9 Ball In The Side Pocket

It always sounds like a good idea. Grab a few friends or take a date to shoot some pool. It could be the upscale joint downtown or the nearby pool hall that serves nickel beer on Tuesdays, different places but the results end the same. It starts up fun with everyone saying how bad they are and the drinks start to flow but then around the second or third game, the party becomes a dud. First, the conversation dies out and then all the shots start missing. It takes ten minutes just to get the 8 ball in the pocket and during that time everyone is casually checking their watches.

The inherit mistake people make about the game is that they forget how long one game can take. Unless your friends are professional billiards players, there will be plenty of missed shots. Also, only two players can play at one time (with the exception of cut-throat) so the rest of the gang end up staring at each other.

On the flip side of short conversations, when you are in a lively group, no one really wants to take their turn. It goes back to being non-players. Plus, you have to leave those wings you were munching on and put down your drink. Who really wants that?

The remedy to this is change the game. Forget playing the common 8 ball game, go with a faster game like 9 ball. Rules of the game can be found at pool-table-rules.com. The game is quick and doesn’t require one to remember if they are stripes or solids.