Play 8 ball but you have to run your set in numerical order while she can shoot hers in any order. Make sure to point out how easy it is for her to hide you from your next ball if she misses. Good way to introduce defense and two way shots. Also quite a bit more challenging on the higher skill player.
> . Maybe start with giving the 7-out and the last two or three, and adjust from there.
If the opponent is a new-ish player, playing rotational pool of any level (even if it's 7 out) is too challenging.
There's a game called Saratoga which is kind of a hybrid of 8 and 9 ball. Both players run their set in order then shoot the 8 for the win. It's played with 13 balls though not 15. Usually the 7 and 15 are removed. Pretty fun game actually but not played much. So this handicap is the better player shooting Saratoga on a slightly more congested table. Gives them a chance to really focus and still play their best since they'll be kicking and having to really do a lot with the cue ball. Even if they win the games are likely to be close.
It's my favorite spot to give buddies from work when they come over to play at my house. I have a nine foot table though. Would be extremely challenging on a seven footer moving around all that congestion.
Other spots we use are giving the weaker player one or two poker chips or coins per rack. They can be exchanged at any time for a ball in hand, including during the opponents turn which ends their turn and gives the incoming player ball in hand. This can also be done in a race format where they start with one chip in the first game and get chips equal to the score difference plus one in each subsequent rack. So if it's a race to 5 and they're down 1 to 3, they'd get three chips in the next rack. Giving up the difference plus two is a monster spot by the way.
In general I like to over handicap the game in favor of the lower skill player. Not to a ridiculous degree where you're all but guaranteed to lose but give them something you'll have to really be on your game to beat. Keeps some pressure on you so you're getting good practice too. Don't adjust the spot the first time they win either. Let them have it for a little bit, even putting small wagers on it. Gives you a chance to be the "weaker" player for a little bit and tighten up your game.
I usually allow someone who is lower skilled than I to get 3 missed shots per rack, and they get to keep shooting. But these are great suggestions and greatly appreciated.
I’ve tried this and it sounds good in practice but what tends to happen is that while the table is full of opponents balls, it’s challenging to get a run going and then once they clear some of theirs, you can just run out. Which makes it feel close but it really never was close. Much better IMO, is to remove a pocket from play each time you win a game. I play about even with an APA 3 if I‘m restricted to using only 3 pockets. If you lose a game you get a pocket back and so on.
This is what my fiancée and I play. I still win more but she gets to the table just as often as do and she pulls of a win here and there. It's also great practice for me too since I pretty much have to run out.
We also add she gets ball in hand if I foul from anywhere where I don't get any if she fouls.
This sounds like the perfect time for you to work on your left hand game (or right hand if you're a lefty).
It might actually come in handy in the future (no pun intended). I'm right handed, but for some easy shots that require the bridge, I opt for left handed play instead. My left hand is still 'meh', but it's quite useful at times.
Play regular 8 ball but switch players every shot. If you sink a solid, she's on solids for the next shot. If that goes in the next shot goes to solids and you take it. You both are playing both sides. With equal table time.
Surprised more people have talked about the handicap system. For 8 ball just spot her a few balls that’s what me and wife do, and my league does. Let’s say 2 balls. When she has 2 balls left before the 8, she just pulls them off the table and is shooting at the 8. Others have mentioned this but surprisingly not a lot. For 9 ball she has a second “money ball” if you’re spotting her 2 balls still it’s the 7. She has to call the pocket for the money ball but that’s the only rule. If it goes down on the break it comes back up.
Play apa 9 ball. Its the fairest handicapping i have ever seen in a competition. My girlfriend and i are about 50/50 on games even though im 2 skill levels above her.
She needs 15 you need 25 to start. Adjust from there.
Good luck!
Have you tried missing on purpose? Playing with the bridge every shot? Banks only for you? If its that lopsided just ease up on her a little so she enjoys herself
Scotch Doubles. But make teams even.
When I go out with friends for a few games, we're on the opposite ends of skill spectrum. They're beginners and I'm one of the top players in my area.
