SUZIBANDIT Posted August 19, 2003 Report Share Posted August 19, 2003 I used to play a fair bit of pool back in my days in the States. I have also travelled and seen the version that the rest of the world tries to play. And I have to say that along with the fact that the rest of the world likes to use tiny toothpicks to shoot with, the American rules require much more skill. And to be perfectly honest, a lot of the rules I have seen people playing with across the globe on my travels are just plain fucked up. I only mention this because I recently wanted to start playing again. I was playing the other night against some Arab guy in BKK, and as usual all the crazy baby rules were annoying, but I could deal with it. (Oh and this was on a US-style table, with US-style cues). That is until the guy scratched on the 8 ball and rather than losing, claimed it was two shots for me. To me that is just insane that scratching on the fricking 8 ball isn't a loss. Jesus, I'll just whack it wherever and see where it falls, if I scratch so what. The guy went on to "win" that game, so we played another. On his initial break, he scratched. Now, in the states if you scratch on the break you ... you guessed it ... lose. Knowing that this is crazy pussy rules, I figured that was not the case here. So I lined myself up for my two shots that I see people handing out like assholes. But no, no, no Mr Arab cried, that is only one shot for me. Knowing this can't possibly be true, I asked the table attendent and she confirmed my suspicions that playing pool with these international rules is a complete joke and said that it was indeed only one shot. Now here I see people slopping balls all around the table and wherever they fall and people play on. But if you go to the states and try and play like that, people will laugh you off the table. In the states we call our shots, no slop allowed. If you want a combo, you call it. If you going off the wall, you call the wall and the pocket. If you're sliding your ball past another ball, you call the ball youre going to touch. Basically you call everything. If it doesn't go as planned, it is slop and doesn't count. You scratch and the other guy gets one shot, no need for two. And if you scratch on the 8 ball or don't put it in the right pocket, it most certainly is a big fat fricking loss. Jeseus christ why wouldn't it be. Sorry for the rant, but it does have a constructive point. Does anyone know anywhere in BKK that people play by US rules? And if not, hell even if so, could someone please explain to me the most common international rules I will be seeing while playing around town. I at least want to be sure of what they are. Thanks guys. :: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest lazyphil Posted August 19, 2003 Report Share Posted August 19, 2003 Compared to snooker on a 12 foot table with manly cues any version of pool is a bit faggoty. Fancy a game.....not with me I'm crap at both but I know a bloke who would give you a good old English 'ass whooping' ....the mrs and me play pool at our local boozer. They are the most protracted games you could imagine Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Straycat Posted August 19, 2003 Report Share Posted August 19, 2003 Only one thing. What you describe being the "rules in the States" ARE -- more or less -- in fact the International rules of pool. One further thing that I'm surprised you didn't mention. Observe when 'people unaware of the proper rules' here play a snook shot and don't hit one of the walls (either before or after ball hit)! That may be fine in snooker -- but that's not the way it's in pool... Where did you play? After the closure of Pool King in Patpong, I can only imagine Brunswick on Sukh Soi 4 being a place where you may find proper rules. Unfortunately jump shots and masse shots aren't allowed there which sort of blur the picture... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SUZIBANDIT Posted August 19, 2003 Author Report Share Posted August 19, 2003 I was sure those were the official rules, I just don't know how this hybrid of rules I see played in Thailand (and in every other country I have visited except Canada and Mexico) got started. I was playing at the Bamboo Bar, not exactly the mecca of pool. Like I said I used to play a lot (every day, Pool tabe at home), have never really gotten into playing here. On this occasion a friend was getting their ass spanked an knew I know how to play, so asked me to take over. I'm no JM Brunswick, but dammit I do know the rules. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Straycat Posted August 19, 2003 Report Share Posted August 19, 2003 Says SUZIBANDIT: I was playing at the Bamboo Bar, not exactly the mecca of pool. Ohhh...don't bet on that. The first table on the left is played with people making a living out of it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SUZIBANDIT Posted August 19, 2003 Author Report Share Posted August 19, 2003 Bamboo bar has good players don't get me wrong(even if they have no idea about what the rules are), but the tables and equiptment definatley leave something to be deasired. Hell you can find great players in almost any bar in Thailand. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Straycat Posted August 19, 2003 Report Share Posted August 19, 2003 Agree. There've been many times when I thought people were over-qualified to be playing on these shitty, short, leaning in all directions & coin-operated tables... Pool King in Patpong was great! The real stuff but apparantly there's not a market for quality pool in Thailand. That's a bit odd considering the popularity of snooker here. They play snooker by the rules -- I tell ya! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Posted August 19, 2003 Report Share Posted August 19, 2003 Don't you agree on rules ahead of time? You leave yourself open to people changing as they go along if they aren't agreed to beforehand don't you? Also, a lot of people don't have the same sense of fair play as we do and winning at any cost, including cheating, is part of their game. Pool, like Poker, should have the rules stated beforehand IMO. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gummigut Posted August 19, 2003 Report Share Posted August 19, 2003 House rules are the norm here. Mostly they are understood by the regulars. They almost all follow this pattern: Foul off the break. No balls or one of each sunk. Loss of turn and next shooter has choice and one shot. Foul off the break and sink one or more of one kind. Loss of turn, next player get's two shots and whichever kind has more on the table is his set. Foul in any other situation gives the opponent two shots. Except.... 8-ball. If the 8-ball is the only one on the table it's loss of game. Some places play foul on the 8-ball is loss of game even if the opponent has balls on the table, most play 2-shots if the opponent has balls on the table. Foul, besides the obvious, is pocketing the other person's ball, not touching your ball first, not touching your ball at all, touching the 8-ball first. Legal shot, as mentioned, is touching your ball. Do not have to touch a rail after the ball's contact. Slop counts besides the 8-ball. If the white ball is sunk, you have to shoot up the headstring and can only shoot balls that are entirely in front of the headstring (though a few places play you can shoot on the headstring if your only remaining ball left is the 8). These rules suck, the rules you mentioned Suzibandit are not really American rules per se. More like a strict interpretation of the Budweiser pool league rules. I usually look to the North American Bulliard Association for what are "American pool rules". <<burp>> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bhat_Man Posted August 20, 2003 Report Share Posted August 20, 2003 Try the first three tables in Gullivers on soi 5. There is normally staff there crossing off names, delegating which table to play on (winner stays on) and monitoring the progress of the games and the rules. Nice tables and some nice looking and skilful girls plying their trade on the green baise. I had a guy scratch on the black leaving the black on the rail at the top end of the table and requesting me to play down the table to hit the black. RIDICULOUS and the monitoring staff stepped in and told the guy he had lost. Pool played anywhere in the world can always get peoples backs up and thats why its best to agree the rules with your opponent before breaking off - I agree with CS. I still can't work out why,, in Hong Kong, you have to hit at least one rail/cushion if you fail to make a pot! I prefer to play the "When in Rome" rule and avoid a pool cue across the back of my head! It appears they sort of no the rules there (Gullivers) but having to play down the table when someone has scratched is beyond me....unless it was introduced to give weaker players a chance of winning As for getting laughed off the table in the states.... maybe in Chicago but in general I disagree. I recall a phenominal evening of pool in the sleepy town of Lone Pine not so long ago. The rules were the house rules. Simple and a fine time was had by all. What ruined pool in BKK...... playing on those ridiculous neon lit tables Does anyone know anywhere to play these days other than Brunswick soi 4 which, to my knowledge, has the best tables in BKK? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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