Lucky position or safety

Push&Pool

Push&Pool

Professional Banger
Silver Member
Ever since I started playing pool I've made thousands of slops/lucky pockets. But all that is nearly insignificant comparing to the number of times I've played great, almost perfect position, or a lock-up safety, completely unintentionally. Even now that my CB control skills have somewhat improved, I still have that old habit of pocketing a ball and then looking what I'm supposed to do next. Now you'd probably think I never ran 3 balls in a row that way, but more often than not the position I get is quite promising.

Did it also happen to you at some point in your life, or have you witnessed other players pull it off? Are those favorable outcomes of failed or poorly planned shots expected from the perspective of the law of probability, or have I simply been incredibly lucky all this time?
 
Logically, you would think it is likely more a case of the instances where you got perfect shape/safe to be more memorable (and therefore seem to happen "more often"). But, with that being said, if I had a dollar for every time I got left "in jail" by someone I KNEW had no idea what they were doing, I would be much better off than I am right now.

Adding to that, I think there is also some subconscious stuff that goes into it, too. What I mean is, I have caught myself playing in a game with friends where there is more drinking/BS'ing going on than actual playing and have noticed that I will get down on a shot before I have really looked the table over to see what I wanted to do and caught myself before shooting, only to realize that I was already setting up w/some running English to get to the other end of the table, even though I hadn't really looked the table over to know that's what I needed to do, like I would as part of my PSR in a money game. Don't think I explained that very well. What I'm trying to say is that you may be performing some mental calculations you don't even realize you are actively making just because you have done it so much it's second nature.
 
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edep12 said:
Logically, you would think it is likely more a case of the instances where you got perfect shape/safe to be more memorable (and therefore seem to happen "more often"). But, with that being said, if I had a dollar for every time I got left "in jail" by someone I KNEW had no idea what they were doing, I would be much better off than I am right now.

Adding to that, I think there is also some subconscious stuff that goes into it, too. What I mean is, I have caught myself playing in a game with friends where there is more drinking/BS'ing going on than actual playing and have noticed that I will get down on a shot before I have really looked the table over to see what I wanted to do and caught myself before shooting, only to realize that I was already setting up w/some running English to get to the other end of the table, even though I hadn't really looked the table over to know that's what I needed to do, like I would as part of my PSR in a money game. Don't think I explained that very well. What I'm trying to say is that you may be performing some mental calculations you don't even realize you are actively making just because you have done it so much it's second nature.
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You put it pretty well. A while back, i noticed i had a tendency to hook my opponent when i missed.. quite a bit, really. Once i tried to put conscious effort into it, i didn't work quite as well. I went back to trusting my instinct of what to do and the leaves came back. It didn't matter so much if i made the shot or not. What my instinct told me to do just tended to work out that way. Now i just go with it most of the time. I must be as lucky as some say. :thumbup:
 
The only reference I have to what you stated comes from playing One Pocket for the past sixteen years. Seldom do I play anything else, but when I do it's when one of the young ladies who works at the pool hall asks me to play a little nine-ball. She likes me to watch her form, and take it from me, it's top-notch.
Anyway, the more I've played, it seems, the luckier I've gotten. Especially in One Pocket safety play. Or, at least that's the way it looks. What is really happening, in my opinion, is that your subconscious mind sees the possibility of a missed shot and when one happens, compensates by getting whitey safe.
A Harrigan (lucky shot), as Grady Mathews used to say, could be viewed in the same way. :smile:
 
Makes sense. I think from time to time it's just impossible to consistently be as lucky as I've been without having your mind behind it all, at least at the subconscious level. I guess it goes for both "lucky" pockets and unintentional position/safeties. That could be a reason why some obvious bangers seem to be able to keep up with more skilled players. They may not be aware of it, but their mind actually managed to learn those shooting skills.
 
Wrong post, sorry.
Damn, this is some killer weed. Got me replying to posts I never even heard of.
 
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Being in a position to pocket another ball after making one is not all that unlikely even if no thought was put into it. Through much of the game there are more "good" places than "bad" I suspect.

I think if you really want to have the best chance of running out you absolutely need to play to a position not just one ball ahead but two or three (or more). I'm assuming you aren't talking about 9 or 10 ball..... I'd love to play some 9 with somebody with a game plan based on luck.
 
logical said:
Being in a position to pocket another ball after making one is not all that unlikely even if no thought was put into it. Through much of the game there are more "good" places than "bad" I suspect.

I think if you really want to have the best chance of running out you absolutely need to play to a position not just one ball ahead but two or three (or more). I'm assuming you aren't talking about 9 or 10 ball..... I'd love to play some 9 with somebody with a game plan based on luck.
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You can play me. This is why I prefer 8- ball.

Seriously though I have the plan, but lack the skill to execute, or I try to get to specific with position as in 8-ball. Keep the angle at all times. So is the OP the ram shot guy ? I haven't followed his posts in months. Nice to see that he still promotes fallacious B.S.
 
Let me say it like this. when I first started I didn't try to set myself up for a shot. but 95 % of the time I would have another shot . might not have been an ideal shot but a shot nun the less. And You can still win doing it this way its just a little harder. I also think I look at a table differently because of that. because I here people all the time say I thought you were going for one ball when you went for the other . you got it but you did it the hard way. (etc). Now Im learning side ,follow, and draw. the shots are getting closer and easier . and when a guy tries to hide a ball or put me in a spot that's not an ideal shot I just resort to my roots and get out of the jamb.
 
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