Do you have a strategy when playing a higher rated player?

[lfigueroa]

The goal needs to be to play *your* best game.

The udder guy is going to do what he’s going to do and all you have control of is *your* game. You might be surprised how often playing your best game will get the job done against a higher ranked player.

Lou Figueroa

 

[Texas Carom Club]

I've beaten better players than me in tournaments, some times I've simply out shot them that night.
Sometimes I make it difficult for them in leaving certain balls in they're way and removing ones that could help with a break out, and taking advantage of his misses whenever there were any

 

[Texas Carom Club]

Lower players than me just shoot and hit God awful dumb shots that make all kinds of shit happen like absurd break out and position to royally screwing you on the return position

 

[evergruven]

I routinely play a player ~250 Fargo higher than me. I usually get destroyed, but if I play my best at times I can win on a shortish (5 or so) race. I rack an awful lot. Even a higher rated player can have swings, you gotta capitalize on anything like that and just game tight.

yep, no one pays perfect all the time. don't psych yourself out before you play. play as good as you can, mental and physically, and see what happens..

 

[straightline]

All the pool I've been around or involved in; most of it was better than me anyway. Just made mental note - "Need to get better". Always the same note...

 

[Fatboy]

Ride the 9!

That’s more than reasonable

 

[TheBasics]

Howdy All;

No mention of the game, just mentioned that it's a Double elimination.
No mention as which bracket A side or B side.
If on the A side then you are doing well if it is not the first match up.
If the B side then you may be more familiar with the headspace for being there.
opponent not so much, maybe.
Anyway, People like to have small talk, gossip, I'd find out as much as I can about
opponent before the match as I can (research), What he likes to shoot at, doesn't
like to shoot at. Wandering around watching other matches (more research).
I like to play my best and that can be regarding pocketing or playing Safe. I like
to win rather then lose. I intend to give whoever the best game I'm capable of in
each match and hope for the same in return.

hank

 

[Bavafongoul]

You don’t change a thing in terms of strategy with the exception that you should consider smart safety play
when your shot probability drops below 75%. Now that is reflective of your confidence level but there are
going to be shots that you will consider that are harder than you wanted due to your cue ball position. Those
are the ones worth considering safety play. Every shot I take is performed with an expectation I will pocket it.

But within my own mind, I know some are harder and that is when and where the excitement, the rush comes
from when you make an ooh or aah type shot, especially when you also get sweet shape. Getting back to the
original question, play your own game the way you normally play but give more consideration to safety play.

Now the one thing you should change, if you do not already do this, is adopt a strict bio-rhythm and pre-shot
routine when you are playing up or down in competition. Consistency is the best platform for repeatability and
that’s what you want on your stroke. A consistent, repeatable stroke is a key to playing your best. So having a
solid pre-shot routine and measured practice strokes is a asset whereas not having it can become a liability.

 

[Tin Man]

The people who write "Play your game, don't play your opponent" are correct to a point. The problem is that it's easier said than done.

On a mental side it is complicated. There is a lot that goes into it and none of it can be learned without some painful losses and experiences. Still, a good understanding of the mental game can help prepare and learn from mistakes so you grow more rapidly.

My main point is to understand our own tendencies. In general it is really easy to go into desperation mode too easily against a stronger player. Instead of playing a cinch safe that leaves an easy hit, we decide to go for some fancier safety that will lock him up if we hit it perfectly (only we then sell dead out). Instead of playing a safe we go for that bank shot.

Why do we do this? Maybe because we're afraid of letting them back to the table. But I've wondered if it's because we project perfection onto our opponent and then feel we have to prove we can play at the same level. I'm not sure. I just know it's a tendency.

As a result, when I play better players I know I have to focus on doing simple things that I know I can execute even if it seems conservative at times. Whenever I have a decision between something routine and marginally effective versus a showy knock out punch type of shot that is harder to execute I generally default to being a little tighter.

Keep in mind, this is only on close decisions. MANY times the right shot is clearly offensive and you can't beat a great player without playing well. But when it's a close call and the pressure is on and there are two reasonable options and you feel your heart pumping and your arm tightening up, my experience has taught me I don't have to try to go all in on that table length bank. It's ok to split the balls and make them earn it.

I want to repeat, this is a FINE TUNE. What can be done can be overdone.

But if you understand the tendencies you can avoid falling into those imbalances, which helps to 'play your game'.

 

[David in FL]

Simple.

Play better than he does…

 

[Woodshaft]

I just enjoy the underdog role. There's no pressure on me to win.
That said, I slow down just a tad and play a few more "two-way" shots than I would against a lower player. I also play safe more often rather than attempting tuff "50/50" shots.
I try to get a few more "balls-in-hand" off my safeties-- make the player a little uncomfortable.
Most importantly, the last thing you wanna do is play fast-- the better player will usually thrive off your misses if you do.

 

[Zerksies]

I take it as a learning situation, almost a free lesson. It sounds like one of them no win situations. What i like to do in those situations is play my hardest to win. Pay attention to why i made a mistake. Also pay attention to what my opponent is doing wrong and right.

