It's really interesting seeing so many threads nowadays about changing the rules of pool. We could be talking about any of the popular games and undoubtedly, there's a thread debating any of the rules ranging from breaking, calling shots, what's a foul, etc.
What's interesting is, why is there such a thing as "standard"? I cringe every time someone makes a comparison to poker but in this case, I think it's worthy. If there's one thing we could learn from them its there is no such thing as "standard poker". There's NLHE, PLHE, LHE, short stack, big stack, turbo. Needless to say, all of the major components of a poker tournament can vary from one event to the next. Why is it that we continue to align all of our pool tournaments on only a handful of formats? Clearly, poker has been successful at variations AND nothing is ever hidden. There's always a clear outline of how much money is on the line.
In my opinion, there should be an outline that TDs should fill-out, perhaps scrutinize each line and debate the value. Here's a suggestion of what I'm talking about:
Entry Fee: (Should be the amount of the registration fee that goes directly into the prize fund)
Green Fee: (the portion the house/organizer intends to keep)
Added Money: (Should always be shown as net amount, if based on player should be clearly stipulated)
Game: (14.1, 8-ball, 9-ball, 10-ball, etc.)
Break From: (Behind the line, the box, the head-spot)
Format: (Single/Double Elim, Rebuy, Round Robin)
Race: (winners/losers side can vary)
On The Break: (8 wins, 9 wins, 10 is spotted, 14.1 does not apply, etc.)
OTHER VARIATIONS: Any rule that is not listed in the WPA rulebook (could include "Jack & Jill", "cue-ball fouls only" or "all fouls", "No jump cues", "must call safe or push-out is available")
I know this isn't the answer to everything but, as a player, I always find it annoying that so much information isn't clearly displayed on a flyer or email. As well, I think it displays how much wiggle room there is to make an event different. Every time I see a thread about changing rules, I have to say, nothing phases me. I'll play. In fact, it might be a lot of fun. It would be interesting if we looked at pool the same way as poker. There's a lot of rules that can be "modified".
I'll offer my thoughts on why I think this never happens but figured we could discuss it a little first.
What's interesting is, why is there such a thing as "standard"? I cringe every time someone makes a comparison to poker but in this case, I think it's worthy. If there's one thing we could learn from them its there is no such thing as "standard poker". There's NLHE, PLHE, LHE, short stack, big stack, turbo. Needless to say, all of the major components of a poker tournament can vary from one event to the next. Why is it that we continue to align all of our pool tournaments on only a handful of formats? Clearly, poker has been successful at variations AND nothing is ever hidden. There's always a clear outline of how much money is on the line.
In my opinion, there should be an outline that TDs should fill-out, perhaps scrutinize each line and debate the value. Here's a suggestion of what I'm talking about:
Entry Fee: (Should be the amount of the registration fee that goes directly into the prize fund)
Green Fee: (the portion the house/organizer intends to keep)
Added Money: (Should always be shown as net amount, if based on player should be clearly stipulated)
Game: (14.1, 8-ball, 9-ball, 10-ball, etc.)
Break From: (Behind the line, the box, the head-spot)
Format: (Single/Double Elim, Rebuy, Round Robin)
Race: (winners/losers side can vary)
On The Break: (8 wins, 9 wins, 10 is spotted, 14.1 does not apply, etc.)
OTHER VARIATIONS: Any rule that is not listed in the WPA rulebook (could include "Jack & Jill", "cue-ball fouls only" or "all fouls", "No jump cues", "must call safe or push-out is available")
I know this isn't the answer to everything but, as a player, I always find it annoying that so much information isn't clearly displayed on a flyer or email. As well, I think it displays how much wiggle room there is to make an event different. Every time I see a thread about changing rules, I have to say, nothing phases me. I'll play. In fact, it might be a lot of fun. It would be interesting if we looked at pool the same way as poker. There's a lot of rules that can be "modified".
I'll offer my thoughts on why I think this never happens but figured we could discuss it a little first.
