A 9-ball Brainteaser

[BRKNRUN]

My attempt would be draw back off the 3 in the corner, make the 4 in the side sending the CB off the end rail into the 6 (square in the face) to bump them apart....If successful, the rest is routine....It would not take much of a bump to create enough separation to make the 6 in the corner.

 

[Southpaw]

I would shoot the 3 in the lower corner and draw back so that I got the angle to shoot the 4 in the and float down into the 6 and the 8. From there, it should be a relatively routine run-out.

Southpaw

 

[despotic931]

Stop shot the 3 in the corner, 4 in the side moving down table for shape on the 5 in the corner nearest the 6-8. Pocket the 5 in the corner with high-inside going under the 6-8 to open them up (ideally with a shot on the 6 in the side or upper right corner). Worse case scenario, playing safe on the 6 behind the 8.

If I am successful with a shot on the 6 after the open up, the out is easy.

Exactly what I would TRY

Me pulling it off is a whole other story hehehe...

 

[Aaron_S]

After our games last night I'm sure you can see why I wouldn't try the saftey behind the six...lol.

Naaww, you had me sewed up pretty good several times. You're definitely favored to get out from here, though, so I'd agree with your offensive plan.

Aaron

 

[VIProfessor]

There is also the possibility of coming off the 4 and going into the 8 rail-first and thinly,with enough speed to clear the 6 and still leave yourself a shot on the 5,but that is also fraught with peril because if you are left with a thin cut on the 5,you might have to go up table and back,with 2 very large obstacles in the 7 and 9. Tommy D.

You sound like a fellow Grady Matthews fan. That's one of my favorite Gradyisms!

 

[havoc]

Stop shot the 3 in the corner, 4 in the side moving down table for shape on the 5 in the corner nearest the 6-8. Pocket the 5 in the corner with high-inside going under the 6-8 to open them up (ideally with a shot on the 6 in the side or upper right corner). Worse case scenario, playing safe on the 6 behind the 8.

If I am successful with a shot on the 6 after the open up, the out is easy.

my thoughts exactly.

 

[sjm]

sorry, post deleted, wrong thread

 

[ez2h8]

I see a different shot playing safe.

3 in the corner, 4 in the side with a lil draw back to center of table. Then call safe on the 5, hitting the 5 on the right and parking the cue ball behind the 6/8 with natural english. I won't leave much of a shot on the 5 for my opponent and if he makes the 5, he has to deal with the 6/8.

I could also break open the 6/8 if I play the safe too hard off the 5, but should still be behind them depending how far out the 5 rolls.

ez

 

[CrownCityCorey]

I see a different shot playing safe.

3 in the corner, 4 in the side with a lil draw back to center of table. Then call safe on the 5, hitting the 5 on the right and parking the cue ball behind the 6/8 with natural english. I won't leave much of a shot on the 5 for my opponent and if he makes the 5, he has to deal with the 6/8.

I could also break open the 6/8 if I play the safe too hard off the 5, but should still be behind them depending how far out the 5 rolls.

ez

The only problem with this one is if you don't bump the 6-8 open wide enough for the 6 to go, then even if you get ball in hand on the 5, you still need to deal with the 6-8. To me, no sense in putting off the inevitable.

 

[ez2h8]

The only problem with this one is if you don't bump the 6-8 open wide enough for the 6 to go, then even if you get ball in hand on the 5, you still need to deal with the 6-8. To me, no sense in putting off the inevitable.

True and a smart player might even give me ball in hand without taking an honest shot on the 5 if I did stick him. But if so, I could also shot the 5 over towards 6/8 as a safe, (hitting the rail of course) and then possibly make the other player hit all 3 balls. I played alot of league 8-ball safes this way and even though it's not fun, it's a different way of playing.

But I respect your insite
ez

 

[sjm]

Thanks for all the good responses. This layout came up in my game last Saturday. I played the safety to free the six, but really wondered whether I was being too passive. The kick I left wasn't that tough.

 

[Sensation]

I would probably draw back on the three, play the 4 in the side and roll down and barely tap the 8 6 coming off the the rail.

That's the way to go! I'd try to hit the 8 as full as I can. Chances of getting hooked afterwards are small according to me..

