Question for Bank Pool Players

[Worminator]

When you need 2 balls, and your opponent needs 1 ball, and you have a a long straight back, do you normally lag the shot to leave the cue ball on the end rail to leave your opponent tough? Or do you fire it in and let whitey go.

I have been struggling with this situation lately. I feel my chances of making the bank are better hitting the bank firm, but that sometimes leaves your opponent with an easier bank for the game.

This could also happen in a situation where you need 1, and your opponent needs 2, if you fire away and miss it could leave your opponent with a 2 ball out for the game.

Thoughts on these end game bank scenarios?

 

[TheCueHunter]

IMO , I would say watching good players play, and myself being in a lot of these situations, I think the majority will tell you that lagging the ball will win you more games over the long run. Someone like Truman will fire the ball and Gary would also, but most I have seen will lag the ball in hopes of getting a softer shot in the future.

So I feel unless the situation is near hopeless you should always lag the ball to the hole, and you will win more games over the long run

 

[greyghost]

When you need 2 balls, and your opponent needs 1 ball, and you have a a long straight back, do you normally lag the shot to leave the cue ball on the end rail to leave your opponent tough? Or do you fire it in and let whitey go.

I have been struggling with this situation lately. I feel my chances of making the bank are better hitting the bank firm, but that sometimes leaves your opponent with an easier bank for the game.

This could also happen in a situation where you need 1, and your opponent needs 2, if you fire away and miss it could leave your opponent with a 2 ball out for the game.

Thoughts on these end game bank scenarios?

lag it, unless the shot is specifically designed to be shot hard. You basically answered the question with the strategy. All things given you always take the option that gives you the most % of winning given the chances that you miss....if you can shoot a 2 way shot, then its is normally the best thing to do so.

Think about what you would do in one pocket? You obviously would lag the shot so it applies to a game of banks just the same.

Grey Ghost

 

[336Robin]

Long Straight Back



I agree definitely the long slow shot directly at the pocket. Leave it in front of the pocket if you miss, this leaves no really good bank most times.

It also depends on getting off the object ball, youve got to get off it if its too close to the rail a slow hit may get you the double kiss and youll probably have left yourself a problem.

If youre in NC im always looking for a bank game, no one really plays it much around here.

336robin

 

[Dead Crab]

Depends what you mean by "long", and how much cut is involved.

Those long axis banks are less affected by cushion effects than the short axis banks. A long axis bank with the bank point in the 0.5 - 1.5 diamond range is one of the easiest banks there is.

Personally, I would tend to get aggressive in this situation. However, a short-axis bank off the second diamond with a 25 degree cut, would probably have me making sure I didn't sell out, or scratch.