How do you play this...

[Donovan]

8-ball, you are stripes, and it is your turn.

I would like to see what other can come up with and then I'll share what happened to me. This was crazy, but it was too fun not to share.

CueTable Layout

 

[Rodney]

Looks like if I miss, it's all over, so I would carom the 11 off the 5 cross corner. Not a good % shot for me, but with that table, you need to get out.

 

[Snapshot9]

The move

You shave the 8 where it rests up against the 5, and just barely moves the 11 to where it blocks the 5 being made from the other side.

Shooting the 11 off the 5 one rail in the corner is a very low percentage shot indeed, considering that you would get too much kiss off the 5. Of course, you could shoot it and use low right to send the 8 towards the same corner for the 11 to kiss off of, and it might go in then.

 

[AZE]

That's a sick situation.. playing it off of the 5 cross corner was the first thing that came to mind, but it doesn't look like it goes with the balls like that - I would say just thin it and bank cross corner but it looks like the 8-ball might get carom'd in.

... I'd probably just try and get the 11 as close to any pocket as possible and just shark the shit out of the guy when he's shooting the 8.

 

[poolplayer2093]

You shave the 8 where it rests up against the 5, and just barely moves the 11 to where it blocks the 5 being made from the other side.

Shooting the 11 off the 5 one rail in the corner is a very low percentage shot indeed, considering that you would get too much kiss off the 5. Of course, you could shoot it and use low right to send the 8 towards the same corner for the 11 to kiss off of, and it might go in then.

i like snapshot9's shot. i don't think the 5 goes in the bottom corner though and i don't trust myself not to hit it too thick so i'd probably just foul and not hit anything

 

[poolplayer2093]

my bad it does go so i'd try snapshot9's shot

 

[Rodney]

If my opponent is the same skill as me, then safe is out of the question. There's no way I'll win the game(without getting extremely lucky) when I don't get to see day light on my last ball, and my opponent can set his balls up at will to eventually make a break out.

If I didn't think the carom goes, then maybe thin cut it cross corner, but it looks like the cue MAY kiss the 5, and put it in the way. It's so tough for me to judge on these wei tables.

 

[Slider]

Hey... do you want to win or not?

... I'd probably just try and get the 11 as close to any pocket as possible and just shark the shit out of the guy when he's shooting the 8.

If you're going to make a move like that, it's better to have the BCA backing you up.

I wouldn't mess around here... a tough spot like this calls for some good old-fashioned trickery and deceit.

Squint, glance over to a dark obscure corner of the room, and say, "What the hell is that chick doing with her top off?"

Then, speed-pool style, quickly pocket the 1 and then the 2, taking over solids. The way the balls are laying, you have three tries to break out the 5.

 

[Mr. Wilson]

No guts, no glory.

bank the 11 cross corner and cross your fingers.

 

[jsp]

The question is if your opponent can pot the 5 in any pocket with ball in hand. It looks like the 11 is blocking the 5 to the bottom-right corner, and it doesn't look like you can fit the CB between the 8 and 5 to the top-right corner.

So if those 2 conditions hold, and there is no 3-foul rule, I would bank his 3 ball cross-side to hit the left side of the 4 ball, such that the 4 ball gets pocketed and the 3 ball is sent to the left side of the table. That way you eliminate 2 of his balls he can use to break out his 5. Sure he'll have ball in hand, but it'll still be tough to break out his 5 even with BIH.

However, if the 5 ball can be potted with BIH, or if there is a 3-foul rule, then I would attempt the cross corner bank on the 11 and pray you don't pot the 8 in the same pocket.

 

[Rodney]

The question is if your opponent can pot the 5 in any pocket with ball in hand. It looks like the 11 is blocking the 5 to the bottom-right corner, and it doesn't look like you can fit the CB between the 8 and 5 to the top-right corner.

