I played on APA leagues in the US for around 10 years. This is a win in that league. By the time I quit playing I could do this maybe 1 put of 10 breaks. Occasionally consecutively. It helps that drunk people on pool leagues don't set good racks very often.
Yeah, there's always a strong element of luck with the break. No matter how consistently you try to rack the balls, there will always be minor differences every time. Minute differences like how the balls touch, the exact placement of each ball on the table, etc., means that each break is always going to be random.
In my 20s I spent a LOT of time in bars and played a BUNCH of pool. Only once, of thousands of games, did I make an 8 ball break. Only a couple people saw it.
I did this once while screwing around. I was half asleep, and only the giy I was playing with saw it. We had a good laugh and racked again. Great times.
With all due respect, this is one of the least-interesting things that happens in pool. I played a tournament today, and one player had a called shot that caromed off two opponent's balls to sink in a side pocket. I think there were two 8-on-the-breaks just while I was there… and my team was eliminated in the first round and went home.
People be down-voting, but you're right. In most competitive rules it doesn't even end the game, the incoming player just has the option to spot the 8 or re-rack and play on.
pool sharks do this. its a trick shot, it is repeatable, and a bad player can make money using it. lose a couple rounds, raise bet, do the break, "hey that was a fluke, thatd never happen again, wanna bet?"
Only if they cheat and place the racked balls further up the table than it's supposed to be. Otherwise, this shot is nearly impossible to consistently replicate.
All you need to do is hit a circular object in the exact same place with the exact same force so it hits another circular object at an exact angle so that when IT collides with YET MORE circular objects why is my nose bleeding?
Well you have probably heard of golden shower. This is basically the same, except nothing is golden is coming out of places but something black is vanishing into something. Result is often the same, one really happy human being
It’s an 8 ball break, when you sink the 8 on the break and win the game. We used to practice this for hours, got semi consistent, but only used it when bragger douche bag bros came to the hall.
In addition to OP succinct and accurate explanation, notice the 8 ball ( the black ball) starts in the center of the ball configuration. Protected by every other ball.
There's 7 colors of ball, 2 of each colour, 1 through 7 have the small dot, 9 through 12 have a large white band. These are called "bigs" and "smalls". A player decides, usually after the break when they can see where all the balls lie, if they want bigs or smalls, and this is indicated by sinking a ball of your chosen option. 8 ball is black and belongs to neither player, but must be sunk by a player only after they have sunk their 7 balls, in order to win the match. (cont).
If it is sunk by a player before they have sunk all of their own balls, the other player automatically wins. When this happens off the very first shot, it's called a golden break, and that's what we see here. The black falls into the side pocket and the player has lost on the very first shot. it is a risky shot for this reason, but if it works and the balls spread nicely, you can pocket out and win.
Tbf I actually never knew this rule and I'm pretty good. Guess that's what happens when you like drinking and casual games over tournaments. I'm pretty sure I've done that before
Yeah I actually Googled it, get a load of this, it's BCA rules (The Billiards Congress of America) so fancy Dan tournament shit. I mean you kinda just decide the rules when they come up, you wanna play ball in hand on this? Kitchen rules? We're just here for a laugh. Why did America get so hoity toity about this, that's not my jam, I thought we were bar rules
Huh! Hot damn. Found these figures for pro golfers vs pro 8-ball players. ~0.04% for golfers, ~0.8% for pro 8-ball players (with a 1st-ball break like this one). I did not believe you but you're mostly right. An order of magnitude more likely. If you allow 2nd ball breaks, more like 2 orders of magnitude.
The game is 8 ball. Normally, you have to pocket all your ball selection (until a miss/foul) - either solids or stripes (determined by first player to pocket a ball (solids/stripes) after the break) - before being able to pocket the 8 ball without a foul. But you can pocket the 8 ball on the break to instantly win the game. If you pocket 8 ball after the break but before you clear your ball selection, instant game loss. Matches normally are a race to 7 or 11 games, I believe.
I can imagine the evolution of the rules. "Bill, I have more balls than you." "OK, well then the 8 is special, it's right in the middle, it's the last one." "What if it goes in before that?" "You lose." "What if it goes in on the break before we even know who's solids and stripes?" "Er, then you win."
