One Pocket Pool
1. One pocket
One pocket is a pocket billiards game. Unlike other games played on a pocket billiard table where any pocket can be used to send in object balls, only two pockets (one for each player) are used in this one. The object of the game is to score points. A point is made when a player pockets any object ball into his/her designated pocket. The winner is the first to score an agreed upon number of points (usually 8).
If a player pockets an object ball in a pocket other than those at the foot of the table, he/she loses his/her turn, and that object ball is respotted. And if the player pockets an object ball in the opponent s pocket, his/her turn also ends but the opponent earns a point.One pocket is similar to straight pool being that a player can shoot at any object ball regardless of its color or number. Also, penalties for a foul are the loss of 1 point, re spotting a previously pocketed ball if possible, and in the case of a scratch the incoming player gets ball in hand behind the head string.
Unlike in straight pool, but as in most other forms of pool, three consecutive fouls is a loss of game. Also the shooter does not need to call his/her shots.
If a player pockets an object ball in a pocket other than those at the foot of the table, he/she loses his/her turn, and that object ball is respotted. And if the player pockets an object ball in the opponent s pocket, his/her turn also ends but the opponent earns a point.One pocket is similar to straight pool being that a player can shoot at any object ball regardless of its color or number. Also, penalties for a foul are the loss of 1 point, re spotting a previously pocketed ball if possible, and in the case of a scratch the incoming player gets ball in hand behind the head string.
Unlike in straight pool, but as in most other forms of pool, three consecutive fouls is a loss of game. Also the shooter does not need to call his/her shots.
2. History
One pocket is one of the most stringent tests of excellence in all of pool, as it requires great shot making skills, bank shot excellence, planning, and patience.
American pool player and entertainer Rudolph Minnesota Fats Wanderone allegedly said the game of one pocket was like chess (later admitting that he had actually never played a game of chess).[this quote needs a citation] On the other hand, Wanderone s public rival Willie Mosconi, called one pocket a gimmick game for gamblers.
The game is said[by whom?] to be similar to chess, with a beginning, middle, and end game like chess. A player must be careful not to leave the opponent with a good shot, or the opponent may be able to capitalize on a successful shot for successive shots and never let the original player shoot again. A player may even intentionally pocket the opponent s ball,[clarification needed] conceding a point in the process, in order to prevent the opponent from being able to pocket that ball and use it to get shape (ideal cue ball position) on a subsequent next shot.
The first one pocket tournament was held in 1961, promoted by the Jansco brothers. The winner of the event was Johnny Vives.The game is very popular with gamblers, and frequently attracts high stakes.[citation needed] However, it is a skill game involving little luck when played correctly. One pocket plays a major role in the yearly Derby City Classic which is played in Louisville, Kentucky each January.
One of the most famous players of the game is Grady the Professor Mathews, who has written articles and published a number of instructional videos on the game. The two main reference works on one pocket are Winning One Pocket and One Pocket Shots, Moves and Strategies, both written by player and gambler Eddie Robins. The books, now out of print, often sell on the used market for over US$200 each. Another well known one pocket player is Efren Reyes. His victories in the game include the US Open One pocket Championship (2000) and the Derby City One pocket event (1999, 2004 2007 and 2014).
One pocket was the main game featured in the 2007 film Turn the River, the story of a female pool hustler who plays high stakes pool. The film ends with a nine ball match, with the main character saying that nine ball seems like a chumpy game for us.
American pool player and entertainer Rudolph Minnesota Fats Wanderone allegedly said the game of one pocket was like chess (later admitting that he had actually never played a game of chess).[this quote needs a citation] On the other hand, Wanderone s public rival Willie Mosconi, called one pocket a gimmick game for gamblers.
The game is said[by whom?] to be similar to chess, with a beginning, middle, and end game like chess. A player must be careful not to leave the opponent with a good shot, or the opponent may be able to capitalize on a successful shot for successive shots and never let the original player shoot again. A player may even intentionally pocket the opponent s ball,[clarification needed] conceding a point in the process, in order to prevent the opponent from being able to pocket that ball and use it to get shape (ideal cue ball position) on a subsequent next shot.
