Here are the rules that we came up with, and yes, the sudden death version is called "Sudden Death"
One Ball One Pocket
An abbreviated form of
One Pocket, beginning with just one object ball on the table.
The Game:
Begin with one ball frozen to the center of the foot rail, B-I-H from the kitchen. Breaker must open with a defensive shot. If the opening break leaves the object ball within one diamond of the breaker's own pocket, the opponent has the option of accepting the balls as they lie and continuing play, or calling for a re-break. Standard
One Pocket rules apply thereafter.
Continuing Play:
In the event of a scratch or foul, the offending player spots up an additional ball, and play continues with the offending player now needing the additional ball/s for the win. The first player to score game ball wins, as long as any applicable scratch penalties have been paid.
Foul Limit Options:
“Sudden Death” One Ball One Pocket: Played the same as above, except any scratch or foul is an immediate loss of game. There is no penalty for pocketing the object ball in a neutral pocket; it simply spots on the foot spot and play continues.
Needing 3 is loss of game: To avoid longer games due to back scratches, in the event that a player already needs two balls (due to an earlier scratch or foul not yet repaid), any additional scratch or foul that would normally result in that player needing three balls, instead results in loss of game. If this rule is in place, the scratches or fouls do not need to be “in a row”, so no warning is necessary.
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This is Steve rule writing from post # 292. I believe it to be an excellent rule writing! It follows the standard game rules of OP, per say. Except, when we read Continuing Play, we see a scratch/foul the offending players spots up an additional ball, thus adding an additional ball to the table. This is where it varies from traditional OP, for the offending player has no scored balls to spot up, but it comes from the table.
I have no problem with that minor difference. For now, there are two balls spotted when fouling by playing OP standard rules on an opponent's ball in scoring position. So, you then have ball in hand to make a two-ball spot shot into your hole. There's nothing wrong with that! Plus there is an added benefit of spotting two balls, for that means you cannot score a ball and then spotted and score again.
This adding balls to the table then required a 3 foul accumulative limit. This is Steve's idea, and an excellent one, for the game rule.
Now, if we played standard OP rules then in this above scratch scenario then only a single ball would spot for no balls have been scored, and the incoming player would have a spot shot to win the game. And there would never be any additional balls on the table.
I can see where this is a quicker game but also a TD would grapple over this, for a ball rattled in the pocket is nearly sudden death, short of a spot shot. But it does give some importance to a rattled ball in your scoring pocket and gives some glimmer of hope that the spot shot might be missed. So, there are some pluses and minuses.
"Sudden Death", I believe Steve has coined this, and it is a great one. It sure is fitting, for any scratch or table foul is loss of game, so therefore a hung ball is also a sure winner, and sudden death.
I believe my favorite way to play this OB-OP, would be "sudden death", except for when a ball is hung in the opponent's pocket then that is played by normal OP rules, with a single ball being spotted and owe one, (option to spot two). Players decide, hustler rules, Imo!
This makes the player have to pocket the winning ball vs. a rattle job, I like that, and stays in line with OP, per say!
If we made this correction in how the game of OB-OP "sudden death" is played, then it would make more sense.
Hustlers, I believe would love it, for the quicker a game goes by the better they love it. So much so they would probably opt to spot one ball.
Your thoughts pertaining to "Sudden Death", how should it be played?
thanks, Whitey