Billy_Bob said: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.