 

[seymore15074]

Shoot the 3 in the corner and stop. 4 in the corner and stop. 5 down table with one tip of right hand english leaving the cue ball between the 6 and 8.
Shot with right speed and bumping the 8 just an inch or so should leave a routine out and a tough kick on the 5.

I'm with you, play safe off of the 5, behind the 6-8. I wouldn't even think about it, I'd have that in mind since the break.

 

[Williebetmore]

What's your approach here to winning this rack? .

sjm,
A very similar situation came up in a St. Louis game recently. I was told that if you get an angle on the 4 that allows you to go rail first, very softly into the 8, then you will be virtually assured a shot on the 5, then the 6. If you can't go rail first into the 8, then I like the safety play on the 6. I will admit however to a strong personal bias (???character flaw???) towards running out WHENEVER EVEN REMOTELY POSSIBLE. Perhaps there is a support group for those inclined towards foolish runout attempts.

 

[I rack balls]

I have an Idea!! Lets post video of the FIRST attemp at this layout the way you think you would play it. If you play a safe lets see if it is good enough for you to not kick at and get lucky. Just an Idea.....

Eric.A.

 

[Sensation]

The problem with the safe off the 5 behind the 6 and 8 is the following: if you don't move the 6 making your safety, the problem will still be there...

 

[Deadon]

Another idea, not necessarily my first choice but: Pocket to the 5, cue ball near the spot, play 3 rail safe leaving the cue ball tight behind the 8 and the 6 in the middle near the other end rail. Tough hit and not much chance for luck.

Also, the soft break-up, unless end rail first, will also put the 6 on a path to block the shot on the 5 if not hit perfect. Let alone the possibility of ending up behind the 8.

 

[Opie]

I make the 3 in the corner, 4 in the side and leave myself a long rail bank on the 5. I bank the 5 uptable and play safe behind the 6,8. I hopefully nudge the back of the 6 when playing safe so that it can be made in the corner. What's good about this is when your safe behind the 6,8 your taking away both long rail kicks at the 5 and you also have distance from the 5. I like my chances of winning the game against just about anyone from here. If they have to kick 8 1/2 feet at a ball by going 2 or more rails, their chances of hitting the ball are not good and their chances of hitting it and not leaving me a shot are even less than that. I know alot of people are gonna try to runout by breaking up the 6,8 but too much can go wrong. Even if you break out the 6,8 and aren't hooked, you might get out-of-line in the breakout which could cause problems later in the rack. Just my opinions.

 

[Poolhalljunkie]

Out

I would put a touch of draw on the 3 to the corner 4 in the side leaving the Q on the opposite long rail below the side pocket play the 5 in the corner trying for a leave above the spot to either bank the 6 or play a 3 rail safe.

 

[PoolBum]

I agree with those who have said that too much can go wrong shooting the 4 in the side and trying to come down and break up the 6-8 while leaving a shot on the 5. To wit:

-You have to roll pretty softly into the 8 if you want to leave a shot on the 5, otherwise you lose your cueball and aren't guaranteed any shot on the 5. This means both your speed and accuracy have to be close to perfect to both break up the 6-8 and get a good shot on the 5.

-If you go into the cushion too close to the 8 you can get a kiss coming off the cushion into the 8 (when it hits the 6) and scratch in the corner (now you've opened the table for your opponent and given him ball-in-hand).

-You can get hooked behind the 8 if your speed is too soft going into the 6-8.

So, I like shooting the stop shot on the 3 in the corner. From the diagram it looks like that leaves a slight angle on the 4 to play shape on the 5 for the corner pocket near the 8-6. I agree with Corey here that the best way to leave an angle on the 5 to go into the 6-8 is to stay above the 5 and use top-right English. You'd have to be pretty unlucky not to get some kind of shot on the 6 at that point. But one caveat--I would follow the 5 with a little speed to make sure I get the 6 away from the 8 and that I also get my cueball away from the 8. Ideal would be to get deep enough behind the 6 to hit almost full into the 8 and not move the 6 at all. The cueball would ticky back into the side cushion and leave a nice shot on the 6 in the same corner as the 5.