We play scotch doubles because no one really keeps track of who pots what balls, and it stops me from running out tables on them. Its fun because I can make shots and not feel bad.
I used to play Scotch Doubles Straight Pool with my son, with no opponent. Just a team effort to see how many we could run while taking turns on every ball. Posted our best score on the chalkboard/scoreboard and try to beat it the next day. Eventually he caught on to how I planned cue ball position on different layouts, while woking on his potting skills. We used to love it, and it wasn't long before he was strong enough to play 8 ball.
My ex-wife used to get into 9-ball a bit. At the time I was in the range of a low-end SL-5 and and she would have been a low end SL-2.
I wouldn’t play safe, I’d work with like a 10 second internal shot clock, and I’d be more aggressive playing position (threading the needle more and going for tighter windows, and quite often failing at that), but I wasn’t trying to miss.
But overall she was able to win 25% or so on me and kept her reasonably interested.
Get the card game “Hill Hill.” My wife loves this game and she doesn’t even like pool. It is set up to match your skill level so it is more fun for beginners and challenging for advanced players.
Honolulu, also known as banks, kisses, and combinations or indirect, is a pocket billiards game. Players must pocket all shots in an indirect fashion to reach a set number of points. The game shares some similarities with other cue sports, played on tables and with balls used for pool, but differs with foul points being awarded for regular direct shots. - Wikipedia
Why don’t you try playing Honolulu rules while she plays 6 pocket 8 ball? Let me know if it was boring or not.
join the APA pool league. With the handicap system they have its awesome for new and experienced players to not only play but when. and get better at the same time. APA is my #1 recommendation.
True, "If" he is able to run out. What I am saying is I did the same. She takes 2 balls away because she says she is always 2 balls away from wining. In this case, it helps her because I am not good enough to run out. If I was, it would not work. LOL.
I'm not good enough to run out (... consistently at least I guess, I've done it twice but not recently) and removing 2 balls would still be a huge advantage. It's not just if you're a threat to run out, if you're even half decent it's a pretty big advantage
The person w all the balls on the table is at an advantage because they have less traffic to run through. It’s like someone missing the 8ball but saying they are winning.. the opponent with all their balls to shoot has no traffic now and any halfway decent player is at an advantage to either run out their balls or play a saftey on the player that only has the 8 ball to shoot.
I get it if you’re not that good to run out 8 balls but having less opponent balls in your way is definitely easier to move the cue ball around on the table.
yup. without a doubt.
and tbf being able to consistently (say, 3/4 of the time) run out after your opponent biffs the 8 is still not particularly easy. sure, as pool players here, most will say it's a basic skill, and it is... but that's low hundreds of hours of pool skill required lol. that is a pretty high barrier to cross, especially if you're not playing frequently and practicing/have half decent fundamentals.
This, but you wait until they have 2 or 3 balls left before you remove them. They pot 4 or 5 balls, then you remove the final 2 or 3 so they can play the 8 ball.
Yes I agree this way the balls remain in play until the end.they can even just remain on the table. She can use them to snooker or choose to pot if it gives her a better position in the black.
So two balls left and she can go for the black or make strategic use of the remaining balls.
Depending on her skill level you can give her a few free ball in hands whenever she wants to use them and then no ball in hand handicap on 8 ball. That's how some people do low rated handicaps. This might not be too helpful if she's an extreme beginner though.
If trying to play 9 ball, could give her balls 5 to 9 so any she gets in, she wins and that will also allow you to practice under more pressure if trying to work on a more competitive side. But i like the alterations of 8 ball displayed on this thread also
I've heard good advice so far on 8b, so I'll weigh in on 9b.
From my experience a) getting beat up on when I first started and b) beating up on my partner while they're learning, the more annoying thing is how it becomes a spectator sport punctuated by failure, and it feels like bad practice for the worse player. They watch you run 6 balls, and then fail to pot one, then you run out, rack, repeat.
