Do you give the 9-Ball or let shoot everything

[Jimmy M.]

Eh, I give up the 9 here and there. It depends on the person. Some people like to make you shoot every 9 so, in those cases, I typically let them shoot most 9's also.

 

[hilla_hilla]

I make EVERYone shoot the 9 if it's in a tournament match, even the GREAT's. For fun, if it's someone not to serious about their game but still plays decent I won't make em shoot it.

 

[billbOK]

The 9 ball ??? I always give the 7 ball

 

[CocoboloCowboy]

I make them shoot ever ball, as I have seen many players miss an easy shot.

 

[predator]

Not letting your opponent shoot the final 8 or 9 is just like giving up a spot. It also shows lack of respect for game's difficulty. I do it sometimes when I'm really angry at myself. Not a good move...hate myself when I do that.

 

[stick8]

give 9ball

I often see that if a Player has only one last Ball for the win like the 9-Ball that the opponent dont let him shoot it as a gift.
Especially on easy shots. Also on the last 2 Balls as well.

How about you ?? If the opponent has only 1 or 2 Balls left...do you let him shoot or do you say that its ok and start to rack.

I?m asking because i have seen many Players miss an easy shot because their nerves are getting week. I even have seen Efren Reyes missing a short distance stop shot on the last Ball for the win once. For me that was incredible to see that even a Player of his quality standards missing an easy shot on the last Ball.

How do you handle it ??

Well i was shooting earl in a tourny in athens ga, or rather i was racking for earl!! race to 7 in tourny, and he put a 5 pack on me, and after each game i would help gather up balls, well i made him shoot all 9ball, and calmley said to him, earl i would give you some of thes gimmies, but these people come to see you shoot, and he acuatly grined and said.o.k. waxes me. but next game Brian Butler puts a 7 pack on him!!!!!

 

[RRfireblade]

Definately depends ,

If the game matters at all , I usually make them shoot 'em all unless I think giving them one here and there might shake them off thier focus. Depends alot on the player and the situation.

In practice and playing with friends and such , if I don't get out when I KNOW I should have , I often give the rest of the rack. I feel like if I made a mistake that would cost me the game to a better player , then I like to practice that way. It's kinda like a variable spot.

Personally , I like to shoot ever ball . . . except maybe , when it's a hanger on the other side of the table in a crowded room. Then I'll take the gift.

 

[Jude Rosenstock]

20 years ago players would wipe the table sometimes with 3 or 4,5 balls left in a 9B game, granted the tables were easier, what I have noticed these days that people are making everyone shoot everything, to me thats a nit move-----let the bullets fly,

When i'm in a game $500 race to 9 or more $$$, I stragically give the 9 or 8,9 and sometimes I make them shoot it, it has more value as a move than the likelyhood of making someone shoot everything and hope for a miss. <-----read that again, its a move, moves are more valuable than making a person shot a shot he aint gonna miss. even wiping the table and losing a game isnt the worst thing ever, the idea is to break down your man not let him just keep making shots he aint gonna miss and get pumped up. now i will sometimes take the 8,9 off the table, I wont wipe the table like I said above those were alot stronger players, specifically Kim Davenport did it alot and I watched Keith do it too, The weaker the player the less you can do that, i give up 8,9 at the right time the 7,8,9 very rarely but i'm hardly a great player, right now i cant play at all-back thing so i'm not in action and make them shoot them all, this move is for action not tournments. And in some cases depending on the ebb and flow of the game and opponint I do make them shoot them all, but giving up a game here and there isnt the end of the world.



for some reason this mentality went out the window sometime during my 14 yr retirement. I'm not sure why i'm even sharing it. Ask some oldtime hardcore gamblers about this, I was talking to Kim Davenport about it recently, I wont quote him without his permission but we are on the same page. praying for your opponent to miss is weak. I'm only talking about ation. give up some games and do it right ,go win some $$$ and Rep me. thx

I mean, I think this sums it up COMPLETELY. This is the very reason why you wipe the table - not out of respect but to get in your opponent's head.

 

[Neil]

..............

 

[Robbie]

I love to not concede the nine after my opponent has given me a few games. It pisses them off so bad, and eventually they'll miss an easy one because they're so frustrated that you don't give it to them.

Exactly. Depends on the opponent too. I had one guy giving me every last ball, even some very non-routine shots (down the rail, tight pockets). He left himself the same shot, I just stood there, and he rattled it. One miss like that can start a swing for sure. I normally always make them shoot.

One exception though... gambling with a guy who plays about even with me, we gamble all the time. We are more practice partners, but we play for money, and are out to kill each other everytime. We play races to 5, and one match, I had won the first 3, all 5-0. Was feeling good, one of those days. I did miss a couple times in the 3 sets, but he was sitting so long between shots, just couldnt get into stroke.

A couple games later, I dog the 4ball, and leave him a pretty easy out. He makes the 4, then the 5. I pulled the balls out of the pocket, gave him the last 4. It was a super easy run. My thinking was (and Im sure many will disagree) that I didnt want him getting into a rhythm. He was a little startled that I did that, didnt break well, and I won that set 5-1.

Pool for me, alot of things depend on the situation. Thats what I like about it. With some players, if you give them a couple 9s that you really believe they are going to make anyway, when they get to a tougher 9, and havent had to shoot one yet (ie, a game winning ball), they will choke. One thing though, if I am on the hill, or he is on the hill, he is always shooting the 9. Everytime.

