What if you arent intending to pot the nine on a shot? You would nominate a pocket anyway even though you dont mean in just on the off-chance it does go in. Would that not be a bigger fluke than getting it in a pocket without nominating?

Forget the 9 ball imo. You nominate a single pocket on ALL shots. It takes no time at all if implemented well.

You ALWAYS nominate the pocket where you intend to pot a ball - regardless of which ball. If you legally pot a ball in the nominated pocket, the shot is valid and you keep your turn. Any additional balls pocketed on the same shot, regardless of pocket, stay potted, with the exception of the 9 ball which is respotted. Simple.

People just need to focus on "You should nominate the pocket where you intend to pot a ball", for all shots. And forget the line of thought about "I can pot wherever I like, but have to nominate a pocket wherever, in case I get a lucky fluke on the 9".

Stop tying nominations and the 9 ball together, it casts you off track constantly.

Example: You are trying to pot the 3 in upper left. In order to do that, you nominate that pocket - upper left. If you then proceed to somehow pocket the 9 in upper left too - that's a valid shot and you win the game. Good for you!

In the same example, if you were to nominate any OTHER pocket than the upper left, with the hope of fluking the 9 in a different pocket, that would be your perogative and perfectly ok - since 1: You are essentially setting up a shot on the 9, 2: Your chances of simply getting lucky is reduced to a sixth, and 3: If you only pot the 3 in upper left as intended, the shot is not valid and the ball is respotted

Sorry but I dont agree that nominating adds anything to the 9 ball game at all. If you google 9 ball rules every set I have looked at makes no mention of nominating. I dont doubt that there are variations in place as there are for every pool game (including there being no 2 shot carry in UK8) however I think its right to follow the real game rules as far as possible.

What I have noticed, and what hasnt been mentioned here, is that for every game you might lose cause someone has a hit and hope slash that flukes in you win a load more because the wild shot misses and sets you up!!!

Swings and roundabouts - leave it as it is - and keep game play fast and fun.

And what if you intent to pot two balls at the same time and they will go in at roughly the same time, what happens then?

i'm with you zante - this would add nothing to the game in my opinion - this is meant to be a simple to play, fast and fun game.

Edited at 17:22 Mon 21/04/08 (BST)

um....many people INTEND to hit a ball into one pocket and ends up in the one opposite.

This is how this disscussion came up!

Flukes are just a part of all pool and snooker games, if your lucks in, it's in!

That's just the way it works... No one has an advantage, as you are both equally as likely to fluke as eachother.

I personally do not know what all the fuss is about.

Edited at 22:38 Mon 21/04/08 (BST)

If you pot one or more balls into the nominated pocket, the shot is legal. If you pot balls in other pockets, those stay - with the exception of the 9 ball, which gets respotted.

Which is an invalid shot that should turn it over to the opponent

Not quite true.

As ridiculous as this may sound, and as much heat I'm gonna get for saying this, the luck/fluke factor in fact helps less skilled players a lot more than the more skilled ones. Not because they are any more lucky, but because of how luck affects the game ;)

Instead of going into a long elaboration, I'll instead offer an ice cream and a cold beer in the sun for the first person to grasp why the above is the case.

can i advise you to drink the beer quick and not to hold the ice cream cause it will have melted before anyone grasps it - theres nothing to grasp

and what happens if you fluke into the nominated pocket? or where you play to pot two balls at once and they fluke into the opposite pocket to what you thought but still a pocket you nominated? - i take it thats still a fluke but acceptable as its only one sixth of a fluke? do you need six of those to win the game?

Edited at 00:50 Tue 22/04/08 (BST)

No one said this would remove all flukes. But 90% is still pretty good and would remove blind flailing completely as a feasible way to win 9 ball

But I believe fluking is a part of 9-ball, in real life and on here.

We can't just make up rules for games... I also feel it would take away a certain amount of the fun factor if it's so strict against the 'tounge in cheek' wins!

But what about hedged-bet shots? An example given earlier, of the ball missing one pocket but rebounding into the opposite pocket is a good one. Many players are aware that a ball will be potted on a first or second rebound (or even third), so hit the ball at an angle and strength calculated to make the pot possible. That's an intentional use of the rails -not a fluke, and yet the shot would stand a high chance of being deemed illegal.

Also, I'll often go for a tricky shot, but put a spin on aimed at tapping in a second ball, just in case I miss the first. This isn't fluke - it's an entirely planned shot because I'm going for both pots - but I'd be penalised if only the second ball went down.

On 9 Ball nominations, or on any ball nominations, the system could never allow for either of those intentional secondary actions, so a nomination system wouldn't only remove flukes, but also prevent the use of any tactical or slightly unusual play.

Edited at 10:56 Tue 22/04/08 (BST)

well said

i agree nominate

Lots of good points made so far, and this is something that will run and run.

The one thing i mentioned before that has been largely overlooked this time (despite being picked up on in a few previous threads on the topic) is that you can already nominate if you wish.

Indeed, that chat system lets you impliment many variations on the basic game of pool should you wish to do so.

At the end of the day, it's easiest to end all arguments by referring again to the World Standardised Rules

http://www.bca-pool.com/play/tournaments/rules/rls_9bl.shtml

If it works well enough for the rest of the world, why not here

If you use it as a "backup" then a fluke is precisely what it is - imo. Nominate the primary pocket you want to hit - and hit it ;) If you miss, you miss.

This is just a basic difference of opinion as to what we want from the game I guess.

I want it as strict and hard on the user as reasonably possible (meaning the game should flow easily and not be impossible, but at the same time not cater to luck more than strictly necessary either)

A lot of people apparently want it more laid-back, easy going, where a bit of randomness is part of it. That is a perfectly valid opinion too.

Edited at 18:35 Tue 22/04/08 (BST)

That doesn't really do much good tho, since you lack the technical tools to respot balls etc, but you can always be a gentleman about it and give the shot over to the opponent by potting the cueball on the next shot. (I do that on 8 ball occasionally when about to win on a fluke - all depending on the opponent tho)