8-Ball Strategy Discussion

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34YearsOfPlayin

AzB Silver Member
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I play pool a few times a week with a novice player. I play 8 ball. However due to the skill gap I give the novice player 3 balls. Meaning that if there were say 7 striped balls on the table and they were stripes they would only have to pocket 4 balls and then pocket the 8 ball to win the game.

So I love learning strategy at this time. What would be your defensive strategy with this type of handicapped rules (giviing them 3 balls) Assuming the table layout was too hard to run. I cannot not obviously tie up there balls because they would not need to pocket them.









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I would play the exact same way I always do. Try to run out and lock them up if I can't. Not much strategy needed. That's why they get the spot.
*** if the table is too hard to run look for a way to play safe, while also opening up your balls if they are unrunable, into a more runable situation.
 
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34YearsOfPlayin said:
I play pool a few times a week with a novice player. I play 8 ball. However due to the skill gap I give the novice player 3 balls. Meaning that if there were say 7 striped balls on the table and they were stripes they would only have to pocket 4 balls and then pocket the 8 ball to win the game.

So I love learning strategy at this time. What would be your defensive strategy with this type of handicapped rules (giviing them 3 balls) Assuming the table layout was too hard to run. I cannot not obviously tie up there balls because they would not need to pocket them.









0
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There is a gaff game like that but you would remove the balls. The way you are playing, If he is smart he should beat you by keeping your balls tied up.

The gaff game was you would spot a guy say 5 balls. But you have the choices to remove the balls after the break. You would take the balls off opening the table and run out.

If he shoots first, you remove the balls so he has no shots. He can't do Anything because your balls are in the way. In fact you can give him all the balls and all he has to do is make the 8. You will still win. He is actually spotting you.
 
34YearsOfPlayin said:
I play pool a few times a week with a novice player. I play 8 ball. However due to the skill gap I give the novice player 3 balls. Meaning that if there were say 7 striped balls on the table and they were stripes they would only have to pocket 4 balls and then pocket the 8 ball to win the game.

So I love learning strategy at this time. What would be your defensive strategy with this type of handicapped rules (giviing them 3 balls) Assuming the table layout was too hard to run. I cannot not obviously tie up there balls because they would not need to pocket them.









0
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Let me qualify this by stating that I want a novice to enjoy the game and not get frustrated. If I’m evening the odds , they should be winning as often as I am.

However, if I was pure evil.

Novice players will just about always try to sink the most obvious shot. When practical, I would set up shots where they will ‘go for’ a shot that is more difficult than it appears or is obviously difficult but the only chance they have to sink a ball. As long as they miss as often as they sink a ball, you should get 3 or 4 visits to the table and maybe a ball in hand along the way.

When playing Snooker it’s easier to give points and still beat a novice. Just keep sending the white ball back to the bulk rail. Rinse, repeat,run up your own score on his foul points. However, neither fun for either you or your opponent.
 
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If you can get hold of it, there's a book "How to Hustle Your Friends at Pool", which advocates using hustler techniques of dumping to string your less skilled friend along.

The idea is they enjoy the game more and feel successful, and you get to stretch yourself rather than coast. Supposedly when the player gets better and you show more skill yourself, they appreciate what you've done.
 
You are no longer who you say you are. If account was made in 2017, unless you quit for 4 years you have played for longer than 34 years.

If it was a novice player I would not really play any safeties against them. When you say novice, I am thinking it's someone that has issues making a single ball unless it's almost in the pocket. Even if someone can make 2-3 balls at times, playing safe is not the best thing unless it's done for training.

I usually play with my friends that are D and C players that they get ball in hand if I miss a shot I am going for, that ends up about an even game overall without handicapping games or balls.
 
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hang-the-9 said:
I usually play with my friends that are D and C players that they get ball in hand if I miss a shot I am going for, that ends up about an even game overall without handicapping games or balls.
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I haven’t done that, but like the idea.
 
middleofnowhere said:
…….. In fact you can give him all the balls and all he has to do is make the 8. You will still win. He is actually spotting you.
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My favorite pitch to persuade the reluctant to gamble. Seldom refused (unprincipled hustlers find it easy to keep the action close, as when the stakes finally get up, ‘coup de grace’ is usually a lock).
 
34YearsOfPlayin said:
I play pool a few times a week with a novice player. I play 8 ball. However due to the skill gap I give the novice player 3 balls. Meaning that if there were say 7 striped balls on the table and they were stripes they would only have to pocket 4 balls and then pocket the 8 ball to win the game.

