Thanks, I have tried the 3rd ball back, but in this event the 8 doesn't count as a win on the break and I had more inconsistent results with the cue ball control.
8 Ball POOL TIPS on the Bar Box
- Thread starter JoeyA
- Start date
Thanks, I have tried the 3rd ball back, but in this event the 8 doesn't count as a win on the break and I had more inconsistent results with the cue ball control.
I'll give low outside a go but it sure seems to me that if you're hitting low and outside you had better avoid any speed at all or the cue ball will be flying off of the table. I seldom ever use any low on breaking any racks except for one pocket which I use low inside on occasion. I would think the low outside break might be better on a Diamond Bar Table than it would me on a Valley Bar Box but I can't be for sure....
Anyway, there are lots of choices and I'll take one of the other posters advice and watch other breakers, at this event and see what is working for them. Maybe the locals will feel sorry for me and tell me the secrets of breaking well on their tables. :smile:
Low right, second ball back works wonderfully for me when I am allowed to break like that. You just need to learn your speed. Given a tight consistent rack, playing the same speed I am able to get very consistent breaks. Almost always pocketing at least 2 balls and have the cue ball back to the middle of the table, leaving my opinions wide open.
WOW, that's a great result on your low right break. To you and Sean, how much low and how much left are you actually using? (I take it you're talking about breaking from the right side and Sean was talking about breaking from the left side with Low Left)
thanks,
JoeyA
Joey:
If on a table with a "normal" cue ball (i.e. a 9-footer, or a Diamond SmartTable in the 7-footer case), I use just a tip each of low and outside (1 tip low + 1 tip outside).
If I'm on a table with a non-standard cue ball (i.e. a Valley), I accentuate that to a tip-and-a-half each. That's because that heavy/magnetic cue ball needs just a little more "oomph" in the spin department to avoid the scratch.
So if I'm breaking from the left side of the table, I'll use 1 tip of low + 1 tip of left (or 1.5 tip of low + 1.5 tip of left for non-standard-cue-ball tables) and aim squarely for the second ball; maybe aim just a bit to the left to allow for the cue ball squirt to the right (depends on cue being used). Give it a nice "pop" -- snap your grip hand to the Finish position -- and you'll get a nice spread. The optimum result is that you'll sink a couple balls, and the cue ball check-spins off of the long rail and spins out to the center of the table.
Of course, the 1 (or 1.5) tips of low/outside are just an average estimate. Again, you'll want to take this to the practice table to find out for yourself what works for your stroke and for that table. I find that I have to alter a bit depending on the equipment I'm playing on. (E.g. the cloth makes a big difference, too. On a Valley table with Simonis, the cue ball will want to slide a bit more than that same table with a nap-style cloth, like Mali or Champion cloth.)
Hope that helps!
-Sean
That clarified everything. Thanks.
Joey:
The cue ball jumps off of the table because people are "trying to do a Shane Van Boening" with the pop-and-drop break (i.e. aiming slightly downward into the cue ball), and thus the cue ball is slightly airborne before hitting the rack. Don't do that.
While good for a headball 10-ball break, this is Terrible(tm) for the second-ball 8-ball break.Rather, keep as level a cue as you can (I realize this is difficult to do if you're bringing the cue ball all the way near the long rail in the kitchen, and you're aiming downwards off of the cushion to get that tip each of low/outside). But do your best to maintain as level a cue as you can. And, like you say -- don't whale into it. Just a good snap of your arm and wrist to their Finish position. You don't have to even put your body into it -- your arm is powerful enough. Stay down, snap-to-Finish, stay down. After you've practiced this for 3 or 4 times, you'll get the feel for the speed.
-Sean
I ALWAYS break from the left side of the table. I'm a creature of habit. I'll place the cue ball as if I'm setting up to break a rack of 9-ball. I accommodate my English based on my stroke so where I cue up low right may be too low or high for you, it's something that you need to shoot a few times to get the hang of. The beauty about the second ball back is you don't have to crush the rack to get results, you just need a good solid hit on that second ball. If you were breaking head ball, it's a completely different break all together.