The first one pocket tournament was held in 1961, promoted by the Jansco brothers. The winner of the event was Johnny Vives.The game is very popular with gamblers, and frequently attracts high stakes.[citation needed] However, it is a skill game involving little luck when played correctly. One pocket plays a major role in the yearly Derby City Classic which is played in Louisville, Kentucky each January.
One of the most famous players of the game is Grady the Professor Mathews, who has written articles and published a number of instructional videos on the game. The two main reference works on one pocket are Winning One Pocket and One Pocket Shots, Moves and Strategies, both written by player and gambler Eddie Robins. The books, now out of print, often sell on the used market for over US$200 each. Another well known one pocket player is Efren Reyes. His victories in the game include the US Open One pocket Championship (2000) and the Derby City One pocket event (1999, 2004 2007 and 2014).
One pocket was the main game featured in the 2007 film Turn the River, the story of a female pool hustler who plays high stakes pool. The film ends with a nine ball match, with the main character saying that nine ball seems like a chumpy game for us.
3. Set up and break
Different from other pocket billiard games, the balls in a one pocket rack are all placed randomly, similar to bank pool. The player making the?break shot?(typically after winning thelag) chooses a?foot?corner pocket?for the rest of the game; all of that shooter s balls must be shot into that pocket. All of the opponent s balls must be made in the other foot corner pocket.
4. Handicapping
One pocket is a very flexible game for players of different skill levels, and many variations are used to handicap a game. The stronger player, for instance, might need 10 points to win versus 6 points for the weaker player (called a 10 6 spot ). Also, as the break shot is so critical in the game, spotting someone the breaks can be a very strong equalizer.
Handicapping one player by allowing points to be scored on bank and kick shots only is a particularly challenging spot, as the free scoring opponent has a much greater variety of options for both balls to pocket and safeties (defensive positioning of the cueball after a shot) to play against the opponent.
Handicapping one player by allowing points to be scored on bank and kick shots only is a particularly challenging spot, as the free scoring opponent has a much greater variety of options for both balls to pocket and safeties (defensive positioning of the cueball after a shot) to play against the opponent.
5. Why take upOne Pocket
Many pool players find One Pocket to be the most rewarding pocket billiards game of all. It is often likened to chess on a pool table, although the strategy isnt truly as deep as chess. Yet in One Pocket, beyond the tactical thinking, players still need to step up to the table and execute their shots.
It is a game that players often graduate to after building a foundation of pool skills at 8 Ball, 9 Ball or Straight Pool and sometimes even 3 Cushion Billiards. It has a more daunting learning curve than other pool games, which makes it not so well suited for beginning players.
It has less ball running, yet much more head to head maneuvering than other pool games. It is guaranteed to tax your thinking, expand your shot horizons and stimulate your pool creativity. It is these qualities that make One Pocket so seductive once you begin to learn the game. Of course if you dont understand the game, it can look pretty boring not so once you begin to understand, though!
Theres a lot of action in One Pocket maybe partly because players have more confidence that their skill will prevail in One Pocket. One Pocket is also very easy to handicap so players of different skill levels can compete together. This is a good thing, because the range between players skill levels is perhaps wider in One Pocket than it is in other pool games!
One Pocket often becomes the game of choice for maturing pool players who may have lost a little of their sharp eyes, but still have all the other tricks of the game in good working order. So if you are starting to have trouble keeping up with those 9 ball players with their young eyes, yet consider yourself a smart pool player, you really ought to give One Pocket a try it just might give you a whole new lease on your pool career!
Even if One Pocket does not develop into your favorite game just yet, playing One Pocket is practically guaranteed to improve some skills that carry over into other pool games skills such as banking, safety play, speed finesse and cue ball control.
This web site is not going to make you a strong One Pocket player all by itself youre going to have to get into the trenches with other One Pocket players yourself to get a real feel for the game. But can learn the basics and find lots of tips for improving your One Pocket game here, and hopefully have fun while you are at it!
It is a game that players often graduate to after building a foundation of pool skills at 8 Ball, 9 Ball or Straight Pool and sometimes even 3 Cushion Billiards. It has a more daunting learning curve than other pool games, which makes it not so well suited for beginning players.
