How Would You Play This? 12/19/08

Jude Rosenstock

Jude Rosenstock

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
My teammate had this situation last night and for the life of me, I couldn't think of a great plan.

Shooter has ball-in-hand. What would you do?

EDIT: This is 9-ball and the 6 is very deep in the pocket.

CueTable Help

 
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If i had to run out?

Probably just take the shot and try to softly draw into the 9 after hitting the rail first to come above the balls, but knock out the 8 ball.

Even if you hit it thick, the 9 should move out of the way and leave you the 8.

You'd have hard luck if you hit the 9 full, knocked the 8 out and stuck yourself to the 9.

Blast away.
Good things can happen.
 
SUPERSTAR said:
If i had to run out?

Probably just take the shot and try to softly draw into the 9 after hitting the rail first to come above the balls, but knock out the 8 ball.

Even if you hit it thick, the 9 should move out of the way and leave you the 8.

You'd have hard luck if you hit the 9 full, knocked the 8 out and stuck yourself to the 9.

Blast away.
Good things can happen.
Click to expand...


That's actually what he ended up trying to do but it's a fairly challenging shot. He ended up missing the cluster completely and playing safe which wasn't the worst-case scenario, obviously.

It seems like the only play to me (which awkwardly sucks) but wondered if there was anything else one could do.
 
Jude Rosenstock said:
That's actually what he ended up trying to do but it's a fairly challenging shot. He ended up missing the cluster completely and playing safe which wasn't the worst-case scenario, obviously.

It seems like the only play to me (which awkwardly sucks) but wondered if there was anything else one could do.
Click to expand...

Well it is touchy to say the least.

The only way to possible make it easier would be to get the cue as close to the 6 as possibly on the right angle to send the cue towards the tied up balls.

But despite the image, you can really only tell if you're actually looking at the layout in person.

A soft draw with lots of right spin gives you a wider margin of error IMO. Then to say try and clobber it with straight draw.

All you have to do is get it kind of close and let the spin take over once you get it close to the rail, the spin does the work.

Tough situation, no doubt.
 
SUPERSTAR said:
Well it is touchy to say the least.

The only way to possible make it easier would be to get the cue as close to the 6 as possibly on the right angle to send the cue towards the tied up balls.

But despite the image, you can really only tell if you're actually looking at the layout in person.

A soft draw with lots of right spin gives you a wider margin of error IMO. Then to say try and clobber it with straight draw.

All you have to do is get it kind of close and let the spin take over once you get it close to the rail, the spin does the work.

Tough situation, no doubt.
Click to expand...


Yeah, I mean, you have to make sure you hit the cluster a specific way otherwise, you run a huge risk of breaking open the cluster and scratching. Perhaps deliberately positioning for the safety was the move?
 
I would

put the cue ball halfway between the head spot and the long rail on the right, and then shoot the 6 in with low right english drawing the cue ball some down to the foot rail and back up to the long rail before the corner pocket where the 8/9 are, and hope for a break out. It would be preferably a 2 rail breakout, although it could hit the 3rd rail before striking the 8

As a precaution, the cue ball should be on the 8 side incase you missed the 8 and had to shoot a safety.

Jude ... Did your friend win the game or not?
 
There are a few ways to try and dislodge the 8/9, but I think the draw back shot is the best, just have to be very precise on the hit on the 6. I would hit it to try to squeeze in between the 8 and 9, with some right english (as another poster said), and hit it firm enough as if I was drawing down the table and a little extra, making sure I hit the cluster hard enough to break it up. The CB spin should help it get out of there too.

Only other option I see is to play the 6 and come back to the close long rail and play an intentional safety by thinning the 8 and putting the CB back down table. Not trying to break the cluster and possibly getting hooked yourself. But I think I would have to go for it myself.

Very interested to see what Grady has to say, he always seems to know options that us mere mortals overlook...

Scott
 
Snapshot9 said:
put the cue ball halfway between the head spot and the long rail on the right, and then shoot the 6 in with low right english drawing the cue ball some down to the foot rail and back up to the long rail before the corner pocket where the 8/9 are, and hope for a break out. It would be preferably a 2 rail breakout, although it could hit the 3rd rail before striking the 8

As a precaution, the cue ball should be on the 8 side incase you missed the 8 and had to shoot a safety.

Jude ... Did your friend win the game or not?
Click to expand...


For the life of me, I can't remember if he won this game. I think he did but not without giving his opponent a decent opportunity. I do remember the safety he played was not great and a return safety was possible.
 
Go for the breakout, and trust the pool Gods to show me some love.


