Hi all. Today in 9 ball my ranking went from a low of 691.5 to an all-time high of 732.3, eventually settling at 726.4. Anyway, one of my opponents, whom I defeated 7-1, must have figured I was less than acknowledging about the fact that I was rather lucky at times (he was wrong - I mentioned my good luck a few times) and proceeded to call me "ignorant". Not that I'm bothered, mind. My question is this, ladies and gentlemen: in 9-ball, does it bother you when someone is very lucky to have beaten you (either through a fluke pot of the 9, lucky set-up, etc) and does not acknowledge how fortunate they've been when in other, normal circumstances you'd have beaten them?

Edited by forum moderator martin_blank, at 08:08 Wed 20/06/07 (BST)

Luck is part of the game. There's not a lot you can do about it

I dropped from 793 to about 740 in one day, and now i'm struggling to get back up there.

Luck, and indeed mis-fortune, is a very big part of 9-ball and the sooner the select few out there come to realise that the better

I find that I have alot more luck than not in every game and I always acknowledge a flukey shot by saying sorry or what ever. I sometimes get people who become annoyed when I say sorry too much

Yes there is luck in 9 Ball (as there is in the other games too) but that is what makes it such a good game. Everybody has a chance of beating any other player. Having said that, in my opinion, it is also the the hardest and most skillful game to play properly. It is a true test of someone's ability to pot, every ball matters, and you will always only ever have one ball that you can play for position on.

Over time the better players will win more than they lose and luck should always even out in the end. It can be frustrating to lose to a lucky shot but at the end of the day (I hate that phrase!!) does it really matter? It is after all just a bit if fun.

there is loads of luck involved in 9 ball. people dont like flukey people, dont play

i think ignorance is a big thing on here now, in the 20 or so mnths iv been a member i have not known a worse time for it, as for flukes in 9ball it will always happen you just have to laugh it off, like colombia said "it is after all a bit of fun "

It can be annoying but it's part of the game and if it happens against you, you've got to take it on the chin.

What I get REALLY annoyed about is when I have a stroke of luck myself and my opponent points it out to me and starts insulting me and calling me a cheat and things like that. What can you do if you get a fluke? I'm not about to deliberately miss because of guilt!

In 9 ball I apologise if the fluke has been crucial to the outcome of the game, otherwise I don't because it doesn't count unless you win the game from it. This means I sometimes apologise several shots after the event, but if I'm insulted in the mean time then forget it, I'm glad I fluked!

If someone flukes against me I will sometimes wish them luck, but other times I close the window in disgust, maybe leaving a "ffs" on my way out. This is not to be taken personally!

i just dont understand why people should apologise for fluking !!!! its not anyones fault so why be sorry ????

i hate 9 ball because it is a lucky game in some ways.
i only play it to get my overall rank up tho it usually has the opposite effect

same here mike, dont find it a game which involves a great deal of skill, and it's a game centred around 1 ball, whereas 8 ball is about your own 7 colours and the black! i just get frustrated with 9 ball and can never get up to pro, and only have 1 tourney win in it too!

I know what you guys mean but I do love 9 ball for it's simplicity and it means you can have a controlled bash every now and again which maybe you can't do in 8 ball.

I think it would be better if tournaments were all races to 3 and the time limit stays at the 23 minutes or so which is allowed for the race to 2 games. You've gotta be pretty bad to not fit 5 games of 9 ball into 23 minutes!

Someone go suggest that on the forum above this one because I never get listened to on such matters.

9 ball is fantastic! It is so frustrating at times but I love it! The flukes happen; over time, you will get as many for you as you do against you . Also I disagree with those who say there is no skill involved, you still have to pot the balls and more importantly give more thought to planning your positional shots as you only have 1 ball to play for each time!

9 ball US is a great game, yes there is huge amounts of luck in that game but anyone can get lucky, it's part of the game you can't be upset, annoyed or angry because someone has just fluked you all over the game, it's all part of the fun and the challenge