How would you play this? 9 Ball

DeadPoked

DeadPoked

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Recently in my match against Mike Staubes at the Great Southern Billiards Tour, where I came back from being down 8-2 to win the match, I was confronted with this layout with the score being 8-7. I broke dry and he had a somewhat straight-in shot on the 1 ball and he tried power drawing the cueball and jumped it off the table. I playfully asked him what his plan was because I was perplexed on what do.

I had ball-in hand and had the 2-9 cluster at the opposite end of the table with noway of pocketing the 2 by squeezing behind the 9.

You have ball-in hand on a barbox, opponent is on the hill, you're on the loser's side, late in the tournament, you've just won 5 straight games, with a big crowd watching, what do you do?!?

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DeadPoked said:
Recently in my match against Mike Staubes at the Great Southern Billiards Tour, where I came back from being down 8-2 to win the match, I was confronted with this layout with the score being 8-7. I broke dry and he had a somewhat straight-in shot on the 1 ball and he tried power drawing the cueball and jumped it off the table. I playfully asked him what his plan was because I was perplexed on what do.

I had ball-in hand and had the 2-9 cluster at the opposite end of the table with noway of pocketing the 2 by squeezing behind the 9.

You have ball-in hand on a barbox, opponent is on the hill, you're on the loser's side, late in the tournament, you've just won 5 straight games, with a big crowd watching, what do you do?!?

CueTable Help

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The only shot I see is to get on the bottom long rail for and angle off the 1 for the 2/9 break out. You would have a HUGE margin for error...about a diamond and a half from a straight line to the 2-9 to a full diamond up from the corner for the 1 rail kick into the cluster.

Moderate speed so if you get the break out, you leave the 2 near the corner pocket jaws. If you miss the break out you are still a favorite to see a piece of the 2 for a safety.

And WAY TO GO coming back from a 2-8 deficit!!!

Regards,
Jim
 
I don't like the scratch in the corner if you opt for going off of the near long rail. I prefer drawing it straight at the edge of the cluster. If you miss the cluster, you will still be able to play a mediocre bunt safe I guess.

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I would play safe, shoot the one ball down table and try to put a ball between the one and the cue ball the 7 looks like a good option.
 
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Here's what I what do..

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Use the 7 and 5 as blocker balls. Even if you don't hook him, you will not lose on the next turn unless he gets really lucky.

Russ
 
I realize this isn't the prettiest of safeties but it's the first that comes to mind. Honestly, this is what I would do and I'm not even going to say it's right.

I'd pocket the 1-ball and likely kick-safe the 2-ball.

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I did exactly what Russ and runoutalloverU suggested... BUT! I hit 1 and drew back about 6 inches but the 1-ball skimmed the 7 and that sent the cueball down off the 2 into the corner pocket. Which broke out the 2 from the 9. :eek: :D

Something wasn't correct in my diagram because the 7 got pushed to the rail by the 1-ball. I had a shot on the 2 but I had an obstructing ball in the middle of the table that I had to just barely miss to pocket the two in the far right side of the pocket which I hit perfectly. I ended up running out from there and then ended up winning the match.

I admit that I did get a lucky roll but I think I played the correct shot and when you play the right shots sometimes you do in fact get rewarded.
 
Jude Rosenstock said:
I realize this isn't the prettiest of safeties but it's the first that comes to mind. Honestly, this is what I would do and I'm not even going to say it's right.

I'd pocket the 1-ball and likely kick-safe the 2-ball.

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Thats along the lines of what I was thinking.
Chuck
 
I thought about pocketing the 1 and then just playing a bunt safe on the 2 but I didn't care much for that idea. I didn't want to give my opponent that much opportunity to play safe back on me. My plan was to hook him behind the 7 while sending the cueball down towards the middle of the end rail for a tough hook. Which if I got ball-in-hand I would then most likely have a viable breakout shot on the 2-9 cluster.

A possible different way I could have played it would be to use left spin and throw the 1 ball and widening the angle of the bank and hit the side cushion first before sending it towards bottom rail. But I was more concerned about drawing cueball back towards the 7 for a better hook. I had to put the cueball very close to the 1 in the first place to bank it and had to jackup to draw it back. Using left spin would have made it more difficult.

Thankfully and luckily I might add... I got a lucky roll and ran out.
 
picket the 1 using just high ball and a thin hit and try to hit about a diamond above the 2-9 to break the cluster . if that doesn't work then foul on purpos tie another ball up and let him deal with it. if he fouls back at you he's on 2
 

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how about this? maybe just a bit crazy with the 3 so far away, but i might look at it as a possibility. you could even do it without making the one first, but then they might come out with a break out if they are really good. also, banking the 5 into it in the same manner might have more room for error than the 3
 
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Patrick Johnson said:

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pj
chgo
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I have three choices here.

I like Patrick's suggestion because he tries to break up the cluster with his shot while hooking his opponent. However, I do not feel comfortable trying to hit the one ball that hard while controlling my cue ball to only go that short a distance while the possibility of the double hit exists. JMO

I also like Russ' suggestion. Banking the one up the rail for the breakout if he hooks his opponent sufficiently to eliminate the hit from the kick.

Another thought. This is only because shots are so hard to decipher on the computer screen. Things look different on the actual table. You already have your opponent on one foul. You could shoot the 5 over to the corner pocket and try to trap the 2 behind the 9 and the 5. Your opponent gets BIH, but, now he has to break out the cluster. Since he is one foul ahead of you, you have the advantage...:D

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please... tell us more...

DeadPoked said:
I thought about pocketing the 1 and then just playing a bunt safe on the 2 but I didn't care much for that idea. I didn't want to give my opponent that much opportunity to play safe back on me. My plan was to hook him behind the 7 while sending the cueball down towards the middle of the end rail for a tough hook. Which if I got ball-in-hand I would then most likely have a viable breakout shot on the 2-9 cluster.

A possible different way I could have played it would be to use left spin and throw the 1 ball and widening the angle of the bank and hit the side cushion first before sending it towards bottom rail. But I was more concerned about drawing cueball back towards the 7 for a better hook. I had to put the cueball very close to the 1 in the first place to bank it and had to jackup to draw it back. Using left spin would have made it more difficult.

Thankfully and luckily I might add... I got a lucky roll and ran out.
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... and more... and more... and more....
 
if i have enough room, i play safe by putting the 1 on the other side of the table, hoping for ball in hand then i can break the 2 out better
 
Russ Chewning said:
Here's what I what do..

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Use the 7 and 5 as blocker balls. Even if you don't hook him, you will not lose on the next turn unless he gets really lucky.

Russ
Click to expand...

Very tough to tell form the diagram whether this shot is available, but if it is, this is my choice, too.
 
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