Which game do you like the best, 9 ball, 10 ball, 8 ball, or 1 Pocket/14-1? And why?
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Snooker - then other cue games. Would probably prefer 14-1 if there was much of that being played in the area. 10 ball then a rough tie between 8 and 9 ball, but I never could make myself like one pocket.
in this order.
10ball - No luck involved , only the break
9ball - Love it, even though it has some luck thats why i prefer 10ball
1-pocket - love the strategy
Oh and I hate 8ball, this game in my opinion doesn't determine the better player, at all, anybody can win at any given moment, a weaker player can easily beat a better player in 8 ball, but its hard on any other games.
10ball - No luck involved , only the break
9ball - Love it, even though it has some luck thats why i prefer 10ball
1-pocket - love the strategy
Oh and I hate 8ball, this game in my opinion doesn't determine the better player, at all, anybody can win at any given moment, a weaker player can easily beat a better player in 8 ball, but its hard on any other games.
14.1 by far, because it is chess to rotation games' checkers.
one pocket 2nd, because of the strategy also, but it can get tedious.
there is nothing in pool -- not even running a 6-pack in 9-ball -- that's *anything* like the thrill of being on your best run in straight pool... whatever that number is.
one pocket 2nd, because of the strategy also, but it can get tedious.
there is nothing in pool -- not even running a 6-pack in 9-ball -- that's *anything* like the thrill of being on your best run in straight pool... whatever that number is.
I prefer 9 ball.. All the men that taught me to play while growing up only ever played 9 ball. You have to know your shots, you only have one object ball so you either sink it or play defense. It's a quick duel to the death.
If I had to choose one game only to play for a year, it would be 14.1.
Many martial artists, regardless of their main disciplines, use tai chi as
their foundation.
I feel 14.1 is the tai chi of billiards.
It requires an attention span that many rotation players don't have....
..and you need the 'pattern recognition' of a code breaker...
..and when you play safe, it has to be on EVERY ball.
And you can get greater satisfaction playing by yourself than any other
game on a pool table....beating your own high run has the satisfaction
and pressure and drama of real competition.
regards
double hemlock
Many martial artists, regardless of their main disciplines, use tai chi as
their foundation.
I feel 14.1 is the tai chi of billiards.
It requires an attention span that many rotation players don't have....
..and you need the 'pattern recognition' of a code breaker...
..and when you play safe, it has to be on EVERY ball.
And you can get greater satisfaction playing by yourself than any other
game on a pool table....beating your own high run has the satisfaction
and pressure and drama of real competition.
regards
double hemlock
#1. One Pocket
#2. 8 ball
#3. 10 ball with call pocket rules
#4. straight pool
I don't consider 9 ball a worthy game and don't bother playing it.
#2. 8 ball
#3. 10 ball with call pocket rules
#4. straight pool
I don't consider 9 ball a worthy game and don't bother playing it.
1st 14.1 (straight pool)
2nd 9-ball with Accu-stats arena rules (a pushout is mandatory after the break)
3rd 9-ball Derby City style (no call shot, no jump cues, nine on break counts)
4th One pocket
5th 9-ball with jump cues allowed
6th Texas Express 10-ball
7th Bank pool
8th Call shot 10-ball
9th 8-ball
10th 10-ball with the option to give back table after a miss
There is little doubt in my mind that 14.1 is the most interesting game played on a pool table in terms of offensive conceptualization, but the defense is less interesting than in Texas Express nine or ten ball or one pocket.
The best version I've seen of nine ball is the Accu-stats arena style in which a pushout is required immediately after the break. Both players get to play in every rack. Offensive and tactical skills are on display in every rack.
I also love nine ball Derby City style. No jump cues means that billiard knowledge is at a great premium and no call shot means that multipurpose shots can be played on both offense and defense. Also, I'm sick and tired of players getting away with errors in position play by playing through the air, which absolutely cheapens the game.
One pocket continues to grow in my estimation. It is probably the most difficult game in terms of shot design and the position play on offense is more difficult than in virtually all other games. Watching a three rail bank played two ways in the end game is magical. Watching a player reposition several balls on a single shot to create threats around their pocket is a treat. Watching a player remove several of opponent's threats on a single shot while playing a safety is remarkable, too.
I like all the other games on my list except the last one, 10-ball with the option to give the table back after a miss, a set of rules that not only saps the game of many of its most interesting shots and strategies but also makes the game completely unintelligible to amateur onlookers.
2nd 9-ball with Accu-stats arena rules (a pushout is mandatory after the break)
3rd 9-ball Derby City style (no call shot, no jump cues, nine on break counts)
4th One pocket
5th 9-ball with jump cues allowed
6th Texas Express 10-ball
7th Bank pool
8th Call shot 10-ball
9th 8-ball
10th 10-ball with the option to give back table after a miss
There is little doubt in my mind that 14.1 is the most interesting game played on a pool table in terms of offensive conceptualization, but the defense is less interesting than in Texas Express nine or ten ball or one pocket.
The best version I've seen of nine ball is the Accu-stats arena style in which a pushout is required immediately after the break. Both players get to play in every rack. Offensive and tactical skills are on display in every rack.
I also love nine ball Derby City style. No jump cues means that billiard knowledge is at a great premium and no call shot means that multipurpose shots can be played on both offense and defense. Also, I'm sick and tired of players getting away with errors in position play by playing through the air, which absolutely cheapens the game.
