(1) The rules I’ve nearly always played by state that you can’t win without calling your pocket for the eight (no slop). Therefore, to win by sinking the eight ball on the break, you’d have to call the right pocket. We typically reracked.
(2) The table is open if you pot only one ball of one color on the break. The shooter must declare that the table is still open. If you pot two balls of the same color on the break, then you’re on that color.
I’ve played to an alternate set of rules that allow that if one or more balls are potted on the break, the table remains open and that the shooter has the option to leave the table open until the end of his turn. This allows the shooter to have a better chance at running the table because all balls are fair game during his turn.
Oops! I lied. We didn’t rerack when the eight ball was potted on the break - we spotted it. Same as any other time the eight ball was pocketed without valid nomination. Sorry.
I get a kick out of all you guys who are stating what MUST be done after the break, when the cueball scratches, etc. The fact is, 8-ball has zillions of different rules. One of the reasons 8-ball hasn’t really caught on as a tournament game is because there are so many variations on the game.
In VNEA and BCA rules, the table is always open after the break, no matter what goes down. In APA rules, you must follow the ball you made on the break, unless you make at least one of each type, then the table is still open (i.e. if you sink 2 solids and one stripe, the table is still open).
If you make the 8-ball on the break in VNEA, it’s an automatic win unless you scratch the 8-ball, in which case it’s an automatic loss. I think the same rule applies in BCA. The APA is different once again. In APA rules, if you make the 8-ball on the break you have the choice of re-racking and breaking again, or spotting the 8 and continuing to shoot from that point. Now that I think of it, that might be the way the BCA is, too.
The BCA, APA, and VNEA are the three major sanctioning bodies in 8-ball. The rest of you talking about what the rules are in your local bar or home game have no authority whatsoever. There are as many ‘bar rules’ variants as there are bars. FWIW, my opinion of strict ‘no slop shot’ rules are that they are the creation of guys with too much testosterone and not enough understanding of the game. All of the major sanctioning bodies require only that you call ball and pocket. How the ball gets into that pocket is irrelevant.
BTW, in 9-ball, if you make the 9 and scratch the cueball on the same shot, the 9-ball is spotted and your opponent gets ball in hand. If this happens on the break, your opponent gets ball in hand behind the headstring. The rules in 9-ball are much more defined than in 8-ball, and are pretty much universal.
Am I the only one wondering how it’s physically possible to sink the 8-ball on the break? I’ve been playing pool (poorly) for 5 years, but I’ve never seen anyone even come close to pocketing the 8 on the break. Does it require you to shoot from a specific angle? Does it require a large amount of force?
My fiancee did it about a month ago. It seems that it simply takes a large amount of luck. From her perspective, a ball kicked off the right hand rail and knocked the 8 ball into the left hand side pocket. It barely made it, as the force of the other ball hitting the 8 wasn’t very hard. The 8 ball sat on the lip of the pocket momentarily and then dropped in. I wouldn’t say she used a large amount of force, as she is a smallish person and probably can’t generate that much. The angle was basically straight on, but IIRC, the cue ball hit the front ball in the rack slightly right of center.
We also occasionally tried to better our game with the following rule:
On your current shot, you called not only the ball and pocket you intended on this shot, but had to call the ball and pocket you were going to hit on the following shot (assuming you made the first one). And you continued this for each shot, naturally.
This really forced you to begin to learn how to leave the cue ball where you needed it.
I think we gave it up after we realized we weren’t quite there yet but, if you ever feel like working on your positioning it’s a great idea…
I, too, like Feynn, have pocketed the eight-ball on two consecutive breaks. To increase your chances, you need to hit the rack in the center of the lead ball from nearly straight on. You should also to apply topspin to the cue ball. When the cue ball strikes the lead ball in the rack, it will naturally rebound a small distance due to the elasticity of the balls. As the cue rebounds, this will clear some space for the three front balls in the rack, allowing them to move away from the eight. The topspin will then take effect propelling the cue ball forward again, through the space just vacated and potentially striking the eight-ball. It’s still far from likely that any particular type of break shot is going consistently sink the eight. It there were a way to reliably predict this, you’d see the trick shot artists doing it. Since they don’t make this shot, you can safely assume it’s a too random occurrence.
Actually, the best chance of sinking the 8-ball is to put the cueball on the side rail, and aim for the second ball in the rack. You must be accurate or you might scratch the cueball, but if you hit the second ball full, the 8 will definitely move because the rack is under an asymmetrical force.
Here’s another hint for breaking - if your opponent is always leaving you loose racks that won’t spread open, then instead of always asking for a re-rack look at where the gaps are, and break from that side of the table. If the cueball isn’t touching both balls behind it, break from the side of the gap, and aim for the second ball. The gap between it and the cueball makes it easier to hit, and I guarantee the rack will explode if you hit it solidly.
Sorry, as Sam Stone mentioned, there is no rule body that plays this way. It’s common in bars, but it stops there. If I call the three ball in the corner pocket, and the cue ball clips another ball on its way to the three and the three ball still goes into the corner I called, then I’m shooting again (as long as it’s understood that we’re playing BCA rules, which I always make sure of).
Most rules allow “gentleman’s call”, where you don’t have to explicitly call each shot out loud, but any shot that is a bank or carom must be called. So if I did the shot as described above without calling it explicitly, then I won’t shoot again.
If I am solids and I call the three ball into the side pocket, you are correct, under most league rules it doesn’t matter HOW that three ball gets there, as long as it does. That is… UNLESS… I hit a stripe or the eight ball BEFORE I hit a solid ball.
Yes, I was assuming that he was playing under normal Bar-Room rules. A safe assumption, since if he was playing under any kind of league rules, his team mates or opponents would be explaining all these rules to him
when playing strangers for the table or for money in a bar (as opposed to tournaments where rules are predetermined), it is best to establish rulings on these gray areas before the break or at least before attempting the shot:
calling all shots (usually a given)
sinking the 8 ball on the break
sinking the cue ball on the break
not hitting any balls when going for the 8 ball
use of the 8 ball as ‘neutral’ in a combo shot
calling kisses/rebounds off bumpers in the corner
whether jumping is permitted (i don’t think it is in standard tournament play)
i’ve played games where it’s almost come to blows (especially over the jumpers - i’m a huge fan of the jump) because there are so many variations on these rules and everyone thinks their usual house rules are standard. however, i’ve never played anyone who didn’t agree that sinking the 8 ball on the break was a win regardless of what other balls sank, as long as the cue ball didn’t sink.
but, if you ever feel like working on your positioning it’s a great idea…