Knowing How to Win

[DogsPlayingPool]

The thing you need to weigh the most, is making that difficult shot going to guarantee you win the game. If you shoot one hard shot just so you can shoot another hard shot that's border line, susicide.

If your shooting a hard shot and there's a much easier safety play that's also border line susicide. Play the safety knowing you played the best shot available. Even if your opponent kicks and runs out or kicks and leaves you safe, you played the best shot the table had to offer and that's alll you can ask for in any situation.

If you have a difficult safety play and a difficult shot you may as well go for the shot. If you make the shot your still at the table.

Just my thoughts.

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http://tommcgonaglerightoncue.com

Good points. :thumbup: I especially like the idea of playing the best shot available in the situation, be it going for the pot or the hook/safety. In poker, everything I've read talks about making correct decisions given the odds at the moment (taking "playing the opponent" out of the question for the purposes of this discussion). It won't always work out of course, but if you continue to make correct decisions based on the odds you will succeed in the long run. If you continue to stay in with a drawing hand when the pot isn't giving you the correct odds to do so, you will lose in the long run. I think this philosophy is adaptable to pool.

 

[EZMoney]

Thanks

EZmoney, here's an article I wrote several years ago regarding safety play. Maybe It will help in showing the strength of playing safe.QUOTE]

I appreciate your thoughts on this. I know you're a well respected old school player that could separate himself from the pack. I'll pay more attention to the small ball portion of the game than the runout for glory path.