One pocket
One pocket or one pocket is a variant of the pool table .
The game comes from the USA - where it is often called one hole or 1p or 1h for short - and is played with all 15 balls on a 9-foot pool table. Similar to the 14/1, each ball counts one point and there is no differentiation between the balls as with the 8-ball or 9-ball . The peculiarity of the One-Pocket, which distinguishes it from all other types of billiards , is that the player only counts balls that fall into his previously determined hole. However, the balls do not have to be announced. The pockets of the two players are the two foot pockets at the bottom of the table. Which player tries to play his balls in which hole is determined at the beginning of the game.
One-pocket has been played since the beginning of the 20th century and played a major role in the development of the game of pool in general.
Rules and procedure
Build & Break
It is set up in a triangle, whereby all 15 balls are set up in any formation.
A one-pocket game is almost always opened with a safety kick, which is usually carried out by the winner of the kick. The ball is placed on the head line and near the side boards and the player tries to hit the first two object balls of the triangle in such a way that balls are only moved in the other direction of the table and the white one runs to the short lower board. In most cases, counter-effect is used. See also the graphic opposite.
The kick-off player has now chosen the hole in the direction of which the balls rolled when the game was kicked off - the choice of hole due to the kick-off is so obvious that the pockets are usually not determined before the game.
This position of the balls means that the kick-off is very important in one-pocket and the winner of the kick-out almost always chooses to start the game.
Punching balls
Balls count as punched only if they are played into the pocket specified for the player without a foul. Balls that go into one of the other 5 pockets are put back on.
Goal of the game
The aim of playing One-Pocket is to correctly sink eight balls into your pocket in front of your opponent - that is, to be the first to score eight points. Play goals can be set by the two players, although these are usually rather short with the one-pocket.
Fouls
The classic fouls of all pool disciplines apply to one pocket . If the ball falls or jumps off the table, the other player may move the ball in the head field - for all other fouls the ball must be left. As with 14/1 , one point is deducted for a foul (negative points are possible). Therefore, a ball that has already been correctly perforated by the fouler must be rebuilt. If he has not yet punched a ball, the next object ball he has punched must be put back on at the end of the respective recording. If an object ball is punched during a foul, it will also hit the foot point. If this happens in the opponent's pocket, this point only counts for the opponent if the cue ball does not fall from the table or roll into a pocket during the foul (e.g. piercing).
The three-foul rule also applies to the one-pocket , but this is often suspended in private games at the request of the player. Intentional fouls are allowed and play a major role in tactics and game play.
Reinstallation of bullets
This part is arguably one of the most complicated of the rules of One-Pocket. In general, it can be said that several balls that are to be placed on top have to be put back endlessly one after the other from the base in the direction of the nearby short band, as in the case of 14 and 1 . If there is no more space there, the opposite direction must be used.
Whenever a ball is punched in one of the four neutral pockets or the player still owes balls from previous fouls, these are placed at the end of the last take. If a player picks all the balls remaining on the table, but has not yet reached the eight-point limit due to fouls, the balls owed are now all put back at the same time and the player can continue his recording .
One-Pocket as a gamer game
One-pocket is very often played for money in the USA . Special rules and handicaps have become established so that differences in the strengths of two opponents can be balanced out .
Most often this is achieved by a player having to punch more or less than the required 8 balls. For these handicaps certain spellings have been established - e.g. B .:
- 8-5: A player only needs to punch 5 balls to win. Such a handicap ensures a fast game, since in the longest case only 12 balls have to be punched.
- 10-6: The stronger player has to punch 10 balls, while the weaker player only has to punch 6. This can lead to the exciting situation that both players need the last ball on the table to win
- 12-8: In total, more than the 15 available balls are required here. The player who ends the game at 12 has to reset his first 4 punched balls at the end of his recording .
Furthermore, the stronger player can leave the break to the weaker player, or exotic handicaps such as playing with one hand apply.
distribution
United States
Since the origin of One-Pocket lies in the USA , the game is still the most common and very popular there. Here it is considered by many to be the most difficult of all pool disciplines and is played both for money and in tournaments .
Europe
One-Pocket still enjoys a shadowy existence in Europe and is only played in very few tournaments.
Tournaments
In America in particular, there are some large one-pocket tournaments; for example the US Open One-pocket Championship , the Derby City One-pocket event or the Legends of One-pocket .
In Europe, however, only smaller events such as the 1st HOB One Pocket Challenge in Weert or the annual Leipzig One-Pocket Open are offered.
Famous players
Over the past 40–50 years, players have repeatedly emerged who are particularly famous for their great achievements or new approaches to play. To be mentioned here are z. B .:
- Ronnie Allen : Probably the most famous one-pocket player of the 60s and 70s, who became known for his very offensive style and remarkable one-handed play.
- Grady Mathews ( The Professor ): won a particularly large number of tournaments in the 80s and 90s and is famous in the billiards scene because of his analytics and great knowledge, which he also reveals as a book author and commentator.
- Efren Reyes : Described by many as the best billiards player of all time, his dominance is particularly evident in the one-pocket game. Many experts believe that Reyes One-Pocket has ushered in a new era over the past 20 years.
Furthermore, a one-pocket hall of fame has been set up, which regularly accepts athletes for their important contributions to the game.