How do you play this...

[Donovan]

You don't *have* to shoot your ball in situations like this. Sometimes it is better to not break up the cluster, because if you miss, then your opponent may have an easy runout.

Someone once told me that whoever is first to break up the cluster in situations like this is [toast]! (Not exact word he used, but being as this is a "family" forum...)

Seems to me this is true.

So the idea in some situations like this is to *not* hit your ball, don't break up the cluster.

Various options are...
-Shoot cue ball at rail or into pocket giving opponent ball-in-hand (Don't hit anything).
-Pocket one of your opponent's balls (giving opponent ball-in-hand).
-Shoot at opponent's ball to leave it in a nasty place creating an additional trouble ball for opponent (giving opponent ball-in-hand). (Perhaps lightly hit 3 ball and try leave to it frozen to rail at the side pocket edge.)
-Move 8-ball into nasty spot or tie it up (giving opponent ball-in-hand). Maybe shoot the 8 softly so it moves over against the 5.

Of course with some very good players, if you give them ball-in-hand, they will be able to pocket just about any ball and break this out. So this could be "do or die".

Plus with the 3-foul-rule giving ball-in-hand just may be giving up the opportunity to be in this position for this shot again.

 

[Billy_Bob]

Plus with the 3-foul-rule giving ball-in-hand just may be giving up the opportunity to be in this position for this shot again.

I do that many times too. I'll look at a shot and think that I will not have the cue ball in such a good spot again, so better shoot that ball now!

Is there a 3-foul-rule? Is this BCA rules? I thought that was BCA 9-ball only?

 

[jsp]

That's not a bad idea except your opponent would put the ball behind the 5 and hit into the 5 comboing your ball down to the other short rail, leaving the cue behind the 5.

Now his 5 is freed up and you have a table length kick shot. When you miss, he has a wide open table.

I would win this layout Donovan posted 99% of the time if I am solids.

You're right. That would be a great counter-move.

 

[Deadon]

I don't think a safe is out of the question. Sometimes the diagrams are deceptive in size and angle, but to me.. I would thin the 11, sending it to the side rail and out in the lane between the 5 and the pocket. I would use a little high left and bring the cue ball back to freeze on the 8. Even if your close, all his easy shots are blocked and he is forced to play safe back while you have a ball close the pocket and the 8 in the open.

 

[Fatboy]

its a bad spot as we all know, bear with me for a minute, back in the day I would try and win every rack and get all nutted up if I lost a game and that cost me more racks later in the night-getting all stressed out. so unless this was a hill-hill rack I would take a light hearted approach and leave the cluster alone and intentionally foul and hope for the best, not putting so much pressure on myself, I have been back for a month since 94 and can tell that i'll be a better player than ever, looking at the whole picture. my mind would be on the next game unless its hill-hill. if it was hill-hill i still wouldnt break up that cluster, clusters are difficult to play shap for anyone. so why go into it?

thanks for sharing the shot it was interesting and I put alot of thought into it before i made this post but it looks bleak if your playing a good player.

 

[JoeyA]

The problem with fouling the cue ball and letting the other shooter shoot is just that. With SO MANY of his balls close to the pocket, it would be very easy for you opponent to pocket one of his balls and then play to break up the cluster. That is a no win-situatioin IMHO. He would have multiple chances to try again and again. Delaying the inevitable is not my cup of tea. I would rather risk making the carom bank than wait for the noose to tighten anymore. The fact is if there is any chance that he won't get out if I leave the cluster alone, there is also a chance that he won't get out if I break up the cluster either. This way I'm giving myself at least one chance to win and possibly more. The other way I am giving him a chance to win and only a half a chance for me to win.
JoeyA