One thing for certain , Ball in hand anywhere is a huge advantage and ups everyones scores by quite a bit in most cases. Ball in hand behind the line is not as strong and won't make a huge difference with A players and below, with pros ,it can make a huge difference.
One reason I like using the rules that were used for a few years at DCC (which onepocket.org supported back then), is it validates Gabe Owen's high score of 60, which was witnessed (but not recorded). That gives players a record to shoot for, which is good for the game in my opinion.
I think for a while Corey Deuel was using the "8-ball break", where you place the cue ball just a few inches off the side rail -- surprisingly on the same side as the pocket you are pre-selecting -- so break from the right when your pocket is to the right -- then load up with about 5 o-clock english, and hit to spit the head ball and second ball. The cue ball is drawn back to the right side rail but then rebounds across the table to end up by the left side pocket or so. The object balls explode, but many seem to migrate across the table and then rebound back to the right side. If you let up on your low/side english you can scratch or get stuck along the bottom of the table, but if you get a good english snap, you stay up higher with the cue ball -- and sometimes scratch in the opposite side pocket.
I think Corey's 8-ball break was not highly favored back then in competition because it was too hard to control. That desire for control is why, as I remember it, most players used a little bit firmer break similar to a firm standard break (and maybe coming into the stack a little lower down the side of the rack), while trying to leave the cue ball around the center of the table.
I'm not sure why Gabes 60 wouldn;t still stand? 99 % of the people in the pool room have no idea whether Gabe scored a 60 or a 30 or what rules they used. Obviously , people have different motives for different rules, I truly don't care one way or the other how someone wants to play it , but I know if I was gambling , if they get ball in hand ,, the number is going way up, which will automatically kill most action at the game. Which I also don't really care, one way or the other, I'm just stating my opinion. Based on playing both sides of the game. I think we would all agree Jay is a decent player, he was honest and said he couldn't make 15 regularly without ball in hand, which is pretty normal with a poor break.
The first trick is to figure out a great break , otherwise you will shoot 30 then a bunch of 10 to 15s. Once you have a break, you have to know when to settle for getting x "sure"balls or trying for more and possibly getting none. The game has so many possibilities to hustle, gamble have fun with, or just improve your game, that it is a shame we can't figure out something everyone can be ok with. It seems the big contention is ball in hand behind the line after a scratch on the break., Simple enough , have East Coast rules and West Coast rules, East is ball in hand West is end of rack. Can that work? You can play either rules, no matter where you are at , you just say EC or WC and everybody knows whats up?