So if you are really, really good... you can break, pocket a ball on the break (not the 8 ball), pocket a ball selection (solids/stripes - we'll use solids for this case), pocket the rest of your selection - solids, then pocket the 8 ball without your opponent ever having a chance to shoot.
I played a guy I was told was ranked in the top 50 in the US. We played two games. I got three turns. He was right-handed but shooting lefty because his other hand was broken. He hit the cue ball against the opposite bank and caught it in his own pocket. He was just showing off. I didn't sign up for that tournament hoping to win, but damn did I draw the wrong guy first.
I once played a game of Cut Throat (3 player billiards game) against some really good players without ever leaving my stool! I lost, of course, but it was the easiest game I was ever a part of
The hard part is that you are not allowed to hit the other guys selected balls with the white ball. Only if you hit one of your selection first. So your oponents selection is kinda of a roadblock.
Correct. You can make all the solids on break and still choose to play stripes by pocketing a stripe after the break. No tactical advantage there, but there can be some advantage when there is only a 1 ball difference
Note that this is only in the game Eight-ball. There are lots of (official, professional) pool games; Eight-ball is probably the most well-known by non-pool players, but I think that Nine-ball and Straight Pool are probably more popular among professionals and "serious" players. Only in Eight-ball is the 8-ball "special" like that (hence the name...).
9-Ball is a hustlers game so you can find it a lot anywhere serious players gather. Not sure which game is more prevalent in professional pool. I've seen more 8-Ball than 9-Ball, but I haven't actually seen it "televised" since the days when cable-tv was the only media option.
Doesn't matter, as long as the cue ball does not go in. Stripe, solid, one or more of each, before or after the eight ball, still a win for the breaker.
I did this twice in a row (a long time ago). The dude that put up the quarters was like "shit, that's crazy" after the first one; after the second one he picked up a ball and threw it across the bar while screaming about me cheating. Lol.
Actually depends on the type of league. There are two major rule sets APA and BCA. In APA an 8 ball break is a win. In BCA its kind of null and usually results in a re-rack you may (id have to verify but im not going to) be able to just spot the 8 on the center of the foot line.
Yes. When you rack the balls for the break at the beginning of the game, the 🎱 always goes in the center of the formation. Some starting positions and techniques make it more likely to sink the 🎱 on the break, but there's no way to do it reliably.
If you drop the 8 by way of a combo, it’s a win, like if the 8 was a bunny and the 2 was between the cue and the eight, you win by cueing the two to the eight into the pocket. Same thing for the break, since you haven’t yet determined which balls are yours.
OctopusStinkhorn
I didn’t even realize that was a thing
PipWhipple
He looks so giddy after finding out!
cousteau
"I'm disappointed but also kind of impressed with myself, in a way."
benjamindco24
Look on his face said "Why is that dumbass touching all the balls."
myoldnamewasntverynice
I played on APA leagues in the US for around 10 years. This is a win in that league. By the time I quit playing I could do this maybe 1 put of 10 breaks. Occasionally consecutively. It helps that drunk people on pool leagues don't set good racks very often.
pockpock
Always wondered, is it completely luck based or can they influence it in any way?
IPourTheMilkFirstThenAddChocolate
It's like 99% luck. It's more like you can hit it a certain way to facilitate the opportunity for it to happen.
onepinksheep
Yeah, there's always a strong element of luck with the break. No matter how consistently you try to rack the balls, there will always be minor differences every time. Minute differences like how the balls touch, the exact placement of each ball on the table, etc., means that each break is always going to be random.
FeloniousMonk13
In my 20s I spent a LOT of time in bars and played a BUNCH of pool. Only once, of thousands of games, did I make an 8 ball break. Only a couple people saw it.
EvoNovus5000
I did this once while screwing around. I was half asleep, and only the giy I was playing with saw it. We had a good laugh and racked again. Great times.
willpostanything
ElaineTheNPC
lol the odds of it are so low he didn't even realize it. He'd gone back to his chair to change sticks and was like, wait what?
kilgoth1
That is some beautiful ball movement after the break. Half the rack moves up table.
Nulcheck
The solid red ball went into the upper left corner pocket
writerbuddy
I'm mildly disappointed that's not exactly what he intended!