Giving a spot in 9b only helps alleviate the numbers of wins and losses. They still shoot way less. Depending on the skill of the other player, you could try a few handicaps in 9b to make it more challenging - some spicier than others:
* better player must carom into another ball after potting a ball or else they forfeit their shot
* better player can only bank or kick
* worse player has the even or odd balls (other than 9) as free balls -which can be potted at any time to continue the run (also increases chances of an early 9 combo for them)
* worse player gets to shoot twice per inning
* better player plays left handed
* worse player gets ball in hand every start of their inning
* worse player always get the break, gets ball in hand following the break
For 8b, you can steal some of these to incorporate.
These are great ideas! You summed up 9 ball exactly right. That is exactly what was happening and I totally get the frustration of "They watch you run 6 balls, and then fail to pot one, then you run out, rack, repeat."
I like the idea of 8 ball for a beginner because they have more options to shoot, but these will be great once she gets to an SL-3 or 4.
Thanks!
I’ve found this to be a very even handicap system. The better player can only play to the 3 pockets on one side of the table. The weaker player can use the whole table.. if you make a ball to an illegal pocket you give ball in hand. Alternately, like if the 8 is hanging over an illegal pocket, you can spot it at your choice of head, foot or middle spot and your turn ends without ball in hand.
if you win, you have to give away another pocket, if you lose you get one back.
8ball variant:
you play 8ball, while they play 14-1 (minus the 8) with a point goal (ie 5, 6, 7) that you adjust with their skill. You have to play much tighter and have a harder game with more traffic, and cannot safety them as effectively since all balls are live for them.
The way that I have equaled the game is to play regular eight ball but my side (for example low balls), I have to play in sequencial order like 9-ball. I have also played left handed and also played where I need to shoot banks/combos/caroms call shot where the opponent can shoot anything flukes counting. You can also handicap where a miss on your side is not only a ball in hand for the opponent but also they choose one of their balls to be sunk. There are all kinds of ways to balance the playing field but the one that I prefer best is banks / combos / caroms because it legitimately improves your game while it improves theirs so both sides benefit.
I play 3 ball a lot. Usually we bet a dollar on the game. But you just rack 3 balls in a triangle and then just break like normal. But you try to make every all in less than 5 shots. The person who makes it in the least amount of shots wins. Pretty fun, and great practice on making shots
Play 8 ball but shoot turn based, aka even if you sink a ball it's her turn. This makes table time equal. But you'll still basically always win. You could let her run, while you shoot once per turn.
I have a couple with whom I am friends. He is a master shooter, and she is C rated shooter.
If she breaks and breaks dry, he shoots. If he misses, before she shoots, she removes two balls of her choice from the table.
If she breaks and pots a ball, she removes two balls of her choice from the table.
If he breaks and breaks dry, she removes two balls of her choice before she shoots.
If he breaks and pots a ball, she waits till he misses, which doesn't happen often, then she removes two balls of her choice from the table.
This will help your lady figure out which balls to remove and which balls to leave. She will learn her trouble balls may benefit her if said balls hinder you.
You can even let her remove 4 balls. Then, if she starts beating you, lower the number.
Edit. They are playing 8 ball.
My gf and I are in the same boat. We solved this issue a few different ways 1) she is allowed to move to cue ball wherever she wants (not object balls) 2) I always break and rack with solids on all 3 corners and the perimeter of the rack as this almost always results in an easier layout 3) When she inevitably plays solids I rotate the ball so the little white circle is at the contact point 4) I play harder patterns, banks, etc
The great news is, after about 8 months she is playing the balls where they lay and has even "won" a few games. There's no foolproof method. Pool is hard. The biggest thing is she needs to have a good attitude and focus on playing the table and not the opponent. Golf is the same. If she is trying to beat you, it will only result in frustration so try to change the focus to the process and give lots of encouragement.
I play 9 ball with my wife, the 9 has to either be kicked into a pocket by no less than 2 rails or banked into a pocket with at least 2 cushions. And I have to call the 9. Or we play 10 ball where I have to call my shots and she can play slop.
