How Would You Play This? 4/20/09

Jude Rosenstock

Jude Rosenstock

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I came across this layout the other day and figured I'd share it with you guys. It's not uncommon in 8ball to find yourself in situations such as these. I'm stripes and in my pursuit of dealing with other problems on the table, found myself with one last piece to the puzzle to deal with. Below is what I was faced with, playing on a bar table.

CueTable Help

 
I'd shoot the 12 and try to bump the 8 away from the rail, assuming I'd get a shot on the 11 and at least a shorter bank opportunity on the 8. If I miss the 8 off the 12 then I just play for the long bank. Two bites at the apple.

pj
chgo

P.S. I like putting the date in the thread title. Might start doing that myself...
 
Play the 12, come off the rail
Play the 11, with speed to leave about a 45 degree angle on the 8
Play the 8 in the upper-left corner, rail first into the 5 -- straight into the pocket.

I find this little umbrella shot is really easy to make when the 5 allows the 8 to pass with a little room. When it's too tight or too far off - I don't like it. Would likely hit with a low, snip-draw on the 8. The 7 makes for a bigger pocket. If the 8 clears, it's in.
 
Last edited:
Was there enough space for the 8 to fit between the rail and the 5 ball? If yes, the I would have played the 8 off the back of the 5 into the corner pocket.

This type of shot seems to be overlooked a lot.

If you were NOT able to play it off the back side of the 5, then the bank on the eight, towards the pocket that has the 6 in it would be the next choice. The 6 being where it's shown helps as it makes the pocket a little bigger (if you're playing BCA rules, where going in off another ball is not a loss of game)

Even though your 11 is some what blocking the 1 ball, playing a safety with the 12 and sending the cue ball to knock the 8 out, is very risky. If the safe and the shot are both difficult, go for the shot every time.

my $.02
 
supergreenman said:
Well, you've gone too far to play safe. You're opponents balls are wide open so it should be all offense.

I'm going to assume this is a bar table, although I think on a 9 footer I'd be inclined to play the same pattern.

CueTable Help

Click to expand...


Looks like the safe way to do it---why be afraid of a bank?
 
Regarding playing off the 5, that's an excellent idea that unfortuantely did not exist. The 5 was less than a ball's width from the rail which negates the option.

I think most here have come up with what I did. I didn't bother to try and relocate any balls and positioned for the bank. For most of the regular barbox players that post here, this shot is terribly obvious but for many poolroom players like myself, it forces us to use the gray matter between the ears for a bit. I knew defense was not an option and I knew moving balls here was risky since there was a good chance I wouldn't make the situation much better. I saw the bank was on and decided to give myself the best chance at making it.

Nice posts guys.
 
Neil said:
I just set this up a number of times, trying different options a few tries each to gauge the feasability of them. Some other options work, but aren't a high enough percentage to go for them here.

Supergreenman has the highest percentage to get out from here, with one exception- you don't need to go all the way across the table to get a good shot on the 11. All you need is some right english and a medium hit.

I tried breaking the one out, so I could shoot the 11 and draw back for the 8 in the same pocket. While possible to do so, too low a percentage. Most of the time I ended up breaking out the 8 by coming in behind it, but then I was hooked on the 11. Bank on the 8 is the highest percentage shot you have IMHO.
Click to expand...

Neil, you're right about the position on the 11. I played for center table both for the 11 and for the 8.
 
Supergreenman already posted the exact pattern I would likely play. The 6 makes that bank on the 8 alot easier and a slight miss on it if you shoot it with the right weight (practice 1-pocket to become a monster 8-ball player) will leave a jawed 8-ball with his 6 now giving him a headache.

The only other option is to attempt to shoot in the 12 with top right hand siding (mostly right) and spin the cueball into the 1-ball opening up the same pocket for the 8-ball that the other 2 balls are going into, but then you are going to need to put a great stroke on the 12 ball, get a good angle on the 11 when moving the 1 ball off the rail, and then stroke in a good 11-ball to get back to that short side shape on the 8.

Supergreenman's shot is the best imo.
 
Jude Rosenstock said:
I came across this layout the other day and figured I'd share it with you guys. It's not uncommon in 8ball to find yourself in situations such as these. I'm stripes and in my pursuit of dealing with other problems on the table, found myself with one last piece to the puzzle to deal with. Below is what I was faced with, playing on a bar table.
Click to expand...

http://CueTable.com/B/?@4ADIe2BYOP2...PDLv3pkRa3cEfW3cEGj1ccpv3kDLv3kFEE3kOrR1uAhM@

Bank the 8-ball, I think.

Fred <~~~ put the bar table up
 
Last edited:
Bigtruck said:
Cross the 12 to congest the corner with the 5 & 7.

CueTable Help

Click to expand...