JenniferCarrot
the only time i sunk the 8 on break, my opponent said it was his victory and i believed him
duffman3335
"Wow, that was easy! I should just try to do that every time!"
slotheroll
KuldFyt
The dude is clearly an excellent golfer. Well below par.
justplainvanilla
Pheehelm
cousteau
Hate it when that happens.
MarkusAwesomesauce
Dude.....LMAO
MisspentYouth333
I love his smile
Tarmaccian
With all due respect, this is one of the least-interesting things that happens in pool. I played a tournament today, and one player had a called shot that caromed off two opponent's balls to sink in a side pocket. I think there were two 8-on-the-breaks just while I was there… and my team was eliminated in the first round and went home.
GGGenom
People be down-voting, but you're right. In most competitive rules it doesn't even end the game, the incoming player just has the option to spot the 8 or re-rack and play on.
inchoroi
I love that he didn't even notice.
Festerboob
Depends on the rule set. We play BlackBall rules in UK leagues and if the black goes down on the break it's just a null game and a re-rack.
nurmich
Guy's pretty good. He consider doing that professionally.
forgottenzero
Do that in a British Army bar, and you have to buy everyone a drink
webbstar85
Why can't you just do that everytime? Then it's easy. He needs to practice more.
karcain
pool sharks do this. its a trick shot, it is repeatable, and a bad player can make money using it. lose a couple rounds, raise bet, do the break, "hey that was a fluke, thatd never happen again, wanna bet?"
StellarJay77
Only if they cheat and place the racked balls further up the table than it's supposed to be. Otherwise, this shot is nearly impossible to consistently replicate.
FlissFloss86Gaming
All you need to do is hit a circular object in the exact same place with the exact same force so it hits another circular object at an exact angle so that when IT collides with YET MORE circular objects why is my nose bleeding?
KaptainObveeus
But the cue, balls, and surface change, so even a machine would need adjustment
Grandolddrummer
Physics
Akistos
Geometry!
Miudo
A circular object hit it.
sometimesarobot
That little leg kick
Ithinkimbetterthanyousometimes
It's actually taught to help with power
ROGUEdenied
I do a similar thing but more like a batter swinging at a ball, kick the leg forward. It's powerful! pool player for 38 years.
TasteOfNoise
Gomey!
mrollings53
Context for those that don't play pool?
unluckyandbored
In 8-ball pool, if you sink the 8-ball on the break, you win.
Lowland
Well you have probably heard of golden shower. This is basically the same, except nothing is golden is coming out of places but something black is vanishing into something. Result is often the same, one really happy human being
duffman3335
He wonded.
TheDaharMaster
The billiards version of catching the golden snitch 4 seconds after the game starts.
DigitalDragon75
Golden Snitch moment. Pretend the 8 Ball is the Snitch.
Shaodyn
If you sink the 8 ball during the break, you automatically win the game.
CyanideBreathMint
It’s an 8 ball break, when you sink the 8 on the break and win the game. We used to practice this for hours, got semi consistent, but only used it when bragger douche bag bros came to the hall.
ballsoutflyer
A damn miracle.
UnattendedDeviant
In addition to OP succinct and accurate explanation, notice the 8 ball ( the black ball) starts in the center of the ball configuration. Protected by every other ball.
TheDildoOfConsequences
Also also interesting, observe how the black is the only ball that remains motionless immediately after the initial impact.
pickledpete1337
Balls in holes = winner
youreathing
When you score a touchdown before the ninth inning, it automatically resets to 30-love in favour of the goalie. It's not that hard.
scr1bbl3
Didn’t ball go?
AnythingMuchShorter
Then the dominoes fall like a house of cards. Checkmate!
NomadUniverse
There's 7 colors of ball, 2 of each colour, 1 through 7 have the small dot, 9 through 12 have a large white band. These are called "bigs" and "smalls". A player decides, usually after the break when they can see where all the balls lie, if they want bigs or smalls, and this is indicated by sinking a ball of your chosen option. 8 ball is black and belongs to neither player, but must be sunk by a player only after they have sunk their 7 balls, in order to win the match. (cont).
