Play the table not the player

[Texas Carom Club]

play the table,
because when you play someone you dont know or play often thats all you can do, which is often the case in tournaments

 

[PNWLocal]

This will help you understand so much more than you can even imagine about your very question than you can even imagine.
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I'm about halfway in reading and digesting this book right now, it's really really good in my opinion.

 

[BilliardsAbout]

I hear this so often. Playing the table will keep you racking. What's your opinion???

I saw the OP title and remembered coaching three-ball runners to play safe until the last three in Nine Ball, a strategy which has helped them defeat far superior players.

Play the player AND the table.

 

[SeniorTom]

I think it is a ridiculous saying , 'play the table not your opponent'. I play differently when I play different caliber players. When I play better players in myself I try to keep them locked up and make more of a chess match out of the game. Lesser players I don't worry about that so much, they'll mess up sooner or later where I can beat them. A good example is a game I played against one of the best in the house, a 630ish Fargo, and the game of 8 ball lasted 1 hour before I was able to edge him out. One of his balls was locked up against the rail with mine and I safe played many of my shots until I was able to beat him. Logically, you are playing the other player, it's just that both of you aren't at the table at the same time.

 

[1sttbone]

after being a good run out player i was losing to some pros and great amateurs for the money. i thought about it for awhile and realized they all had better safety games than me. i decided to play safes practicing and kicking safe.. whoa, after six month of dedication to the safety game i went to my first big tournament and won. not only was my safety game better than everyone i played but my side to side and end to end speed control for shapes had improved dramatically. im getting older in my seventies but can still compete with the better players. Good Luck!!!!!!

 

[straightline]

I think successful veterans have seen more than enough human frailty. If they can leave you to agonize over the terrain, that's what you'll get.