Missing a shot on purpose?

Pidge

Pidge

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I occasionally do this when for example I have a shot on the 3 but the 4 is tied up and I dont have the angle to go into the cluster and there is no easy safe to play.

So ill make it look like I made a valid attempt at potting but really I've passed the headache over to my opponent. If he manages to run out, well played sir and if not here's my chance!

Would this be considered unsportsman-like or just smart play?
 
Safety

Pidge said:
I occasionally do this when for example I have a shot on the 3 but the 4 is tied up and I dont have the angle to go into the cluster and there is no easy safe to play.

So ill make it look like I made a valid attempt at potting but really I've passed the headache over to my opponent. If he manages to run out, well played sir and if not here's my chance!

Would this be considered unsportsman-like or just smart play?
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Niether...this is just simply a safety. When u duck out of trying to pocket ANY ball...you are playing a safety. Call the safety. It's not cheating, scummy, or anything other than defensive play. All sports have offense and defense. Some people say that playing a safety and not trying to make a ball is cheap play.
It's just defense.
Imagine one coach telling another coach in football that they cheated because they deployed the use of defense.
WOW...get over it ...every sport has defense and offense.
 
You're playing 9b, so there's nothing 'unsportsman-like' about playing safe. The difference is, you don't want to play a blatant safe and get a tit-for-tat idea in your opponent's head. Works best with players that aren't that good and go for flyers. Of course, it can also backfire, with your opponent getting the first choice of playing safe on the tied-up ball or leaving them a break-out shot that you weren't anticipating. Is this in a bar? Sometimes it doesn't work, because of ATG or cannon shots. :eek:
 
You describe a perfectly valid reason to play a safety. You don't have to hide the fact that you're applying strategy to the game. Watch any pro match and you'll quickly see safeties played. I know there are players out there that think safeties are for wussies, but those players are cavemen. Every sport/game in the world has some sort of defensive to it. Why should pool be different? A well played safety is just as important as any pocketed ball.
 
I see your point.
What I mean though is conning your opponent into thinking you made an attempt. Not calling safe, just leaving an absolute hanger.
I'd just follow the CB into the pocket, let them try play safe.
Against good players this can easily backfire but in my local pool room the players aren't great.
 
It's one thing I hate about the small bar tournaments around here, it's in the rules you can't play defense! You HAVE to try to pocket something even if it's a near zero percentage shot... I guess in that instance it would be un-sportsmanlike to feign an attempt when you are really playing safe.
 
Pidge said:
I occasionally do this when for example I have a shot on the 3 but the 4 is tied up and I dont have the angle to go into the cluster and there is no easy safe to play.

So ill make it look like I made a valid attempt at potting but really I've passed the headache over to my opponent. If he manages to run out, well played sir and if not here's my chance!

Would this be considered unsportsman-like or just smart play?
Click to expand...



If you are playing in a bar with people that don't understand a good safety I would try and hide it just so you don't anger the rednecks.
 
Kaiser Bob said:
It's one thing I hate about the small bar tournaments around here, it's in the rules you can't play defense! You HAVE to try to pocket something even if it's a near zero percentage shot... I guess in that instance it would be un-sportsmanlike to feign an attempt when you are really playing safe.
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I can understand in a ring game about not playing a safety but how on earth can it be proved what the intent of the player is during a tourny without a ref at every table. For example:

1. Player 1 calls corner pocket
2. Player 1 misses
3. Players 1 laughs in his head because he never intended to make the ball in the corner pocket

That reminds me of a tourny I played in once where they didn't have BIH. No requirement to contact a cushion or anything. On game 1 the 8ball is behind the head string. He decides to scratch on purpose so I wouldn't have a shot. Next game I start pushing balls around the table and making all his shots look like shit. Needless to say he was mad at me but he started the BS.
 
TheNewSharkster said:
If you are playing in a bar with people that don't understand a good safety I would try and hide it just so you don't anger the rednecks.
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Haha!

"he done gone screwed me over on a purpose! Billybob we got us one them city folk!"
 
I call

those kind of shots 'No future' shots. It is much better to play a safety, and just be patient. Let your opponent make a mistake, then take it from there.
 