It has less ball running, yet much more head to head maneuvering than other pool games. It is guaranteed to tax your thinking, expand your shot horizons and stimulate your pool creativity. It is these qualities that make One Pocket so seductive once you begin to learn the game. Of course if you dont understand the game, it can look pretty boring not so once you begin to understand, though!
Theres a lot of action in One Pocket maybe partly because players have more confidence that their skill will prevail in One Pocket. One Pocket is also very easy to handicap so players of different skill levels can compete together. This is a good thing, because the range between players skill levels is perhaps wider in One Pocket than it is in other pool games!
One Pocket often becomes the game of choice for maturing pool players who may have lost a little of their sharp eyes, but still have all the other tricks of the game in good working order. So if you are starting to have trouble keeping up with those 9 ball players with their young eyes, yet consider yourself a smart pool player, you really ought to give One Pocket a try it just might give you a whole new lease on your pool career!
Even if One Pocket does not develop into your favorite game just yet, playing One Pocket is practically guaranteed to improve some skills that carry over into other pool games skills such as banking, safety play, speed finesse and cue ball control.
This web site is not going to make you a strong One Pocket player all by itself youre going to have to get into the trenches with other One Pocket players yourself to get a real feel for the game. But can learn the basics and find lots of tips for improving your One Pocket game here, and hopefully have fun while you are at it!
6. A One Pocket Primer
After all, a game in which each player only shoots at a single pocket must be real simple, right? Actually, the basic idea ofOne Pocketis simple, yet despite that or perhaps because of that the strategy and shot making can become wonderfully complex. However, before you start running, you need to learn to walk. Here are some of the basics to get you started:
7. The BREAK
Because there is no certain way to make a ball on the break in your own pocket, the conventionalOne Pocketbreak is designed to open up the rack on your own chosen side of the table, without leaving anything that goes into your opponents pocket. You want to break in a controlled fashion, so that you get the benefit of loose balls near your own pocket, without leaving loose balls near your opponents pocket. Once you learn how to break inOne Pocket, it becomes a big advantage, and that is why an alternate break format is used inOne Pocket rather than winner breaks.
8. SCORE WHEN ITS SAFE TO
One Pocketis a single rack game it can take only a few shots to win, yet one mistake and your opponent might run out too! So be careful how you select your shots and be careful how you play them, but keep in mind ultimately you have to shoot aggressively enough to win, if you want to win. Generally, you can shoot aggressively either if the shot is free of danger, or if the shot is easy. Otherwise, you might want to play less certain shots as two way shots, where you are shooting towards your pocket, yet playing safe at the same time. On tougher shots it often helps to shoot with just enough speed to reach your pocket, because unlike other pool games, inOne Pocketa near miss can still pay off if you leave the ball close enough to your pocket to create a problem for your opponent. Remember, if they make a ball in your pocket it counts for you, unless they pocket scratch or jump the cue ball off the table!
9. PREVENT YOUR OPPONENT FROM SCORING
While it might be tougher to run balls inOne Pocketthan in other games, fortunately it is also easier to play safe its that only one pocket thing! As your game develops, you will discover many different ways to play safe inOne Pocket, and eventually you will need them all. Sometimes all you can hope for in a safety is to survive for another inning just by keeping your opponent from running out, and you might even have to sacrifice something just to do that.
At other times, you might play a safety that puts your opponent in danger of a total sell out. That kind of safety would be considered a trap, and some traps can turn the playing of a safety into an aggressive act indeed.
Of course, even if you play a great trapping safety, your opponent might just pull off a great escape, or even turn the tables on you!
At other times, you might play a safety that puts your opponent in danger of a total sell out. That kind of safety would be considered a trap, and some traps can turn the playing of a safety into an aggressive act indeed.
Of course, even if you play a great trapping safety, your opponent might just pull off a great escape, or even turn the tables on you!
10. MOVE BALLS THAT FAVOR YOUR OPPONENT AND GATHER THEM TO FAVOR YOU
InOne Pocket, you cannot just play defense and wait for your chance to run out, you are going to have to be more proactive than that. You can greatly improve your chances of winning if you can reposition balls that favor your opponent, and leave them so they favor you. Generally that means on your side of the table, and the nearer your pocket the better! That may sound easy, but of course at the same time your opponent is fighting to do the exact opposite every step of the way. Thats what the challenge ofOne Pocketis all about.