One pocket continues to grow in my estimation. It is probably the most difficult game in terms of shot design and the position play on offense is more difficult than in virtually all other games. Watching a three rail bank played two ways in the end game is magical. Watching a player reposition several balls on a single shot to create threats around their pocket is a treat. Watching a player remove several of opponent's threats on a single shot while playing a safety is remarkable, too.
I like all the other games on my list except the last one, 10-ball with the option to give the table back after a miss, a set of rules that not only saps the game of many of its most interesting shots and strategies but also makes the game completely unintelligible to amateur onlookers.
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One Pocket,,,,,it's the only game that offers everything other games offer
Bonus ball :thumbup2:
10 Ball is my favorite because it requires the use of the whole table and is demanding with all sorts of positional requirements.
15 ball rotation is second because there is less control of the table with so many balls on the table. However it is the best competitive game because it tends to limit the length of runs
15 ball rotation is second because there is less control of the table with so many balls on the table. However it is the best competitive game because it tends to limit the length of runs
It doesn't get the respect of other games, but I love eight ball.
People say it's too easy, because you can dog your position and just shoot another ball. On the other hand, it's pretty easy to win a rotation-type game when your opponent dogs his 9 or 10 ball and you shoot a single ball for the win. It's easy to butcher your shot and leave them nothing but an impossible kick, and then you collect ball in hand even though you did nothing right and they did nothing wrong. Every game has some aspect where you can get away with murder.
What I like about it is the challenge of finding a runout in a mess of clustered balls. There's almost always one or two problems to solve and if you can solve them and get out of an ugly rack, it's satisfying because you feel like you executed perfectly but also used your brain.
People say it's too easy, because you can dog your position and just shoot another ball. On the other hand, it's pretty easy to win a rotation-type game when your opponent dogs his 9 or 10 ball and you shoot a single ball for the win. It's easy to butcher your shot and leave them nothing but an impossible kick, and then you collect ball in hand even though you did nothing right and they did nothing wrong. Every game has some aspect where you can get away with murder.
What I like about it is the challenge of finding a runout in a mess of clustered balls. There's almost always one or two problems to solve and if you can solve them and get out of an ugly rack, it's satisfying because you feel like you executed perfectly but also used your brain.
Which game?
Well, when I was young (early 60's), I liked 9 ball and 14.1. Even though I am mostly just a barbox player now, I grew up on 9 footers. Back then we did not play safe on the break in 14.1, we went for a ball right away. My high run back then was 77 balls.
As I grew up, I played a lot of 8 ball and 9 ball mostly because there was money to be made from those games, and the turnaround time was short. When I was a teenager, I grew up in Dodge City (and no, we didn't ride horses down the streets then ... lol), there were almost no amateur tournaments in Pool. Everything was about matching up and playing.
Over my 50 years of playing though, I have won more in 8 ball in tournaments than 9 ball, but I have won a lot of money matches in 9 ball.
I didn't really get into tough competion until I was in the Navy stationed on the West Coast, and then later down in Houston, where I went after I got out of the Navy. (early 70's). I used to play Alfie Taylor quite a bit for awhile down in Houston in the Village.
I got into 1 Pocket for awhile, but got rather impatient with it, and I did not like having to use the rake so much on a big table (I am only 5'7"). It is a good game though.
10 ball is usually only played in ring games on a big table here.
I really haven't won a significant tournament for 9 years now, but in 2003
I did real well, and won 4 pretty good tournaments in 8 ball, including the BCA 8 ball Singles and Team Championship for Kansas, and the Seniors Championship in Oklahoma City at age 55.
I did place 9th (back then they assigned 9th, 10th, 11th, and 12th by according which bracket you were in) at the VNEA International Championships in Vegas in 8 ball out of a 1,000 entries. That was 20 years ago though.
So, I guess you could say 8 ball and 9 ball are my favorites now.
Well, when I was young (early 60's), I liked 9 ball and 14.1. Even though I am mostly just a barbox player now, I grew up on 9 footers. Back then we did not play safe on the break in 14.1, we went for a ball right away. My high run back then was 77 balls.
As I grew up, I played a lot of 8 ball and 9 ball mostly because there was money to be made from those games, and the turnaround time was short. When I was a teenager, I grew up in Dodge City (and no, we didn't ride horses down the streets then ... lol), there were almost no amateur tournaments in Pool. Everything was about matching up and playing.
Over my 50 years of playing though, I have won more in 8 ball in tournaments than 9 ball, but I have won a lot of money matches in 9 ball.
I didn't really get into tough competion until I was in the Navy stationed on the West Coast, and then later down in Houston, where I went after I got out of the Navy. (early 70's). I used to play Alfie Taylor quite a bit for awhile down in Houston in the Village.
I got into 1 Pocket for awhile, but got rather impatient with it, and I did not like having to use the rake so much on a big table (I am only 5'7"). It is a good game though.
10 ball is usually only played in ring games on a big table here.
I really haven't won a significant tournament for 9 years now, but in 2003
I did real well, and won 4 pretty good tournaments in 8 ball, including the BCA 8 ball Singles and Team Championship for Kansas, and the Seniors Championship in Oklahoma City at age 55.
I did place 9th (back then they assigned 9th, 10th, 11th, and 12th by according which bracket you were in) at the VNEA International Championships in Vegas in 8 ball out of a 1,000 entries. That was 20 years ago though.
So, I guess you could say 8 ball and 9 ball are my favorites now.