You do bring up an interesting dilemma and one worth considering. Your 'non-safety safety' basically challenges your opponent to run out the table while leaving your fairly well positioned stripes in place. The 11-ball is a problem for solids and needs to be addressed. I think as solids, there are just too many options which is why I thought it was necessary to go for it. Also, given proper banking speed on the 8ball, if you simply hang-up the 8 (not hard to do), you can create a very uncomfortable situation since solids needs that pocket or very short shape.

However, if you feel your opponent is likely to make a mistake, repositioning the 12 to another troublespot might buy you that extra inning you need.
 
Jude Rosenstock said:
However, if you feel your opponent is likely to make a mistake, repositioning the 12 to another troublespot might buy you that extra inning you need.
Click to expand...

If your opponent is not very good and one of those people who thinks they must swing at breakouts and run out every time they get a chance at the table the cross bank to cluster up the table can be your best bet to win. But if your opponent is the type of player that will just use your safety there as a chance to start working the table into his favour it is a horrible shot to play because you are probably not going to ever see as good a chance to win the rack as you are looking at now.

That said there are certain players the cross bank safe probably is the best shot, you are just taking advantage of their lack of 8-ball knowledge at that point though.
 
Celtic said:
If your opponent is not very good and one of those people who thinks they must swing at breakouts and run out every time they get a chance at the table the cross bank to cluster up the table can be your best bet to win. But if your opponent is the type of player that will just use your safety there as a chance to start working the table into his favour it is a horrible shot to play because you are probably not going to ever see as good a chance to win the rack as you are looking at now.

That said there are certain players the cross bank safe probably is the best shot, you are just taking advantage of their lack of 8-ball knowledge at that point though.
Click to expand...

Agreed. My point is that you're making a judgement call. The 11-ball is an issue. To leave it there is to say, "you can't handle this." If you're right, you can win. If you're wrong, you lose.
 
Jude Rosenstock said:
Agreed. My point is that you're making a judgement call. The 11-ball is an issue. To leave it there is to say, "you can't handle this." If you're right, you can win. If you're wrong, you lose.
Click to expand...

If he tries to run out it is a good shot, but lets say your cross bank safe comes off the 7 and the 12 stops in the jaws.

If the 7 comes off the rail just abit which it will likely do with the weight you shoot that safety your opponent can now combo in the 12 with the 7 ball and spin under the 5 for the safe, and now you are kicking at a 11 that is hard to even hit and the 8 still does not go.

If the 7 comes out too much for the combo then the carom to make the 12 off the 5 still leaves a very tough safety to work out of since the 5 is going to block the jump shot and the 8 is still messed up.

Now if you come off the outside of the 7 so that the 12 is on the rail, well now your 12 does not even go because the 7 is going to stay close to the pocket. If you hit it hard enough that the 12 does in fact go the 7 is comming down onto the 5 and if they dont line up for a combo the guy can roll down onto the 5 and push the 7 under the 12 leaving the 12 hooked behind the 5 and the 11 hooked behind the 8 and 1. You have to kick to hit the 11 now because if you foul the guy is going to take the ball in hand, set up the 1-11 combo, and leave you hooked behind the 8-ball, and if he can get abit of bottom you could be frozen into the 8 and rail and have almost no hit while your opponent now has every ball on the table that goes.

Even banking the 12 into the 5 ball, which you would really want to make that 5, leaves a guy who knows what he is doing complete control at that point the 12 is likely to stop where he can hook the 11 and 12 behind the 3 and 4 playing the 2-ball in and leaving a hard cut jumpshot or kick which at that point makes that bank shot up into the corner by the 6 you once had look easy.

If you hit the 5 and it does not go in it now blocks the pocket and assuming the cueball stops where it is shown there are a heap of ways to get on the easy thin carom off the 1 ball making the 11 and hooking the guy behind the 8 and the 1 ball you just thinly hit off of.

There are just so many options, if you play that cross bank on the 12 your opponent better not be a good chess player or you are a 80%+ dog to lose once you play that almost no matter how you hit that cross bank safe.
 
I shoot the five ball first so that when I shoot the 7 ball I can hit the eight ball freeing up the one ball. I leave the two, four and six as get me out of trouble balls until I take care of the one ball. I make sure to hit the 8 ball so that it gets between the 12 ball and the corner pocket but not too close to the 12 ball because I want to leave myself an easy shot on the 8 ball when I run out.
JoeyA

Oh, you said you were stripes. Yeah, hang it up.
JoeyA
 
http://CueTable.com/P/?@4ADIe2BYOP2...fW4KVMg4Laoy1PQqr3pkRa1kQqr4kXLv4kPhkzb2uAYW@

On a nine footer with tight to average pockets, this is probably what I would try to do. When in doubt, put it on a rail! lol I would leave the 12 up to make it a little tougher to safe me back. I don't at all think that going for the bank is wrong either. Might have to go for it just to make a statement if nothing else. But, as long as there is no good shot on the five, I'd feel okay with the safe.

(The more I look at it though, the bank looks like it's the way to go. lol)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top