NomadUniverse
If it is sunk by a player before they have sunk all of their own balls, the other player automatically wins. When this happens off the very first shot, it's called a golden break, and that's what we see here. The black falls into the side pocket and the player has lost on the very first shot. it is a risky shot for this reason, but if it works and the balls spread nicely, you can pocket out and win.
NomadUniverse
*15, not 12
Corrodias
He got unlucky and the black ball went in, so he loses the game. Billiards is a fucking weird game.
pizzapartyhard
You actually win if you pot it on the break. It’s after the break snd before you pot the others that it’s an auto-lose.
Corrodias
Oh, okay. He got lucky and his opponent lost. Still a weird game.
GravyEducation
Tbf I actually never knew this rule and I'm pretty good. Guess that's what happens when you like drinking and casual games over tournaments. I'm pretty sure I've done that before
Cyanide555
I've never seen that rule anywhere. Not that it doesn't exist but the rules seem to change between countries and pubs.
GravyEducation
Yeah I actually Googled it, get a load of this, it's BCA rules (The Billiards Congress of America) so fancy Dan tournament shit. I mean you kinda just decide the rules when they come up, you wanna play ball in hand on this? Kitchen rules? We're just here for a laugh. Why did America get so hoity toity about this, that's not my jam, I thought we were bar rules
ThingsThatDontJustifyGenocide
It's like a hole in one but for an entire game, and far more rare.
GGGenom
You mean a hole in one as in golf? That's much more rare than making the 8-ball on the break in a game of pool, by several orders of magnitude.
NickRivieraMD
Huh! Hot damn. Found these figures for pro golfers vs pro 8-ball players. ~0.04% for golfers, ~0.8% for pro 8-ball players (with a 1st-ball break like this one). I did not believe you but you're mostly right. An order of magnitude more likely. If you allow 2nd ball breaks, more like 2 orders of magnitude.
NickRivieraMD
https://billiards.colostate.edu/bd_articles/2016/aug16.pdf
NickRivieraMD
https://www.hio.com/americanhno-blog/odds-of-making-a-hole-in-one
IrishRover
The game is 8 ball. Normally, you have to pocket all your ball selection (until a miss/foul) - either solids or stripes (determined by first player to pocket a ball (solids/stripes) after the break) - before being able to pocket the 8 ball without a foul. But you can pocket the 8 ball on the break to instantly win the game. If you pocket 8 ball after the break but before you clear your ball selection, instant game loss. Matches normally are a race to 7 or 11 games, I believe.
SwagicalYololord
I have done this many times and always thought it was a loss….
CaptSchmidtGaming
if you sink the 8 on the break thats a win? I never knew that!
MajorasTerribleFate
I can imagine the evolution of the rules. "Bill, I have more balls than you." "OK, well then the 8 is special, it's right in the middle, it's the last one." "What if it goes in before that?" "You lose." "What if it goes in on the break before we even know who's solids and stripes?" "Er, then you win."
pxlphile
I understood each word individually. But sounds like a good thing?
Poppypoppoppop
TIL. Never knew pocket 8 ball during break means instant win.
Lastchariot
Seems like a bad rule to me, a chance to instantly win based on nothing but luck?
freezingpilot
Love it. Every game needs some chaos.
IrishRover
So if you are really, really good... you can break, pocket a ball on the break (not the 8 ball), pocket a ball selection (solids/stripes - we'll use solids for this case), pocket the rest of your selection - solids, then pocket the 8 ball without your opponent ever having a chance to shoot.
ImaginaryMamboNumber5
Break and dish
Isthe4thtimethecharm
I played a guy I was told was ranked in the top 50 in the US. We played two games. I got three turns. He was right-handed but shooting lefty because his other hand was broken. He hit the cue ball against the opposite bank and caught it in his own pocket. He was just showing off. I didn't sign up for that tournament hoping to win, but damn did I draw the wrong guy first.
NicolasKevinMac
The term for this is "running out."
Lostarchitorture
I once played a game of Cut Throat (3 player billiards game) against some really good players without ever leaving my stool! I lost, of course, but it was the easiest game I was ever a part of
Cartoones
Ye I usually lose my stool on the toilet too
ThisIsYourLifeNow
The hard part is that you are not allowed to hit the other guys selected balls with the white ball. Only if you hit one of your selection first. So your oponents selection is kinda of a roadblock.