And then the pool Gods snicker, and say "he falls for it every time".


Justin Nuder
 
scottjen26 said:
There are a few ways to try and dislodge the 8/9, but I think the draw back shot is the best, just have to be very precise on the hit on the 6. I would hit it to try to squeeze in between the 8 and 9, with some right english (as another poster said), and hit it firm enough as if I was drawing down the table and a little extra, making sure I hit the cluster hard enough to break it up. The CB spin should help it get out of there too.

Only other option I see is to play the 6 and come back to the close long rail and play an intentional safety by thinning the 8 and putting the CB back down table. Not trying to break the cluster and possibly getting hooked yourself. But I think I would have to go for it myself.

Very interested to see what Grady has to say, he always seems to know options that us mere mortals overlook...

Scott
Click to expand...


It would be great if you guys could show diagrams.
 
Jude Rosenstock said:
Yeah, I mean, you have to make sure you hit the cluster a specific way otherwise, you run a huge risk of breaking open the cluster and scratching. Perhaps deliberately positioning for the safety was the move?
Click to expand...

You know, i never thought about the scratch.

I don't really see it unless your unfortunate enough to hit it perfect, have the 9 move uptable, and have the 8, two rail clearing the hole just enough for you to scratch.

But even that's pretty hard to do.

But having said that, the next time i try this shot, i am liable to go flying into the hole.:smile:

Lets see.
For the good.
You hit the 9 first, coming down table. Most likely, cue ball will knock the 8 loose, hit the rail, and come up and hit the 9 again, depending on the thickness of the initial hit.
You hit the rail first with running spin, and it slightly clips the 9 and you go above it and the 8 is right in front of the hole.
You hit the rail first with running spin and nail the 9 full in the face, and it goes uptable, the cue floats slightly uptable, and the 8 is hanging in front of the pocket.

For the bad.
You hit the 9 full in the face without hitting the rail and the cue ball freezes or has the 9 basically blocking the 8 from view leaving you safe.
You get the cue ball way underneath the 9 after hitting the rail first, and it breaks them open but scratches in the process.
You hit it the right way, but too softly, and hook yourself when the 9 doesn't move.

For those who say that the whiff counts as a for the bad situation, i disagree, as you are left with the same exact situation that you'd be in if you never tried to break them up or played position for a safe in the first place.

The only way your going to be really far away from the balls, is if you crushed the break shot to begin with.
If you hit them relatively softly or a decent speed, even if you whiff, your still going to be relatively close.

Your left with a tough safe situation anyway.

Anyway, that's how i see it.

I KNOW that there are many more unforeseen scenarios that can come up.
But to me, i'd rather take a chance to control my fate and go for the win.
If i fail in breaking them up, i'm left to play a safety anyway, and with 2 balls left on the table, there is no guarantee that you are going to win.
Goofy things happen.

I'd try to take control while i have it with the ball in hand pre break shot position.

You will never have as much control on manipulating the balls as you do with a ball in hand.
But that's just my opinion.
 
I Know ALL The Shots

I'd place the cueball near the rail, just to the left side of the six as pictured and the fire the six in, sending the cueball four rails around the table to perfectly break up the cluster, leaving me the 8 and then the 9 for the runout and the win...... VIOLA !

Doug
( Well King, we can call this case closed....... Sgt. Preston of the Yukon) :)
 
I would also like to see what Grady would do. I think I would try to draw into the cluster off of the 6, then play safe or shoot the 8 in from there. But then i'm pretty much a barbox banger. Love to play tho.
 
Smorgass Bored said:
I'd place the cueball near the rail, just to the left side of the six as pictured and the fire the six in, sending the cueball four rails around the table to perfectly break up the cluster, leaving me the 8 and then the 9 for the runout and the win...... VIOLA !

Doug
( Well King, we can call this case closed....... Sgt. Preston of the Yukon) :)
Click to expand...


You're supposed to say "check mate" or "king me" after that.
 
Hi!

So this is my 1st time trying the CueTable. I hope I do it right.

With BIH (playing the runout), I would play the 6 thin and run into the 9, executed with soft-to-med/soft stroke. This would break out the 8 and drift the CB uptable.

Btw, this CueTable stuf is cool. I should've tried a lot sooner. It was easier than I thought to learn to use. :)

CueTable Help

 
safe

Make the six and draw to the middle of table. Play safe off right side of 8 ball and sending cue ball two rails to short rail. Try to leave the 8 behind the 9 ball, but there is no sell out if you don't hide the 8 ball.
 
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