1P Spot Adjustment

Cory in DC

Cory in DC

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I play this guy 10-8 in 1P all the time (me going to 10) and lately it's gotten to where I win about 75% of the games at that spot. Since it's a regular game, we clearly need to adjust. Two times now, we've tried 10-7, and with that spot his record seems close to 90%.

-- Does this seem right? Is 10-7 really that much bigger a spot than 10-8?

-- Or is it mental (more confidence for him, less for me)?

-- Are their adjustments to their play that people make when their opponent is only going to 7?

He's a better long-rail banker than I am, so my biggest edge is in the early game when the table is crowded around the rack. It occurs to me that by only spotting 1 ball (10-7) instead of 2 (10-8), we reach the mid-game sooner, where his advantage kicks in. Under that theory, adjusting to 11-8 might help me a bit or be fairly neutral (it extends the portion of the game where I have the advantage because he's at risk of selling out 5+ balls with one shot.)

Thanks. Cory
 
Hell no ...

You don't adjust ... What are you trying to do, get to 50-50,
and break even. Kind of defeats the purpose of playing for
money, doesn't it? 10-8 the game, and you DO NOT come off
of that. Let him improve his game if he wants to win more ...
and in fact, that can happen, because lower level players
improve faster than high level players.

10-8 the game, or you just don't play him .... Or are you one
of those players THAT just has to play? When I play, I want to
win, I don't play just to play ...
 
have you tried 9-7? or 9-8 and the break?

Cory in DC said:
I play this guy 10-8 in 1P all the time (me going to 10) and lately it's gotten to where I win about 75% of the games at that spot. Since it's a regular game, we clearly need to adjust. Two times now, we've tried 10-7, and with that spot his record seems close to 90%.

-- Does this seem right? Is 10-7 really that much bigger a spot than 10-8?

-- Or is it mental (more confidence for him, less for me)?

-- Are their adjustments to their play that people make when their opponent is only going to 7?

He's a better long-rail banker than I am, so my biggest edge is in the early game when the table is crowded around the rack. It occurs to me that by only spotting 1 ball (10-7) instead of 2 (10-8), we reach the mid-game sooner, where his advantage kicks in. Under that theory, adjusting to 11-8 might help me a bit or be fairly neutral (it extends the portion of the game where I have the advantage because he's at risk of selling out 5+ balls with one shot.)

Thanks. Cory
Click to expand...
 
You can also try 10-8 on your his break, 10-7 on your break. 11-8 would definately favor you as you will need to spot 3 balls and that will keep balls clustered up on your end. When you play 10-7 you are only spotting 1 instead of two plus the fact that he has to make 1 less ball so the area where you feel you have an advantage is lessened. If you were to drop down to 9-7 you may find yourself still haveing problems if he decides to start pushing balls uptable. It really depends on how people play which spots are better, but from what you have described it would be better for you to give 11-8 instead of dropping to 9-7.
 
if you beat him consistently with 10-8 than the fair adjustment is 10-7, yes it is a mental thing. adjusting to 10-7 should make you bear down harder so if you lose your letting it get to you.
 
The best way to answer the question is to first know how you're winning.

Are you only winning by one ball? Are you winning by 5 balls?

Figure that out and you'll know how to rework the spot.

And if he starts beating you.... well, then readjust!
 
I guess I am old school ...

Because the better player used to determine a spot, if any,
not the lowel level player. It is the lower level player to
come UP in his game, not the upper level player to come
DOWN in his .... The whole point of playing Pool in the first
place is to get BETTER and BETTER. jeesh ...

The upper player offers a spot, the lower player can
accept or counter offer, and the upper player can accept
or decline. It is the upper player making the final decision
on the spot, BECAUSE he is the one GIVING IT UP. So, if
he loses the match, the fault is his, for using BAD JUDGEMENT.

I want a Lexus for $15,000, please, pretty please...
seller: No, I have to have $35,000.
Aw come on, give me one for $17,000, I am a good guy ...
seller: No, absolute bottom is $32,000.
I will go buy another car if you don't give me one for $18,000.
Seller: Okay, Okay, we let you have one for $18,000 since
you need it so bad, and you are a good guy, and all.

Perhaps with this little example, you can see the 'stupidity'
of the seller, or higher level player that just keeps giving up
more and more spot.
 
I guess times have changed.

In the end, it's up to both parties to simply agree on whatever they want. If the lower player offers an acceptable spot and the higher player agrees, then great. And vice versa, if the higher offers and the lower agrees then all is well.

Don't get caught up in who offers; just focus on what is being offered. This isn't about ego or being higher and having the "right" to offer. It's about percentages, and money. That's it.

Snapshot9 said:
Because the better player used to determine a spot, if any,
not the lowel level player. It is the lower level player to
come UP in his game, not the upper level player to come
DOWN in his .... The whole point of playing Pool in the first
place is to get BETTER and BETTER. jeesh ...

The upper player offers a spot, the lower player can
accept or counter offer, and the upper player can accept
or decline. It is the upper player making the final decision
on the spot, BECAUSE he is the one GIVING IT UP. So, if
he loses the match, the fault is his, for using BAD JUDGEMENT.
Click to expand...
 
What's that saying about buying books ...

This is a cause and effect lesson. If he is playing the
guy for FUN giving up the spots he has done and been
suggested, THEN when the other guy starts winning
most of the games and wants to play for MONEY, he
will say about the odds, or spot, "Well, that is the way
we have always played".... whine whine whine ....

If he wants to show his punky ass weak side, I guess that
is up to him, but 4 months from now, he will start a thread
crying about this guy he used to beat, beating him out of
all of his money because he had to spot him so much.
AS THEY SAY, A FOOL AND HIS MONEY ARE SOON PARTED.

Most SMART players or hustlers keep a ball and a half margin
for themselves from any spot they offer someone, and the
lower player has to step up and Play to beat them. I am not
a guru, but I have played 43 years, been on the road before,
played in good tournaments, and for the cash. In the old days,
noone told you SHIT, you had to figure it out on your own, and
then if you weren't SMART enough to do that, you were just
broke or beaten all the time ....
 
I've reconsidered ...

Hell, just go ahead and give him 10-6 or 9-6, and then
see if you can win .... take all your cash with you too
to bet ....

Tell us how it turned out on Monday ...

If you still are winning, try giving him 10-5 then, and bet
it up.
 
Cory in DC said:
I play this guy 10-8 in 1P all the time (me going to 10) and lately it's gotten to where I win about 75% of the games at that spot. Since it's a regular game, we clearly need to adjust. Two times now, we've tried 10-7, and with that spot his record seems close to 90%.

-- Does this seem right? Is 10-7 really that much bigger a spot than 10-8?
...
Click to expand...
I don't think all the little details really make that much difference in the spot, such as whether one player seems to be a better end-game strategist.

If you really do beat him 75% of the games at 10-8 in the long run, a fair spot would be about 10-6. That's what the math says. Your psychology may say something different, and he might light up with that much spot, but if your games stay constant, 10-6 should be fair.

But I don't think you can really beat him 75% of the games at 10-8. If you have played him 100 games at that spot, the uncertainty on your percentage is about 10%, and there is more uncertainty if you haven't played that many games. If you beat him 6 of only 8 games played at that spot, all you can say is that you are likely the better player.

A rating system for one pocket players is available as item 36 at http://www.sfbilliards.com/misc.htm and it allows you to figure out how two players should play if you know how each should play a third.
 
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