5 ball or 8 ball spot in 9 ball

Brookeland Bill

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
What is the most advantageous to have as a spot in 9 ball. The 5 or the 8 and please explain your answer. Thanks.
 

cubswin

Just call me Joe...
Silver Member
What is the most advantageous to have as a spot in 9 ball. The 5 or the 8 and please explain your answer. Thanks.

The 5 is a nice spot if you can break and run 5 balls. If you break and make 2 or 3, well that 5 isn't going to be on the table for you to make.

The 8 ball at least will be on the table most of the game, giving you a chance to make a combo. But getting the 8 isn't much of a spot for most people.

I'd rather give up the 8 over games on the wire.
 

MattPoland

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
If I’m getting a spot, I’m playing a better player. At my level that means a runout player. The 8 is a nothing spot. If my opponent gives up the table, it’s early in the rack while there is a lot of traffic. My opponents find the rack to get easier and easier as they go through. The 5 is better because I’ll get to it sooner. That said if I’m not getting games on the wire, I prefer Last 2, Last 3 or Last 4. M


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King T

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Your right!

If I’m getting a spot, I’m playing a better player. At my level that means a runout player. The 8 is a nothing spot. If my opponent gives up the table, it’s early in the rack while there is a lot of traffic. My opponents find the rack to get easier and easier as they go through. The 5 is better because I’ll get to it sooner. That said if I’m not getting games on the wire, I prefer Last 2, Last 3 or Last 4. M


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The problem with 5 is you won't see it if you break dry or if your safety game is strong. Try to get the last 2, the reason being that they are always there every game so the person your playing has to get all the way out and cant make your Money ball early in the rack.
 

7forlife

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
If you need the 5 then you also need games. If you're playing a significantly stronger player such as the one Poland is talking about then you're no better off no matter the ball you get unless it's the 1,2,3.
An actual stronger player will never allow you to get to that 5 ball if you are not able to run to the 5 ball, I've seen many ah 8 balls missed/hung because position on the 9 was needed.
If you're getting the 5 then it needs to be wild, you get the breaks and a game or two depending on the race.
 

7forlife

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
The 5 is way stronger than the 8 in any scenario under the sun. From 2 bangers to Shane vs Efren.

Not sure what sun you're referring too. two pros playing with the 5 is dumb, two bangers is a regular game just shorter. In a rotation game the lower ball comes up sooner so yes but the later ball has as many times as the amount of lower balls to be made. I feel like the OP is trying to gain a bigger perspective on the difference in the spot and need to understand some of the factors that need to be considered to vary the strength of the spot like wild or not.
 

iusedtoberich

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
That’s all theory. In gambling practice, the 5 is always more than the 8. I’ve seen it amongst all level of players and even been the players myself on both sides of giving and getting since gambling my brains out starting in the mid 90’s. Sure, the 8 is not much with two top pros, but it’s still less than the 5. On the other extreme, have you never seen two D or C players match up, or play in a weekly $5 entry tourney? Again, the 5 is way more than the 8.
 

noMoreSchon

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
If you are playing someone who has gamble, it does not matter. If you are comfortable

with the spot...most likely your opponent is twice as comfortable. I myself deem the 8

more valuable, but when playing anyone with a 600+ fargo, who knows how to miss

as well when to make the ball, well you will not like the look at the table you get, and turn

over another BIH to your opponent. I like the five if I have the breaks...the old Orange

Crush. Making a game is an art in itself, and no one out runs the nuts anymore, because

they are rarely given. You have to really evaluate honestly about your game, and you

opponents game...Chances are you are losing either way, not that you are not good

enough, but they are better playing/giving weight. That is an art form by itself.
 

Fatboy

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
The 8 ball is about like 2 games in a race to 11. The “last 2”is a excuse to play.

I don’t have the energy to explain all this.
 

deanoc

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
playing great players today
it is almost impossible to match up at 9 ball

my experience tells me that it is necessary to never let a player like shane break

the 5 ball is a much more significant spot than the 8 ball

the value of the 8 ball is nothing like 2 games on the wire to 11 against really good players

against shane ,he would beat todays efren with the 8 ball
i doubt he could give him 2 on the wire

i am guessing here

in the old days a spot like the 8 seemed so much bigger
i remember playing norman hitch cock on an 8 foot with the break
5,6,7,and 8 and losing
while Buddy was on the next table givind gray the 8 ball
in what looked like a tough game

i remember thinking neither one was as good as Hitchcock

It took me a while to realize that against a weak player like me
the better player gets to start with easy runs and does nothing but run out

good morning am i the first person to actually be up and the rest of you are
still up

Fatboy,am I correct in thinking I would
probably have some advantage after a goog nights sleep

I used to try and catch players at times Square after they
had been playing several days

I called it,playing position
 

#Cruncher

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I always thought the 5 was a big spot. At the top level, though, it doesn't mean a whole lot. Keith McCready told me when he was in top form, he could give pros the 5 ball. I wasn't sure that this could be true. Fast forward years later, SVB beating Corey giving him the ball. They both run out, but who puts the higher packages together?
 

garczar

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I always thought the 5 was a big spot. At the top level, though, it doesn't mean a whole lot. Keith McCready told me when he was in top form, he could give pros the 5 ball. I wasn't sure that this could be true. Fast forward years later, SVB beating Corey giving him the ball. They both run out, but who puts the higher packages together?
If the 5ball is involved one of the players is NOT world-class or even close to it. KM must have been high when he told you that. He MIGHT give it up IF he got ALL the breaks but even then i seriously doubt it.
 

Franky4Eyes

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Mannnn... There was a widow in time when people thought Keith was the devil himself.
For the cheese, he's pulled off some pretty heroic stuff when he was in gear.

The 5 ball is a tremendous spot in 9ball.
Usually, only offered to inferior players to entice them into a game. Nobody would be as eager or froggy over getting the 8 ball.
If your opponent is high caliber, it's not going to matter either way because they'll run the table most likely. Which is why they're offering you a handicap to begin with.
Pick your battles wisely.
 

garczar

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Mannnn... There was a widow in time when people thought Keith was the devil himself.
For the cheese, he's pulled off some pretty heroic stuff when he was in gear.

The 5 ball is a tremendous spot in 9ball.
Usually, only offered to inferior players to entice them into a game. Nobody would be as eager or froggy over getting the 8 ball.
If your opponent is high caliber, it's not going to matter either way because they'll run the table most likely. Which is why they're offering you a handicap to begin with.
Pick your battles wisely.
I've seen some huge spots given up on a bar-box where the spotter gets all the breaks and even then its usually against a fairly weak opponent. About the biggest spot i've ever seen one good player give another is the 7b and even that is a lot unless the spotter is in dead punch and breaking good. Around '79-'80 i saw Buddy give a really good local shortstop more weight than i though possible to outrun. Well, me and my wallet were wrong. Mr. Hall(winner break,btw) put on a display the likes of which i had not seen before.
 
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pt109

WO double hemlock
Silver Member
The problem with 5 is you won't see it if you break dry or if your safety game is strong. Try to get the last 2, the reason being that they are always there every game so the person your playing has to get all the way out and cant make your Money ball early in the rack.

The last two...or the call 8....is the closest thing to playing even.
...the wild 8 can be made early...even on the break

IMO
 
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