SDMB Pool Players - Let's play Internet Equal Offense!

[Sam Stone]

Internet Equal Offense is a pool game that can be played by two or more players who are not at the same table. It's sanctioned by the Billiard Congress of America, and there are tons of players on the internet.

Here's a good link describing the game (http://www.tourboard.com/ieo/start.html).

I thought it might be fun to get an SDMB Equal Offense game going. In a nutshell, here's how the game is played:

1) You rack 15 balls, and break them open.

2) Pick up the cueball after the break, and place it anywhere on the table you would like. Then start shooting. Stop when you miss a ball. Count the number of balls you have sunk. That is your score for the 'inning'. Ten innings makes up a game. At the end, your cumulative 10 inning score is your final game score.

3) If you sink 14 of the 15 balls, you re-rack the 14, leaving the last ball and cueball where they were. The object is to try to pocket the last ball while sending the cueball into the rack, breaking open the other balls. If you sink a ball, keep shooting until you've sunk at most five balls.

4) The best possible score for an inning is therefore 20, and the best possible IEO score is 200.

We have to rely on the honor system on this - no cheating. If you miss, don't tell youself that you were really just fooling around and give yourself a 'do-over'. Part of the point of this game is to teach you to focus on every shot and really think about what you're doing. Consistency is the most important skill in pool.

Anyone interested in playing? If you don't have a table at home, the next time you're out you can play in a bar, or in a pool hall. If you don't want to run 10 innings in a commercial place, play five and double your score, but let us know that that's what you did.

One of the interesting things about IEO is that it's a good way to judge your skill as a pool player. Based on internet tournaments that were sanctioned and monitored, played by known players of known skill levels, here's a breakdown of where you stand based on various scores:


You're probably better than if your typical
THIS percentage of pool players score is
------------------------------ --------
5% 25
10% 35
15% 41
20% 47
25% 51
30% 55
35% 59
40% 64
45% 68
50% 71
55% 76
60% 80
65% 85
70% 91
75% 98
80% 106
85% 114
90% 125
95% 136
99% 160


The 'pool players' in question aren't your typical weekend bar players, but serious players - the kind who would play IEO on the internet in the first place. So don't be too disheartened if you score somewhat low on that scale. Even a 50 is probably significantly better than your average bar player.

To start things off, I just got our pool table set up in our house after having it in storage for four years, and my first crack at IEO I scored a 97.

Any takers?

[Sam Stone]

To expand on what the scores mean, here's a breakdown of results from a number of sanctioned tournaments:


Number of cases (games): 443
Average score: 75.621 (76)
Standard deviation: 33.597 (34)
Range of scores: 9 to 176 (out of 200)


I know a lot of the guys who played in these, and they are by and large VERY good players, including some very good professional pool players. Robert Byne and Bob Jewett, for example, played in these tournaments, as did a number of other collegiate, semi-pro, and pro players. So don't be discouraged by low scores.

This would also be a good thread to discuss IEO strategy, if anyone is interested.

[aktep]

When I start a new inning, do I have ball in hand?

If I sink balls on the break, do they count toward the first inning? If I sink no balls on the break, am I still in the first inning?

[aktep]

Wait, if I remember the game right, each inning starts with a break, doesn't it?

[Frank #2]

Checking the rules (http://www.tourboard.com/ieo/about/rules.htm), any balls pocketed on a break are spotted.

Each inning is started with a "free break", so I'm assuming you don't start counting until your first shot which is a ball-in-hand behind the line.

I think I'll give this a try when I get home. My guess is a score of 70-80.

[Sam Stone]

Yep. You break, any balls sunk on the break are spotted, and you get a ball-in-hand. I had forgotten that the cue ball has to be behind the head string after the break.

An inning ends when you miss, or when you run 20 balls. Each inning starts with a break.

It's a great practice game, because you don't need an opponent to enjoy yourself. Playing 8-ball by yourself sucks, but in equal offense you're just playing against your own scores. Also, it's a great way to learn how to thread your way around a table and think ahead of your next shot or two.

[Sam Stone]

If I sink no balls on the break, am I still in the first inning?


Absolutely. The inning starts AFTER the break, with a ball in hand behind the headstring. You can even scratch the cueball on the break or jump balls off the table.

