Advantage after the break
- Thread starter brigeton
- Start date
Depending on his skill level, he may or may not have the advantage. There can't be a blanket "the guy shooting next has the advantage" statement here.
You can't say "the best player always has the advantage". You also can't say "the person shooting always has the advantage". But you already know that. Have fun with your trolling.
Thanks for amending your statement.
I generally find a moves game is one of the last skill sets learnt. Odds are if they can't run out they don't have the chops to out move anyone either.
Not if you are the APA 5 and can't run out often, have less knowledge of safety and pattern play. If I was to bet per game with a 5 vs a 7 but the 5 got every break and the first shot even if they made nothing on the break, I would still bet on the 7.
Be that as it may, these were not issues addressed in the OP.
The shooter has the advantage until they give it away.
In the OP he talks about a 5 and a 7. He didn't specify who was shooting. I'd say I don't think it matters who was shooting in his scenario, I'd bet on the 7.
That's actually exactly what was asked, if a 5 or a 7 has the advantage with an open table or a clustered table. The 5 never has the advantage because they are not likely at all to run out vs a 7 on an open table or on a tied up table, no mention of which of them was actually shooting first or the game situation. That's why I said that question is a bad one without a good answer past the obvious "the better player has the advantage". Now if the question was "a 5 has 4 balls to shoot at an open table and is the one shooting in good position vs a 7, who is likely to win". I may pick the 5 in that case since a 5 "should" be able to run out 4 balls. Before the game started, no matter who was breaking or how the layout was after the break, the better player has the advantage even if the 5 shoots first, but again in the question none of that was a variable, it was just open vs clustered table. Even after the break, if someone came to me and said "5 vs 7 5 has the first shot, I would not bother looking at the layout and it's safe to bet on the 7.
In any case, if you were a 5 shooting first, you don't have an advantage over a 7 with all things being equal. This is why a pro can give a good B player the break and ball in hand after the break and still win most sets, the difference is the ability. I have seen a pro lose with a spot like that but the other guy not only had the break, ball in hand but also had something like the 7 or last 2 or 3 or something silly. Now if we had two 7s on the table, then yes the player at the table is at an advantage.
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I would think you have to be pretty unskilled if you cant beat a person who is out to block pockets. I wouldn't call myself a "strong" player, I get a fair amount of break and runs but I'm really much better at running 5, 6, or 7 than all 8 balls. I don't often find it very difficult to follow one of my balls behind an opponents ball when its close to the jaws, if they leave their ball too far out of the opening then you can usually send your ball around theirs and carom your ball in. The problem isn't getting out of line but more a case of not getting blocked by an opponents ball on a 7' table with a full rack spread out. There are so many times you have to play pinpoint position or move your ball or an opponents ball.