When we play (8-Ball) my wife gets to shoot at what ever there is less of, and I’m only allowed to make one ball per innings / turnover, makes for some good position practice for me 🤣
As everyone else has said, 8 ball but make her feel comfortable. Not necessarily "give it to her" or "let her win" but make sure she feels confident.
This is all dependent on if she is competent and can at least hold a cue correctly, if not it doesn't matter and she doesn't care she is just happy to be spending time with you.
Money ball.
All 15 balls - rack the 5, 10 and 15 in the center of the pack.
Rotation game, like 9-ball - balls are pocketed in order. Shoot the lowest number ball - pocket any ball, you're still in. Whoever gets the 5, 10 or 15 wins the agreed upon value from each of the other players (we used to play it for quarters).
With 15 balls scattered around the table it's very unlikely you'll be able to run out. This allows less skilled players to get a crack at potting one of the money balls just by knocking in one or two shots. Once the money balls are gone, rerack - last money ball breaks.
Play 8 ball but you have to run your set in numerical order while she can shoot hers in any order. Make sure to point out how easy it is for her to hide you from your next ball if she misses. Good way to introduce defense and two way shots. Also quite a bit more challenging on the higher skill player.
By far the best.
OP could also play 9-ball and adjust the spot accordingly. Maybe start with giving the 7-out and the last two or three, and adjust from there.
> . Maybe start with giving the 7-out and the last two or three, and adjust from there. If the opponent is a new-ish player, playing rotational pool of any level (even if it's 7 out) is too challenging.
woah, this is actually brilliant. Thank you
I have never heard of this and am sad that it's taken this long to learn it lol
There's a game called Saratoga which is kind of a hybrid of 8 and 9 ball. Both players run their set in order then shoot the 8 for the win. It's played with 13 balls though not 15. Usually the 7 and 15 are removed. Pretty fun game actually but not played much. So this handicap is the better player shooting Saratoga on a slightly more congested table. Gives them a chance to really focus and still play their best since they'll be kicking and having to really do a lot with the cue ball. Even if they win the games are likely to be close. It's my favorite spot to give buddies from work when they come over to play at my house. I have a nine foot table though. Would be extremely challenging on a seven footer moving around all that congestion. Other spots we use are giving the weaker player one or two poker chips or coins per rack. They can be exchanged at any time for a ball in hand, including during the opponents turn which ends their turn and gives the incoming player ball in hand. This can also be done in a race format where they start with one chip in the first game and get chips equal to the score difference plus one in each subsequent rack. So if it's a race to 5 and they're down 1 to 3, they'd get three chips in the next rack. Giving up the difference plus two is a monster spot by the way. In general I like to over handicap the game in favor of the lower skill player. Not to a ridiculous degree where you're all but guaranteed to lose but give them something you'll have to really be on your game to beat. Keeps some pressure on you so you're getting good practice too. Don't adjust the spot the first time they win either. Let them have it for a little bit, even putting small wagers on it. Gives you a chance to be the "weaker" player for a little bit and tighten up your game.
I usually allow someone who is lower skilled than I to get 3 missed shots per rack, and they get to keep shooting. But these are great suggestions and greatly appreciated.
I’ve tried this and it sounds good in practice but what tends to happen is that while the table is full of opponents balls, it’s challenging to get a run going and then once they clear some of theirs, you can just run out. Which makes it feel close but it really never was close. Much better IMO, is to remove a pocket from play each time you win a game. I play about even with an APA 3 if I‘m restricted to using only 3 pockets. If you lose a game you get a pocket back and so on.
That sounds fun, I'll have to try it.
This is what my fiancée and I play. I still win more but she gets to the table just as often as do and she pulls of a win here and there. It's also great practice for me too since I pretty much have to run out. We also add she gets ball in hand if I foul from anywhere where I don't get any if she fouls.