[kinoons]

I'm in, I wont get a chance to play until next week, so I'll let you know

[aktep]

I'm positively embarassed to say I shot 31 on my first attempt, including two innings of a measly score of 1.

I pocketed 10 balls on breaks. Broke my heart to have to re-spot them.

[Sam Stone]

Don't feel too bad - the lowest score in the sanctioned tournaments was NINE.

I'm going to play another round this afternoon. I'll post a score later.

[Frank #2]

I gave it a try and netted a whopping 39. :( I did manage a 19 on one rack, but the rest were just shite. I was a tad frustrated at racking after only pocketing 2 or 3 balls. I'll try again when I'm more relaxed.

For a slightly better skill indication, I'm ranked a 5 by the APA in both 8-ball and 9-ball.

[Sam Stone]

Scored a 92 yesterday.

There are two keys to getting a good score - one is a good break. If you don't spread the balls open around the table, it's going to be hard to run a lot of balls. The other is learning to spot patterns and control the cueball. If you just sink balls, eventually you'll wind up without a shot or tied up with another ball or something. That's why I like Equal Offense - it's great practice for thinking about how you're going to thread your way around the table.

Frank #2: Isn't it satisfying when you manage to break open a second rack (when you got your 19)? That's what always keeps me coming back to straight pool. That end-of-the-rack play is challenging!

The year I played APA I fluctuated between a 7 and an 8.

[kinoons]

First game only scored 42 -- rattled several shots out, just had a rough go of it all.

Second game scored 78 -- most likely this is where I'll hang out. Felt like I played about as well as I can. Two racks of 14.

[Sam Stone]

Those are pretty good scores.

Anyone else enjoying the game?

[aktep]

shot a 52 last night with a rack of 19 and two racks of 0.

My biggest problem (besides not always getting the cueball in a good spot) is having the balls so bunched after a break I don't have a clean shot from behind the head string. Perils of a 7' table, I guess.

[Sam Stone]

One hint: When you have a cluster of balls that need to be broken up, here's what you want to do:

1) look for a 'key ball' - a ball close to the cluster that can be pocketed.
2) look for a 'position ball' - a ball that can be pocketed in a way that gives you an angle on the key ball that will send the cueball into the cluster breaking it open.
3) preferably, keep an 'out' in mind when doing this. For example, if there is a ball in the jaws of a pocket at that end of the table, it's your 'out', because if you break open the cluster and wind up without a good shot, you can usually find a way to play a combo or bank or something to take down your 'out' ball. That kees your run going.

In straight pool (and when trying to break open the second rack in EO), a 'key' ball is one that's beside where the balls will be racked, a few inches from them. A good 'position' ball is one near a side pocket. If you leave those two balls for last, then you can shoot the ball near the side pocket into the side, drawing the cueball back a bit to leave a nice angle on the key ball. Then rack the other 14 balls, shoot the key ball into the corner pocket, and fire the cueball into the rack.

Straight pool, 8-ball, and equal offense are all about learning how to thread through patterns of balls, whereas 9-ball and one-pocket are all about cueball control (cueball control is important in the other games as well, but usually you don't have to put extreme english on the cueball to achieve what you want. Stop shots and slight draws and follows are usually enough).

[kinoons]

Assuming those who read this thread are interested in their game and improving it, here is a book we all should own.

"The 99 Critical Shots in Pool" By Ray Martin and Rosser Reeves. This book tries to show you not specific shots (in spite of the name) but general principals. If you learn the principals your game will improve.

<disclaimer -- I have no financial interest in anyone purchasing this book>

[pulykamell]

Assuming those who read this thread are interested in their game and improving it, here is a book we all should own.

"The 99 Critical Shots in Pool" By Ray Martin and Rosser Reeves. This book tries to show you not specific shots (in spite of the name) but general principals. If you learn the principals your game will improve.

<disclaimer -- I have no financial interest in anyone purchasing this book>

Sorry for the hijack, but since the other thread this was mentioned in was closed... Can you check the 8-ball rules section in the back of that book? I swear it was in there that I originally read the "respot the 8 if it's behind the string after the foul" rule. In fact, I think one of the critical shots was how to pocket a ball on the foot spot when shooting from behind the string. It's possible later editions were different, but mine was bought around 1994, and I can't imagine what other book I could have read this in.