So if those 2 conditions hold, and there is no 3-foul rule, I would bank his 3 ball cross-side to hit the left side of the 4 ball, such that the 4 ball gets pocketed and the 3 ball is sent to the left side of the table. That way you eliminate 2 of his balls he can use to break out his 5. Sure he'll have ball in hand, but it'll still be tough to break out his 5 even with BIH.

However, if the 5 ball can be potted with BIH, or if there is a 3-foul rule, then I would attempt the cross corner bank on the 11 and pray you don't pot the 8 in the same pocket.

If you played this shot on me, with b.i.h., I would break out the 5 with the 2, and stick you behind the 3. But it looks like the 5 can be potted with b.i.h.

 

[JoeyA]

8-ball, you are stripes, and it is your turn.

I would like to see what other can come up with and then I'll share what happened to me. This was crazy, but it was too fun not to share.

CueTable Layout

I think a safety is out of the question so I would power up and slam the stripe hoping to make it carom off the five ball and bank the eleven ball one rail into the corner pocket, trying to hold shape on the 8 in case I get lucky and pocket the 11 ball.
JoeyA

 

[Donovan]

Here is what happened...

Man did this one hurt!

I just kept looking at that carom cross corner and knowing that the safety option was really slim and that I did not want to give ball in hand with that layout or even give the guy a shot...I went for it. However as you can see the 5 ball rebounded an stuck his tongue out at me as it came back and kissed off the cue ball to drive the 8 ball in right behind my 11.

It was one of those, "WOH! OH NO! " shots. I thought I had kept the 8 from damage but I did not see the 5 caroming off the damn squatted cue ball into the 8. It all happened so fast, we had to laugh and talk about it some.

Thanks for your thoughts. You gotta hate it when that happens!

CueTable Result

 

[bigpocket]

I would try to tie some thing up.

 

[ShootingArts]

wonders of the computer table!

With the wonders of the computer practice table at poolcomps I set up the shot and with 20/20 hindsight working for me shot your carom with a little draw. It worked on the first try! I would want quite a few more tries on a real table.

Hu

 

[Donovan]

With the wonders of the computer practice table at poolcomps I set up the shot and with 20/20 hindsight working for me shot your carom with a little draw. It worked on the first try! I would want quite a few more tries on a real table.

Hu

LOL, did the 8 go too?

 

[TX Poolnut]

The question is if your opponent can pot the 5 in any pocket with ball in hand. It looks like the 11 is blocking the 5 to the bottom-right corner, and it doesn't look like you can fit the CB between the 8 and 5 to the top-right corner.

So if those 2 conditions hold, and there is no 3-foul rule, I would bank his 3 ball cross-side to hit the left side of the 4 ball, such that the 4 ball gets pocketed and the 3 ball is sent to the left side of the table. That way you eliminate 2 of his balls he can use to break out his 5. Sure he'll have ball in hand, but it'll still be tough to break out his 5 even with BIH.

However, if the 5 ball can be potted with BIH, or if there is a 3-foul rule, then I would attempt the cross corner bank on the 11 and pray you don't pot the 8 in the same pocket.

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.

 

[Donovan]

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.

I totally agree with you. I was in a no choice spot for me. The bad part is I missed 2 differetn 2-rail positions to knock it out early in the run and still have an insurance ball. Uggg, I hate that. LMAO

 

[ShootingArts]

dogged the eight

LOL, did the 8 go too?

I had the option of sneaking the eight in the side pocket past the three or the corner off the rail and one after making the eleven. The side was tight so I liked a long cut into the corner a little better. I went off of the rail and the one and hung the eight in the corner, open from almost anywhere on the table. The eight should have fell, shot it a touch too soft.

The one is a few inches away from the eight and frozen on the head rail. I didn't win but I do think I have the advantage now with that corner thoroughly plugged. The cue ball is in the foot area. The other player has to find a pocket for the six and probably crossbank or kick the one after breaking it out. The other player could win but he will have to come with a few shots to do it now, all the while remembering that eight hanging in the pocket if he misses or lets another ball get loose. Nine footer, I like my odds, bar table no bets.

Hu

Hu

 

[Billy_Bob]

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".