http://billiards.about.com/od/pooltermsb/g/b_breakandrun.htm

Definition: The motivation for pool players to practice many hours a day?-to be able to wipe the table clear in one turn, never letting their opponent shoot. Make the opening break then make all the balls needed in a row to win while the opponent sits and watches. Ouch!
Also Known As: Break And Run Out, Run The (Whole) Rack

its the biggest myth on this site that 9 ball is the luckiest game. if you look back over a list of tournament winners on 'most' days you will see (with the exception of the speed tournies which can be won by anyone) that the 9 ball tournaments are won by 'better' players more often than the other 2 game types. If you pot 8 balls in 8 ball and miss the black the odds are you will get another shot. If you pot 8 balls in 9 ball and then miss the 9 the odds are you will lose. The difference in 9 ball is that the 'better' players will miss that 9th ball a lot less often which is why they win. That isnt luck. Yes there are flukes as there are in all the game types but the better players will consistently make the vital winning ball a lot more than lesser players over time and remember you only have one ball to get position on at any given time which also requires a lot more skill.

And a run out is how it is at the moment - i have been victim of lots of fluke 8 ball run outs since playing on here and noone ever questions them - they are, quite rightly, viewed as quality achievements.

takes the whole excitment aspect out of it i agree

Runout is a term that applies to all of cue sports, not any one in particular, and therefore the definition must be the same for all.

There are many rules sites out there all with varying ways or wording it, but, put simply, a runout is to play to a win without your opponent visiting the table.

In the case of 9ball, whether that be clearing all the balls or a 1-9 combo, you have runout the table.


What is also clear from looking at various club pages and youtube, is that many people have their own interpetations of what a runout is, but for site purposes we need a dependable standard definition that covers all the games.

Edited at 17:42 Thu 19/06/08 (BST)

Uk8 & us8 you can't win by your first or one lucky shot, unless it's a golden break. Us9 ball you can. Either by a hit and hope or maybe a unlucky break which leaves a easy combo. Don't matter how good the player is anybody can win in 9 ball, also more unknown/average players win 9 ball rather than uk8 or us8.

Actually not true if you want to look - and more 9 ball winners win tournies in other game types than the other way round.

its true that more unknown users win 9ball tournaments but theres no denying the top players in 9ball are at the top of tournament wins.

Yeah 9 ball gives the less skilled player more of a chance of winning which is a good thing as most of the time the same people win the other tourneys.

What was the thread about again??

Good old 9 ball run outs flukey or not we love them

perpetuating the myth again alex - look back over the last 24 hours and show me one surprise shock 9 ball tourney winner - can show you maybe at least 3 in the other games - and actually you will find that is the case on more days than it isnt

in 9 ball the player in controls the game if he's good enough - and the only time he isnt in is when the other player gb's - off course there are flukes - but there are in any game/sport

and agreed this is off topic

Edited at 18:11 Thu 19/06/08 (BST)

so you think that 9ball is the same skill level for the otehr 8ball games lol?

No its higher - it has to be - there is more variety - in 9 ball you have to be able to pot knowing if you miss you will probably lose - you have to play for position on only one ball and not for a choice (or for just a general area of the table) - you have to be able to snooker and play safe when required - all those things - and make one mistake and you will lose whereas in the other games you will probably get a second bite.

its the easiest game to play - but the hardest game to play properly which is the difference

Edited at 18:24 Thu 19/06/08 (BST)

i just got a seriously bad 9ball runout fluke against me in 9ball speed quarters so yeah alot of luck is involved lol

lol unlucky - but i guess you have never won that way in any game or lost that way in the other games either

you cannot take it in isolation - you have look at the wider picture

Fluking a win in 9 ball is exactly the same as an unlucky loss in 8 ball.

Therefore people who make comments complaining about losing rank to flukey 9 ballers, but dont also complain about having an artificially high 8 ball rank, are hypocrites.

Anyways, who cares, its funkypool, not exactreal-liferulespool

First of all, define "better" players. In my view, the 8 ball tournies (both US and UK) are more steadily won by top players than 9 ball ever were - so it's all in the eyes of the beholder I guess.

As for getting a second chance if failing in 8 ball.... only applicable if playing a less than good player ;)

In which case it's every bit as applicable in 9 ball too.

Between good players, 9 ball isn't any more or any less a game of skill than the 8 ball games are.

The reason 9 ball has (and in my opinion deserves) a reputation of being a game of flukes and luck tho is when comparing a game between unequal players - in which case the chance of fluking a win for the worse player is far greater than in 8 ball where it is virtually non-existant.

Edited at 22:17 Thu 19/06/08 (BST)

Far from it - it may be very possible to claim (and back-up) one being average easier than the other.

That's irrelevant tho - I completely agree that it would be stupid to introduce a stat that encourages players to abandon the main goal of the game; pottting the 9 for the win as soon as possible.

The reason 9 ball has (and in my opinion deserves) a reputation of being a game of flukes and luck tho is when comparing a game between unequal players - in which case the chance of fluking a win for the worse player is far greater than in 8 ball where it is virtually non-existant.

and there we get back to the old argument about how you can gain a false ranking status in those games depending on who you play - maybe along the lines of what spinner was correctly aluding to above - but lets not go there

Edited at 22:24 Thu 19/06/08 (BST)