Getting Out When It's Easy - 8-ball

[Snapshot9]

After reading

all 3 pages, I just want to know if most of you play for money! ... LOL

The 3 is the natural ball for shape on the 8 with shooting the 4 before it. The cue comes up on the long rail or very near it, you shoot the 3 in the corner, and automatic for the 8.

I already explained why the 2 could be a trouble ball, or that you would have to make a 'recovery shot' to get shape on the 8.

And you should always start in the middle of balls if possible, clearing them out makes it easier to get shape on the remaining balls since you have more room and no impending traffic patterns. A wrong angle for a ball in the middle of the table can change everything for the run.

 

[BRKNRUN]

all 3 pages, I just want to know if most of you play for money! ... LOL

The 3 is the natural ball for shape on the 8 with shooting the 4 before it. The cue comes up on the long rail or very near it, you shoot the 3 in the corner, and automatic for the 8.

I already explained why the 2 could be a trouble ball, or that you would have to make a 'recovery shot' to get shape on the 8.

And you should always start in the middle of balls if possible, clearing them out makes it easier to get shape on the remaining balls since you have more room and no impending traffic patterns. A wrong angle for a ball in the middle of the table can change everything for the run.

I like the 2 ball last bacause it has a bigger pocket to shoot into than the 3 ball......(But I would also get rid of the 3 ball as my first shot)

 

[uwate]

When I first looked at this I thought that taking the balls in the middle of the table then the balls to the left and take the 2/3 last before the eight was the best choice. I changed my mind though and decided I would start with the 3 first. The reason being is that I like taking the 3 and drawing back for the two balls in the middle of the table next. You eliminate the chance that you will get bad on the last two balls. This runout looks hard to screw up but I could see funny on the 3 and the 2 and having to do something harder than it should be to get those last two balls before the 8. With the 3 gone, all you do is roll down table and you have a huge area to get to in order to have a great shot on the 2.

my choice
3/6/7/5/4/2/8

 

[supergreenman]

So I was playing today and had a fortunate thing go my way and found myself solids with ball-in-hand. Instead of just smacking them all in, I took a very deliberate route to get out and figured I'd let you guys have at it, too. Most importantly, I'd like to know where you'd start and why.

CueTable Help

I seem to have taken a very different route than most. I chose to take the 3 first because it's the hardest ball on the table and it's not a great key ball for the 8. After the 3 Draw back for the 6 then the 7 in the side, 2 very easy shots that set you up for the 5 in the corner and gives you a nice angle to pot the 4 go 1 rail half way up table and leave you a straight in stop shot on the 2 then the 8 is as they say elementary.

CueTable Help

 

[catscradle]

You know, what's amazing here is, I still think just about everyone in this forum is going to get out here because the layout poses no problems whatsoever.

Except when we miss that dang easy shot, we should never miss.

However, this thread is already 3 pages because of all the different approaches to handling it. I think this is great.

I think I may post a few more today. One that's just as easy and one that's a little tricky.

 

[Get_A_Grip]

6, 7, 5, 4, 3, 2, 8.

That's the order that I chose too. The 6 & 7 in the side are the easiest way for me to get position on with that starting point. Then I just want to shoot the 3 and 2 last to have my key ball for the 8 ball.

 

[Fool 4 Pool]

Jude, I cast my vote for the 6,7,5,4,3,2,8. At first glance I was ready to start with the 5 since it seems to be the only potential problem ball. However, the 6 & 7 could turn out to be a problem area quickly if you don't fall on them correctly after the 4. The 6,7,5,4,3,2,8 sequence seems to allow for the easiest stupid-proof run for me, a run where there's not much speed involved, no english if I get my leaves right, and very simple rail work to leave out chances for error.
The 3/2 being pocketed in the bottom corner are the easiest risk-free for me, because neither would require english nor much speed on the ball. They're also very close to that particular pocket, giving me less chance for one of my famous WAM's (Wild-Assed Miss).
Anyway, that's my take on the run. This sequence provides me with no english, medium to soft speed shots, minimal cue ball movement, simple rail work, less opportunity for WAM's, and even alternatives if I get off-track. What more could you ask for?
F4P

 

[Cuebacca]

I seem to have taken a very different route than most. I chose to take the 3 first because it's the hardest ball on the table and it's not a great key ball for the 8. After the 3 Draw back for the 6 then the 7 in the side, 2 very easy shots that set you up for the 5 in the corner and gives you a nice angle to pot the 4 go 1 rail half way up table and leave you a straight in stop shot on the 2 then the 8 is as they say elementary.

CueTable Help

I could see going this way too. This has a (small) opportunity to get bad on the 6/7, while my way (6/7/5/4/3/2) had a (small) opportunity to get bad on the 3/2. The difference is SGM's route gets that risk over with towards the beginning of the rack, where you still have more time left to recover.

 

[BRKNRUN]

I could see going this way too. This has a (small) opportunity to get bad on the 6/7, while my way (6/7/5/4/3/2) had a (small) opportunity to get bad on the 3/2. The difference is SGM's route gets that risk over with towards the beginning of the rack, where you still have more time left to recover.

