Tactics to combat horrible table conditions

BC21 said:

2. Never slow roll a ball. Every shot should be hit with at least medium to firm speed. Not many finesse shots turn out well on a dirty barbox.

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forabeer said:

Not to mention that barboxes are 99% of the time nowhere close to level.

Have lived by the "no finesse on barbox" rule for years.

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Straightpool_99;6524133[COLOR="DarkGreen" said:

]Learn to shoot stun-run-through shots, rather than slow rolling. You can also use TOI, as that tends to make cueball control easier on such equipment. [/COLOR]

If you're playing on crap conditions, recon is always paramount. Is there one or more dead rails or dead spots on the rail, is the table leaning, if so which way, is there a bad pocket, are the balls equal weight etc? That last part is paramount. If there is a replacement ball or more try some draw shots off them. If you get more draw, they're heavier, if you get less, they're lighter. I've seen top players get screwed over from not getting the right amount a draw off a bad replacement ball. Usually, if the conditions are really bad, there is probably a bad pocket or two.

When you get to a place, casually walk around the table feeling the cushions. You'll usually feel if they are lose or mabye "wavy" meaning the nose varies in height. Try to banks some balls off every cushiona and listen intently for the sound made. If the cushion makes a lower sound, usually the rail has loose bolts. Any bank shot off it will go long and run a shorter distance. Do some 3 cushion shots to find the short and long side of the table and check for anomalies. Feel and look at the pocket facings to see if they're "cupped". If they are, they are likely to spit balls hit with
speed and spin. Shoot some lag shots to see if the table is leaning. Feel the cloth and look intently, to look for condition, holes, worn spots and to see where the break lines are. Observe when people are breaking, what speed is being used, and which balls go.

Remember that your opponent has to play on the same equipment, and even if he knows it, he may not know how to use the information he has to his benefit and he may not know all that a thourough examination can reveal. So keep your mouth shut and use the information to your advantage.

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Runner said:

Seriously, I’ve played in some real dive bars, little $10
8 ball tournaments.. table ain’t level, rails are a joke,
mismatched balls, loud crappy music, the lot.

My tactic? Roll with it, put the brain on hold,
a few beers, a few laughs.. I have an old
Dufferin sneaky that’s beat to sh*t, has a
jump joint for shots with no room.

$.02

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