Zero. Close to zero. And , I know there will be the balkers out there, but we're talking about JoeyA who I believe is on the Masters List from his tournament achievement in the BCA National 8-ball Championships on barboxes a few years ago.
Joey, at the top level, 8-ball is about break and running and running out when you're supposed to. There are the occasional players that somehow win more games by ducking and pecking. I don't believe your firepower describes that type of game.
On to the advice: My number one advice for any barbox 8-ball player is to avoid leaving the side pocket as your key ball or key-to-key ball. This play loses more games than any other. It might make sense for 14.1, but in 14.1, there aren't any balls left so there are options. In 8-ball, if you leave the side pocket as your key ball, any slightly wrong angle will break your spirit.
Freddie <~~~ spirit's been broken many a time
I'm just going to copy and paste what I've said before :
Aside from all of the other excellent advice, IMO nothing helps the bar box game better than watching the better amateur players and playing a lot of bar box 8-ball.
On the other hand:
Excerpts from Freddie's Idiot Guide to Runout Barbox 8-ball:
Leaving your balls in the center of the table as your last or nearly last balls isn't a good idea for two reasons:
1) It limits your pathways for your cueball
2) positionally speaking, it is more challenging to get the proper angle on a ball in the center of the table.
It's easy to see why number 2 is true when the table is full of balls; it's tougher to see why it's a challenge when you only have your balls left.
To further this point, the ball in the center of the table, but closer to one of the side rails always looks tempting to use as a last ball. Player's will lose just because of this temptation more often then they'll ever dream.
--------------------------------------------------------------
Ways to screw up a ball-in-hand runout in 8-ball (barbox or otherwise):
---------------------------------------------------------------
The progression of 8-ball skill level seems to go like the following list, from beginner to advanced. Knowing where you are today gives an idea where your game can be tomorrow:
----------------------------------------
Play tournaments.
Additionally, stay and watch the tournament after you get knocked out. Learning what and how the winner wins is virtually free learning (minus drinking). For 8-ball tournaments, check out where the winner is on the list above. Normally, it's the last one listed.
-----------------------------------------
If you find yourself complaining about handicaps, you're in leagues for the wrong reason.
----------------------------------------
Sometimes, some days, you're just going to suck. That's life.
On a related note,
Be honest with yourself. Your best day at the table isn't the definition of your game. Neither is your worst game. The definition of your game is about 75% of your best game.
Freddie <~~~ experienced Idiot
Aside from all of the other excellent advice, IMO nothing helps the bar box game better than watching the better amateur players and playing a lot of bar box 8-ball.
On the other hand:
Excerpts from Freddie's Idiot Guide to Runout Barbox 8-ball:
Leaving your balls in the center of the table as your last or nearly last balls isn't a good idea for two reasons:
1) It limits your pathways for your cueball
2) positionally speaking, it is more challenging to get the proper angle on a ball in the center of the table.
It's easy to see why number 2 is true when the table is full of balls; it's tougher to see why it's a challenge when you only have your balls left.
To further this point, the ball in the center of the table, but closer to one of the side rails always looks tempting to use as a last ball. Player's will lose just because of this temptation more often then they'll ever dream.
--------------------------------------------------------------
Ways to screw up a ball-in-hand runout in 8-ball (barbox or otherwise):
- The number one way a ball-in-hand out in 8-ball is botched is by leaving the object balls in the center of the table as the last balls. The balls in the center of the table block path routes, and are deceptively challenging when the "proper angle" is needed to get to the 8-ball.
- The number two way to botch a ball-in-hand runout is to leave hanging balls until the last balls. IMO, there's little reason to take hangers out late.
- The number three way to botch a ball-in-hand runout is to leave two balls side-by-side in the same pocket, as opposed to just leaving one ball as the last ball before the 8-ball. If you just take one out earlier, the there is no "which one do you have to get on first" failure mode.
- The number four way to botch up a ball-in-hand runout is stick too tightly to the "clear all balls from one side of the table" misconception. I cant' recall where this idea is ever correct, yet so many people bring it up as if there's some sanity to it.
- The number five way to botch up a ball-in-hand runout is try too hard to set yourself into rules. These are just guidelines.
