I have seen it done. If you get the right position behind the rack you can make the corner ball on a bank shot. It is a low percentage shot. I would say you can make it about 20 percent of the time. If you are playing someone who not likely to run out on you, you can try this.
This not something you would ever see in a professional match. With the low percentage and the likelyhood that your opponent will get a big run, a pro would never try this.
There are many well-known shots out of the rack, either the full rack or the 14-ball rack. Bob Byrne shows a bunch of them in his "Standard" book.After initial rack do I have to start with the one ball that I left to break rack or can I call one of the 14 balls racked?
In summation ... while you are not obligated to start the new rack with the exposed ball, it is highly recommended.![]()
It depends on the situation. You are playing in league and are leading 93-0 and your opponent has never been known to run a rack. You leave yourself behind the rack where the best chance is to bank the corner ball as shown above. You are on a run of 67 and need two more to take the high run lead which has a substantial cash prize. It would be counterproductive to play safe in that situation.
In a close match on an unknown table with mismatched balls I agree -- it is better to play safe.