8 ball or 9 ball

[chrisfinch]

there's more action in 9 ball than 8, plus all the big names are there, pagulayan, davis etc.

[Sonny]

9 ball >>>>> 8 ball

[silverdragon]

In my opinion, 9 ball is greater than 8 ball. 9 ball requires more stragety and skills than 8 ball does. I would say 90% of people can play 8 ball, but not as many people take the time to get any better at 9 ball. All the pros play in both 8 and 9 ball tournements, but 9 ball is more popular in the professional tour.

[Sonny]

Plus 9-ball is way more fun to play and the tables are bigger and better

[phoenixraker]

8 Ball is better

I have to disagree i think there is more skill needed in 8 ball then 9 ball

the pockets on 9 ball pool are too big and make it too easy.

its also a more tactical match in 8 ball pool.

but after saying all that i enjoy playing all 3 cues sports snooker 8 ball pool and 9 ball pool

[phoenixraker]

there's more action in 9 ball than 8, plus all the big names are there, pagulayan, davis etc.

the likes of chris melling, mick hill, gareth potts would give the 9 ball players a run for there money.

but saying that the games are so different on how they play it would be differcult to split them as they would prevail in the own rules

[phoenixraker]

phillippine 9ball players playing 8ball

Peter Hodgson a senior 8 ball referee and a former team manager for wales is trying to get a team together to play 8 ball pool from the phillippines if he manages to get them to try this different style of pool they could have a hell of a team

[silverdragon]

i dont know how both 8 and 9 ball are played over in europe, so this is just my opinion from the states. there isnt any difference in table and pocket size for the 2 games. the size and pocket size of the table depends on the maker of the table, not the game itself. both games should be played on the same table type. in 9 ball, there arent that many options for a run out for a player because the shooter always has to hit the lowest numbered ball. meanwhile in 8 ball, a shooter can go for any of his/her type ball, giving more opportunities. this means that there is a lot more at stake in 9 ball because if you screw up positioning, you dont have much choice in anohter shot and yur opponent has the greatest opportunity to run out on you. in 8 ball, theres more room for you to make mistakes in positioning because you have more shot options, but you also have yur opponents balls blocking you as well.

in my opinion, a player shouldnt limit him/herself to only one game. the more games you master, the better overall player you all. ive played so many types of billiard games that i can play anything at a decent level. every game contributes another skill for another game. for example, i play rotation pool so i have the upperhand in 8 ball because i can manipulate the cue ball around other balls with ease.

[ChelseaFC]

I prefer playing 8 ball or 'spots and stripes' for the retro freaks.

I would love to play 9 ball and prefer watching 9 ball but, when i try to play it all i get is "so which ball now", "so i can plant the 9 if i hit the 1 first", "oh thats not fair i thought purple was the next ball". etc etc

Is it really that hard? yellow, blue, red, purple (pink for the pro's), orange, green, brown, black, white/yellow striped..........please if you don't know it, learn it and stop pestering me while i'm drinking.

[Sonny]

Just to dispell a few myths - there certainly is a huge difference in tables used for 8 and 9 ball and not only that, but from what I've seen on the tv 8-ball uses a white smaller than the other balls so it can pass through the ball trapping mechanism of the table just like in pubs where you put coins in the table - how stupid is that?

When I watch 8 ball pool on tv, I see typical pub going players who couldn't make it at snooker. When I watch 9 ball pool I see genine talent. And to whoever said the pockets in 9 ball are too big and therefore too easy - go and prove how easy it is by taking on the top players then! The big pockets make it an attacking game, and if you have the nerve you can aim for pots cusion first for positional purposes. Plus the middle pockets are an absolute tw*t from any angle bar straight so that evens it up.

It's the same for everyone, heavier balls mean different possible angular movement of the white and it's less easy to get back spin which makes it a nice alternative to snooker.

[chrisfinch]

i agree sonny. i enjoy playing 8 ball, however for professionalism i would choose 9 ball. Having watched both 8 and 9 world championships recently, the bigger names and higher prestige came in the 9 ball, i had never heard of any in the 8 ball.

Melling and gates are good players, but are they as good as wu, pagulyan, strickland and morris. No.

that might be controversial but i see 9 ball as more skilful, only having one ball to play on each time, not a choice

[ChelseaFC]

I can see where the confusion is here.

Remember we (English) refer to 8 ball as the game played with reds and yellows, small table etc.

American 8 ball is played on a 9 ball table and is played with spots and stripes.

Some previous posts make more sense if you take this into consideration

[KillerKebab]

...i see 9 ball as more skilful, only having one ball to play on each time, not a choice

Well! This is the debate of all time amongst pool players

Is it more skilful to simply play the ball you're on and not have a choice, as in 9Ball, or is the tactical side of the game more skilful, as in 8Ball and snooker?
I can't decide which is more skilful, but I do find 8Ball more fun because it involves a heck of a lot of thinking... you have to think about potting your balls, the position of your balls ( ), the position of you opponent's balls, the position of the 8Ball, and the position of the white. Probably more but I cant think right now

And not sure if this has been answered yet but... US 8Ball is played on 5x8 tables, which are usually blue, purple or red and have large pockets with sharp jaws. It's played with spots and stripes and slightly bigger balls, and if you play strictly by the rules then you have to name ball and pocket every shot. Very few people I've met play this strictly by the rules.

UK or English 8Ball (normally just called 8Ball over here) is played on 6x3 tables, which are usually green, with slightly smaller balls (but a little bigger than you find on the pub tables), slightly smaller pockets (although again a little bigger than on pub tables) with rounded jaws. Played with reds and yellows. Pool tournaments tend to be English as opposed to US 8Ball.

Hope this clears a few things up

[GreenBaize]

Every cue sport has a level of skill involved , and I think you have to appreciate each game for what it is , any player who says 9 ball or 8 ball are easy games, and there is not much skill involved , is probably not a good player themselves , so does not understand what skill is needed to play those games at a good level !!

I'm a former snooker player who now plays 8 ball as a professional on the International pool tour , and what I can say is that many very good snooker player don't make good pool players , and it is down to a combination of many things , a lack of respect for pool is normally at the top of the list , without respect you can't give pool the time and effort that is needed to improve to a better standard.

I would say in my opinion that both 8 ball and 9 ball are just as hard as each other to compete at top level , 8 ball takes a long time to learn rules and tactic's , plus your positioning of the white ball has to be very accurate, the opponents balls all being obstacles on a very small table , and very often you could be faced with many different shot options ,choosing the right shot is a big step in the right direction to playing good pool.

9 Ball you have many of the same problems to over come as 8 ball ,
The thing to me that stands out as very important is the break , Its massive , anyone wanting to compete at a high level must master the break , do that and you have a good chance to do well in the game !!

[The_Godfather]

Ive never played 9 ball, it looks a lot more interesting though, Id say 9 ball.