You face the position below, trailing 98-96 in a straight pool race to 100. You are in a tough spot, as your opponent needs two. You need four, so you need to force this game into another rack to win. If you play a shot here, a miss probably ends the match, and even if you make it, you probably don't run out the match, so the position seems to call for a defensive mindset.
Play the safety and if you get it wrong, you've probably lost. Even if you get it right, you won't apply too much pressure, and the battle for control of the table might continue for a couple of innings.
The tactic I recommend is what Irving Crane used to call "taking game off the table," although I've also heard this tactic referred to as "lowering the stakes."
Barely touch the cue ball with your tip for a foul. You'll be quite happy if opponent chooses to play this very challenging safety, but you probably won't be so fortunate, and opponent will also take a foul, so you'll have to play the frist safe. But now, it's 97-95, and if you misplay the safety, opponent will still have to break the next pack to run out the match, so you've made opponent's work more difficult, and have, thereby, improved your chance to win the match.
Against a top player, if you lose the safety battle, you still expect them to run out by breaking the next pack, but, even against them, your chances of getting another turn have improved because of the foul you took.
By taking the foul, you took game off the table and lowered the stakes in the safety battle.
Play the safety and if you get it wrong, you've probably lost. Even if you get it right, you won't apply too much pressure, and the battle for control of the table might continue for a couple of innings.
The tactic I recommend is what Irving Crane used to call "taking game off the table," although I've also heard this tactic referred to as "lowering the stakes."
Barely touch the cue ball with your tip for a foul. You'll be quite happy if opponent chooses to play this very challenging safety, but you probably won't be so fortunate, and opponent will also take a foul, so you'll have to play the frist safe. But now, it's 97-95, and if you misplay the safety, opponent will still have to break the next pack to run out the match, so you've made opponent's work more difficult, and have, thereby, improved your chance to win the match.
Against a top player, if you lose the safety battle, you still expect them to run out by breaking the next pack, but, even against them, your chances of getting another turn have improved because of the foul you took.
By taking the foul, you took game off the table and lowered the stakes in the safety battle.
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