How Would You Play This End Pattern?

[BeiberLvr]

Since I only get to play pool about once or twice a week, I like to play 14.1 on VP3 strictly to work on patterns.

My computer opponent missed and left me with this layout.

What's the best way to play it? I'll let a few people chime in, and then I'll let you guys know what I did. It's one of those cases that worked out in my favor, but I don't know if it was the best or correct way.

To me, 14.1 is a lot like poker. I try not to be results oriented. You can win a hand in poker, but you may not have played the hand in the optimal fashion. I think the same can be said about your pattern planning in 14.1

 

[Inferno]

since i only get to play pool about once or twice a week, i like to play 14.1 on vp3 strictly to work on patterns.

My computer opponent missed and left me with this layout.

What's the best way to play it? I'll let a few people chime in, and then i'll let you guys know what i did. It's one of those cases that worked out in my favor, but i don't know if it was the best or correct way.

To me, 14.1 is a lot like poker. I try not to be results oriented. You can win a hand in poker, but you may not have played the hand in the optimal fashion. I think the same can be said about your pattern planning in 14.1

9-15-4-13-10

 

[easy-e]

First thing I'd do is shoot the 15 and try to manufacture a break ball with the 13. After that I'd re-assess.

 

[pooln8r]

I think I'd go 9 in the side with a light spin off the near rail for the 13 in the corner which will allow a bump of the 15 over for a break shot then
4 in the side following with the cue two rails and over for the 10 in the corner then back off the side rail lightly for the two in the bottom corner floating the cue over for the break shot.

Probably not the best way, but it made sense to me.

Good shooting to you!

Kevin

 

[Bob Jewett]

Using the 13 to move the 15 into break position is a good way, but the 4 is a reasonable break shot already. If I move the 15 I'll want to shoot the 4 next. So, 9 13 (bump 15). If the 15 is good for a break shoot the 4, 10, 2. The 10,2 is not a nice pair.

An alternative is to play the 10 immediately if you can draw between the rail and the 2. That eliminates the 10,2 pair. How to finish depends on how you end with the draw shot.

 

[easy-e]

I think I'd go 9 in the side with a light spin off the near rail for the 13 in the corner which will allow a bump of the 15 over for a break shot then
4 in the side following with the cue two rails and over for the 10 in the corner then back off the side rail lightly for the two in the bottom corner floating the cue over for the break shot.

Probably not the best way, but it made sense to me.

Good shooting to you!

Kevin

I like this...

 

[measureman]

I think I'd go 9 in the side with a light spin off the near rail for the 13 in the corner which will allow a bump of the 15 over for a break shot then
4 in the side following with the cue two rails and over for the 10 in the corner then back off the side rail lightly for the two in the bottom corner floating the cue over for the break shot.

Probably not the best way, but it made sense to me.

Good shooting to you!

Kevin

I like this. Saw it before I read your post.
Great minds think the same :thumbup:

 

[BeiberLvr]

Results:

I shot the 15 first which bumped the 13 into position for a behind the break rack shot.

Then I went 4-9-10 and played to the short side of the 2 and followed up for a good angle on the 13.

 

[gerard soriano]

I agree with Kevin 9,13.bump15 4.10.2 If you get bad on the 13 and can't bump the 15 you can still go15.10.2 and break with the 4 IMHO

 

[Jude Rosenstock]

Using the 13 to move the 15 into break position is a good way, but the 4 is a reasonable break shot already. If I move the 15 I'll want to shoot the 4 next. So, 9 13 (bump 15). If the 15 is good for a break shoot the 4, 10, 2. The 10,2 is not a nice pair.

An alternative is to play the 10 immediately if you can draw between the rail and the 2. That eliminates the 10,2 pair. How to finish depends on how you end with the draw shot.

I agree with using the 4. Although I do think manufacturing a breakshot with the 15 is not unreasonable, a lot can go wrong. If I can pocket the 10 and get position on the 9, I'd probably go that way and use the 2 as my KB.

 

[sfleinen]

I agree with using the 4. Although I do think manufacturing a breakshot with the 15 is not unreasonable, a lot can go wrong. If I can pocket the 10 and get position on the 9, I'd probably go that way and use the 2 as my KB.