Ahemmm....SGM's route???....I believe he Carlos Mencia'd that route from me.....(post 40).....(JK)

 

[Cornerman]

So I was playing today and had a fortunate thing go my way and found myself solids with ball-in-hand. Instead of just smacking them all in, I took a very deliberate route to get out and figured I'd let you guys have at it, too. Most importantly, I'd like to know where you'd start and why.

CueTable Help

Part of Fred's Idiot Guide to Runout 8-ball:
With ball in hand,

The number one way a ball-in-hand out in 8-ball is botched is by leaving the object balls in the center of the table as the last balls. The balls in the center of the table block path routes, and are deceptively challenging when the "proper angle" is needed to get to the 8-ball.

The number two way to botch a ball-in-hand runout is to leave hanging balls until the last balls. IMO, there's little reason to take hangers out late.

The number three way to botch a ball-in-hand runout is to leave two balls side-by-side in the same pocket, as opposed to just leaving one ball as the last ball before the 8-ball. If you just take one out earlier, the there is no "which one do you have to get on first" failure mode.

The number four way to botch up a ball-in-hand runout is stick too tightly to the "clear all balls from one side of the table" misconception. I cant' recall where this idea is ever correct, yet so many people bring it up as if there's some sanity to it. This table layout, zero sanity in working the table left to right.

The number five way to botch up a ball-in-hand runout is try too hard to set yourself into rules. All rules are just guidelines.

To me, this can obviously be runout by several methods. But, 7-6-2-5-4-3 IMO has the least possibilities of pain, and the most possibilities of recovering if a snafu happens. Get the center of the table clear (6&7) , define your last ball (take the 2-ball out of the equation), and stop shots all the way around.

Fred

 

[Cuebacca]

Ahemmm....SGM's route???....I believe he Carlos Mencia'd that route from me.....(post 40).....(JK)

HAHAHAHAHA!!! Sorry! He did post that snazzy cue table pic though. That was pretty sweet! I stand hilariously corrected.

 

[catscradle]

...
The number one way a ball-in-hand out in 8-ball is botched is by leaving the object balls in the center of the table as the last balls. ....

Fred

Nice synopsis Fred. I remember on an accustats tape of an 8-ball round-robin tournament in LA, Bill Incardona said "balls in the middle of the table are trouble balls", he didn't say they were sometimes trouble balls, he said they were trouble balls. I always remember that when evaluating runout potential.

 

[Snookerd]

Start with the six in the bottom side with natural roll, natural roll the seven with a little roll forward, play the five making sure leave a natural angle for the 4 to roll up the rail for the option of the 3 or 2 , (whichever you "feel" more comfortable with") i would probably play the three , then the two stop , or forward a bit , then the 8 n out!!! When your playing 8 ball leaving yourself a few options I think is a good idea.

 

[supergreenman]

Ahemmm....SGM's route???....I believe he Carlos Mencia'd that route from me.....(post 40).....(JK)

Great mind think alike...... you must have got in there while I was doing up that cuetable diagram.

 

[Patrick Johnson]

Me:
I see the 6/7 very differently: they're the most forgiving balls on the table because they each have all 6 pockets open to them and all the rails available for shape. For that reason I like using them as "stepping stones" to get to the key balls (2/3) from the "trouble" balls (5/4).

Jude:
Hey Patrick, I can't agree with you here. "Stepping stones" should be fairly simple shots. Even though these balls have several pocket-options, the chance that you may be off-angle is pretty high. I mean, not so high that it's probable but high enough that it's POSSIBLE. Also, there is a chance to leave yourself long. THERE ARE situations where middle-table balls CAN BE stepping stones but I don't consider this scenario to be one of them.

After seeing your comments and some others I thought about this some more and came to the realization that balls on the rail have a distinct advantage over balls in the center: you can't get on the wrong side of them! So I've learned something from this thread already and changed my mind about the pattern.

But I have another question about the 2/3 as keyballs. Some have commented that it would be better to take one of those balls out early to prevent possible complications from having two balls to deal with just before the 8. I'd like to hear more about that concept...

pj
chgo

 

[Jude Rosenstock]

After seeing your comments and some others I thought about this some more and came to the realization that balls on the rail have a distinct advantage over balls in the center: you can't get on the wrong side of them! So I've learned something from this thread already and changed my mind about the pattern.

But I have another question about the 2/3 as keyballs. Some have commented that it would be better to take one of those balls out early to prevent possible complications from having two balls to deal with just before the 8. I'd like to hear more about that concept...

pj
chgo

Personally, I see the 3 as an easy ball to get a decent angle on. All I need is angle and I'm getting on the 2 so I don't view it as a problem. However, I can see how some people will go to their memory banks and recall a situation where they messed-up here. It just requires a little planning and you'll avoid the potential trap.

On the otherhand, I've seen some interesting patterns that take one of the balls away while keeping a good route to get back to the 8 so to a degree, I think this is a preference-thing.


