this spot is basically worthless if you are playing a pro or a master and you are an A right?
How much does getting the 8 in 9-ball help
- Thread starter poolplaya1
- Start date
Pretty much. This is a situation to ask for the breaks as well. More so to keep them from being able to put a package together.
A good "A" player should get the 7-8 and the breaks against a low level pro player IMO. Depends on the players of course, but that should be close.
Might be better to do games on the wire in a race, that is if you can get 1 more than you need......... :thumbup:
An APA 4 could give an APA 3 the 8 all day long. And I do mean ALL DAY LONG because that's how long one set will take
It isn't ever worthless. But not worth as much as you might think. Any spot doesn't mean much if they control the table and you don't. The key is consider your opportunities. If you're not getting many of them then the spot doesn't mean much. If you are then it could come into play.
I am a big believer that pool has much more to do with the unforced errors the shooter makes than the errors he is forced into by the opponent.
So if the shooter isn't making many and giving you opportunities then the spot doesn't factor. That's why pros can give up so much weight to amateurs.
I played a guy one set the other night even and went hill hill. He made uncharacteristic mistakes and I had a few good outs and that's how I got to the hill. I quit because I already knew I was in a bad game but figured I'd throw $50 at it and see how far I could go. Then right after me he gives the 8 to a guy I won't gamble with getting the 7 and destroys him.
Depends. The wild 8 has the potential to be pretty big, even in a short race. No matter where you put the 8 in the rack, it's going to move more than the 9-ball on average, so the odds of making a money ball on the break are more than doubled. Then you have the racks where a money ball wires up for a carom or combo - again, those odds are double what they would be without the 8.
The cases where an A player or pro pockets the 8 but fails to pocket the 9 are going to be very rare, which is why the last 2 is virtually no spot at that level, but the other scenarios I mentioned can easily come up a few times in a short race to 9.
Aaron
The cases where an A player or pro pockets the 8 but fails to pocket the 9 are going to be very rare, which is why the last 2 is virtually no spot at that level, but the other scenarios I mentioned can easily come up a few times in a short race to 9.
Aaron
The value of the 8 as a spot is ambiguous....
Two shortstops....the break or the 8 is about equal...
...( the 8 isn't much value unless you're making it early)
On a tight table. The 8 is worth more than the break...
....on heavy or dirty cloth, the 8 is worth more...
On a loose, fast table, the break is worth more.
To some players, breaking is a disadvantage
Two shortstops....the break or the 8 is about equal...
...( the 8 isn't much value unless you're making it early)
On a tight table. The 8 is worth more than the break...
....on heavy or dirty cloth, the 8 is worth more...
On a loose, fast table, the break is worth more.
To some players, breaking is a disadvantage
Exactly.
I have played some guys that have tried to spot me the 7 out (because they never see me play 9 ball) and I'll usually just move and play safe, let them run to the 6 and miss to give me the game. This keeps the illusion that I cant play a lick of rotation (which I really don't play that well) and gives me full advantage of my spot.
Now against I top player on a tough table, if you don't kick and play safe well you really don't have that big of a spot but if you can get ball in hand or an open shot in the middle of the rack you have a pretty good chance. The tougher the table the bigger the spot.
Yeah, it definitely helps to know your opponent when giving weight. A smart player who knows how to take full advantage of the spot they are given can make you hate it.
And, on the flip side of that, I've been in plenty of games where I'd rather give the guy the last 3 than the wild 8 just because I know if a money ball is anywhere in his field of vision, he's firing at it. Frustrating as hell when a guy frams at his spot ball and it goes 6 rails, caroms off of 4 balls, and drops in the side. Which seems to be about 10 times more likely to happen in a hill-hill rack.
Aaron
Well Said!
Add in what you know about the player..., Is he a One Pocket player who just wants to gamble so he's making a game or is he a TRUE A Player level 9 Ball player?
Is the bet in his/your comfort level? That can change things.
Add in what you know about the player..., Is he a One Pocket player who just wants to gamble so he's making a game or is he a TRUE A Player level 9 Ball player?
Is the bet in his/your comfort level? That can change things.
spotting the 8
Getting the 8 as a spot is half as good as getting the 7 and the 8...
Getting the 8 as a spot is half as good as getting the 7 and the 8...
I have never played where sinking a handicap ball on a break counts as a win. Those are always spotted. So the benefit of having an extra game ball is the increased potential for combination shot wins early in the game.
Instead of adding extra balls for more weight, lowering the number of the handicap ball can also increase the difficulty for the better player. While giving up the 7 instead of the 8 may not seem like much, consider an even bigger jump. It can be pretty difficult to play anybody who gets the 5 ball. Basically, the better player needs to run out most racks. The weaker player is never more than a couple balls from a game ball.
Instead of adding extra balls for more weight, lowering the number of the handicap ball can also increase the difficulty for the better player. While giving up the 7 instead of the 8 may not seem like much, consider an even bigger jump. It can be pretty difficult to play anybody who gets the 5 ball. Basically, the better player needs to run out most racks. The weaker player is never more than a couple balls from a game ball.