I have heard of the rule. I never succeed in winning 5v8 though... Yes, I think I would honor it - haven't been in the situation though.

BTW, how many times can I call it in a game? Every single 5v8 shot I have or just once?

No.

Heard of it, yes. Honor it, no. Certainly not a "rule."

Once you call it all subsequent attempts are valid unless 1st specifies only once. You must call 5v8 and 1st must agree in order for a 5v8 to give you the game.

Yes, and yes. This was something created in the day when players actually had enjoyable games and knew each other. Since most new players have never heard of the rule, they wont "call" it and hence wont need to be honored.

Calling it is key not post factum.

Interesting, STJ - I'd assumed that it was very explicitly a 'one-shot' thing. The odds for a win are 3.7% - it comes off 1 in 27 times - though obviously your overall odds increase the more shots you have.

Verm - when I wrote this I tried to find a better word than 'rule' but couldn't think of one.

Dug - yeah I'd guessed as much. I only heard about it for the first time a few months back - at the beginning of this month though I won two of them, and both times was given first; once by panzer who knew the rule and 'always' honoured it, and once by some new kid who either believed me, or seemed amused enough by the attempt to claim it as a rule that he sat out. These were both on 0 tables, though - I doubt the latter would have worked if it'd been a 500

Just DID win 5v8 (yes, ME, I'm not joking... somethings wrong here). I even called it and it was 1 on 1... But the other guy didn't know this gentlemen's agreement... So I got 2nd (yeah, that's more like me).

I respect it midgame, not when you suicide at the end and want to 5v8 20 times.

i honor it

I honor it if it's called prior to rolling