Interesting one pocket or 9 ball matching up question/poll

1 Pocket Ghost

1 Pocket Ghost

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Here's a match-up-choice question that I thought about - I'm curious which choice you guys would pick, and why...

The situation is, hypothetically, that you've got a stakehorse giving you $3,000 to play just one race to 6 games with one of the following three willing opponents:

Opponent #1. Plays EXACTLY even with you, and you would be playing him even.

Opponent #2. Plays EXACTLY 10-7 better than you, and you would get 10-7 if you play him.

Opponent #3. Plays EXACTLY 10-7 under you, and you would give up 10-7
if you play him.

You'll be playing on a table with 4-3/8" pockets.


Which opponent would you choose to play and why ?


My personal first choice would be giving up the 10-7.…my 1st reason for choosing to play the lesser player is that he will be making the the most mistakes of the three palyers, which will give me a lot of offensive opportunities - possibly game-winning ones - and secondly, I think playing the player with lesser skills will put me in a strong mindset during the session...

My second choice would be to receive 10-7 - I'm not exactly sure why - I guess I just like the idea of going to that lower number, and also a mistake by my opponent could give me a chance to get 7, or close to it...

Playing the even opponent would be my last choice.


and I've added a 9 ball parallel to the question so as to include the 9 ball players >


For you 9 ball players, use the same hypothetical situation stated above, but substitute getting or giving up the 7 ball for the handicap.
 
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I always liked playing a weaker player in One Pocket and giving up weight. It's much easier to give up weight in One Hole than in 9-Ball.
JMO.

What I don't like is playing a guy like you who is one ball above me and playing even. But for 40 a game I'll take a chance. Again!
 
I agree with Jay. I would rather give up the 10-7. I play alot better when I am giving up weight than when I am getting it....for some reason.

Southpaw
 
Agreed. I would rather play someone who needs 10-7 from me for several different reasons.

1. They probably wont go 7 and out.

2. They will make several mistakes which will allow me to get a ton of balls.

3. Their traps and safeties will be easy to escape from.


I think giving weight in one pocket is much easier than giving weight in other games.
 
Great post ghost. I hate playing a top player with weight unless its for educational purposes. Like getting 11-5 from Efren. I know I wont win but for a couple hundred its great learning. But a top player will turn up the gas when he's giving up weight and plays much tighter and tougher. And he usually knows what he can give you while you might not know what you should get.
However there are a lot of guys who overate their game and underating yours. Funny how a lot of guys in front of their friends or girlfriend will come up with "I'll give you 9-7" and then end up saying "I didnt know you played that good".
I think the best is to give a weaker player the spot. Because one pocket is also a game of taking advantage of your opponents ERRORS. And a weaker player is going to make mistakes.
 
Yes, but if you are EXACTLY matched with these spots, in the long run you should come out even. So what does it matter? If someone comes out ahead then you were not EXACTLY matched.:D
 
nineballman said:
Yes, but if you are EXACTLY matched with these spots, in the long run you should come out even. So what does it matter? If someone comes out ahead then you were not EXACTLY matched.:D
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if you race there will be a winner regardless of how close they play:D i dont play one pocket but if i did i would rather be giving up the weight.you cant handicap experience or knowledge.
 
nineballman said:
Yes, but if you are EXACTLY matched with these spots, in the long run you should come out even. So what does it matter? If someone comes out ahead then you were not EXACTLY matched.:D
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Yes thats the ideal. But where does pressure come in. I think there is more when playing a better player. And one hole is a pressure game. Thats why you see a lot of misses you dont see in nine ball. Because of the sell out factor.
 
Wrong

nineballman said:
Yes, but if you are EXACTLY matched with these spots, in the long run you should come out even. So what does it matter? If someone comes out ahead then you were not EXACTLY matched.:D
Click to expand...


Wrong..........You're talking probability theory - My hypothetical matching up situation was for just one race or session - That's not enough games for probability theory to come into play.

The simple example: If I flip a coin, heads and tails are EXACTLY matched, but if I only flip the coin 10 times, I could very easily get 8 tails and only 2 heads.........So I guess then, that after this happened, you would say that heads and tails were not EXACTLY matched.....^_^
 
Excellent question Ghost. I would choose giving the 7 or playing even. If someone plays the 7 better than me, they have a better chance of putting a perfect set on me than someone I'm even with or giving up the 7 ball to. Since it is 1 set, I would want to avoid the champion if at all possible.
 
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As a general observation, giving weight to a weaker player creates more pressure than playing even or getting weight. The pressure in this short set is whats going to make the difference. I want to play even or get the weight in a single set.
 
1 Pocket Ghost said:
Wrong..........You're talking probability theory - My hypothetical matching up situation was for just one race or session - That's not enough games for probability theory to come into play.

The simple example: If I flip a coin, heads and tails are EXACTLY matched, but if I only flip the coin 10 times, I could very easily get 8 tails and only 2 heads.........So I guess then, that after this happened, you would say that heads and tails were not EXACTLY matched.....^_^
Click to expand...

No.. But then again.. if you were forced to bet on ONE flip of a coin, it absolutely 100% does not matter which side you bet.

Just like if you and Jay were matching up. If it is true that he needs a ball from you, and you giving up a ball every gam is a completely even spot, that is based on probability. Ignoring his ability to learn from playing you, over the long term, you two will come out even.

Jay COULD win 10,000 times in a row.. But in the end, his winning percentage will fall back or extremely close to 50:50.

As per the original question, if the different players play EXACTLY even at the different spots, then it makes not one bit of difference monetarily which game you take. Now, as far as which game you "enjoy" more, or "like" more, that is personal preference.

When you posited the idea of a $1,000.00 "backer", what you are basically proposing is that we find the Expected Value (EV). By the fact that you mentioned the baker at all, you confirmed that you are asking us what is the best choice monetarily.

Since we already know that you have EXACTLY (your word) a 50:50 chance of winning each of the three matches, then it really does not matter which one you pick.

It just matters which one you will enjoy more. Which one you enjoy more, however, has exactly 0 to do with the Expected Value.

And for those who mentioned all the gobbledeegook about "heart", "mistakes", etc.... All this was covered in the OP's usage of the words EXACTLY, referring to the different speeds of the players. If the two play EXACTLY even when 10-7 is spotted, then heart, mistakes, blah blah blah, have nothing to do with anything. The OP said they played even that way, so they play even....

50:50 all the way, and the player doesn't matter. :D

Russ
 
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