But there is a point where spreading the spot balls allows the spotter to effectively split the game, dividing the risk balls and ofthen requirimg the spotted player make a non-money ball before the cheezer.
I originally drafted a much longer note but decided against it. If I understood correctly, your comment appears to fit with the response I considered. It is a matter of perspective and this is mine from playing under more than one 9-ball handicap system.
The difficulty for me as the stronger player is how many balls I need to run to get to my game ball. My assumption is that even a fairly weak player can be anticipated to run 2 balls. Giving up the 7-ball is a bit of weight because I need to run from the 5-ball to ensure that I get to shoot at the 9. Past the 5, my opponent is only 2 balls away from a win. Adding the 8 as a game ball for my opponent is a little more difficult because there is a third game ball on the table for my opponent, but that mostly adds opportunities for combinations or potentially slop (if that is allowed) and both of my opponent’s additional game balls come at the end of the game. Against the 7 & 8, I still only need to run out from the 5-ball. Lowering the handicap ball to the 6 means I probably should run out from the 4-ball and the 5-ball handicap means I should run out from the 3. Both the 5 and 6 ball handicaps have some opportunity for a mistake past the handicap ball, but not by much. Adding the 7-ball to the 5 is a lot more difficult. For that, I must run out from the 3-ball to be sure of getting to the 9. With a 5 & 7 handicap, after the 3, my opponent is always 1 or 2 balls from a win.
In agreement with my understanding of your comment, when I play against a 5-ball handicap, I look at it as 2 games on the table at the same time. We are playing a game of 5-ball and a game of 4-ball and my opponent only needs to win one of them to win both. I need to win both to win one.
I consider myself to be a B player. From my perspective, a B player should be able to run from the 5 with reasonable confidence. Changing that expectation to running from the 3-ball is for A players (or something better than me). So a 5-ball handicap is pretty difficult from my experience. I am pretty sure there have been arguments on AZB how many balls a person of a particular level should be expected to run and don’t want to restart that thread. This illustration is just provided for context.
