One pocket Spot

Playing an elite-level one pocket player, a 3 pockets to 1 spot is how much weight?

  • TONS of weight. You shouldn't lose to anyone if you have any clue.

    Votes: 28 51.9%

  • Moderate weight. You should split games if you have any clue.

    Votes: 14 25.9%

  • No weight at all. You'll likely never see any pocket, regardless if you have a clue.

    Votes: 6 11.1%

  • I have a clue, but it's the professor in the library with a wrench.

    Votes: 6 11.1%
  • Total voters
    54
SpiderWebComm

SpiderWebComm

HelpImBeingOppressed
Silver Member
I'm creating this poll because I want to see what others think about this scenario.

I was recently playing a hall-of-fame player (former World 1-Pocket champion, among many other titles) and I decided to play a little one-hole. I've been playing a lot of one pocket recently and actually feel I play the game above average. I'm not bad at protecting myself and know how to play the game.

The game we played was he got his regular pocket and I got all 3 pockets on my side of the table.

I'm not going say the outcome until I get a few votes in; but I'm curious if you guys think that's a lot of weight or no weight at all. Please also include your speed at one pocket (relatively, estimated) and what level of players you think you can play with that spot (i.e. anyone on earth, mid-pros, low-pros, short-stops or nobody, because you can't play at all).

Let me know your thoughts.

Edit:

I'm a danger to run 8-and-out if given the opp at any time. Doesn't mean I will, but the card is in the deck. If that helps to answer the poll.
 
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This is really subjective. How "you" play is all the difference.

That said, unless you are just below shortstop speed, this isn't a favorable spot, to you.

A better spot, assuming you were playing Hopkins, would be to get two pockets; your corner and the opposite corner on his side, by the head of the table.


Eric
 
Depends on your speed.
Just average or a little better you cant win .You will never get to what you think is the nuts.:wink:

Voted 3
 
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Cornbread Red gave up that spot a lot on a 9ft pool table and a 10ft
snooker table....to decent short stops.
He got the cash every time I was there.
 
Very interesting question,,,,,,,I would think the spot to be huge, and I voted that way,,,,,,,,,but I've never played a HOF 1 pocket player,,,,,,gonna be interesting to see how it turned out.
 
8pack said:
Depend on your speed.
Just average or a little better you cant win .You will never get to what you think is the nuts.:wink:

Voted 3
Click to expand...

Eh... hard to say. 14.1 is so much easier to determine speed. My high run is 13 from a standard 1pkt break (I use outside instead of inside on the first break to get the CB to center table). Countless 8-and-outs from favorable positions. That in NO MEANS is saying I think I'm a one-hole player. I'm still learning and consider myself intermediate. My high run in 14.1 is 62, not like that matters to the question, but it gives you a concept of speed.
 
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Eric. said:
This is really subjective. How "you" play is all the difference.

That said, unless you are just below shortstop speed, this isn't a favorable spot, to you.

A better spot, assuming you were playing Hopkins, would be to get two pockets; your corner and the opposite corner on his side, by the head of the table.


Eric
Click to expand...

I agree with this, and here's the reason. A player of that caliber -- an HOF'er -- is naturally going to protect his banking lanes on his side of the table, and obstruct yours on your side of the table. In other words, in the natural progression of moves, the natural process of obstructing your banking lanes also means not having a look at a ball that you can pocket in that corner pocket. The side pocket on your side of the table is a variable (because of cross-side banks), but not the corner pocket.

However, if you flip this where the opposite corner pocket -- on his side of the table -- is "yours," that changes things dramatically. Because now he can't protect his banking lanes any longer -- those lanes are your direct (to the pocket) scoring lanes. Any balls he moves here for banking, are your cherries for the picking.

I would say that a "complete side of the table (your side)" is a moderate spot against an HOF'er (Hopkins?).

If I had to venture a guess, I would say he held up nicely against this spot, and probably offers it alot. I would be interested in what the final outcome was.

-Sean
 
SpiderWebComm said:
Eh... hard to say. 14.1 is so much easier to determine speed. My high run is 13 from a standard 1pkt break (I use outside instead of inside on the first break to get the CB to center table). Countless 8-and-outs from favorable positions. That in NO MEANS is saying I think I'm a one-hole player. I'm still learning and consider myself intermediate. My high run in 14.1 is 62, not like that matters to the question, but it gives you a concept of speed.
Click to expand...


Dave Great players do what will beat us all.They will out move us giving us no opportunity.

Hope you got the cash though.:smile:

Anthony
 
Be honest the only way you could post something like this is if you lost.:grin:
Because if you won you should of you was getting the nutz and you cant brag about that can you?:grin:
 
I'm not saying who I was playing - because it doesn't matter.

I won one game in 3 hours... and that was because a ball skid on him.

Never... and I mean NEVER... did I ever see a bank or a legit shot. I was either touching a ball, touching a rail (seeing nothing) or both. When I say I never had a chance at anything, I mean never.

