8-ball situation in league 9.09.09

dirtypool40

dirtypool40

I love this freakin' game
Silver Member
So I know it's nothing earth shattering, but these couple situations came up last night. I am a 7 playing a 4 (Roughly, as this league counts balls, it's all screwy, but that should give you a skill idea).

Game 1: I broke into the second ball, made three and left an ugly clustered layout, that left me scrambling and playing catch up the whole game. 8-ball really can be like getting dealt a bad hand of cards.

So towards the end, my opponent had this frozen 8 and I had finally freed up my balls after a couple missed break outs and weak safeties.

So I am left with this: I am solids, and this is the first option I saw, and did NOT shoot. Bank the 7 into his hanging 9, make it, and leave him a tough bank on the 8.

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Instead, I talked myself into as Grady would say "playing a bunt safety the length of the table". Hoping to leave him spinning the 9 in with low % of control for shape on the 8. This was what I WANTED...

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So he still hits the 9 funny and misses the 8.

He leaves me like this...

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The punchline is I hit the 7 great and pooch the 1 straight in. :grinning-moose: Finding a way to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.
 
He broke Game 2, and scratched. I made a nice, dicey little out, then broke and ran this rack.

This was game #3

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I know it's not going to threaten Efren, but it was tight on the little 8 footers, and the lanes presented an interesting set of problems.

Here's what I saw:

The solids seem to be the clear choice, but the 2 is tight and doesn't lead well to an 8 that only has one pocket. I looked like a trap, to where I might run most of the balls, and freeze on the back of one of his stripes, just in time to lose the game.

I didn't shoot the 2 first, because starting the run with a touchy, thin cut, and turning whitey loose into the crowd just ain't my bag, baby.

I knew getting the right angle on the 2 and 3 would be the key, and I kept trying to get an early look at them, so IF I am going to dog it, do it early and have hope for a tie up.
 
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I ran the first few like this, preferring to run them in litle clusters, and clear out this side first. I kept looking to see if I had lucked into a good angle as I moved around, playing shape to a certain ball, with "what if" checking.

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So I start with the 3, and roll off the 1 for the 7 in the side, almost straight in, into a wide swath for shape on the 6 that should let me move to the 5 or that damned 2.

The 6 is my get off ball, I can see it into almost any pocket, and move to almost any ball. I was playing to make the 7 and roll up for the 2, with the 6 as back up, and if somehow I got lucky shape on the 5 with angle to move across to the 2, so be it.

Instead, I missed shape on everything EXCEPT the 6. I was hooked from being able to see the 2 by a HAIR!!! (Not sure if the diagram shows this accurately).
 
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So, I roll the 6 in, grrrrrrrrraze the 13 on the way in and have an angle on the 3.

I chose to move the cue back out between the 12 & 13 instead of flirting with the 14 & 8.

I ended up with almost the same thin cut I had been avoiding :rolleyes: and was contemplating flinging his royal whiteness up table and back down with a hail mary prayer of weaving through traffic...
 
Instead, I hit a "heavy ball" with inside juice and ran that honkey into the 10. It spun so much it almost stopped there off a full hit, but I ended up with a shot on the 8, and...

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Winner, Winner, chicken dinner. :happydance:
 
Wow, these are a lot of shots to go over so I'll just begin with the first one. I'm not fond of how you approached this. It's not a bad idea, it's just not my preference and I'll explain why. It's a high demand shot while still leaving an opportunity for your opponent to win the game. All this work, bank-in his remaining stripe while holding the cueball to leave a bank still leaves a very makeable bank.

EDIT: I just remembered you played another shot. I'm not fond of that idea either simply because you're hiding behind a ball that's frozen to the rail. Even though it's in close proximity to the ball you're contacting, that 8ball provides very little coverage. This shot would be more of an option if the cueball were closer but with the distance you have to shoot combined with the fact that you're kinda on the wrong side of the 5ball to hit it very thin, it's just too hard with little reward.

I like this idea - the primary objective is to hide the cueball behind either the 1 or the 5 and because of their close proximity, it actually makes this a fairly large target. The bonus is making the 9 which REALLY locks him up.

I'm not saying this is an easy safe but a common safe you can develop a feel for with some practice.

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Jude Rosenstock said:
Wow, these are a lot of shots to go over so I'll just begin with the first one. I'm not fond of how you approached this. It's not a bad idea, it's just not my preference and I'll explain why. It's a high demand shot while still leaving an opportunity for your opponent to win the game. All this work, bank-in his remaining stripe while holding the cueball to leave a bank still leaves a very makeable bank.