---------------------------------------------------------------
The progression of 8-ball skill level seems to go like the following list, from beginner to advanced. Knowing where you are today gives an idea where your game can be tomorrow:
- Shoot at anything regardless of runout possibilities.
- Shoot at anything, except for balls hanging in the pockets.
- Play safeties when you can't run out.
- Play safeties, bunting balls around, even when you can run out.
- Realize that leaving the hanging balls is the worst thing for your game.
- Realize that knocking in the hanging ball and using it to gain position makes for more runouts.
- Realize that other people are running out on you while you're bunting around.
- Go for the runout nearly every time when it's available.
----------------------------------------
Play tournaments.
Additionally, stay and watch the tournament after you get knocked out. Learning what and how the winner wins is virtually free learning (minus drinking). For 8-ball tournaments, check out where the winner is on the list above. Normally, it's the last one listed.
-----------------------------------------
If you find yourself complaining about handicaps, you're in leagues for the wrong reason.
----------------------------------------
Sometimes, some days, you're just going to suck. That's life.
On a related note,
Be honest with yourself. Your best day at the table isn't the definition of your game. Neither is your worst game. The definition of your game is about 75% of your best game.
Freddie <~~~ experienced Idiot
I think this is the key statement right here. Yes, when you have an open table (or semi-open), you need to run out. We're not talking about busted-runs where the opponent has one ball left. Then you can deploy your safeties like a 9ball player.
With that said, you will occasionally have games that you will have lost (or be losing) right from the break. Every experienced 8ball player will attest to a plethora of games where all of their balls were in the worst spots and all of their opponents' balls were ducks. Oftentimes, a well-planned safety won't get you anywhere. It's important to think aggressively and creatively.
When you do play safe, the question you must ask yourself is, "What is the likelihood that I will return to the table at all and if I do, will I be in better shape than I am now?" Sometimes you still need to try to run out. Sometimes you need to rearrange things with the hopes of complicating the layout for your opponent. Doing either is better than playing a weak safety and giving yourself little opportunity to win.
Joey A
How about safety play? Do many of you utilize much safety play in your 8 ball game?
If the table had a good probability of being a failed run out i will look for a run out safety next.
That is if I have a clustered table that needs breakouts in order to run the table for either suit I will look for a ball that has a dead nut safety built into it. I will then choose the same suit and run out to that safety in the fewest made balls as possible.
How about safety play? Do many of you utilize much safety play in your 8 ball game?
If the table had a good probability of being a failed run out i will look for a run out safety next.
That is if I have a clustered table that needs breakouts in order to run the table for either suit I will look for a ball that has a dead nut safety built into it. I will then choose the same suit and run out to that safety in the fewest made balls as possible.
+1
Safes are tougher because there is more of a likelihood of an easy hit with so many targets available.
Sometimes this is important and sometimes it isn't. I can show you a plethora of safeties where just getting contact means nothing. As well, I can show you scenarios where contact is likely and a return-safe is automatic. You have to read the table and respond accordingly. Some of these rules are just too simple. It's like saying in chess, "if your opponent's rook is on A5, you should always move your bishop to D7."
When you're in trouble, it's important to think outside the box and be aggressive. If you're not in trouble, you can do whatever you want that will keep you out of trouble.
I will agree that using the side pocket in your runout patterns if not starting with ball in hand, where you don't have to worry about angles and position, as key or key to key is fraught with the ability to crush ones spirit..... I even had a high level player tell me to try and just use the 4 corners and forget the sides..... On a valley or Dynamo the side has and always will be my best ally in the right circumstances......
Balls around the center of the table are just plain difficult to manage. I don't think cornerman's post (nor your friend) are saying you should never use them, just use them with a little more respect than they're often given. Your use of a side-pocket key-shot should be predicated by how easy it is to get the desired shape. The moment you have to draw or follow for your side-pocket shape (even a little bit), you're taking a legit risk. The closer that ball is to the center of the table, you're taking a bigger risk because there's less cheating to correct for any positional errors. The advantage to positioning for balls near rails (hence corner pocket shots) is that there's a ton of flexibility getting there and there's a ton of flexibility shooting the shot. The rail provides tons of options.
Of course, all of this is based on "whenever possible". There's plenty of times in 8ball where you simply have no choice but to get perfect over and over again and sometimes, you play what the table gives.
