Bar Tournament 8-ball Strategy

Related question

I play in a bar league with ball in hand behind the line after a foul. So a safety where your opponent does not hit his ball gives you the option, leave the cue ball where it ends up or ball in hand behind the line (you can't shoot your balls behind the line, or at least it's a foul).
There are a few good players in the league, most are ball-bangers. With the bangers, I don't play safeties.
I often run out leaving a ball or so, and this one guy plays as many safeties as he needs to in order to finally clean the table off. Logically or not, this makes me mad. What occurs to me, is that where I am left very tough after a safety, couldn't I just push one of his balls back behind the line to tie it up with one of his other balls, hopefully not leaving him a shot where the cue ends up either? Has anybody tried that?
 
Bar rules suck but on the upside I know the only reason why we are playing them is because 90% of my opponents are hacks that pick up a bar stick off of the wall to play and that I should beat them with whatever game rules we are playing.

I do play safety shot but as earlier stated I make it look like I missed. If it is really important to play a safe then I will play the obvious safe and hide them completely (legal BCA safe). If I get negative feedback I always say that the "safety" is just another option in anyone’s shot selection. There is just as much skill in leaving a perfect safety as in playing a tough shot. This is very rare and usually I let my opponent dictate the terms we play on. If the guy I am playing just hits his ball up table to leave me some long bank shot I will use the bar rules to do everything I can to screw the guy. If he plays an honest game then I usually stick to playing nice and will not go head hunting.

I did have a guy do this to me one night that pissed me off pretty good...:mad:

CueTable Help



I followed his shot with this....

CueTable Help



At the end I told him he should learn the game then come back:rolleyes:
 
The one rule of thumb is total mother freaking OFFENSE;
the asterisk there is the two way shot.
I can bet that even if safties are not allowed a bunch of them will eaither miscue of scratch if the majority or the only ball you have left is in the kitchen.
 
i play a similar format and yes, it's all offense. i hated playing it at first because of fake safety players. the all offense has done wonders for my game as well. you do need a 'have fun' attitude as oposed to the 'win' and then just run the damn table from whatever your given.
 
re: Dirty Pool in a tough joint

http://CueTable.com/B/?@4Calc4HWji3JCjW3KYsG2LJMV1PTCX4Walc4WcYu1kTCX4kaEW4kYvU@


I haven't figured how to get a table diagram to display but the address above goes to the illustration.



This is a play I saw Cornbread Red shoot in a blood bucket called Paul's Bar in Detroit when I was a kid.

Red was playing a fair shortstop who might beat him on a bar table in a short match, if he got a roll going, so Cornbread wasn't giving an inch.

Being a green apple, I kinda thought safety play was chicken or perverted or dirty pool. I had a lot to learn.

I almost fell over when Red directly fired the opponent's 3-ball into the pocket and froze the cue ball against the 8-ball.

It was a killer move without any ball in hand rule.


I quickly learned that the top players would shoot "dirty pool" anytime they could get away with it. They might not use these moves against suckers, but when they played each other anything goes was the rule.

Top hustlers regarded such plays a smart pool providing the opponent wasn't a chump with big fists, a bad temper and zero skill at pool.
 
I unfortunately have more experience playing bar rules than I would like since I like my drink. I never miss a ball on purpose and can usually go on winning for a couple hours or so.

Here's what I do:

I play the low percentage break out shot early as opposed to trying to get perfect on a subsequent break ball.

I always try to create one problem area for my opponent during my run. Don't run the balls like the other group doesn't exist. We're all imperfect, and we are capable of blowing a run out we should've completed.

When I don't have a shot, I play something low percentage but two ways or with the attempt to create congestion. If I have to sell out, I sell something out that will not help my opponent with his problem balls.

I pay attention to kicking with the right speed to leave 'em tough. Kicks is one aspect of the game that the bar banger will allow you to play safe with because he thinks you're just trying to contact the ball.

I pray to God luck doesn't decided the outcome of the game and He usually listens to me. Let's face it, most the time you're not going to break and run out on bar equipment with a lousy rack (which I never complain about). When God doesn't listen, I finish my drink and leave.

The rest is a matter of playing the game well, the correct patterns, knowing how to minimize risk, etc.

P.S. Even with the shitty rules I enjoy the game for what it is. Don't play expecting bar rules 8 ball to be serious pool, but play seriously. The game actually takes skill and it hurt Shane and Gabe none at all.
 
Last edited:
Dirty Pool With Illustration

CueTable Help



I think I figured the illustration gimmick.



This is a play I saw Cornbread Red shoot in a blood bucket called Paul's Bar in Detroit when I was a kid.

Red was playing a fair shortstop who might beat him on a bar table in a short match, if he got a roll going, so Cornbread wasn't giving an inch.

Being a green apple, I kinda thought safety play was chicken or perverted or dirty pool. I had a lot to learn.

I almost fell over when Red directly fired the opponent's 3-ball into the pocket and froze the cue ball against the 8-ball.

It was a killer move without any ball in hand rule.


I quickly learned that the top players would shoot "dirty pool" anytime they could get away with it. They might not use these moves against suckers, but when they played each other anything goes was the rule.

Top hustlers regarded such plays a smart pool providing the opponent wasn't a chump with big fists, a bad temper and zero skill at pool.
 
Last edited:
Dirty Pool With Illustration

CueTable Help



Hope the illustration shows this time.



This is a play I saw Cornbread Red shoot in a blood bucket called Paul's Bar in Detroit when I was a kid.

Red was playing a fair shortstop who might beat him on a bar table in a short match, if he got a roll going, so Cornbread wasn't giving an inch.

Being a green apple, I kinda thought safety play was chicken or perverted or dirty pool. I had a lot to learn.

I almost fell over when Red directly fired the opponent's 3-ball into the pocket and froze the cue ball against the 8-ball.

It was a killer move without any ball in hand rule.


I quickly learned that the top players would shoot "dirty pool" anytime they could get away with it. They might not use these moves against suckers, but when they played each other anything goes was the rule.

Top hustlers regarded such plays a smart pool providing the opponent wasn't a chump with big fists, a bad temper and zero skill at pool.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top