P.S. Thank you for your comments. I'm glad the thread was some help for you.

 

[Cornerman]

But I have another question about the 2/3 as keyballs. Some have commented that it would be better to take one of those balls out early to prevent possible complications from having two balls to deal with just before the 8. I'd like to hear more about that concept...

pj
chgo

This is a good question that has a lot of conversation. Much of it is subtle. For example, you as a tall left-hander may not have the same issues ever come up as a short right hander. As a short right hander, I have to leave the last shot before the 8-ball long if I'm near straight in or with a pretty decent angle if I keep the cueball on my side of the table.

Because of these two short person right-hander issues, having only one last ball (the key ball in 8-ball) gains you a significant ease of runout. Taking one of those balls out early does no harm, but it gains so much ease.

For others, just imagine if you got dead straight on the 3-ball with the 2-ball still on the table. And getting dead straight is a pretty good possibility because the shot is going to be a "follow down the rail" type of shot from the 4-ball. Right?

Fred

 

[Russ Chewning]

no trouble balls to break out...I go with the 5 ball - why? To get the 2 balls furthest away from the 8 outta the way. 5,4, 7 (top screen) side, 6 (bottom screen) side, 3, 2, 8.

Although you can do it other ways, this would be the professional route to take.

No offense RunoutalloverU, but I'd bet my left testicle that 95% of the pros are not going to take the 5 and 4 before the middle balls in the table. Transitioning from the 4 to the 7, you could: get too much bounce off the rail, get too little bounce off the rail, get too much spin off the rail, get too little spin off the rail.

Will you be able to make the 7 after the 4? Almost CERTAINLY.

Will you be get slightly less/more angle than you want on the seven and be required to hit another rail for position? Who knows?

Playing the pattern EITHER 6, 7, 5, 4, 3, 2, 8 OR 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 8 is the solution. It's a 97% chance to run out that way. The other 3% is in case you get so excited that he sold out that you fall down from a heart attack.

The side pockets are nothing to be trifled with... "in general". There is NO reason to risk getting an angle on a ball in the side (when you don't NEED an angle). There are any number of ways that I can imagine going wrong transitioning from the 4 to 7 here..

End up too thin on the 7 cutting it to the left, and end up having to go one rail with slow follow to get back on the 6 in the side.. From THAT shot, you underhit just a tad.. And no you have a thin cut on the six, gettit?

End up up too thin on the 7 cutting it to the right, and have to go two rails to get back on the 6 in the side. Oh yeah... You are "crossing the line" of position getting back to the six, so you better change your pattern, or attempt to get "perfect" on the 6.

In short, there are a LOT of things that can go wrong by not taking the 6 and 7 first. If you take them first, you pretty much have to fall on your face to lose.

It's all automatic position.

Russ

 

[CrownCityCorey]

So I was playing today and had a fortunate thing go my way and found myself solids with ball-in-hand. Instead of just smacking them all in, I took a very deliberate route to get out and figured I'd let you guys have at it, too. Most importantly, I'd like to know where you'd start and why.

CueTable Help

6-7-5-4-3-2-8. Get rid of the mid table balls, the most troublesome for shape, first since I have ball in hand, then take care of the upper table and work my way towards the 8.

The two is my key ball because I can get crappy shape on it and still have no issue with getting to the 8 from it.

This is the least hazardous way to run-out, of course IMHO.

 

[Cuebacca]

No offense RunoutalloverU, but I'd bet my left testicle that 95% of the pros are not going to take the 5 and 4 before the middle balls in the table. Transitioning from the 4 to the 7, you could: get too much bounce off the rail, get too little bounce off the rail, get too much spin off the rail, get too little spin off the rail.

Will you be able to make the 7 after the 4? Almost CERTAINLY.

Will you be get slightly less/more angle than you want on the seven and be required to hit another rail for position? Who knows?

Playing the pattern EITHER 6, 7, 5, 4, 3, 2, 8 OR 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 8 is the solution. It's a 97% chance to run out that way. The other 3% is in case you get so excited that he sold out that you fall down from a heart attack.

The side pockets are nothing to be trifled with... "in general". There is NO reason to risk getting an angle on a ball in the side (when you don't NEED an angle). There are any number of ways that I can imagine going wrong transitioning from the 4 to 7 here..

End up too thin on the 7 cutting it to the left, and end up having to go one rail with slow follow to get back on the 6 in the side.. From THAT shot, you underhit just a tad.. And no you have a thin cut on the six, gettit?

End up up too thin on the 7 cutting it to the right, and have to go two rails to get back on the 6 in the side. Oh yeah... You are "crossing the line" of position getting back to the six, so you better change your pattern, or attempt to get "perfect" on the 6.

In short, there are a LOT of things that can go wrong by not taking the 6 and 7 first. If you take them first, you pretty much have to fall on your face to lose.

It's all automatic position.

Russ

RunoutalloverU, my post here is all in good fun, but I'd just like to point out the irony of the fact that you said I have a bar banger's mentality in that other thread.