Like pretty much everyone else said, I think that's just playing a safety... Not "bad sportsmanship" at all. However, also like another poster said, I think, it can lead to nonsense shots made solely to frustrate your opponent.
 
Missing a ball on purpose and making it look real was one of the hardest things I ever learned. After all, you've spent a lot of time learning to not miss balls!
 
Pidge said:
I occasionally do this when for example I have a shot on the 3 but the 4 is tied up and I dont have the angle to go into the cluster and there is no easy safe to play.

So ill make it look like I made a valid attempt at potting but really I've passed the headache over to my opponent. If he manages to run out, well played sir and if not here's my chance!

Would this be considered unsportsman-like or just smart play?
Click to expand...
Depends where you're playing. It's smart play in pool halls and leagues but it might not be as popular under local "bar rules".

How smart it is depends on how good your safety is. For instance, even if you can't clear the cluster while pocketing the ball you might be able to do it while playing safe so you can get out when you get back to the table.

pj
chgo
 
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It is part of the game my friend, if some one gets all butt hurt over it than they have no sportsmanship because given the same shot they would do it to you the same exact way!
 
Pidge said:
I occasionally do this when for example I have a shot on the 3 but the 4 is tied up and I dont have the angle to go into the cluster and there is no easy safe to play.

So ill make it look like I made a valid attempt at potting but really I've passed the headache over to my opponent. If he manages to run out, well played sir and if not here's my chance!

Would this be considered unsportsman-like or just smart play?
Click to expand...

I do this A LOT in barbox 8-ball. If I want to hang-up a ball and I don't want my opponent to start thinking, I'll deliberately miss and make it seem I intended to make the ball. As well, especially in 8ball, it never hurts to be underestimated.

Situations like these also arise often in 9ball because your sequence is predetermined but there's simply less value in it because whether you were deliberately playing safe or accidentally playing safe will likely not change the strategy of your opponent. Your problem is now his problem and he'll recognize that.

The beauty of 8ball is that there are two distinct layouts. Yours and his. It's not uncommon for a player to ignore his opponent's layout and simply focus on his own. When playing safe in a situation where you can clearly pocket the ball, you may not want your opponent to ask the question, "Now why didn't he try to run out?" I'll leave him a single shot on the table that opens up my entire pattern knowing he has little chance at running out. If I call safe, he knows I'm up to something. If I don't and "miss", he might just fall for my trap.
 
Here is someone who "get's it." Well said Jude. :)

Jude Rosenstock said:
I do this A LOT in barbox 8-ball. If I want to hang-up a ball and I don't want my opponent to start thinking, I'll deliberately miss and make it seem I intended to make the ball. As well, especially in 8ball, it never hurts to be underestimated.

Situations like these also arise often in 9ball because your sequence is predetermined but there's simply less value in it because whether you were deliberately playing safe or accidentally playing safe will likely not change the strategy of your opponent. Your problem is now his problem and he'll recognize that.

The beauty of 8ball is that there are two distinct layouts. Yours and his. It's not uncommon for a player to ignore his opponent's layout and simply focus on his own. When playing safe in a situation where you can clearly pocket the ball, you may not want your opponent to ask the question, "Now why didn't he try to run out?" I'll leave him a single shot on the table that opens up my entire pattern knowing he has little chance at running out. If I call safe, he knows I'm up to something. If I don't and "miss", he might just fall for my trap.
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I am I missing something since no one mentioned that there are no called safes in 9 ball,
8 ball of course is different.
 
BobTfromIL said:
I am I missing something since no one mentioned that there are no called safes in 9 ball,
8 ball of course is different.
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Again, I don't think this is terribly applicable to 9ball but the way it would apply is, say 2-ball is tied up on one end of the table and you're shooting at the 1-ball at the other end. If you know there's no chance you'll get favorable position on it, you might just deliberately miss. It's not a safety because you're deliberately leaving a shot and you're hoping your opponent will sink the 1, fail to break out the 2 and hand back the table with a more reasonable layout.

The problem is, most decent 9ball players will recognize these situations and unless they're absolutely forced to pocket the ball, they'll simply play safe. As I stated in my previous post, this strategy is more effective in 8ball especially when you're blocking pockets.
 
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