What happened to 3ball?

mvp

mvp

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
What ever happened to 3ball? For those who never heard of it it was a quick (if under 4players) multiplayer gambling game that was hugely popular early 90's. everyone puts a buck in, break counts as a stroke and the fewest strokes wins the cash, expection was if two players tied the whole group tied and you ante up again until a undisputed winner. No new players were added until the pot was won. With 6or7 players it would go on for a few hrs for a few hundred bucks! I haven't seen or heard of this being played in at least 10yrs
 
Start a game. Not a hard thing to get going in most any tavern. Start out playing for quarters. That is an easy sell.

A couple of years ago we had a quarter game that morphed into a five dollar game. The grand finale was two of us playing heads up for fifty. I won over a thousand dollars that night.
 
A few bars here in Tulsa still play it. They do it sorta tournament style(lowest strokes taken in either 3 or 6 rounds) and an ace pot that builds-up until somebody hits it. A few years ago a buddy hit a $7,000 ace pot!!
 
still played and easy to start a game. and as in all sports the best players win all the money if playing even.
 
So each person gets a turn to break and run 3balls. Whoever has the lowest strokes wins? And then if it is tied everyone adds to the pot and it keeps going?
 
3ball is a great game! Fast and fun. Anybody can play and the action can get heavy quickly with the right group of players!
Ace pot is something I'm gonna get started among my guys next time we play!
 
I believe there was an ace pot one time about 15 years ago, I believe in Florida, that got up to $100K. Drew a player per tournament.
 
mvp said:
What ever happened to 3ball? For those who never heard of it it was a quick (if under 4players) multiplayer gambling game that was hugely popular early 90's. everyone puts a buck in, break counts as a stroke and the fewest strokes wins the cash, expection was if two players tied the whole group tied and you ante up again until a undisputed winner. No new players were added until the pot was won. With 6or7 players it would go on for a few hrs for a few hundred bucks! I haven't seen or heard of this being played in at least 10yrs
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The last time I was playing 3 ball was after this weekly tournament in a little dive bar in Evansville Indiana . They played it every week after the tournament would end. It was played the exact same way that you described above . I never seen the pot get over like $70 though, and there were always at like 6 or 7 players in it. Usually a score of 2, and sometimes 3 on rare occasions would win the pot. I won it a few times after making 2 balls on the break, and getting a decent leave on the last ball. It was a lot of fun, but I would usually quit after getting down $20. It was a game that any level player could win, and that is why it is so popular. I am sure they are still playing it every week at that bar in Evansville , unless the bar went out of business.
 
gregcantrall said:
Start a game. Not a hard thing to get going in most any tavern. Start out playing for quarters. That is an easy sell.

A couple of years ago we had a quarter game that morphed into a five dollar game. The grand finale was two of us playing heads up for fifty. I won over a thousand dollars that night.
Click to expand...

Lol, wow, that is crazy. $5 a person? Yeah, that could get pretty big.
 
garczar said:
A few bars here in Tulsa still play it. They do it sorta tournament style(lowest strokes taken in either 3 or 6 rounds) and an ace pot that builds-up until somebody hits it. A few years ago a buddy hit a $7,000 ace pot!!
Click to expand...

Is an ace when you make all 3 balls on the break? I do not think I ever seen that happen before. Used to play 3 ball as a kid back at my hometown pool hall in southern Illinois. I think we played for quarters though.
 
About 20+ years ago a group of us---8-10 players--would meet when the bar opened at 6am on Sunday mornings. We played progressive so when all tied the ante jumped up a buck. It was 4 or so hours of loud fun with some darn good pots.

Good times.
 
garczar said:
Where do you play in B'ville? Last i heard there was no places to play anymore.
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At Whiskey Bent on Tuxedo. We have weekly 10b on Wed, and 9b on Fri. 4 Valleys w/ 3030 cloth, and a 9ft. Nice little tourneys; races to 3-5. We have a couple 600-700+ fargo players that are regulars.
 
We play 3 ball in Fresno ........just to pass the time..........it's played on 9' & 10' tablea........5 guys is just perfect.
It ensures there's a lot of pushes and the pot builds up. Even at 25 cents or fifty cents a man, with so many pushes
in the game the pot builds fast. More serious money can be made by playing $1.00 per game. The play is fast &
best of all is one ties - all tie & you play another game and put in another $1.....or 25 cents or whatever the bet is.
 
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Rhode Island Avenue

gregcantrall said:
Start a game. Not a hard thing to get going in most any tavern. Start out playing for quarters. That is an easy sell.

A couple of years ago we had a quarter game that morphed into a five dollar game. The grand finale was two of us playing heads up for fifty. I won over a thousand dollars that night.
Click to expand...

Back around 1994 I scored $600 in a 3-ball game in about an hour in a tavern on Rhode Island Avenue in DC.
 
Some bars with more than two tables had a 3-ball game going all day and night. Very easy to get started. If you're winning in the game, keep quiet when you lose a game and cry and ***** when you have to payout. Great fun game. Johnnyt
 
3ball

Great gambling game for different skilled players. Bangers can get lucky. But beware, it can turn into a brother in law game!! Or buddies purposely not tying the game because they are splitting all their wins. Dont start a game if you can't hang around as many games get tied. One tie-all tie..
 
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