Will 9 ball be a dead game in 5 years?

ed2000 said:
using a magic rack i think i brake 10 ball better then 9 ball as fare as balls pocketed..trust me if you practice breaking 10 for awhile. you will see 1 to 4 balls falling alot..lol watch SVB so basely 10 ball isn't no bettter then 9 ball
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Well, i know that you can reliably make the second ball especially with the magic rack, but at least its tough if you bunt the balls. Also the balls in the rack behave less predictably, so you don't get the same layout over and over. Typically there will be more balls on the table after the 10 ball break which add to the skill factor along with calling shots.

I don't hate 9 ball at all, for playing with friends for fun and in handicapped tournaments its a great game. For major pro tournaments, not so much.
 
your right about the soft break.. chances things alittle bit..but if they imply the rules like they do on the M Cup soft breaking would get you busted.. :)
 
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Suggestion for new title for the thread.....

"How long will we keep asking if the game of 9 ball is dead in the next however many years"
 
14.1 is a " purist's game " people that know and appreciate pool's history play it, as with 3 cushion. Today's new players are for the most part are ignorant when it comes to the history of the game and past champions, as far as 9 ball goes the Texas Express rules today were intended for TV, go back to "push-out" and then you'd see more shot making and less "hide a ball" play.
 
Is anybody besides me sick and tired people trying to fix everything that's broken
IMO nothing is broken get over it and move on.
 
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9 ball will never die out completely ,due to the fact that its a quick game
compared to others.
When guys are looking for the quick cash gambling,9ball is the game.
If your looking for a better tournament game,10ball should be the game

If they want to make 9 ball more attractive,they should clock guys break
speed.If there break clocks in less than 20 or 21 ,they lose there turn.

I hated that, where 3 balls have to cross the head -string rule.That rule was one of
the worst I ever seen brought into the game of pool.

I'm not against trying new ideas but not if it takes away from the game.
 
pwd72s said:
Maybe so about 14-1....

Now, one pocket...there's a fast paced game for you! :rolleyes:
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Pace has nothing to do with it fella's !.. With its many intricacies and challenges, 1 pocket will only appeal to fan's of the game. It is not suitable for TV, never was, never will be !..But if you're looking to be bored to death, Then bowling, or 14.1 is your game..:boring2:

That's why straight pool has been dead for 60 yrs., and 1 Pocket has become the most popular game for gambling amongst the elite players..The top player's who refused to learn it, (who are becoming fewer, and fewer)..were finding out they were missing out on a LOT of high $$$ action and tournaments !..14.1 still has a 'dwindling' following among the Northeast 'funsy' players, but when is the last time you saw it included in a MAJOR tournament :confused:

9/10 ball, will always appeal to the casual (usually uninformed) observer, strictly due to its fast pace..These are the people who love their '3 ball' games, at their favorite bar.. Nothing unusual about that..its called "instant gratification" (just like poker) But it sure as hell ain't a highly skilled mental challenge on a pool table !..;)
 
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9 ball ain't dead or broken, it's just going through another evolution. Just like when they added the push out rule, I remember several people talking about how it ruined the game. (several still do)

Chris <----- thinks they should remove the push out rule ;)
 
Making a ball on the break has been figured out. To the point where it's 99% with magic rack.
But getting a look at the 1 ball is not 99%. And running out afterwards every time is FAR from 99%.
So the outcome of the game is not a sure thing.

Here's the cool part, figuring out the ball on the break doesn't actually ruin it as a competitive sport.
It's enjoyable to play, and it's enjoyable to watch, and the outcome is not predictable.
Those 3 factors will always make for a pretty successful sport.
 
Straightpool_99 said:

You are seriously comparing 14.1 to bowling OMG, someone help me I must be dead and this is hell... **

...Most games of onepocket are not chess games either. When you watch chess, at least you know that the players are most likely brilliant and thinking far, far ahead and not some coward who is bunting balls stalling for time and hoping his opponent does something stupid... I can still (barely) sit through a 9 ball match between someone in the top 50, and I have no problem watching straightpool at any level. Perhaps i have ADD.
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Mr. Straightpool 99,

I have (mercifully) shortened your rambling reply to me !.. All you needed to say, was your first and last sentence. (emboldened).. This would have told me EXACTLY where you are, as far as 'pool smarts' go !..I can see now, there is no need for any further discourse between us...Good Luck, at finding your pool 'nirvana' !

