How Would You Play This Layout?
- Thread starter Old Nine Baller
- Start date
as usual, i jump on the bank and would be either running out or sitting there waiting to rack by now. Looking at it one more time in terms of safety, i dont like the options. I see the soft layup on top of the 6 to be a very poor option. The return shot might get really ugly as your opponent might be able to thin off the 6 and go towards the 7 leaving you kicking or at best very awkward. The other way this goes is he thins the other way and you again are awkward, maybe near the end rail and 4 ft away with poor options.
If I had to play safe i would razor thin the 6 and go up table and try to get him into the diagonallly across corner, near a rail and hope I dont sell out a dead combo on the 6-8.For those uncomfortable with banking that might be the best shot here.
The last safety I see doesnt look on but it might be doable. You could stun delicately and try to wedge him up against the rail and the 8. The 8 looks too close to the rail to pull this off and more than likely you are selling out the 6 into the side or corner. From the position this shot would only be my choice marginally ahead of just smashing the 6-8 and hoping for lucky charms.
Im banking all day long. Its the best shot to win imo.
If I had to play safe i would razor thin the 6 and go up table and try to get him into the diagonallly across corner, near a rail and hope I dont sell out a dead combo on the 6-8.For those uncomfortable with banking that might be the best shot here.
The last safety I see doesnt look on but it might be doable. You could stun delicately and try to wedge him up against the rail and the 8. The 8 looks too close to the rail to pull this off and more than likely you are selling out the 6 into the side or corner. From the position this shot would only be my choice marginally ahead of just smashing the 6-8 and hoping for lucky charms.
Im banking all day long. Its the best shot to win imo.
This is what I would do too but probably just firm center ball. I would focus on making the six and clearing the 8 ball away from the seven. The cue ball should pop right back out for a good angle on the 7.
I'm with TATE
My first instinct is to bank firm with TOP RIGHT, to bring the CB to center table. Makes the bank a little trickier, but improves my odds of a good shot on the 7.
I set this up and had the bank down all day long. Didn't finish perfect on the 7 any of the times I tried but had a shot and scraped my way to running out.
I also tried a safe. A very very thin snick off the 6 and a ton of right hand side and spun around to finish below the 8 with a snooker in the 6 behind the 8. Fairly easy safety to do from that distance but even with BIH after the combo wasn't on and you were in the same situation as before, just with BIH.
I also tried a safe. A very very thin snick off the 6 and a ton of right hand side and spun around to finish below the 8 with a snooker in the 6 behind the 8. Fairly easy safety to do from that distance but even with BIH after the combo wasn't on and you were in the same situation as before, just with BIH.
I agree with Uwate. And I'm one of those guys who safes better than he banks. So if its a game I really need to win, I'm going low risk. As a B+ player, I like the thin safe. Combined with the distance, my opponent would have to do something special to earn his victory. Of course, a lot depends on who that opponent is.
I also like the bank, but I see the position differently. I think the way the balls are laying, if you hit the CB with center outside, the CB will hit the 8 full, and roughly parallel to the long rail. The spin will make the CB climb the long rail a few inches, for a straight in shot on the 7 in the corner where the 9 is. (It looks like the 7 passes the 9 to me). The 8 would have been moved down the rail closer to the pocket.
This is all dependent of course on the gap between the 6 and 8.
I don't like any of the safes. I'm a C player and I'd bet all day long on pocketing that bank
This is all dependent of course on the gap between the 6 and 8.
I don't like any of the safes. I'm a C player and I'd bet all day long on pocketing that bank
I also like the bank, but I see the position differently. I think the way the balls are laying, if you hit the CB with center outside, the CB will hit the 8 full, and roughly parallel to the long rail. The spin will make the CB climb the long rail a few inches, for a straight in shot on the 7 in the corner where the 9 is. (It looks like the 7 passes the 9 to me). The 8 would have been moved down the rail closer to the pocket.
This is all dependent of course on the gap between the 6 and 8.
I don't like any of the safes. I'm a C player and I'd bet all day long on pocketing that bank
Not sure why you don't like the safe. Its not just making the bank, its finishing the layout. Say its not your home table, you still betting on the runout all day long?
No C player I know is making this bank 10/10, and even if they did, no C player I know is running the other 3 balls 10/10 either.
If you are unable to finish the layout it is better to play safe and tempt your opponent into taking a risky shot.
That said, I do like the bank on this layout and its the shot I would most likely take on for the money. But if my opponent was weak, I'd play the thin snick and go for BIH. Even if your opponent doesn't give away BIH and contacts the 6 they're just set you up to play another safe with the balls wide open and an easier run out.
If you are unable to finish the layout it is better to play safe and tempt your opponent into taking a risky shot.
That said, I do like the bank on this layout and its the shot I would most likely take on for the money. But if my opponent was weak, I'd play the thin snick and go for BIH. Even if your opponent doesn't give away BIH and contacts the 6 they're just set you up to play another safe with the balls wide open and an easier run out.
The bank is 80% at least for a decent player, if the position stuffs up, he can play a safe. Why be so adamant about teaching a B grade choice of shot? At least, if you're B grade, try to play A grade shots to improve. Who cares if you beat a banger coz you're trying to play "never have a go pool" to gain a 3% advantage?
The bank is the shot. I don't see any safes that could be called good, unless you somehow managed to hook me under a ball.
I know of 10 or more "C" players that can nail that bank everytime. This is also why I think ABCD ratings are horrible for judging speed.
I didn't say I'd be the favorite of the entire layout. Just the bank shot. And of course not 10/10 on the bank. But better than 50% on the bank.
I'm weighing my odds of singularly banking the ball (I'll estimate them at 6/10) to playing a safe and winning the safety battle by pocketing the 6 before my opponent does. I put that at 50/50.
And all the balls are in the same quadrant of the table that pocketing the bank almost assures at least some type of shot on running out. The entire runout for me might be less than 50% but that is irrelevant to the choice of bank or safe.
I'm weighing my odds of singularly banking the ball (I'll estimate them at 6/10) to playing a safe and winning the safety battle by pocketing the 6 before my opponent does. I put that at 50/50.
And all the balls are in the same quadrant of the table that pocketing the bank almost assures at least some type of shot on running out. The entire runout for me might be less than 50% but that is irrelevant to the choice of bank or safe.
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Right now he has the chance to leave his opponent a long combo(preferably the more balls on the rail the better). He may not get a better opportunity to play as good of a safe.
Secondly, if I was playing with friends with nothing to lose, , of course I would go for the bank. The ONB layouts assume tournament play is in effect.