ten ball billiards

Ten Ball Billiards

1. Ten Ball Billiards Games
Ten Ball is a modern pool game. It is a rotation game very similar to nine ball, but more difficult, using ten balls instead of nine, and with the 10 ball instead of the 9 as the money ball .

Ten ball is preferred over nine ball by some professionals as a more challenging discipline than nine ball, because it is slightly harder to pocket any balls on the break shot with the more crowded rack, the initial shooter cannot instantly win the game by pocketing the 10 on the break, all shots must be called, and performing a string of break and runs on successive racks is statistically more difficult to achieve.

Although the game has existed for a long time, its popularity has risen in recent years as a result of concerns that nine ball has suffered as a result of flaws in its fundamental structure (particularly the ease with which players can often make balls from the break). The World Pool billiard Association (WPA) World Standardized Rules for ten ball are very similar to those for nine ball, but with key changes to ensure the difficulty of the game and its marketability as an alternative to nine ball.
2. 10 Ball Billiards Rules
There are two distinct versions of 10 ball billiard rules; a snooker version, and a billiard and pool version. This version of ten ball billiard rules is the version that is played with a regular billiard or pool table with a standard set of pool balls, 1 15, solids and stripes. You can view the other version of Ten Ball snooker rules here.
3. 10 Ball Billiards Rules History
Ten ball has been played competitively from 2000 to 2006 as the Florida Open Ten Ball Championship. On May 23, 2007, the first World Ten Ball Championship was held in Jacksonville Florida. The game is said to have been developed out of the request of professional players for a game with more challenge than posed in a game of nine ball.
The 10 ball billiards rules are predominently observed in North America.
The governing body for 10 ball billiards rules is the United States Professional Poolplayers Association.
4. Type of Game
10 ball billiards is played on a standard billiard table with only the ten object balls numbered one through ten, and the cue ball. 10 ball billiards is considered more difficult than other billiard games, and thus is usually the preferred game of players with higher skill levels. It is more difficult to pocket a ball off the break shot, break and run performances become progressively more difficult with each game in a set, and players can not win a game by pocketing the ten ball on a break shot or with a combination shot as they can in some other games.
This game tends to be fast paced, and as a result, is not meant to be played as a single game. Players should decide on a set number of games for the match before play begins. Normally this number is set at either nine, five, or seven. The first player to win that number of games wins the match.
5. Players
Ten ball billiards is usually played by two single players. The game can also accommodate two team of two players.
6. UPA International Ten ball Championships
The nominal first international International Ten ball Championship (previously, for six years, the event has existed but been known as the Florida Open Ten ball Championship) was held in 2007. The sanctioning organization is the United States Professional Poolplayers Association (UPA), using WPA/BCA rules. The World Pool Billiard Association itself separately started its own inaugural WPA World Ten Ball Championship (WTBC) in 2008, in Manila, Philippines. The events are essentially competitors, but many players compete in both. The UPA event is known for sponsorship purposes as the Predator International.

The 2009 UPA event, the Ninth Annual International Ten Ball Championship, and numerically acknowledging the original Florida Opens), was held at the Riviera Hotel and Casino May 11?16, 2009. Ozone Billiards co sponsored the event, which featured a field of 112 male and female competitors (including a record number of women), and was held during the BCAPL s National Eight ball Championships.[2] Mika Immonen of Finland won the tournament, which was played on 4.5 ft by 9 ft standard, professional tables
7. Rack and Racking
According to 10 ball billiard rules, the ten balls, 1 through 10, are racked at the head (front) of a standard triangle just as in 8 ball. The 10 ball is to be placed in the middle of the middle row in the rack.
8. Object of the Game
The object of ten ball billiards is to pocket the 10 ball legally to win the game.
9. Opening Break
In 10 ball billiards, players lag, or coin flip to determine who will take the opening break shot. In professional tournaments, players always lag for break. It may also be determined before beginning play, that the winner or loser of the previous game will always perform the next opening break shot or vice versa. The winner of the lag or coin toss has the option of taking the break shot or passing it on to the other player.
In order for a break shot to be legal, one object ball must be contacted and a ball pocketed, or four object balls must be driven to a rail. If the breaking player does not perform a legal break shot in a 10 ball billiards game, their opponent has the option of requesting a re rack and taking the break shot, or they may elect to continue play with the table as is, as though a regular foul had occurred. If the original breaking player pockets a ball legally and does not foul, their inning continues at the table.
10. General Rules of Play
According to ten ball billiard rules, the player must cause the cue ball to contact the lowest numbered object ball on the table before it strikes any other ball. If this does not occur, the shooting player is assessed a foul, and the inning comes to an end. As long as this requirement is met, a ball is pocketed legally, and no other foul is committed, the shooting player s inning continues.