I play Straight Pool, Nineball, Eightball and One Pocket - what's the hardest of all games and why?

Question

I play Straight Pool, Nineball, Eightball and One Pocket - what's the hardest of all games and why?

Answer 1

Straight pool is a great game, but any game where you are limited in your shot selection due to rotation will be harder. Since you can shoot any ball, you have a multitude of options with straight. So, it cannot be the hardest game. Then, there is the issue of limiting the pocket you can pocket ball in with one pocket. You have to be in the right position, be able to bank a ball, and get back into position to bank another ball into your pocket. If your opponent is good, he can constantly put you in positions that you cannot make a ball.

Nine ball is easier though you have to shoot in rotation, slop counts in nine ball. So, you can be rewarded for taking wild, low percentage shots. Eight ball is easier for the most part due to the number of possible object balls.

So, if I were to rank the games in difficulty, I would put them in this order.

1) One Pocket

2) Nine ball

3) Eight ball

4) Straight (14.1 continuous)

BTW, most of my pool playing has been with straight. Straight has its subtleties, but it is a far easier game than the others, IMO.

Answer 2

Straight pool is by far the most challenging pocket billiards game.  It seems deceptively simple, call any ball in any pocket.  After this initial impression wears off, you'll discover that putting a run together isn't nearly as easy as it sounds.  Straight pool requires so much forethought and finesse.  It's not like rotation games where your next shot is dictated by the number on the ball.  Sure, the individual shots themselves may be more difficult in 9-ball, but as you become a better shotmaker and position player, it becomes less and less of a hindrance.  Furthermore, luck plays a much bigger factor in 9-ball.  Only in games like 9-ball can the game be won on any shot, including the break shot.  Luck is present the least in straight pool.  You can't randomly bang balls around and hope something goes in a pocket.  There's no right or wrong order to run the balls in straight pool.  It really forces you to become a smarter player as well as developing your short position play.  Straight pool stresses minimizing cue ball movement, something that's not as easy as it sounds.  Straight pool forces you to see shots that you may usually overlook.  It forces you to see combinations and creative ways to break up clusters.  It's simply the greatest test of all-around pocket billiards skill.  M.D.-BCA Instructor/Referee.

P.S. I guess Ice Block thinks he's being clever.  Well, he's been reported for plagiarism.

Answer 3

Gotta a 10%edge to one pocket you have to play defence more in one pocket the other guy always comes close and you have to keep him off the balls while trying to score yourself

But get down to 3-4 balls in straight and leave a break ball can get tough and long sessions are the rule 150  200  300 are normal goals its not like a short race or best of 5 ive played day and night many a time

8 & 9 are just second nature fun but not hard

If you really want my vote try Bank Pool it was weapon of choice in east tenn for a long time Wanna see a master Watch Eddie Taylor run 80-85 balls off the rail now that was pool Well thats my 2 points worth

Rember there aint no bad pool game

                                                                        Later Johnny

Answer 4

straight pool....if you are playing the right people it is harder to get a 50 point run than it is to run out a rack in 8-ball or 9-ball. Almost anyone who is any good has run out in 8-ball/9-ball but has never been able to get more than a 30 point run in straight pool

Answer 5

Precisely because one can win on any shot in nine-ball, it is the toughest to play. Every shot is magnified in importance and mistakes are not forgiven. Sure, running out a rack is easier than a good run in straight, but running more than a few racks in a row is tough because there are so many factors in play, especially the break. And because it is very tough to control the break, you really have to do the best you can with what you have after the break. With straight you have a multitude of options after the break, you just have to choose the best one. In nine-ball there are so few balls on the table and only one of them presents a legal shot, you are pretty much forced to play the table as it is, no matter how impossible it seems. Lastly with so few balls available defence is much harder.

Answer 6

I take it none of you have played pill pool, poker pool, or elimination?  You only have to make (or avoid making) one ball ... and it's still VERY hard to win.

When your success depends as much on your opponents skill as yours with a big dose of luck tossed in for good measure ... it is always going to be a hard game to win.

Answer 7

I would say that bank pool is the hardest of the games that I have played. I probably play more one pocket than anything else.

Three-cushion billiards is probably harder than banks, but I've never played on a billiard table so I can't say for sure.

Answer 8

I ,like many other players who play pool, used to play a lot of different games every day...a few hours of nine ball (of course) a game or two of snooker, and at least a half hour to hour of drills... then other games when I could match up... one pocket (or one rocket as ol Charles Bonadventure used to call it)  pay ball on the snooker table or an ocasional game of three cushion... Ive got a 53 ball run playing straight pool and Ill tell you what...playing one hole for the dough has got to be one of the toughest games you can play on a pool table...followed closely by playing snooker on an extra big table at a high level...very tough (or how about a payball game on that extra big snooker table with reg size pool balls... the rounded pockets spit out the big balls if not struck 'the nuts') playing bank only...pretty tough too...

Answer 9

Straight pool is by far the most challenging pocket billiards game. It seems deceptively simple, call any ball in any pocket. After this initial impression wears off, you'll discover that putting a run together isn't nearly as easy as it sounds. Straight pool requires so much forethought and finesse. It's not like rotation games where your next shot is dictated by the number on the ball. Sure, the individual shots themselves may be more difficult in 9-ball, but as you become a better shotmaker and position player, it becomes less and less of a hindrance. Furthermore, luck plays a much bigger factor in 9-ball. Only in games like 9-ball can the game be won on any shot, including the break shot. Luck is present the least in straight pool. You can't randomly bang balls around and hope something goes in a pocket. There's no right or wrong order to run the balls in straight pool. It really forces you to become a smarter player as well as developing your short position play. Straight pool stresses minimizing cue ball movement, something that's not as easy as it sounds. Straight pool forces you to see shots that you may usually overlook. It forces you to see combinations and creative ways to break up clusters. It's simply the greatest test of all-around pocket billiards skill.

Answer 10

Nineball is always have been challenging for me because you have to go in order.