How would you play this?

[Patrick Johnson]

My preferred route is based on the shot I want uptable to get downtable with a shot at getting on the 15 first thing.

Of course I'll probably be on plan C by then...

pj
chgo

View attachment 13654

 

[Patrick Johnson]

I haven't played 8 ball in years but I'd shoot the 14 pocketing the 7 and draw the cue ball to the head rail. if the 14 goes along with the 7 you run out. If only the 7 goes you leave a tough shot on the 8.

I like this. If you can get to the center of the head rail, he's hooked on the 8.

Removing the 7 greatly improves your chances.

Me too. I saw this after posting mine and don't know which I'd choose, but I wish I'd considered it.

pj
chgo

 

[Maniac]

With the way I've been shooting lately, I'd just pull out my wallet and pay the guy! :sorry:

Maniac

 

[RichSchultz]

Agree with Patrick.


This is the path I would choose.

 

[TX Poolnut]

I haven't played 8 ball in years but I'd shoot the 14 pocketing the 7 and draw the cue ball to the head rail. if the 14 goes along with the 7 you run out. If only the 7 goes you leave a tough shot on the 8.

My thought exactly. Deal with your trouble ball right now and play the two-way shot in case the 15-ball doesn't follow his ball into the pocket.

 

[VonRhett]

This is EXACTLY the way I laid it out when I first looked at the table.

Totally agree with this pattern.


PS: To the poster who thinks you play a safety when you have FOUR high % shots to choose from, and your opponent has one ball and it's a hanger - you are sorely mistaken.

I really hope young impressionable players didn't read your post.

Just get out and enjoy the win.

If you can't get out from here, why play safe? You won't get out with BIH either.

-von

I can't tell all the balls but I immediately thought...

9 ball and 13 ball? in the same right corner pocket.

Use the angle off the 14 ball in opposite corner to get an angle on the 11 ball.

Come off the rail and put the (ball to the right of the 8) in the upper right corner.

Send the 10 ball in the same corner as the 11

Send the 8 in the same corner as 10 and 11

 

[alstl]

Do you mean the 15-ball instead of the 14-ball?

Yes.
....................

 

[Runner]

9 ball top right corner, come out for position on the 13, same corner...
playing position on the 14 in the top left corner.
Depending on position, come straight down table or two rails for position
on the 15 in either the left side or top corners.
Your 'saver' ball is the 11 if you get funny on the 15, which is the
'problem' ball.

Once you make the 15 I think it's outsville from there, just don't
hook yourself on the 8.

$.02

 

[hang-the-9]

I did a diagram of the pattern I would use, but then last night I messed up three 8 ball games with really easy positions and only a few balls left so it's probably better for people not to have my opinions on this LOL

 

[Kev]

The hardest striped ball to get position on to make is going to be the 15 ball, on the right side of the table nearest your opponent's last ball, so that's the one you need to plan as soon as you can to get shape on - and there appears to be no simple natural positioning paths from another ball to get an easy shot on it. If your 11-ball near the lower left corner is preventing the 8-ball from going in the same pocket, a possible strategic move would be to play the combo of your 15 in to his 5-ball, and leaving your 15 ball in/near the pocket jaws and the cue ball on the side rail just above the 2nd diamond. Your opponent should have virtually no shot on the 8-ball - not even a bank, and unless he can figure out a really good safety from there, which would be hard, you're most likely going to be left with an easy rack to run out.

Otherwise, it appears you have little choice but to make your 3 balls up table first, most likely pocketing the 9-ball first, and on the last one, doesn't really matter which, try to bring the cue ball down to the nearest end rail, or try to fall behind the 15 for a shot on it. Assuming you don't fall good on the 15 ball, then shoot your 11-ball drawing it back to get shape behind the 15 ball for a shot in one of the upper corner pockets or the left side pocket or the left corner pocket closest. Then your last object ball would likely be the 10-ball to set up the 8-ball in any pocket other than the one his last ball is covering up. I have written this post before reading/considering any of the other posters suggestions, so I'm curious what others are saying as well.

The 8-ball only just passed the 11-ball in to the corner, but these (corner) pockets are pretty tight (table is double shimmed) and because of this my opponent played to leave the 8 into the opposite corner pocket.

I'd probably play the 9 ball with low left to come out 3 rails for the 15 since it's your only problem ball.

My other thought is if the 10 ball passes the 11 then start with the 10 ball and play the 15 next uptable. It looks (based on the photo) that you can roll the 10 in without bumping the 8-ball with the cueball.

I thought about playing the 10-ball first, but to me it looked the cueball might hit the 8-ball if I played it with follow. It wouldn't be a problem if it only moved just slightly, but I didn't want to risk it. Also the 11-ball blocked the 10-ball just slightly from having a fully open pocket.

 

[Kev]

I like this. If you can get to the center of the head rail, he's hooked on the 8.

Removing the 7 greatly improves your chances.

I agree, but when you're playing the 15 onto the 7 and drawing the CB back chances are pretty big you will leave a free shot at the 8 ball if you don't get behind the 13.

We were playing Chinese 8-ball rules, so no call-shot and the last thing you would want is your opponent fluking the 8-ball on hill hill :grin:

 

[Kev]

My preferred route is based on the shot I want uptable to get downtable with a shot at getting on the 15 first thing.

Of course I'll probably be on plan C by then...

pj
chgo

View attachment 13654

I like that pattern.
My thought as well to leave an angle on the 13 to go one rail behind the 15, but I didn't leave myself enough angle and had to draw it 2 rails.

