Hooked After 9-Ball Break: Now What?

[sjm]

Here's another position I found interesting when it arose. I hit a nice break, made a ball, and stuck the rock, but ended up with this awkward position. What's the percentage play here?

To clarify the picture below, 1) you're not so near the five that you can't play a jump shot, but, obviously, it's a pretty tough jump, and 2) the four is positioned in a way that you can't jump in the one rail-first off the long rail, and 3) the one is fairly, but not extremely, deep in the pocket (though I couldn't figure out how to diagram that).

 

[SneakyPete]

I'd try and make the 1-Ball. Obviously you could push out but you'd still be in the same position with the 1-Ball being over the corner, or the other guy would make it and then have a chance to duck on you. Hopefully when you make the 1-Ball you will hit it thinly enough so that you come out to be able to hit the 2-Ball. The'd I'd try and play safe off that.

 

[Bob Jewett]

Here's another position I found interesting when it arose. I hit a nice break, made a ball, and stuck the rock, but ended up with this awkward position. What's the percentage play here?
.

I'd play a push-out. Pocket the one with the five-one combination and leave the cue ball on the head cushion. Or, if the cue ball frozen to the head cushion looks too hard, leave the cue ball off the cushion some.

If I were in a show-boat mood and playing against a banger, I might try two cushions to the one ball and make sure I hit it hard enough that the cue ball has a chance to get to the other end of the table by the two, but that's not the percentage shot.

 

[Colin Colenso]

Tricky situation indeed!

With ball in hand the out is not easy as getting good on the 2 will be tricky and good position on the 3 after that is no given. So I'd be tempted to try to kick the 1 ball in with speed hoping to hit it and get some shot on the 2 ball.

If I didn't know the rails well I'd consider a couple of push out options.

1. Play the 5 onto the 1 ball leaving the cue ball near the foot rail...but not so tough that I wouldn't want the shot.

2. Bank the 5 up onto or near the 9 ball to make the out trickier for the opponent. He/she still might catch the 6 ball trying to come around from the 1 to 2 ball.

btw: Good to see you using your new tech know how to our benefit sjm

 

[Drake]

Against any good player I would kick at the One ball two rails hoping for getting a good roll towards the Two ball and might even get shape. Yes, you might get hooked but probably not if you kick with a good amount of speed. If not, You will end up playing safe on the Two ball by thinning it and coming back up table OR hitting it the two ball full and playing the cueball behind the Nine ball. Other factors might change my shot if it's the first game of a set.......I might call a "push out" and shoot the obstructing ball into One ball and making my opponent play a good safety. If my opponent doesn't jump well, which is rare since the bunjee jumpers came out, I might call a "push out" and roll the cue ball a few more inches toward the side pocket where I can jump the One ball in and hope the obstructing balls don't hook me. One of the best pool players ever at controlling the Cue ball is Buddy Hall. Buddy once said...."Is it luck if you play to get lucky??". It would require some luck to get on the Two ball Kicking at it...but your probably won't get hooked.

 

[TATE]

I'd play a push-out. Pocket the one with the five-one combination and leave the cue ball on the head cushion. Or, if the cue ball frozen to the head cushion looks too hard, leave the cue ball off the cushion some.

If I were in a show-boat mood and playing against a banger, I might try two cushions to the one ball and make sure I hit it hard enough that the cue ball has a chance to get to the other end of the table by the two, but that's not the percentage shot.

I agree with Bob with the following exception. In this situation you have to evaluate your skills versus your opponent. If your opponent can't jump the cue ball, and you can, you push the cueball further away from the five and six, about a foot. He looks at it and has no kick shot and can't jump - he's going to give it back and if you get a roll you might run out. The table looks tough but it is runnable.

Like this:

START(
%Ar6D3%BC9U4%CI0D3%Dk1F5%EZ1T5%FX6S3%Hd1E6%IP8E4%PP5W4%_f0D3
%`r0F4%aR0V8
)END

WEI


If I can't jump but my opponent can, then I would push and hit the five into the one with the cue ball rolling forward and slightly right - to get too straight on the two to bank it, and too far over to twirl it in off the rail. Now his only choice is to shoot a defensive shot or to give you the shot back.

Here's the table: START(
%BC8U9%CI0D3%Dk1F5%Eq7E3%FX6S3%Hd1E6%IP8E4%Pf5V8

)END

If my opponent gave me the shot back, I would shoot this safe - it's just a thin hit on the left side of the two - all I would think about here was getting the cueball back behind the wall of balls:

START(
%BC8U9%CI0D3%Dk1F5%Eq7E3%FX6S3%Hd1E6%IP8E4%Pf5V8%WL9E2%XC7T9
%_L1[4%`C9V7%ae3V9%br3G9%ca9R0%dL9[5
)END

Chris

 

[Rod]

I'd play a push-out. Pocket the one with the five-one combination and leave the cue ball on the head cushion. Or, if the cue ball frozen to the head cushion looks too hard, leave the cue ball off the cushion some.

If I were in a show-boat mood and playing against a banger, I might try two cushions to the one ball and make sure I hit it hard enough that the cue ball has a chance to get to the other end of the table by the two, but that's not the percentage shot.

That's what I'd do Bob. Pocket the one with the 5 on a push.

Rod

 

[sjm]

Well, I feel pretty good about the responses because I did push by knocking the one in using the five. Part of my reason was that while I saw that something good could happen if I kicked hard at the one two rails, I find my kicks are a little less accurate when I hit the cue ball hard. I felt that the scratch on the kick was a significant danger and decided a conservative approach was called for. I've never asked anyone about this position before, and wondered whether I had played scared. Seems I didn't.

Thanks to all who participated. great job!

 

[sjm]

btw: Good to see you using your new tech know how to our benefit sjm

Well, when it comes to embedding a Wei table image in a post, you're my mentor, Colin, and students welcome the praise of their mentors. Guess you taught me well.

 

[Celtic]

Welp I am late in a response but yeah, 5-1 combo and leave the cueball on the rail would be my play. With the 8 and the 4 where they are I would not shoot the kick ever, even if they were not there I would likely not shoot it. The push making the 1 with the 5 and getting to the rail is a pretty good shot against anyone.

 

[TATE]

Well, when it comes to embedding a Wei table image in a post, you're my mentor, Colin, and students welcome the praise of their mentors. Guess you taught me well.

One thing I would ask is that you still include the text as well as the image. That way if we want to modify the image to show our response, we can still paste it.

Chris

 

[sjm]

One thing I would ask is that you still include the text as well as the image. That way if we want to modify the image to show our response, we can still paste it.

Chris

Great idea, Tate, I never relaized the extra value of including both the image and the wei code text, but now that I do, I'll try to remember to include the text next time. Thanks for your recommendation.