 

[Cornerman]

Playing the table makes sense when you are going for the runout. But when playing a safety or deciding whether to play a safety, you need to consider what your opponent’s response is likely to be. Therefore, you need to consider your opponent’s ability.

If I am playing a weaker player, I will play more conservatively. I will play more safeties and will be willing to play weaker safeties.

If I am playing a stronger player, I will play more aggressively because he is more likely to be able to get out of all but the best safeties.

One time when coaching an APA 4 vs. a 7, I advised him to go for a tricky runout because the only safe he could play would have left the 7 an easy kick on the 8 ball. The safe might have worked against a 2-4, but not against better players. After the match, the 7 told me that he was hoping that my player would play the safety.

I think this post is excellent. In the OP’s case, the opponent is twice as good (100 pt different). Other than by luck, there is no “my safety game is better than his returns” concept for the weaker player, despite the romance of many posters over the years. From a “you must play the table,” playing *more* safeties against weaker players is absolutely the way to go because their returns are weaker, and that “is the safety easier than the shot” needle moves.

The lesser prayer should just shoot, and hope he plays his best while the other guy plays down.

 

[ShootingArts]

I just enjoy the underdog role. There's no pressure on me to win.
That said, I slow down just a tad and play a few more "two-way" shots than I would against a lower player. I also play safe more often rather than attempting tuff "50/50" shots.
I try to get a few more "balls-in-hand" off my safeties-- make the player a little uncomfortable.
Most importantly, the last thing you wanna do is play fast-- the better player will usually thrive off your misses if you do.

In the days before the internet boom a top road player had dropped in on me. We started out both playing pure offense. After a couple hours it was obvious that he was slowly reeling me in, something that hadn't happened on my home turf in several years or more. Not doing it every shot I might miss or often enough to be real noticeable I started mixing in a few two way shots. This reversed the trend and without being blatant about changing my play he never made an adjustment. I eventually reeled him in.

Hu

 

[bbb]

i lower my %make threshold when deciding when to play safe
figuring a mediocre safe is better than a miss with the cue ball in the open

 

[Island Drive]

So you are playing in a regional double elimination tournament. Your rating is a 500. You draw a 600. Do you have a strategy to play a higher rated player? Chances are if you miss he is going to run out on you. So, when you get out of shape (of course you will...you are a 500!) do you try to make the tough shot or look to duck? Do you play loose and fire away or try to play the grease?

Get a good night's rest, eat properly...get used to the tables and equipment before the event starts.
To get better, one must remember their mistakes and learn from that.

Your comment, thinking that a 600 will run out is self-defeating, I think the man in the mirror has issues.

 

[Woodshaft]

Your comment, thinking that a 600 will run out is self-defeating, I think the man in the mirror has issues.

I agree.
According to fargorate's site, 600's run out about 20% of the time on their first trip to the table.
The point here is, although 600's are solid (relative to 500's), they're not 700's.
You can make 600's "work" if you slow down and use your head.

 

[eastcoast_chris]

There is a reason the person is a 500.... they aren't that good. They won't catch a gear and out play the 100+ player. Try your best and learn from the beating. And remember, Fargo is calculated on games won, not matches won. So a 9-6 loss isn't that bad statistically. Also, a 600 makes lots of mistakes and probably only runs 50% of open racks. (based on my experience)

Now if it is a 650 playing a 750, then there is a chance that the 650 can have a great match and outshoot + outluck the 750 and steal the match. In this case the 650 should just play very smart pool. Don't give any free chances by taking stupid chances... especially at the start of the match. Don't give the stronger player the impression that you're not going to really try to beat them.

 

[Pin]

Personal temperament seems to be a big factor in how people respond to these situations. I see a match against a better player as an exciting challenge, and I'm looking for ways to win. But that comes to me naturally.

One of the things I try to consider at the start of my innings is if I let the other guy back to the table (without a safe), given the layout, is he going to get out. Against a very strong player, the answer it more likely to be yes. (In which case I'll look to improve my layout, worsen his, and safe, at some point in my innings. Or try for a harder out than I otherwise would.)

I remember once playing against a (slightly) better player who didn't know my game well. We were about even when I broke and ran two straight racks (which put me ahead by one). He convinced himself he was outmatched and maybe won one more rack in the match.

That kind of temperament issue, I think can be overcome. If I'd pointed out that he was still about level and playing well when it happened, and that anyone capable of running racks will sometimes string a couple together by chance, maybe that could have changed his outlook.

I didn't tell him anything of the kind—why help your local opponents improve? But I kind of regret it now. Its only amateur pool, and you can help someone out, maybe give them a more positive outlook...

I'm also reminded of playing poker (live, small money) and keeping quiet to avoid giving things away. In hindsight, whatever, if anything, I'd give away was probably worth less than engaging with people, sharing ideas, etc.

 

[justnum]

Pay for lessons ahead of time and wait to give the signal to dump.