symbol but I'm tech-dumb. Though I will say I would never make that statement about anything being "setup" for Efren to lose. The guy has been in a million tough situations in his life and is quite good at fending for himself.
 
Just looking to get some opinions on what people think is the best way for Shane and Efren to play 8 Ball next week. Last night Busty and Alex played an amazing 8 Ball set and it was open after the break. Some people said its too easy.

My thinking is make it take can favor the bigger breaker since he will make more balls more often giving him the option of groups more than the guy who only makes one or two balls on the break. I can see it going both ways though so I just want hear what others think about the subject.

So what say you AZ?

Only way to play 8 ball at this level on a 9 footer... take what you make on the break, last pocket 8 ball.. Then you will see a beautiful game not a break contest. If you want to see some real strategy then if you make a ball on your break your opponent gets choice of balls, if you dont make a ball on the break you get choice and it is your opponents shot. Way more strategy and people will learn something about 8 ball.. the format now might as well be the 6 ball ghost
P.S. Efren is 60 + years old and if Bustamante was breaking for him and open after the break.. Shane cant win
 
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great arguments from both sides .. I think it's best to offer efren the option as someone suggested earlier and we'll see from there.. personally though I think it doesnt matter which rules they'll end up choosing as long as they entertain.. to me thats more indispensable
 
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I love seeing huge runs. if I wanted to see people miss I would watch everybody here posting its too easy.
I thought the reason to watch the Pros was cause they rarely miss

If they miss everybody talks s&$t about them, and if they run out its too easy WTF???

Then go watch the women pros play on TV on 7 inch pockets with new cloth
 
Only way to play 8 ball at this level on a 9 footer... take what you make on the break, last pocket 8 ball.. Then you will see a beautiful game not a break contest. If you want to see some real strategy then if you make a ball on your break your opponent gets choice of balls, if you dont make a ball on the break you get choice and it is your opponents shot. Way more strategy and people will learn something about 8 ball.. the format now might as well be the 6 ball ghost

If you do most of the stuff you suggest I dont think you are playing 8 ball anymore. I also dont think for pros to play a game they have to play it on a table with three inch pockets to keep them from running out.

I have always liked watching great players play great pool. Some seem to want to see them play at the same pace as league guys. That is rarely running out, missing tough shots and facing impossible lay outs. I don't understand that because everyone on the forum can set up a camera in their basement and do that for free.

The guys who play on TAR are the best in the world at what they do. Its SUPPOSED to look easy. Making the game harder by gaffing rules or equipment to make them look less proficient doesn't make sense to me.

I forgot all about the other poll or I wouldnt have started this one. I'm going to ask Efren how he wants to play. His choice is how they play.
 
If you do most of the stuff you suggest I dont think you are playing 8 ball anymore. I also dont think for pros to play a game they have to play it on a table with three inch pockets to keep them from running out.

I have always liked watching great players play great pool. Some seem to want to see them play at the same pace as league guys. That is rarely running out, missing tough shots and facing impossible lay outs. I don't understand that because everyone on the forum can set up a camera in their basement and do that for free.

The guys who play on TAR are the best in the world at what they do. Its SUPPOSED to look easy. Making the game harder by gaffing rules or equipment to make them look less proficient doesn't make sense to me.

I forgot all about the other poll or I wouldnt have started this one. I'm going to ask Efren how he wants to play. His choice is how they play.

You are playing 8 ball which is what the majority of league players play and also the majority of your audience. Maybe just maybe the people watching and the people you are trying to get interested would like to see the pros have to play some safes and see how the best in the world deal with the type of scenarios league players face. I have a feeling ALOT of people would like to see the strategy side of 8 ball played by the best in the world not a break contest. Everyone already knows and have seen these guys can run alot of packages its nothing new.. People might want to see alot more strategy..
 
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Making the players shoot their balls in rotation would make the game more boring to watch than One Pocket. Players would just keep playing safe as only have to hide from 1 ball. Leave the game alone. I for one love to see great pool and packages being run by the greatest players in the world. We amatuers can learn a lot by watching the patterns these great players play. Just my two cents.
 
If you do most of the stuff you suggest I dont think you are playing 8 ball anymore. I also dont think for pros to play a game they have to play it on a table with three inch pockets to keep them from running out.

Why the hyperbole? 3 Inches?

The Fatboy rails were 4 1/8th, the balls are 2 1/4, so the pocket when using the Fatboy rails were 1 7/8th larger then the object ball.

The pockets were 1.8333... times as large as the object balls.

I know of noone, including myself, that asked for pockets tighter then the Fatboy rails. They were IMO perfect sized and cut pockets that played extremely true and balanced. The TAR rails, those were not the same, they played tight on rail shots due to the pocket angles and they were diminishing the product.

If you stick to the facts then the switch in pockets makes little sense, on the Fatboy rails SVB ran out huge packages against Alex, it was on those rails he had his 7 pack and 6 pack to close out day 1 and day 2, no hyperbole, just straight forward facts on how those pockets actually played for pro pool.

The solution to the ease of the TAR table now is simple, Fatboy has flat out offered his rails to you any time you want them, no reason to go changing the rules of the games to "fix" the ease that the table now creates. Go back to the Fatboy rails, get Glen to build you a truly identical set, they were perfect, the top pros played great on them and there was nothing gaffy about them at all unlike the TAR rails that replaced them.

All anyone has ever asked for is the Fatboy rails back, no hyperbole, no 3 inch pockets, just the 4 1/8th inch pockets back that worked so well, that played phenomenal, and that seperated the elite players from everyone else so nicely.
 
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I too think last pocket take what you make would be dope!!!

Last pocket alone would alter the game completely and add all of the difficulty and strategy anyone could possibly want. That makes 8-ball outs WAY more interesting and tricky even without take what you make, with TWYM included to last pocket it would make the game almost too difficult.
 
Asking Efren seems like the best answer. I voted for take what you make but after reading some of responses want to change my vote to open choice. I really loved watching that 8-ball match last night and could watch it all night-actually I did-Thanks for putting the loop up so fast.

Watching the pros run rack after rack was amazing. Woke up this morning and felt like a little kid on Christmas eve. Couldn't wait to get to the table to practice.

Instead of changing the rules could you make the race longer? Or even better say they are going to play from 8-11. Or until 11, then the race will go till the next rounded number. as an ex. if race was 26-22, then at 11 say race will end when someone hits 30. That way if Shane runs a 20 pack the match isn't over in 30 minutes.
 
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