EDIT: I just remembered you played another shot. I'm not fond of that idea either simply because you're hiding behind a ball that's frozen to the rail. Even though it's in close proximity to the ball you're contacting, that 8ball provides very little coverage. This shot would be more of an option if the cueball were closer but with the distance you have to shoot combined with the fact that you're kinda on the wrong side of the 5ball to hit it very thin, it's just too hard with little reward.

I like this idea - the primary objective is to hide the cueball behind either the 1 or the 5 and because of their close proximity, it actually makes this a fairly large target. The bonus is making the 9 which REALLY locks him up.

I'm not saying this is an easy safe but a common safe you can develop a feel for with some practice.
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Good points. I could have played some running / outside and run down to crash into the 1/5. Part of the reason I was looking "safe" was the 1/5 wasn't easy. You're right, if I bank the 7, and spin into the 1/5 a lot of good things can happen.

Of course I thought the safety I played woulda coulda shoulda won the game, but I just plain hit it bad. The closer I get to the 8, sliding up that rail, the more of a "lock" it becomes, but I just pooched it.

The bank I diagrammed might have worked, tempting him to go for a bank (he's a 4) and trying to leave him something that will double kiss.

Just thought it was an interesting spot, one that I did NOT execute my way out of. :o
 
dirtypool40 said:
Good points. I could have played some running / outside and run down to crash into the 1/5. Part of the reason I was looking "safe" was the 1/5 wasn't easy. You're right, if I bank the 7, and spin into the 1/5 a lot of good things can happen.

Of course I thought the safety I played woulda coulda shoulda won the game, but I just plain hit it bad. The closer I get to the 8, sliding up that rail, the more of a "lock" it becomes, but I just pooched it.

The bank I diagrammed might have worked, tempting him to go for a bank (he's a 4) and trying to leave him something that will double kiss.

Just thought it was an interesting spot, one that I did NOT execute my way out of. :o
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The thing is, low ranked players are often bank specialists! Either way, it's a tough situation to be in. I'm also not saying to "crash into the 1 and 5". I mean deliberately fall behind them. It's a very common safety in 9ball and very applicable here.
 
Regarding the second game, I honestly am having problems following your diagrams. I'm not sure if you're asking a question and if you are, the specific shot you're asking a question about.
 
You can post multiple pages in the same Wei table so you don't have to post each 3 ball run individually. Nice out though. On the first one, I might have considered hitting the other side of the 5 and hiding behind the 1. It does leave an open kick though, but you could also block the lower right pocket with the 5 or at least make him think twice about going for that.

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Jude Rosenstock said:
Regarding the second game, I honestly am having problems following your diagrams. I'm not sure if you're asking a question and if you are, the specific shot you're asking a question about.
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No real questions, just showing a situation, and what for me was a touchy little "out".

I like your safety. What about playing to hit the side rail and either get the hook on the 8 or behind the 1/5 like this?

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How do you remember this sh1t. After running a table I have problems remembering the second last ball I hit.

Just saying....
 
dirtypool40 said:
No real questions, just showing a situation, and what for me was a touchy little "out".

I like your safety. What about playing to hit the side rail and either get the hook on the 8 or behind the 1/5 like this?

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I like this less because of the formation of the 1/5. You're simply more likely to run into the 5 and leave a shot. If the 1/5 were the same distance away from the head-rail, I would agree with you.
 
I just saw this and only have time to comment on the situation of game one. To start off, hooking him with his ball hanging leaves too good of a kick and position on the eight. So I would pass on that. Plus the hook is not automatic

My suggestion would be to softly cut your seven ball to pocket his ball and the cue ball traveling two rails across table leaving him fairly straight on the eight but with your ball in the way. The cue ball naturally wants to roll in that direction. Leaving the eight this way limits the banking possibilities on the eight. When you play the combo to his ball you would also call your seven ball to that pocket in case it follows in. If it does follow in this will put you in a better position for a better safe being closer to your other two balls.

I did set this up once and it would up just as planned. Not difficult, just needed a nice cut to his hanging ball. The rest worked out by itself. You could also just pocket combo his ball and kill the cue ball on the right side of the table and leave him with an off angle bank. This would be my second choice. Maybe someone that understands this can put it on wei table.
 
2_Fast_4_Fleas said:
I would be lucky to remember who won the last game much less how the balls were layed out :grin-square:
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And this is the first 8-ball layout I remember this clearly.

The runout before it was tighter, but I was so focused on each little hurdle, I can't remember the layout of the balls. :rolleyes:
 
I can't figure out if you want feedback or congratulations, so I will say "congratulations, you play great."
 
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