SJD <--Would rather eat a dead rat, (fur and all)..then watch 10 minutes of 14.1** ! :cool:

PS..You seem like a nice guy...It's too bad you grew up loving 14.1..Most people get over it ! (especially ADDer's)..:embarrassed2:)
 
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SJDinPHX said:
Mr. Straightpool 99,

I have (mercifully) shortened your rambling reply to me !.. All you needed to say, was your first and last sentence. (emboldened).. This would have told me EXACTLY where you are, as far as 'pool smarts' go !..I can see now, there is no need for any further discourse between us...Good Luck, at finding your pool 'nirvana' !

SJD <--Would rather eat a dead rat, (fur and all)..then watch 10 minutes of 14.1** ! :cool:

PS..You seem like a nice guy...It's too bad you grew up loving 14.1..Most people get over it ! (especially ADDer's)..:embarrassed2:)
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Well then, please explain why 1 pocket is so much better than 14.1.

Really, let's us unknowing players know the truth about 1 pocket being a better game,please. It one thing to makes statement without any proof other than opinion v statement with some proof.

Lay out a comparison between the two to prove your point and also so that those point can countered.

Hell, I'll start.....safety play in 14.1 is way harder because you have to prevent a shot into 6 pockets unlike just one pocket. There is no sending balls including cb up table because those pockets can be used in 14.1.

Playing safe in 14.1 requires leaving no shot in any of the 6 pockets.

Oh and there is a whole difference in going to 100 points in 14.1 than 8 points in 1 pocket.

Ok your next.....
 
OMG! Three pages of replies and no one has mentioned the best game of all: 8-ball!

The best thing about 8-ball is that there are so many versions of the rules, that you'll always been able please everyone!
 
Cdryden said:
9 ball ain't dead or broken, it's just going through another evolution. Just like when they added the push out rule, I remember several people talking about how it ruined the game. (several still do)

Chris <----- thinks they should remove the push out rule ;)
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The push should be done away with, I agree.

And a big reason there aren't a whole lot of big packages in tourneys is that shooting for the runout isn't always the best choice for a shooter...sometimes the %s say you are better served by punting.
 
Straightpool_99 said:
I recently had a discussion about the future of 9 ball as a competitive game. My argument was that since the break in 9 ball has been figured out to such a degree that even moving the 9 ball to the spot does not stop the soft break, and the huge luck factor involved in the game as a whole, the game has no future as a competitive sport. I believe that in 5 years it will be replaced by 10 ball almost completely as far as major tournaments go. My friend disagreed. He pointed out that because of the history and the gambling factor, there will always be an interest in major tournaments of 9 ball.

What do you guys think?
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That's what they say about every decade...for about the last 30 or 40 years. ( At least since it became the TV version)

I guess if it happens in the next century , someone can jump up and say I called it. :)
 
Straightpool_99 said:
You like 8-ball, huh? Well its an ok game for friendly play, but again, like 9 ball I don't think it has a future as a competitive sport at the highest level. If that happens I believe it will be in China with the chinese version of 8-ball played on a 9 foot snooker table.

You mention rule changes and the different rule sets of 8-ball.
Thats equally true of 9 ball, except no one is ever pleased with it. I've lost track of all the rule variations, especially regarding the breakbox, where to rack the balls, but also other variations. EVERYTHING has been tried all ready, short of breaking from the head spot. Guess thats where we'll be going next. The only idea that has some kind of merit is the minimum speed requirement that some have come up with here on the forum. I still think going to 10 ball is better, but at least they are thinking outside the (break)box;)

How many times will the rules change until people realize that 9 ball can't be made into as a good of a game as 10-ball?
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Oops. You took me seriously. My apologies.
 
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