 

[Robbie]

Guess I shoulda reads fatboys post first. Perfect!

 

[Rumplestiltskin]

I guess not knowing how too many people here play, it's hard to understand their position on the whole thing. Until about 5 years ago, I played in a lot of local tourneys and did a lot of small-time gambling, but seldom more than 10 a game or 100 a set. However, since I got my start in gambling by playing friends, and have always treated people with respect(except those that don't deserve it), I've always seen it as a show of respect and accepted it as a show of respect to let them "pick it up." (ok maybe I watched a little too much golf last weekend) I don't really see it as a "move" as I don't see how it could even make a difference in that regard. Giving up a gimme when you're in the 12th rack of a $10/game matchup wouldn't seem to make much of a difference, so unless it's an 80% or lower shot, I typically give it to 'em, and typically receive the same in return. I guess it's all relative... I was never more than a low-B player, except on the occasion where I caught that gear and couldn't miss. It has never made any difference to me if someone gives me a ball or 3, and I never cared much if someone made or missed a 9ball, regardless of the percentage. If you play enough games, it all evens out.

Fatboy is right, it is a 'move'. And I'm surprised that more people didn't seem to know that. It's been around a LONG time.

This is how I use it, and yes, have had it used on me- First off, if you are hoping that your opponent will miss that 'duck', you are doing nothing more than sharking yourself. Sure, it happens once in a great while. But you are sitting there 99% discouraged because he didn't miss the duck.

The reasons I give it up can vary. It might be just to save some table time. It does add up. It might be out of respect. It might be to keep him from that feeling of having made the 9 and won;that feeling might get him in dead stroke. Not something I want to have happen.

It could also be that I give it to him say ten times in a row. Then out of the blue I make him shoot it. Now the whole time he is shooting, he is wondering why I am making him shoot it. He doesn't have proper focus on the shot, and now he just might miss it. If he does, mission accomplished. Even if he does make it, he will still be wondering why I didn't give it to him. Loss of focus again. Any loss of focus, you can't be in dead stroke.

Now, in a tournament, I always make them shoot it. There is a little added pressure there and the lesser players are more prone to dog the 8 or 9. Last week a guy had me 2-0 in a race to three and an absolute gimmie on the 9 to win the set. I almost gave it to him, but didn't feel like getting up. He miscued and I went on to win the set. He admitted afterwards that he choked because he almost beat me 3-0. A better player would not choke though.

 

[jbullerjr]

I think I am going to try something different.

Next time during practice, I am going to give him every bank or hard cut shot on the nine and make him shoot every straight in. Think that will mess with his head?

 

[back2good1]

I often see that if a Player has only one last Ball for the win like the 9-Ball that the opponent dont let him shoot it as a gift.
Especially on easy shots. Also on the last 2 Balls as well.

How about you ?? If the opponent has only 1 or 2 Balls left...do you let him shoot or do you say that its ok and start to rack.

I?m asking because i have seen many Players miss an easy shot because their nerves are getting week. I even have seen Efren Reyes missing a short distance stop shot on the last Ball for the win once. For me that was incredible to see that even a Player of his quality standards missing an easy shot on the last Ball.

How do you handle it ??

I make them shoot it all the time... I dont want it to become expected that I will give them ANY shot.

-Back2good1

 

[SCCues]

Gambling or Tournaments = shoot em all, some people actually consider it sharking.

Fun with friends = give em some, make em shoot some depends

Well said and I agree with you. I don't give balls gambling, but just playing for fun with a friend I usually rack the balls if it an obvious simple shot or two....

James

 

[9 on the snap]

I would NEVER make someone make a 2 inch put on the golf course, even when gambling. I feel it's the same thing. I always concede a hanger, or the nine if it's pretty close, but thats about it. It's about respect, not charity.

 

[stevekur1]

Some tme ago i used to play in a tourney that would if you were cought conseeding a 9 ball, they would penalize you a game for it !

They were doing that to protect the interest of the person who bought the players in the calcutta. and yeah you would be suprised how many "Good Players" dog 9 Balls !

i typically dont give away 9-Balls unless i am pissed that i missed it, and left it hanging or an easy shot left on it. i once was so pissed i cleared the table after missing a 1 Ball.

Man my temper is bad sometimes ! ! ! !

Steve

 

[akaTrigger]

June Hager Walter told me to always make them shoot the last ball.

Even if they get ball in hand, I make them shoot it. I have seen people miscue with ball in hand on their last ball.

 

[Cuebacca]

I try not to concede any balls unless I basically ran out the whole rack and then shanked the 9, leaving an easy shot. Or if I scratch on the 9, I wouldn't bother making them shoot, typically.

Otherwise I just make them shoot all the balls. Like akaTrigger said, you never know when someone's going to miscue or get a skid. It's not even that I'm sitting there hoping that will happen, but sometimes it just does.

I also don't like the idea of pulling moves and trying to get people out of their game. The only way I would want to do that is with my own shooting, not through sharking. Just my opinion. I suppose my opinion might change if I were down in the trenches trying to make a living from gambling on pool.

 

[madhaterm3]

unless in a casual setting, its disrespectful to the game and your oponent imo.