Great match between Kristina Tkach and Han Yu at the women's Predator event in Austria.
Watching it, I got the clearest reminder in a while of why players should always call a ball in 10b, even if they are playing safe.
Link to the youtube video of the shot
Hill-hill for the first set. Yu plays safe off the 2, but whoops, accidentally makes it, leaving the 3 open not for a shot, but for an easy safe. If Yu had called the 2, she would be be shooting, but instead Kristina gets to play the gimme safety, and from there runs out the rack and the set.
I see too many pros making that same mistake. It is pretty basic game theory. But in 10b, because the other player has the option to give the table back to you if you slop a ball in, one should always (not sometimes, not usually, not almost always, but always) call a ball anyways. That is because there are four outcomes from a safety play:
1) You make no balls, and get the hook
2) You make no balls, and miss the hook
3) You make a ball, and get the hook
4) You make a ball, and miss the hook
For #1-3, whether you call a pocket or not, you are no worse off. For #1/2 you didn't make a ball so it'll be your opponent's shot anyways. For #3, you'll get the table given back to you even if you don't call a ball. So it doesn't make a difference at all in three of the four cases whether or not you call a pocket.
But in case #4 it matters a lot, because it can be either you at the table or your opponent, who is definitely not going to give the table back. So call the most likely pocket even if playing safe. You'll never be worse off, but will sometimes be much, much better off.
(I won't spoil the ending of the above match for those who haven't seen it, but it's a great match full of high-level play and is definitely worth a watch.)
Watching it, I got the clearest reminder in a while of why players should always call a ball in 10b, even if they are playing safe.
Link to the youtube video of the shot
Hill-hill for the first set. Yu plays safe off the 2, but whoops, accidentally makes it, leaving the 3 open not for a shot, but for an easy safe. If Yu had called the 2, she would be be shooting, but instead Kristina gets to play the gimme safety, and from there runs out the rack and the set.
I see too many pros making that same mistake. It is pretty basic game theory. But in 10b, because the other player has the option to give the table back to you if you slop a ball in, one should always (not sometimes, not usually, not almost always, but always) call a ball anyways. That is because there are four outcomes from a safety play:
1) You make no balls, and get the hook
2) You make no balls, and miss the hook
3) You make a ball, and get the hook
4) You make a ball, and miss the hook
For #1-3, whether you call a pocket or not, you are no worse off. For #1/2 you didn't make a ball so it'll be your opponent's shot anyways. For #3, you'll get the table given back to you even if you don't call a ball. So it doesn't make a difference at all in three of the four cases whether or not you call a pocket.
But in case #4 it matters a lot, because it can be either you at the table or your opponent, who is definitely not going to give the table back. So call the most likely pocket even if playing safe. You'll never be worse off, but will sometimes be much, much better off.
(I won't spoil the ending of the above match for those who haven't seen it, but it's a great match full of high-level play and is definitely worth a watch.)