Hi
Hi there,
Been MIA for awhile but wanted to contribute a little something. I started my pool career on 8' tables, playing 8 ball. I once broke and ran 6 racks in a row. After the guy plugged in $3, he quit. Last season, I had the highest win percentage of anyone in our BCA league. I also won the 2011 Women's BCA Grand Masters Regionals 8 ball in March and took 2nd (behind Liz Cole, an Exempt WPBA pro) in the 9 ball in Nov. when they were both round robin formats, so I do play a little....But sadly, I may fall into Freddie's Level 3 or something, lol. Here are some more tips I haven't seen covered:
1. Usually, you are going for the runout. When choosing which group, go for the most open and runnable, regardless of how many balls went down of either group, or which group has hangers. (One major mistake I see from beginners is that they take out all the hangers, just so they can have a higher ball count down.)
If the 8 is tied up, see if there are breakout balls of your group nearby. You may want to choose the group that is blocking the 8, especially if they are makeable.
One of the most dreaded places to have a ball, is glued to the rail (tit) near the side pocket. I will usually select the other group, most things being equal, or search for a ball I can carom off of it into the side.
2. Another word about hangers. They are insurance balls, but when you do shoot them, make sure you are using them for something....usually shape, but they are also good for breakouts. Also, don't take them for granted where and how you hit them. Because they have such a wide margin of error to make them, they have an equally wide margin of error for outcome. Pay attention to the direction and thickness of the hit.
3. Scratches.. Because the same width of a pocket on a 7' takes up more percentage of real estate than on a 9', try to stay at least 3-4" away, especially when hitting multiple rails with your cueball. Know your tangent lines and how speed, English, and stroke affect them.
4. Pure 9ballers like to over-stroke the ball a lot in 8ball. While that stroke is useful in some shots when movement of the cueball is necessary, you also need to attain the little pitty pat stroke as well.
If you are a straight 8baller, learn to play 9ball to know how to get around the table, and to be able to run multiple balls to the same pocket. I always played 8ball well, but learning 9ball opened up the game to me so I'm not afraid to get out of line or absolutely have to save my key ball for last if I get in trouble and need to take it earlier, because I know I have several options to get back into line, using common multiple rail patterns.
5. It's imperative to play at least 3 balls ahead so that you stay on the correct side of the shot.
6. Strengthen your kick, combo, and carom games. They come up all the time and will boost your win percentage. Kicking is a given, but on combos, pay attention to the first ball and where it will go in relation to the QB. Many times you will want it to stay near the same pocket and block it or have control of it. Other times, it may get ugly by playing soft and you'll need to hit it harder to get it or the QB out of there altogether.
7. Identify trouble balls and work on them ASAP. Trouble balls have the narrowest margin of error or have the least amount of pockets they can go into. From 0 pockets available, to only 1 or 2, plan your runs to take those out early. Sometimes, if there is only a very small window to get into only one pocket, I will treat it as a cluster and go for a breakout on it to move it into a more advantageous position, unless I can force a BIH. Conversely, I NEVER try to move existing balls unless I use them as a stopper or breakout, and just play the table as it lies, even getting short side shape if I have to, since it's a 7 footer.
8. Do not bump into their trouble balls if your ball is not in that cluster. Leave their problems for them to work on.
9. If I'm playing a player that is better or even just overconfident, and to try to force breakouts would be risky for me and maybe even more detrimental to them, I go ahead and let them do the heavy lifting so that if and when they mess up, I can go do cleanup of what's left. The more balls I leave in their way, the more chances that something may not go exactly right for them.
10. If your ball is blocked, look for another ball that you may be able to carom your ball off of, move theirs or break out something.
11. When you have BIH, I always try to accomplish 3 things, get the worst ball out of trouble and pocket it, breakout another trouble ball, and get shape on your next ball. You should always do at least one of those, but ideally, depending on table layout, I try to do all 3 at once. Just remember, after you have plugged all that into your brain, the last thing to do is concentrate on the shot and make it!