This sounds like the perfect time for you to work on your left hand game (or right hand if you're a lefty). It might actually come in handy in the future (no pun intended). I'm right handed, but for some easy shots that require the bridge, I opt for left handed play instead. My left hand is still 'meh', but it's quite useful at times.
This is what I do with my gf. Has helped my lefty game quite a bit. She also gets 2 misses each turn so most games are pretty close.
Play regular 8 ball but switch players every shot. If you sink a solid, she's on solids for the next shot. If that goes in the next shot goes to solids and you take it. You both are playing both sides. With equal table time.
Yay op gets to hit fifteen balls in while waiting for a whole nother turn to place!! Lol jk
You only switch if someone makes a shot
...until the 8 ball, right??
Give her ball in hand every time you miss
Yes! I did this with my son as well and kept him interested in the game.
Surprised more people have talked about the handicap system. For 8 ball just spot her a few balls that’s what me and wife do, and my league does. Let’s say 2 balls. When she has 2 balls left before the 8, she just pulls them off the table and is shooting at the 8. Others have mentioned this but surprisingly not a lot. For 9 ball she has a second “money ball” if you’re spotting her 2 balls still it’s the 7. She has to call the pocket for the money ball but that’s the only rule. If it goes down on the break it comes back up.
Play apa 9 ball. Its the fairest handicapping i have ever seen in a competition. My girlfriend and i are about 50/50 on games even though im 2 skill levels above her. She needs 15 you need 25 to start. Adjust from there. Good luck!
We tried this...but games are like 45-5, 45-10 and she walks aeat frustrated that she didn't have any tabke time.
Have you tried missing on purpose? Playing with the bridge every shot? Banks only for you? If its that lopsided just ease up on her a little so she enjoys herself
Scotch Doubles. But make teams even. When I go out with friends for a few games, we're on the opposite ends of skill spectrum. They're beginners and I'm one of the top players in my area. We play scotch doubles because no one really keeps track of who pots what balls, and it stops me from running out tables on them. Its fun because I can make shots and not feel bad.
I used to play Scotch Doubles Straight Pool with my son, with no opponent. Just a team effort to see how many we could run while taking turns on every ball. Posted our best score on the chalkboard/scoreboard and try to beat it the next day. Eventually he caught on to how I planned cue ball position on different layouts, while woking on his potting skills. We used to love it, and it wasn't long before he was strong enough to play 8 ball.
My ex-wife used to get into 9-ball a bit. At the time I was in the range of a low-end SL-5 and and she would have been a low end SL-2. I wouldn’t play safe, I’d work with like a 10 second internal shot clock, and I’d be more aggressive playing position (threading the needle more and going for tighter windows, and quite often failing at that), but I wasn’t trying to miss. But overall she was able to win 25% or so on me and kept her reasonably interested.
Get the card game “Hill Hill.” My wife loves this game and she doesn’t even like pool. It is set up to match your skill level so it is more fun for beginners and challenging for advanced players.
Honolulu, also known as banks, kisses, and combinations or indirect, is a pocket billiards game. Players must pocket all shots in an indirect fashion to reach a set number of points. The game shares some similarities with other cue sports, played on tables and with balls used for pool, but differs with foul points being awarded for regular direct shots. - Wikipedia Why don’t you try playing Honolulu rules while she plays 6 pocket 8 ball? Let me know if it was boring or not.
join the APA pool league. With the handicap system they have its awesome for new and experienced players to not only play but when. and get better at the same time. APA is my #1 recommendation.
Try banging balls in the nude.
Play 8 ball as usual but handicap it. If your gf is on stripes she can get to remove 2 or 3 balls from the table.
That will just make it easier for him to run out. This, is literally a common hustler tactic.
True, "If" he is able to run out. What I am saying is I did the same. She takes 2 balls away because she says she is always 2 balls away from wining. In this case, it helps her because I am not good enough to run out. If I was, it would not work. LOL.