[Sam Stone]

I have that book, but in my opinion a far superior one is "Byrne's Standard Book of Pool and Billiards". Byrne approaches the game like an engineer, and he understands the mechanics of the game and explains them well. There's also an accompanying video that's very good, and a second volume, "Bryne's Advanced Book of Pool". Highly recommended.

They're also really fun to read. He writes with wit, talks about the science of the game, its history, odd facts, etc. Ray Martin's book is much drier. For example, in Byrne's chapter on selecting pool cues, he talks about an experiment he devised to determine the optimum weight of a cue for the hardest break. His pool table is in his garage, so he took the far rail right off the table, opened his garage door, and then got some players together and they started firing cueballs off the end of the table into the street, measuring where they land. Smart idea. As I recall, it turns out that heavier cues are NOT better. You want a cue light enough that you can accelerate it as fast as your muscles will allow.

Byrne also did an experiment to disprove the notion that a 'wrist snap' could be used to apply more english on the cueball. I think Martin himself says that you can do this, but Byrne shows that the contact time between the cue and the cueball is virtually instantaneous, and the tip does not stay in contact with the ball long enough for any wrist action or follow-through to add extra english.

Anyway, it's a good book.

[kinoons]

Sorry for the hijack, but since the other thread this was mentioned in was closed... Can you check the 8-ball rules section in the back of that book? I swear it was in there that I originally read the "respot the 8 if it's behind the string after the foul" rule. In fact, I think one of the critical shots was how to pocket a ball on the foot spot when shooting from behind the string. It's possible later editions were different, but mine was bought around 1994, and I can't imagine what other book I could have read this in.

He does -- guess something changed between then and now.

[kinoons]

I have that book, but in my opinion a far superior one is "Byrne's Standard Book of Pool and Billiards"

Thanks for the tip, I'll look into that one too.

[kinoons]

Tried again tonight...lets just say I'd loose an ass kicking contest to a one legged man. Never could get into any sort of feel for the game tonight. It just wasn’t there. Maybe next week.

[ShibbOleth]

I went to a local pool hall, for the first time, and tried this tonight. I scored 32, I think, but just realised I didn't follow the rules correctly. I didn't do "ball in hand" after the break, but played the break as it was. This was a big disadvantage, as there were three turns where I was unable to sink a shot from the break, and it was never the most advantageous position. I'd guesstimate that I should normally score about 40-75, although it might take a few times of practicing to get that.

One thing I noticed: I played a lot more conservatively this way than I normally would. It's because I was playing "not to miss" instead of playing to making shots. I'll have to work on that.

Also, I am just a decent bar rules 8 ball player, but it's my normal game to play very defensively. The name here is accurate as there is no real defense involved. So if I can get out and play this once a week or two this would probably improve my game quite a bit. I don't recall playing a game of pool for over a year until tonight.

[Sam Stone]

The great thing about EO is that it's a fun game to play by yourself, and there just aren't too many of those.

One of the strategy choices you have to make is when to trade off an easy ball for a harder one that gets you better strategic position. You have to factor your skill level into that. When I score really low at EO it's usually because I get too clever and decide to clear off some ball on the rail or a long table shot because I've got decent but not great position on it. Then I miss, and score a 1 or a 2 when there were easily 3 or 4 balls that would have been trivial to sink. So you have to be a good judge of your own skill level, which is also a good skill to develop.

I think I'll play another round tonight.

[II Gyan II]

If you sink 14 of the 15 balls, you re-rack the 14, leaving the last ball and cueball where they were.
What if the cue and object ball lie within the rack space?

[Sam Stone]

What if the cue and object ball lie within the rack space?

BCA 14.1 rules apply. They are:

If both the cueball and the 15th ball are in the rack space, the cueball is put in the 'kitchen' (the 'D" at the top of the table), and the 15th ball goes on the foot spot.

If the last ball is in the rack space and the cueball isn't, all 15 balls are racked and you have to try to call a ball out of a 15 ball break.

[II Gyan II]

Another silly question: after the break, with the cueball behind the head string, I always aim for a ball which is ahead of the head string. Is that correct, or can I hit a ball placed within?