12. I try not to leave the last 2 balls (either the last ball and the 8, or the last 2 balls before the 8) on the same short rail, if they aren't within a few inches of either pocket. the reason being is that you have to stay within a certain wedge on the first ball to stay good on the next ball, so I will take one out earlier if possible. I also do not like leaving the last 2 on opposite side rails at about the same position. That means I will usually need an angle on both and you may be flirting with a side pocket scratch. That's just my preference.
13. This has to do with point 12, but a previous poster talked about pocketing all the balls in one area and not running all over the table. I certainly see many players chasing the cueball with no clue as to what they're doing, but I will take that ball on the same rail as the 8 early, then use another ball uptable to drop back down to the 8, to avoid getting out of line or too steep of an angle by playing them as the last 2. There are other instances where you will have a wider margin of error by coming from above than staying below where the 8 is.
That being said, normally you DO want to play most balls in an area, use the side pocket shots to naturally drift to the other end and finish the game. But sometimes it's safer and cleaner to get different position than what's afforded you in one area. It's all about percentages and what you feel your strengths and weaknesses are on any given shot and position.
14. Examine the stack for wired shots, for either player. This gets overlooked even for intermediate players. Some shots don't even look like they're on. Playing straight pool and one pocket or even taking lessons help there. And don't just look for offensive shots. If you see something on for your opponent, you can maybe nudge it with a safe or something so it isn't anymore.
15. Tie up their balls by nudging or soft banking (or even kick safeing) your ball in front of theirs, especially when their ball is on a rail or is a few inches out of the pocket.
16. There are also opportunities that come up to put the 8ball on an end rail in the middle of the rail. After you do that, then surround it with one of your balls on each end! Another good place to put the 8ball is on the same rail as the opponent's ball, nearer to the closest corner pocket. This forces them to bank, or try to run their ball up the rail past the side pocket, or take a risky breakout trying to move the 8.
17. If you're in a safety battle and you have no shot and they have a couple loose balls to play safe from, go ahead and make their balls and give up BIH. Of course, you don't want to give them BIH if they can just go ahead and break out or play an impossible safe on you, but remember it as an option. If you don't want to make their ball, shoot it intentionally to the other end of the table to cut down the chance of a breakout. Or tie their ball up somewhere.
18. If you have tried and tried to dig out a ball from a mess and keep missing and are running out of balls, don't keep making it worse by removing all your balls. You're a dead man walking if you only have 1 ball left (or just the 8ball!) and they have several left. Instead, bunt or shoot your ball into a position for a breakout ball, near a pocket.
19. Sometimes you will have more than one trouble area. If you get BIH, the smartest play may be to stick and freeze them on your ball in one trouble area (thereby freeing up one of the problem areas), forcing another BIH, then taking care of the 2nd area and running out, instead of trying to do it all on the first BIH.
20. If you have the 8ball wedged into the corner pocket by another ball and it would cost you the game to hit either ball, just have patience. There is usually a rule in any league about a deadlocked game where if you each foul 3x in a row and where it would lose the game for either of you to make a legal hit, then you would just rerack. I've seen people who don't know this rule and just give up and hit it. I'd rather chance winning the next game, than lose that way.
21. BTW, never concede the 8ball. Just like in 9ball, it's considered sharking. Besides, I've seen some goofy stuff happen on the simplest of shots.
22. A word about breaking. To break, there is usually a coin toss or a lag. Get proficient on lagging and remember there are several ways to foul on a lag! Also, I always call the coin in the air, for those wimps that know what's showing and manipulate the toss to go the opposite way.
Ok, I've put in my 22 cents for the year! Good luck with the 8ball games!
Hi there,
Been MIA for awhile but wanted to contribute a little something. I started my pool career on 8' tables, playing 8 ball. I once broke and ran 6 racks in a row. After the guy plugged in $3, he quit. Last season, I had the highest win percentage of anyone in our BCA league. I also won the 2011 Women's BCA Grand Masters Regionals 8 ball in March and took 2nd (behind Liz Cole, an Exempt WPBA pro) in the 9 ball in Nov. when they were both round robin formats, so I do play a little....But sadly, I may fall into Freddie's Level 3 or something, lol. Here are some more tips I haven't seen covered:
1. Usually, you are going for the runout. When choosing which group, go for the most open and runnable, regardless of how many balls went down of either group, or which group has hangers. (One major mistake I see from beginners is that they take out all the hangers, just so they can have a higher ball count down.)