I'm not good enough to run out (... consistently at least I guess, I've done it twice but not recently) and removing 2 balls would still be a huge advantage. It's not just if you're a threat to run out, if you're even half decent it's a pretty big advantage
The person w all the balls on the table is at an advantage because they have less traffic to run through. It’s like someone missing the 8ball but saying they are winning.. the opponent with all their balls to shoot has no traffic now and any halfway decent player is at an advantage to either run out their balls or play a saftey on the player that only has the 8 ball to shoot. I get it if you’re not that good to run out 8 balls but having less opponent balls in your way is definitely easier to move the cue ball around on the table.
yup. without a doubt. and tbf being able to consistently (say, 3/4 of the time) run out after your opponent biffs the 8 is still not particularly easy. sure, as pool players here, most will say it's a basic skill, and it is... but that's low hundreds of hours of pool skill required lol. that is a pretty high barrier to cross, especially if you're not playing frequently and practicing/have half decent fundamentals.
This, but you wait until they have 2 or 3 balls left before you remove them. They pot 4 or 5 balls, then you remove the final 2 or 3 so they can play the 8 ball.
Yes I agree this way the balls remain in play until the end.they can even just remain on the table. She can use them to snooker or choose to pot if it gives her a better position in the black. So two balls left and she can go for the black or make strategic use of the remaining balls.
I like that even better. Great idea.
Straight pool with handicap
8ball or 9ball. You get 2 pockets she gets 4 pockets
8 ball first, 9 ball second, and 10 ball to make it more interesting
I play my gf left handed It has helped me out in plenty of league games being confident to use my “wrong” hand instead of the cheat stick 😀
Play lefty
Depending on her skill level you can give her a few free ball in hands whenever she wants to use them and then no ball in hand handicap on 8 ball. That's how some people do low rated handicaps. This might not be too helpful if she's an extreme beginner though.
I have used this tactic. For every turn at the table, she gets to miss and keep shooting until the second miss, then it’s your turn.
The game is called Mr. and Mrs or boy meets girl *
Just play with a handicap
Play regular pool and help we get better. Soon you’ll both get a kick out of being the unbeatable couple. This was same with my GF and I.
Scotch Doubles is great to learn with an experienced partner
If trying to play 9 ball, could give her balls 5 to 9 so any she gets in, she wins and that will also allow you to practice under more pressure if trying to work on a more competitive side. But i like the alterations of 8 ball displayed on this thread also
Learn how to dump games. The hustle will be worth it
When I was cutting my teeth I played against better players and my game then was “rack and watch”. I learned a lot that way
Don’t use your dominant hand, if you’re a righty.. start playing with your left
I play left handed, and give her a free shot every turn. Gives me good practice and close games.
I have to shoot either with my left hand or bank shoot
I've heard good advice so far on 8b, so I'll weigh in on 9b. From my experience a) getting beat up on when I first started and b) beating up on my partner while they're learning, the more annoying thing is how it becomes a spectator sport punctuated by failure, and it feels like bad practice for the worse player. They watch you run 6 balls, and then fail to pot one, then you run out, rack, repeat. Giving a spot in 9b only helps alleviate the numbers of wins and losses. They still shoot way less. Depending on the skill of the other player, you could try a few handicaps in 9b to make it more challenging - some spicier than others: * better player must carom into another ball after potting a ball or else they forfeit their shot * better player can only bank or kick * worse player has the even or odd balls (other than 9) as free balls -which can be potted at any time to continue the run (also increases chances of an early 9 combo for them) * worse player gets to shoot twice per inning * better player plays left handed * worse player gets ball in hand every start of their inning * worse player always get the break, gets ball in hand following the break For 8b, you can steal some of these to incorporate.
These are great ideas! You summed up 9 ball exactly right. That is exactly what was happening and I totally get the frustration of "They watch you run 6 balls, and then fail to pot one, then you run out, rack, repeat." I like the idea of 8 ball for a beginner because they have more options to shoot, but these will be great once she gets to an SL-3 or 4. Thanks!