Poipoine
Yes
J4nein4ne
Wait, so say you pocket a solid on the break. You can then sink a stripe in order to choose to be stripes?
IrishRover
Correct. You can make all the solids on break and still choose to play stripes by pocketing a stripe after the break. No tactical advantage there, but there can be some advantage when there is only a 1 ball difference
J4nein4ne
Good to know. Thanks!
funkystay
He sunk the Eight Ball on the break. End of game.
[deleted]
[deleted]
pareidoliaperson
Oh what did the 8 ball say for a such punishment??
Snezko
until this video i didn't know that's a rule or a thing at all lol, i always knew 8ball in the hole before any other ball is opponents turn
evildadunit
End of the game, he won
DocWino
Sunk before any other ball.
ThePunishersVengefulBrother
I've done that exactly 4 times in my life.
NicolasKevinMac
Note that this is only in the game Eight-ball. There are lots of (official, professional) pool games; Eight-ball is probably the most well-known by non-pool players, but I think that Nine-ball and Straight Pool are probably more popular among professionals and "serious" players. Only in Eight-ball is the 8-ball "special" like that (hence the name...).
raifsevrence
9-Ball is a hustlers game so you can find it a lot anywhere serious players gather. Not sure which game is more prevalent in professional pool. I've seen more 8-Ball than 9-Ball, but I haven't actually seen it "televised" since the days when cable-tv was the only media option.
CitizenPrime
As a win or loss?
kyorsmuckers
What if another ball went in first?
ProtoSynnic
Doesn't matter, as long as the cue ball does not go in. Stripe, solid, one or more of each, before or after the eight ball, still a win for the breaker.
duhh33
This info in not terribly useful without stating in whose favor the game ended.
sucka199
The guy who broke the balls won, because the 8 ball went in on the break, hence them calling it a “golden break”
KaptainObveeus
Because if you crack open the 8 ball there is gold inside!
zetzmemp
Crack open the magic 8 ball and drink the fluid.
PleaseRespectMyAsshole
I did this twice in a row (a long time ago). The dude that put up the quarters was like "shit, that's crazy" after the first one; after the second one he picked up a ball and threw it across the bar while screaming about me cheating. Lol.
Superchief86
No shit! I never knew that rule! Not that it would have changed my life in any way to have known. But still, it's interesting.
Milfhunter6000
Ha, you made me laigh in the train with this. Omment :))
koops
He now has to run around the table with his pants down.
BREED09
Actually depends on the type of league. There are two major rule sets APA and BCA. In APA an 8 ball break is a win. In BCA its kind of null and usually results in a re-rack you may (id have to verify but im not going to) be able to just spot the 8 on the center of the foot line.
IliveIdyeIliveagain
Was the black one in the center Eight Ball? I bet it was
raifsevrence
Yes. When you rack the balls for the break at the beginning of the game, the 🎱 always goes in the center of the formation.
Some starting positions and techniques make it more likely to sink the 🎱 on the break, but there's no way to do it reliably.
sucka199
Yes
bassmidnitro
Good end of game or bad end of game? Or null end of game and reset to try again?
TriggeredPrivilege
He won
hEaDb3ntOv3rRaisEth3PostEriOr
Oh I didn't know you could win that way
TriggeredPrivilege
It’s wicked hahd, really random. I’ve seen it happen once, ever.
ProfessorDumbass
Played for a decade and in my pub that would be a loss. Dropping the 8 before you finished your other balls was instant loss
Nostradamuswaswrong
Unless it was on a break, because at that point you have no 'other balls'.
saucenes5
tournament rules are like that except on the break. the more you play different places the more you find different little odd twists on the rules
bassmidnitro
Thank you
DigiT00l
I thought you lost if you sank the 8 ball too early? Or does that not apply on the break?
TriggeredPrivilege
If you drop the 8 by way of a combo, it’s a win, like if the 8 was a bunny and the 2 was between the cue and the eight, you win by cueing the two to the eight into the pocket. Same thing for the break, since you haven’t yet determined which balls are yours.
MidasTheAlchemist
I was also under this impression.
Mountaineer30680
Only on the break. That's why it's racked in the dead center. It's not quite impossible, but very difficult.