I agree with this. The problem (or is it?) with bumping the 15 into break-ball position is making sure to bump the 15 full, so it floats sideways, or perpendicular (as much as possible) to the side of the rack. If you bump that 15 on the "high" side, you are sending it downwards towards the corner pocket, and may end up with no break ball at all (i.e. it's too low, or using it as a break ball would necessitate a cue ball bounce off the short rail into the bottom of the rack -- not recommended).

The 4 is a perfectly reasonable break ball.

I'd play this:

9, 13, 15, 10, 2 (keyball), and 4 as the break ball. (When shooting the 10, I'd try to shoot it as a stop shot, to stay on the head-end side of the 2, shooting the 2 ball downtable for a simple follow/roll-up on the 4.)

If the 15 "happens" to be bumped into break ball position, that would likely alter the pattern thusly:

9, 13, 10, 2, 4 (keyball), and 15 as the break ball.


But, WEI table layouts are one thing; when you're at the table, it's quite another. Things appear differently (i.e. some balls "may go" into pockets that look impossible on a WEI table).

-Sean

 

[Jude Rosenstock]

I agree with this. The problem (or is it?) with bumping the 15 into break-ball position is making sure to bump the 15 full, so it floats sideways, or perpendicular (as much as possible) to the side of the rack. If you bump that 15 on the "high" side, you are sending it downwards towards the corner pocket, and may end up with no break ball at all (i.e. it's too low, or using it as a break ball would necessitate a cue ball bounce off the short rail into the bottom of the rack -- not recommended).

The 4 is a perfectly reasonable break ball.

I'd play this:

9, 13, 15, 10, 2 (keyball), and 4 as the break ball. (When shooting the 10, I'd try to shoot it as a stop shot, to stay on the head-end side of the 2, shooting the 2 ball downtable for a simple follow/roll-up on the 4.)

If the 15 "happens" to be bumped into break ball position, that would likely alter the pattern thusly:

9, 13, 10, 2, 4 (keyball), and 15 as the break ball.


But, WEI table layouts are one thing; when you're at the table, it's quite another. Things appear differently (i.e. some balls "may go" into pockets that look impossible on a WEI table).

-Sean

I also kinda love that 4-ball break shot. All you have to do is get the cueball about middle table and BAM! No thoughts about missing. If you've done this shot a couple of times, you know exactly how to make it hit the stack.

 

[TSW]

If I can pocket the 10 and get position on the 9, I'd probably go that way and use the 2 as my KB.

This was my thought as well. The 10-2 is ugly - if I have the chance I'd like to get rid of them.

And the 4 is a fine break ball, so manufacturing a break ball with the 13-15 is nice but not necessary.

 

[3andstop]

No doubt in my mind I'd shoot the 9 to get an angle on the 13 in order to nudge the 15 out.

Then after I screwed it up I'd regroup right down to the last ball which, whatever it is, I'd probably be banking somewhere. :thumbup:

 

[topcat1953]

Using the 13 to move the 15 into break position is a good way, but the 4 is a reasonable break shot already. If I move the 15 I'll want to shoot the 4 next. So, 9 13 (bump 15). If the 15 is good for a break shoot the 4, 10, 2. The 10,2 is not a nice pair.

An alternative is to play the 10 immediately if you can draw between the rail and the 2. That eliminates the 10,2 pair. How to finish depends on how you end with the draw shot.

I agree with this assessment of playing the ten first. It does appear a draw shot on the ten will solve the ten-two problem. The cue ball is already in position to take care of that without losing a lot of cue ball control. Both the nine and four are very reasonable break shots. But, either can be sacrificed to gain position to clear the thirteen and fifteen, once the ten-two have been eliminated.

 

[3andstop]

Obviously there's a ton of ways to do things in straight pool and shooting the 10 first would also work.

I see the 9 to get to the 13 to bump the 15. And then ... this is where the 10 is a valuable ball to have on the table. After bumping the 15, I see the CB lying somewhere near the heart on the table. Shoot the 10 with the more flat angle, the 2 and then the keyball the 4.

But hey ... like I said, with that plan in mind, I'd probably still be banking my keyball.