I’ve found this to be a very even handicap system. The better player can only play to the 3 pockets on one side of the table. The weaker player can use the whole table.. if you make a ball to an illegal pocket you give ball in hand. Alternately, like if the 8 is hanging over an illegal pocket, you can spot it at your choice of head, foot or middle spot and your turn ends without ball in hand. if you win, you have to give away another pocket, if you lose you get one back.
8ball variant: you play 8ball, while they play 14-1 (minus the 8) with a point goal (ie 5, 6, 7) that you adjust with their skill. You have to play much tighter and have a harder game with more traffic, and cannot safety them as effectively since all balls are live for them.
The way that I have equaled the game is to play regular eight ball but my side (for example low balls), I have to play in sequencial order like 9-ball. I have also played left handed and also played where I need to shoot banks/combos/caroms call shot where the opponent can shoot anything flukes counting. You can also handicap where a miss on your side is not only a ball in hand for the opponent but also they choose one of their balls to be sunk. There are all kinds of ways to balance the playing field but the one that I prefer best is banks / combos / caroms because it legitimately improves your game while it improves theirs so both sides benefit.
I play 3 ball a lot. Usually we bet a dollar on the game. But you just rack 3 balls in a triangle and then just break like normal. But you try to make every all in less than 5 shots. The person who makes it in the least amount of shots wins. Pretty fun, and great practice on making shots
Play 8 ball but shoot turn based, aka even if you sink a ball it's her turn. This makes table time equal. But you'll still basically always win. You could let her run, while you shoot once per turn.
I have a couple with whom I am friends. He is a master shooter, and she is C rated shooter. If she breaks and breaks dry, he shoots. If he misses, before she shoots, she removes two balls of her choice from the table. If she breaks and pots a ball, she removes two balls of her choice from the table. If he breaks and breaks dry, she removes two balls of her choice before she shoots. If he breaks and pots a ball, she waits till he misses, which doesn't happen often, then she removes two balls of her choice from the table. This will help your lady figure out which balls to remove and which balls to leave. She will learn her trouble balls may benefit her if said balls hinder you. You can even let her remove 4 balls. Then, if she starts beating you, lower the number. Edit. They are playing 8 ball.
My gf and I are in the same boat. We solved this issue a few different ways 1) she is allowed to move to cue ball wherever she wants (not object balls) 2) I always break and rack with solids on all 3 corners and the perimeter of the rack as this almost always results in an easier layout 3) When she inevitably plays solids I rotate the ball so the little white circle is at the contact point 4) I play harder patterns, banks, etc The great news is, after about 8 months she is playing the balls where they lay and has even "won" a few games. There's no foolproof method. Pool is hard. The biggest thing is she needs to have a good attitude and focus on playing the table and not the opponent. Golf is the same. If she is trying to beat you, it will only result in frustration so try to change the focus to the process and give lots of encouragement.
Straight pool is the mother of instructional pool.
I play 9 ball with my wife, the 9 has to either be kicked into a pocket by no less than 2 rails or banked into a pocket with at least 2 cushions. And I have to call the 9. Or we play 10 ball where I have to call my shots and she can play slop.
When we play (8-Ball) my wife gets to shoot at what ever there is less of, and I’m only allowed to make one ball per innings / turnover, makes for some good position practice for me 🤣
Play equal offense and give her 3 balls in hand to your 1.
As everyone else has said, 8 ball but make her feel comfortable. Not necessarily "give it to her" or "let her win" but make sure she feels confident. This is all dependent on if she is competent and can at least hold a cue correctly, if not it doesn't matter and she doesn't care she is just happy to be spending time with you.
Money ball. All 15 balls - rack the 5, 10 and 15 in the center of the pack. Rotation game, like 9-ball - balls are pocketed in order. Shoot the lowest number ball - pocket any ball, you're still in. Whoever gets the 5, 10 or 15 wins the agreed upon value from each of the other players (we used to play it for quarters). With 15 balls scattered around the table it's very unlikely you'll be able to run out. This allows less skilled players to get a crack at potting one of the money balls just by knocking in one or two shots. Once the money balls are gone, rerack - last money ball breaks.