Ball spot vs Wire spot

S

SloMoHolic

When will then be now?
Silver Member
What are the equivalent spots?

Example: Maybe I give him the choice of the wild 8, or alternatively, 2 or 3 games on the wire in a race to 7.

If I was getting the spot, what should I choose?

What is the wild 8 "worth" in terms of games on the wire?

Feel free to expand into the 7-out, or last three, or any other ball-spot.

Where do you draw the line?

Thanks for your advice.

-Blake
 
What is your skill level and your opponents? I played in both beginner 8-ball and intermediate/advance 9-ball leagues. In 8-ball, the handicap was by ball, and 85% of the players would probably come in as D's in the 9-ball league. In the 9-ball league, it was 2 games difference for every level in a race to 7. C vs B would be 5 and 7.
 
This one of the most interesting things about pool. Even a total scrub can match up with a pro. Its not always about how good you play, its how good you are at making a game.

It all depends on the players style and how they shoot, but there are guidelines. Even some guys who aren't that good, are still decent at combos and hail mary shots. With a little luck, even one spot ball can turn a set around.

IMO, the 8 is worth about a game on the wire in a race to 5. A wild 8 would be more equal to 2 games on 7. Seven and out is a pretty huge spot, I'd say about 4 games on 8. The higher the level, the more apt a player will be to take the guaranteed games as opposed to weight(and vice versa).


SloMoHolic said:
What are the equivalent spots?

Example: Maybe I give him the choice of the wild 8, or alternatively, 2 or 3 games on the wire in a race to 7.

If I was getting the spot, what should I choose?

What is the wild 8 "worth" in terms of games on the wire?

Feel free to expand into the 7-out, or last three, or any other ball-spot.

Where do you draw the line?

Thanks for your advice.

-Blake
Click to expand...
 
it depends on how u play and how your opponent plays. with 2 players at an intermediate level the wild 8 can be a huge spot, but if u are playing against a monstor then the first thing u want is the break and then try to get as many numbered balls as u can, but that still doesn't mean it's a good spot. getting all the breaks does take away u sitting on your keester for 5-6 games without a shot. matching up is a skill within itself and u could probably write a 300 page book and u still couldn't cover all the permutations.
 
In my opinion ball spots are semi-random and gaffy. They're a great way to add luck to a game like 9b
that already has enough. They're also useful for an experienced player to reel in someone who doesn't
understand how the spot works. I had some thoughts on a similar question a while ago.
Assuming the wild ball doesn't count on the break and is racked correctly
so it cannot hang up for an easy combo:

D vs F player: coin flip who gets to game ball first. So which ball = game ball is irrelevant.

D vs A player: the A player will have the game firmly in hand by the third ball,
so unless the spot is the 4-out, any ball spot is irrelevant.

C vs B player: these are the guys who can dog their game ball, or the ball before,
so getting those balls is quite helpful for either. They are a threat to run maybe 6-7 balls reliably but not all 9.
That's probably why getting the 7 or 8 is a popular spot, because this is the level where it matters most.

A vs AAA player: unless the ball is wild or counts on the break, either player will run out an open rack
and one or two balls is fairly meaningless. The guy who reaches the 7 or 8 ball would have finished the rack anyway.

So it all depends on your skill level and there is no easy math you can do to convert balls to games.
Whether a ball is wild on the break also matters a lot. You might play a whole set where it doesn't come into play,
and then five minutes later you get 3 or 4 racks where it goes on the break or gets combo'd early.

Games on the wire is a much more sensible spot. I'd say a B player needs about 2:1 in games vs an A player.
So in a race to 7, 3 games would be a good spot, and the set is short enough that luck can help the B
even though he's a little bit underdog.

A C player vs. an A player needs tons of games on the wire, like 75%... 5 games in a race 7 would be good.
 
SloMoHolic said:
What are the equivalent spots?

Example: Maybe I give him the choice of the wild 8, or alternatively, 2 or 3 games on the wire in a race to 7.

If I was getting the spot, what should I choose?

What is the wild 8 "worth" in terms of games on the wire?

Feel free to expand into the 7-out, or last three, or any other ball-spot.

Where do you draw the line?

Thanks for your advice.

-Blake
Click to expand...

As has been said it depends on the skill level of you and your opponent. If I am playing a better player then I would rather have games on the wire. The ball spot doesn't make much of a difference since most games I make the 8 I am out anyway. Change it to the 7 and I would probably rather have the ball spot.

I think I would rather give games to a weaker player as well though. They will have more difficulty running balls so the wild 8 would be more of an advantage for them as far as combos and not having to play shape on and make the 9.

Who are you talking about and what did I miss? :)
 
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