 

[Kev]

Thanks everyone for your contribution to this thread

I will post a video of what I did later today with my thoughts why I'd choose this route. As you probably would have guessed (otherwise I wouldn't have opened this thread ) it didn't go fully as I had planned.

 

[Patrick Johnson]

My thought as well to leave an angle on the 13 to go one rail behind the 15

I think that layout demands a plan based on getting on the 15, and the path off the 13 is the most natural if you can get on it.

The next piece of the puzzle is the most reliable way to get an angle on the 13. For max reliability I like rolling the CB without sidespin, so this pattern pretty much wrote itself for me. Just have to be careful not to over-hit anything.

Pattern planning is what I mainly like about Puzzle Pool (8 Ball).

pj
chgo

 

[pt109]

So much depends on you caliber.
I like low left english on the 9-ball...three rails for the 15-ball in the same corner...
..if it doesn’t work out, you got the 11-ball for another try at it.

I think this is the best option from here. You have to play to win from this position. It's easier to take care of the problem ball early rather than try to deal with it later. The balls are positioned where this puts you on the problem ball. After that your just shooting balls in the pockets.

I'd probably play the 9 ball with low left to come out 3 rails for the 15 since it's your only problem ball.

My other thought is if the 10 ball passes the 11 then start with the 10 ball and play the 15 next uptable. It looks (based on the photo) that you can roll the 10 in without bumping the 8-ball with the cueball.

9 ball top right corner, come out for position on the 13, same corner...
playing position on the 14 in the top left corner.
Depending on position, come straight down table or two rails for position
on the 15 in either the left side or top corners.
Your 'saver' ball is the 11 if you get funny on the 15, which is the
'problem' ball.

Once you make the 15 I think it's outsville from there, just don't
hook yourself on the 8.

$.02

I set up this layout on our front table yesterday....the 15-7 combo was favored.
...then Ramon Mistica walked in...I called him over...
...he shot the 9 and parked whitey perfectly off three rails for the 15 in the same corner.

So 9ballky, zphix, and Runner, we’re ready for the Philippines.

 

[Kickin' Chicken]

while I like Al's (astl) combo in the opponent's last ball and draw for distance/cover, I still am not enamoured with letting my opponent back for a thin slice at the 8 which def will pass the 11b.

I believe shooting the 9 and coming the 3 rails to immediately deal with the problem 15b is the best bet and if you don't get ideal you can still, for instance, shoot the 11 and try to draw back for the problem 15.

Initially I did consider shooting the 9 and staying up table as per pj's diagram but I still believe that trying to get on the problem 15 as early as poss is the best odds way to go. And, those two up table balls, the 13b and the 14b can potentially be insurance balls to shoot at if things go a little sideways.

Someone wrote that they would start with the 10b in the corner where the 11 is but that, to me, looks like whitey would def bump and complicate the 8b.

best,
brian kc

 

[Patrick Johnson]

while I like Al's (astl) combo in the opponent's last ball and draw for distance/cover, I still am not enamoured with letting my opponent back for a thin slice at the 8 which def will pass the 11b.

I believe shooting the 9 and coming the 3 rails to immediately deal with the problem 15b is the best bet and if you don't get ideal you can still, for instance, shoot the 11 and try to draw back for the problem 15.

Initially I did consider shooting the 9 and staying up table as per pj's diagram but I still believe that trying to get on the problem 15 as early as poss is the best odds way to go. And, those two up table balls, the 13b and the 14b can potentially be insurance balls to shoot at if things go a little sideways.

Someone wrote that they would start with the 10b in the corner where the 11 is but that, to me, looks like whitey would def bump and complicate the 8b.

best,
brian kc

I agree that outlet shots would be valuable here, and even considered the 3-railer for that reason. But the relative ease and precision of the 1-rail route to the 15 compared with the 3-rail route, combined with the natural path to get on the 13, won me over.

Multiple solutions is one of the puzzling things about Puzzle Pool.

pj
chgo

 

[Kickin' Chicken]

I agree that outlet shots would be valuable here, and even considered the 3-railer for that reason. But the relative ease and precision of the 1-rail route to the 15 compared with the 3-rail route, combined with the natural path to get on the 13, won me over.

Multiple solutions is one of the puzzling things about Puzzle Pool.

pj
chgo

absolutely pj; and to the op, this was def enjoyable given the complexity with more than a couple options.

best,
brian kc

 

[Sealegs50]

While we are proposing different ideas, if I was not confident in running out from here and if my opponent has only modest skills, an alternate strategy to consider might be to shoot a stop shot straight at the 10-ball leaving the cue ball behind the 8 relative to the 7. The stop shot should bank the 10 off the foot rail running it to the side of the table with the 9, 13, &14 but hitting lightly enough to keep them all separate. Make your opponent kick in the 7, set up for the 8, and make it for the win. If he misses the kick or scratches, with BIH, shoot in the 15. The rest of the table looks fairly straightforward. If he makes the kick, but misses the 8, there’s a pretty good chance you would be in a similar predicament to the current layout.

The stop shot safety puts the ball in your opponent’s hand leaving you at his mercy during his turn. The 7 ball looks to be pretty big, so the kick does not require a miracle shot. But unless you can be sure of setting up for the 15 and making the table-length shot, you would seem to be handing the game to him anyway.

 

[Bob Jewett]

... We were playing Chinese 8-ball rules, so no call-shot ...

The Chinese 8-ball I've seen did not require you to call shots but if there was anything funny about the shot it didn't count. On one shot a ball straight into the side jumped up, hit the cue ball again and went back in the side. It didn't count.