Jude Rosenstock said:
Well, I think both your options are taking a lot of risks. Yes, in my play there is definitely a safety battle in the works BUT by placing the 3-ball near the pocket, you gain a lot of flexibility.
There is a simple truth here that I think most fail to recognize - Your opponent is getting back to the table and will have a safety option. The objective is to minimize their options with the highest percentage play possible. There's no need to kick into safeties or try to hide them from seeing the 9-ball. There's just too much risk and not enough reward. I mean, please go ahead and diagram this because I cannot fathom how any kick could be the correct shot.
All you have to do is take away the angles necessary to pocket or safe on the 9-ball and you're in business. Yes, this game may take a couple innings but if you continue to play percentage-pool, you can win it.
Yes, you are correct about the return safety angle. I think your shot as diagrammed may be the best chance to win, but I think against a better player it's a losing proposition. I think it's the best of losing options.
What I was trying to say is that you are better off if you gear up for the safety game and move the 3b to where it helps you in a safety game instead of thinking only of 'moving it near a pocket'. True, if it's by that pocket, you have the option to make the ball, but odds are that after your next shot, you will not WANT to make the 3 ball, so having it in front of the pocket isn't really any help, in fact it cuts down your option by being that close because the pocket being there takes up a lot of the angles you can use it to play safe off of it.
That being said, the 3b is better off between the 9b and the upper corner or on the other end of the table (to the right) so that you can have more options to use it to keep the CB on the other side of the 8 from the 9b if the incoming player moves them to where they are lined up on the rail.
Also, if you are willing to take a flyer to win the game early, playing the 3 softly off the tit of the corner pocket back towards the 8-9 and following the CB up to the rail gives you a better position because the incoming player will have to get the CB on the other side of the 8-9 without disturbing them too much in order to keep you safe. AND if they do that, there is an easy 1-rail kick safe similar to the one I might try after pocketing the 3 and keeping it there.
I'm not going to diagram it because in order to keep my sanity and type this without the dang computer going so slow, I had to move to a computer that does not display the wei tables. I will try and describe it.
This is a very useful 1 rail kick that relies heavily on speed control and analyzing the balls. Where the 8b is with the 9 ball, if struck VERY SOFTLY between the rail and the 8B, the CB will tend to hit the 8B and the rail and then stick on the 8b. The 8 will tend to move the 9ball slightly and move to stay in front of it. (between the CB and 8B) I KNOW this shot is not for everyone and I only use it when it's sitting great, but pulling off that shot here would be a guaranteed win. But I PRACTICE that shot for hours at a time so I can do it with much greater accuracy than most players.
IF, on the other hand the 3b is between the 9 and the top left corner pocket, and the other player manages to leave you on the other side of the 9-8, it's a relatively easy kick shot to come up behind the 3 and hit the 3b-rail and then get safe behind the 3 ball.
From where you left the 3b and the CB, a lesser player will probably hit the 9b too hard and open up the 8 while leaving you a shot on the 3, if I am playing a lesser player, I would play exactly the shot you suggested. If, I am playing a better player, though, I know that after that leave, they will clip the 9B, moving it to the rail, move the CB up to the rail and have the 8 blocking the 3b depending on where exactly you put the 3 ball. With the pocket being so big there, it could be difficult to get the CB off the 3 ball and back up table behind the 8 again without making the 3b. If the 8B doesn't go and you make the 3b, then you'll be playing a rollup safe on the 8ball, which ultimately will lead to someone blinking, just as easily you in this scenario. Especially if the other guy kicks as good as I do. I've turned this exact scenario around on so many players that you'd be surprised. Maybe I'll post the kick-safe strategies I'm talking about in another post so I don't have to type around them.
Hope that explains more where I'm coming from. The computer I was on (intel MAC) doesn't play well with cuetable and so it's extremely slow and frustrating to type on.
Cheers,
RC