Going into the game, I thought no one on earth could spot me 3 pockets to 1 -- it just didn't seem logical. The other 2 pockets never even came into play--- so it was like we were playing even. I tried breaking every different way to increase my chances, but that didn't help either.

I later asked him about that game and he said he used to spot people way way better than me that and they had no chance. He said it's not much of a spot... that's why I made the poll.

Playing good one pocket players in my area--- I can always breathe somewhat once in a while in the game --- seeing daylight--- seeing the bottom half of the CB -- something. However, if you play someone that puts you into a hydraulic clamp on EVERY SINGLE INNING FOR HOURS, it changes your perspective on whether or not you're a one pocket player.

After a while you get a hair impatient and try some flier in the hopes of improving the constant hopeless position, and whenever you do -- you end up paying dearly.

I know a lot of people (like myself) think it's huge weight, but that's probably from lack of perspective (unless they're a stone cold champion themselves).

I feel like I'm playing pretty well --- but that's based on seeing occasional daylight. Sometimes daylight never comes.....ever.... and I mean EVER if you're playing someone with legend-level CB control.
 
Dave:

One pocket is just one of those games that, like 14.1, you study *for life*. This game, as you know, isn't a bang-bang-shoot-'em-up like in short-rack rotation games.

You can be the greatest shotmaker in the world, but if your opponent clamps you down *all the time* -- where you NEVER get to see a legit shot (and not a flier -- those are traps, btw), you ain't getting anywhere.

While Shane is a very good one pocket player, to be honest, in most of the matches I've seen, his opponent tried to match him shot-for-shot (a huge mistake). Or, their "moves" on him weren't successful -- letting him peek at a ball, and Shane did what he does best -- make balls from everywhere.

Too bad you and I weren't closer, poolroom-wise. I'd be happy to play, and compare notes.

The more you play this game -- and the more opponents you match up with -- the more you love it!

-Sean
 
sfleinen said:
Dave:

One pocket is just one of those games that, like 14.1, you study *for life*. This game, as you know, isn't a bang-bang-shoot-'em-up like in short-rack rotation games.

You can be the greatest shotmaker in the world, but if your opponent clamps you down *all the time* -- where you NEVER get to see a legit shot (and not a flier -- those are traps, btw), you ain't getting anywhere.

While Shane is a very good one pocket player, to be honest, in most of the matches I've seen, his opponent tried to match him shot-for-shot (a huge mistake). Or, their "moves" on him weren't successful -- letting him peek at a ball, and Shane did what he does best -- make balls from everywhere.

Too bad you and I weren't closer, poolroom-wise. I'd be happy to play, and compare notes.

The more you play this game -- and the more opponents you match up with -- the more you love it!

-Sean
Click to expand...

Believe me -- I'm not a great 1 pocket player in the grand scheme of things, but I can run balls and I can move somewhat. That said, running balls and moving are dependent on being able to do "something."

If you could point your finger to the most desolate, piece-of-sh!@#, garbage spot on the table where he could leave you --- you were there--- with each time an extra ball or two would trickle to his pocket.

Next thing ya know, you have problems at his hole AND you have no offensive shot.... and you can't see his hole either. So you take an intentional (just to see what he does) and he does as well, with the tangent to the pocket. So, the next time you take an intentional -- you're getting to the tangent first -- and he ticks it perfect speed to touch you against the rail while still beating the scratch (all the while never seeing anything anywhere). I tried to damage the rack to his side -- to my side--up table--- wherever, trying to play to my spot and it was hopeless. I was getting rolled on balls with pathways to nowhere and when I poked my head out - doom.

Before you even know what the hell just happened, there's a million-man march going on in front of his pocket with the CB in an isolation chamber somewhere. Uncanny.
 
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Interesting read.

Slivka offered to play me 1p, he 1 handed to my 2.

I had to pass coz he said I had to bet 200/ game and I woulda had to get more paper to get to the post...but I don't see how I could lose! And I am sure he has won a lotta $ when opponents thought that.:eek::embarrassed2::sorry:
 
I spot beginers (1P) of low skill level 9-7.I get a spot from most 1 hole players.

IMO no1 in the world could beat me with that spot.
 
smoooothstroke said:
I spot beginers (1P) of low skill level 9-7.I get a spot from most 1 hole players.

IMO no1 in the world could beat me with that spot.
Click to expand...

Exaaaaactly what I thought. "No one in the world could possibly beat me with that spot."

The other 2 pockets never came into play and it was like playing him even. If you wanna see how someone in the world can and will give you that spot, let me know.

Just to put it into perspective, outside of the 1 game I won, I think my ball score was something like 8 balls for the remaining games we played (total, between the rest of the games). Let's say you'd consider me a low level player and would spot me 9-7--- you'd have zero chance, assuming that was an accurate spot. ZERO%. It'd be like looking out the back window of your house, waiting for a unicorn to show up to eat your daisies. He didn't think it was a big spot - you think it's huge. Someone's correct. All I know is if I split games with someone 9/7 (them), they're in for a long, long night with that spot.
 
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