If the 8 is tied up, see if there are breakout balls of your group nearby. You may want to choose the group that is blocking the 8, especially if they are makeable.
One of the most dreaded places to have a ball, is glued to the rail (tit) near the side pocket. I will usually select the other group, most things being equal, or search for a ball I can carom off of it into the side.
2. Another word about hangers. They are insurance balls, but when you do shoot them, make sure you are using them for something....usually shape, but they are also good for breakouts. Also, don't take them for granted where and how you hit them. Because they have such a wide margin of error to make them, they have an equally wide margin of error for outcome. Pay attention to the direction and thickness of the hit.
3. Scratches.. Because the same width of a pocket on a 7' takes up more percentage of real estate than on a 9', try to stay at least 3-4" away, especially when hitting multiple rails with your cueball. Know your tangent lines and how speed, English, and stroke affect them.
4. Pure 9ballers like to over-stroke the ball a lot in 8ball. While that stroke is useful in some shots when movement of the cueball is necessary, you also need to attain the little pitty pat stroke as well.
If you are a straight 8baller, learn to play 9ball to know how to get around the table, and to be able to run multiple balls to the same pocket. I always played 8ball well, but learning 9ball opened up the game to me so I'm not afraid to get out of line or absolutely have to save my key ball for last if I get in trouble and need to take it earlier, because I know I have several options to get back into line, using common multiple rail patterns.
5. It's imperative to play at least 3 balls ahead so that you stay on the correct side of the shot.
6. Strengthen your kick, combo, and carom games. They come up all the time and will boost your win percentage. Kicking is a given, but on combos, pay attention to the first ball and where it will go in relation to the QB. Many times you will want it to stay near the same pocket and block it or have control of it. Other times, it may get ugly by playing soft and you'll need to hit it harder to get it or the QB out of there altogether.
7. Identify trouble balls and work on them ASAP. Trouble balls have the narrowest margin of error or have the least amount of pockets they can go into. From 0 pockets available, to only 1 or 2, plan your runs to take those out early. Sometimes, if there is only a very small window to get into only one pocket, I will treat it as a cluster and go for a breakout on it to move it into a more advantageous position, unless I can force a BIH. Conversely, I NEVER try to move existing balls unless I use them as a stopper or breakout, and just play the table as it lies, even getting short side shape if I have to, since it's a 7 footer.
8. Do not bump into their trouble balls if your ball is not in that cluster. Leave their problems for them to work on.
9. If I'm playing a player that is better or even just overconfident, and to try to force breakouts would be risky for me and maybe even more detrimental to them, I go ahead and let them do the heavy lifting so that if and when they mess up, I can go do cleanup of what's left. The more balls I leave in their way, the more chances that something may not go exactly right for them.
10. If your ball is blocked, look for another ball that you may be able to carom your ball off of, move theirs or break out something.
11. When you have BIH, I always try to accomplish 3 things, get the worst ball out of trouble and pocket it, breakout another trouble ball, and get shape on your next ball. You should always do at least one of those, but ideally, depending on table layout, I try to do all 3 at once. Just remember, after you have plugged all that into your brain, the last thing to do is concentrate on the shot and make it!
12. I try not to leave the last 2 balls (either the last ball and the 8, or the last 2 balls before the 8) on the same short rail, if they aren't within a few inches of either pocket. the reason being is that you have to stay within a certain wedge on the first ball to stay good on the next ball, so I will take one out earlier if possible. I also do not like leaving the last 2 on opposite side rails at about the same position. That means I will usually need an angle on both and you may be flirting with a side pocket scratch. That's just my preference.
13. This has to do with point 12, but a previous poster talked about pocketing all the balls in one area and not running all over the table. I certainly see many players chasing the cueball with no clue as to what they're doing, but I will take that ball on the same rail as the 8 early, then use another ball uptable to drop back down to the 8, to avoid getting out of line or too steep of an angle by playing them as the last 2. There are other instances where you will have a wider margin of error by coming from above than staying below where the 8 is.