So I love learning strategy at this time. What would be your defensive strategy with this type of handicapped rules (giviing them 3 balls)
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The general defensive strategy is the 2 way shot. If you make it, you have position on your next shot. If you miss it, he does not have position on any shot.
34YearsOfPlayin said:
Assuming the table layout was too hard to run.
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Perhaps you should get better so this no longer applies (99% of the time).
34YearsOfPlayin said:
I cannot not obviously tie up there balls because they would not need to pocket them.
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You can also lob a ball into the jaws of a pocket taking pockets away from the opponent.
 
David in FL said:
I haven’t done that, but like the idea.
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If you think about how long it takes you to run out vs the opponent it's easy to see if this would work for a match. Say you can run out in 1-2 innings and it takes them 3-4, now you give them ball in hand and that 3-4 should drop by 1, maybe 2 for a C player, and it's a lot more fun for them since they can at least start out with a good shot and maybe a few more, instead of possibly ending up in a tough spot to shoot from. Note that the ball in hand is only after a miss, not a safe, although I do play at times that any miss is a ball in hand to them, meaning that I can't play a safe.
 
34YearsOfPlayin said:
I play pool a few times a week with a novice player. I play 8 ball. However due to the skill gap I give the novice player 3 balls. Meaning that if there were say 7 striped balls on the table and they were stripes they would only have to pocket 4 balls and then pocket the 8 ball to win the game.

So I love learning strategy at this time. What would be your defensive strategy with this type of handicapped rules (giviing them 3 balls) Assuming the table layout was too hard to run. I cannot not obviously tie up there balls because they would not need to pocket them.









0
Click to expand...
For our 8-ball handicapped tournaments, we just spot the weaker ranked player games on the wire. The minimum spot would be one game in a race to four if there is only a one ranking difference between the players. The maximum handicap might be three games in a race to four if there is a maximum ranking difference between the two players.

Yes, the higher skilled player will always have the advantage if the handicaps are accurate, because they know how to play defensive shots. I just feel it’s more beneficial for the weaker player in their efforts to improve, to play a legitimate game against better players, observing the choices and patterns the better player chooses, as opposed to a concocted game in which the weaker player doesn’t have to make all their balls to win a game. No, they may not win games very often, but when they do win a game, at least they know it’s a legitimate win.

The correct handicap will keep the pressure on the better player to perform and execute up to their level, in order to win. If a TD is doing a good job at handicapping matches between various skill level players, they’ll know it when the better players are whining that they are giving up too big of a spot even though they are still winning most of their matches, and at the same time the weaker players are also whining that they’re not getting a big enough spot.

For you and your buddy, you just need to experiment to find the correct number of games on the wire for you to spot him to make it a relatively even match. If you’re playing for $, I’m sure both of your opinions of what you each feel is a fair game spot will differ!
 
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ChrisinNC said:
... For you and your buddy, you just need to experiment to find the correct number of games on the wire for you to spot him to make it a relatively even match. If you’re playing for $, I’m sure both of your opinions of what you each feel is a fair game spot will differ!
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That will work well for money games, but if the point is to have each game competitive, you need some kind of ball spot or other handicap. Banking the last two might be interesting. That way the novice gets to shoot more balls.

As far as working out strategy, it sounds like the OPs friend doesn't play at all. Safety play can make someone like that frustrated, angry and resentful, especially once they figure out that you are playing safe.

How about this strategy: leave enough shots that your opponent likes to play. Leave fewer shots as he gets better.
 
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middleofnowhere said:
There is a gaff game like that but you would remove the balls. The way you are playing, If he is smart he should beat you by keeping your balls tied up.

The gaff game was you would spot a guy say 5 balls. But you have the choices to remove the balls after the break. You would take the balls off opening the table and run out.

If he shoots first, you remove the balls so he has no shots. He can't do Anything because your balls are in the way. In fact you can give him all the balls and all he has to do is make the 8. You will still win. He is actually spotting you.
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This. He with the most balls on the table is in control of the game.
 
Chili Palmer said:
This. He with the most balls on the table is in control of the game.
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It’s tough to explain that to newer players who think the object is simply to pocket balls.

I tell them to think of their balls as their soldiers. You don’t want to kill your own soldiers until you absolutely have to, or they can’t fight for you. 😊
 
You mentioned defense strategy but I think you'll find it's VERY hard to play with lower skilled players and still learn because if you want to learn proper defense then you gotta start locking them up in jail, and that's not fun for the other player.

I've been going round and round on the best way to play my non-pool friends (they get tired of losing) and I found when playing lower skill players I tend to just shoot right handed and try to have fun, I gave up on improving while playing them.
 
It hasen't been mentioned, playing opposit handed. Unless you are good at it it is an automatic handicap. Plus it can be fun for you and will get better at using both hands.
 
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