9 Ball: What Do you Do Here - Dec 30 #2

sjm

Older and Wiser
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Playing nine ball, opponent has scratch on the break. Plan your play with ball in hand.
 

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sjm said:
Playing nine ball, opponent has scratch on the break. Plan your play with ball in hand.
Pretty much the same answer as for scenario three. I would play a direct carom from the one to the nine.

Tracy
 
sjm said:
Playing nine ball, opponent has scratch on the break. Plan your play with ball in hand.

sjm,
I like the idea of a direct carom from the one into the nine. It should be set up as a SUPER-thin cut on the one; just barely tickling it - I believe success rate will be highest with this approach.
 
Williebetmore said:
sjm,
I like the idea of a direct carom from the one into the nine. It should be set up as a SUPER-thin cut on the one; just barely tickling it - I believe success rate will be highest with this approach.
Yep that is my thought. Even if it misses, you aren't leaving much.

Tracy
 
I would let the cue ball frozen behind the 3 and get the one in the middle of the table by 3 rails. Chances are: he's gonna miss the one and/or sell the easy combo.
 
LOL, it's funny that I am always different. I don't like the direct carom. I'm playing a 2 rail billiard off the 1 into the 9. Even if I miss, the 1 is still up on the end rail because I only thinned it, and the 2 is still tied up. The only danger is scratching on the 9 by following it in.
 
Williebetmore said:
sjm,
I like the idea of a direct carom from the one into the nine. It should be set up as a SUPER-thin cut on the one; just barely tickling it - I believe success rate will be highest with this approach.

I really like your thought here.I was thinking the same exact thing.The reason it is so crucial to THIN the 1 is because that makes it move the least.A few good things happen as a result as long as you accomplish the extremely thin hit,barely moving the 1,which realistically isn't that difficult........

1.If you miss the 9,the 1 will likely be behind the 3 and create a natural safety.
2.The accuracy rate of hitting the carom correctly is big because you are starting with ball in hand.
3.If executed correctly,you win the Game!!

The one thing you HAVE to make sure of is that you don't hit the 1 too thickly.This could result in the 1 leaking out and your opponent having a great chance for the combination 1-9 combo bank,which they will more than likely fire at because of the 2-7 cluster downtable.
 
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I'd probably try to play safe and leave the cue froze to the three and get the 1 up table a bit. Would probably try to use the six to block the 1 rail kick into the 1 ball.
 
Id play a lock up safe and make him kick almost full table into the 1. When he misses it take ball in hand for the 1 - 9 combo. If he doesnt miss it, its bound to be easier then whats already there.
 
I'm not giving the shot back on this set up, not even a lock up ( stuff happens...LOL ) I'd set up for the direct carom, making the one, but to rail first the cb on 9ball in order to take the possiblity of the follow-in scratch out of play. Even if I miss the nine the cb will two rail out to the center area where I could put together a nice safety off the 2ball or if worse comes to worse and I was hooked on the 2ball I could just pocket the 9ball giving up ball in hand and remain in the battle
 
I have different take on this situation. First I would play the one in the corner and leave the cue ball in the middle of the table. From there, I can play a rail first billiard into the nine off the two.

Because the two is so close to the rail, I can be pretty precise about the hit, and If I even come close to making the billiard the 2-7 will separate, but neither ball will travel too far. Because the 7 won't move more than a few inches, it can act as an auxiliary blocker for the 2 and as a bonus, it would take away the one rail 2-9 billiard even if the opponent is able to see the ball. On top of that the threat of the hanging nine ball still exists, leaving my opponent with nothing but truly unpleasant options. It will, at that point, be hard to play safe on the two without selling out, and if he/she plays the intentional foul by sinking the nine, I'll have 'em on two fouls!

Edit--The above sounds nice and all, but maybe I've been playing too much chess or watching too much one hole. I think perhaps the best option is the thin-cut billiard on the nine, but making sure that you contact the side rail before the nine. After all, with BIH a player should be able to do that practically 100%, right?
 
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9 Ball: What Do you Do Here - Dec 30 #2

> I also play the thin-hit billiard on the 9,aiming to come in rail-first as someone else mentioned,to take the chance of a scratch out of play. It leaves the possibility too of you not making the 9,but stacking up on top of the 9,forcing the opponent to possibly execute a very thin hit on the 1 uptable,or kick,while jacked up and bridging off the back of the corner pocket. I've done this before in a fairly similar situation,and had the opponent foul by hitting the 9 first and knocking it into the pocket. The cue ball went downtable and broke out the ball I had played safe on,the 9 was replaced by the TD as close to the original position as possible,with ball in hand. It worked,I won that game then snapped the 9 in for the match. Tommy D.
 
I'm playing the soft carom off the one into the nine immeidately, like most of you. Still, where you leave the one is significant. The home run is if you park it under the three, but if you let opponent see either edge of the one, and also leave the one right next to the three, it sets up easy defense for opponent if you happen to miss the carom.

I like leaving the one about half way between the three and the pocket along the top rail.

Thanks for the great responses.
 
Harvywallbanger said:
Id play a safe behind the 3 setting up for the 1-9.

I would do the same safe. But the caroom would be tempting. Have to gauge the ability of my opponent and then decide.
ez
 
I would cut the 1 ball in the lower right corner. The cueball would hit the right short rail and corrom in the 9 ball combination. I always go for the cheese on a high percentage shot like this.
 
How about a thin hit off the 1 (cueball near the endrail) into the 3 and make the 9? It looks like you can make the 1 and the tangent line will take you into the 3 in line with the 9. But it's no good if you make the 1 and not the 9 of course...

Just a thought I'm surprised no one considered it.
 
I will try a super thin caroom. Meaning hiding the 1-ball behind the 3-ball and also trying the 9-ball.
 
I might put the cb against the end rail, pocket the one, and send whitey on a search and destroy mission down toward the nine. I'd just want to be sure to hit it hard enough so that if I miss the nine I can still hit the two.
 
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