That being said, normally you DO want to play most balls in an area, use the side pocket shots to naturally drift to the other end and finish the game. But sometimes it's safer and cleaner to get different position than what's afforded you in one area. It's all about percentages and what you feel your strengths and weaknesses are on any given shot and position.
14. Examine the stack for wired shots, for either player. This gets overlooked even for intermediate players. Some shots don't even look like they're on. Playing straight pool and one pocket or even taking lessons help there. And don't just look for offensive shots. If you see something on for your opponent, you can maybe nudge it with a safe or something so it isn't anymore.
15. Tie up their balls by nudging or soft banking (or even kick safeing) your ball in front of theirs, especially when their ball is on a rail or is a few inches out of the pocket.
16. There are also opportunities that come up to put the 8ball on an end rail in the middle of the rail. After you do that, then surround it with one of your balls on each end! Another good place to put the 8ball is on the same rail as the opponent's ball, nearer to the closest corner pocket. This forces them to bank, or try to run their ball up the rail past the side pocket, or take a risky breakout trying to move the 8.
17. If you're in a safety battle and you have no shot and they have a couple loose balls to play safe from, go ahead and make their balls and give up BIH. Of course, you don't want to give them BIH if they can just go ahead and break out or play an impossible safe on you, but remember it as an option. If you don't want to make their ball, shoot it intentionally to the other end of the table to cut down the chance of a breakout. Or tie their ball up somewhere.
18. If you have tried and tried to dig out a ball from a mess and keep missing and are running out of balls, don't keep making it worse by removing all your balls. You're a dead man walking if you only have 1 ball left (or just the 8ball!) and they have several left. Instead, bunt or shoot your ball into a position for a breakout ball, near a pocket.
19. Sometimes you will have more than one trouble area. If you get BIH, the smartest play may be to stick and freeze them on your ball in one trouble area (thereby freeing up one of the problem areas), forcing another BIH, then taking care of the 2nd area and running out, instead of trying to do it all on the first BIH.
20. If you have the 8ball wedged into the corner pocket by another ball and it would cost you the game to hit either ball, just have patience. There is usually a rule in any league about a deadlocked game where if you each foul 3x in a row and where it would lose the game for either of you to make a legal hit, then you would just rerack. I've seen people who don't know this rule and just give up and hit it. I'd rather chance winning the next game, than lose that way.
21. BTW, never concede the 8ball. Just like in 9ball, it's considered sharking. Besides, I've seen some goofy stuff happen on the simplest of shots.
22. A word about breaking. To break, there is usually a coin toss or a lag. Get proficient on lagging and remember there are several ways to foul on a lag! Also, I always call the coin in the air, for those wimps that know what's showing and manipulate the toss to go the opposite way.
Ok, I've put in my 22 cents for the year! Good luck with the 8ball games!
WOW! The Queen has spoken and it's volumes. It will take me a little time to go through all of the suggestions which are GOLDEN and I will add those that have not already been addressed but this whole post could be copied and pasted as a "cheat sheet".
I can tell you play great 8 ball by your suggestions alone. Thanks for the well-written suggestions!
Oh... I had one more tidbit (two more, okay) specific to Bar Pool 8-ball:
On a big table, playing on the wrong side and shooting back up table (or downtable) is usually something to stay away from. On a bar box, it's often the correct shot. It's a philosophy shift.
The other related one goes back to Linda's "work on your combinations" tip. I think you'll see more "easy combinations" in bar box 8-ball that you MUST shoot if you're going to be a good bar box 8-ball player. It's again a philosophy shift to openly welcome them.
Freddie
On a big table, playing on the wrong side and shooting back up table (or downtable) is usually something to stay away from. On a bar box, it's often the correct shot. It's a philosophy shift.
The other related one goes back to Linda's "work on your combinations" tip. I think you'll see more "easy combinations" in bar box 8-ball that you MUST shoot if you're going to be a good bar box 8-ball player. It's again a philosophy shift to openly welcome them.
Freddie
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All great points Linda!!! I'm highlighting these two because they do a much more in depth description than what I wrote.
Point #12 is such a huge thing to consider (it's the same as my number 3 reason of botched 8-ball runouts). I wonder how many people on this board have ever considered it?