Play the table or the opponent?

[TheNewSharkster]

I have read that you should play the table and not the opponent when playing pool. This makes sense and I have tried to follow this for awhile now. You reduce the percieved strength of your opponent and play the best % shot you can. Against a bad player you don't go after stupid shots and against a good player you won't be intimidated.

Lately I have been thinking about this. I think to a new player this is good advice but for some you should weigh the strengths/weaknesses of your opponent. For example, if you know the person you are playing against is no good at banks you may want to safety him into bank shots more than another person. At this point you are playing the table and your opponent.

I would be curious to hear what others think about this.

 

[Johnnyt]

"I just play the table" is an old over used general rule. It all depends on who your playing, what their weaknesses are, what their strengths are. If you have someone that can't run more the 3 balls very often, you'll take shots that are bad % shots. But someone that can runout from almost anywhere, you'll play safe. That is just one reason. There are plenty more. Johnnyt

 

[Neil]

..............

 

[Spimp13]

I would say the better you get the more you pay attention to your opponents and your strengths and weaknesses. Paying attention to the table will help a bit if it rolls one way or another, but knowing your strengths and weaknesses as well as your opponents is definitely a lot more important. I have been playing pool on and off for about 12 years and paying attention to detail and watching people tips me off on some things i.e....he doesn't like to bank, or he tries to run every rack instead of playing safe. Fixing the table from a roll is out of your hands for the most part, but observation and focus on your own game is in your hands!

 

[Andrew Manning]

I have read that you should play the table and not the opponent when playing pool. This makes sense and I have tried to follow this for awhile now. You reduce the percieved strength of your opponent and play the best % shot you can. Against a bad player you don't go after stupid shots and against a good player you won't be intimidated.

Lately I have been thinking about this. I think to a new player this is good advice but for some you should weigh the strengths/weaknesses of your opponent. For example, if you know the person you are playing against is no good at banks you may want to safety him into bank shots more than another person. At this point you are playing the table and your opponent.

I would be curious to hear what others think about this.

The opponent comes into play when weighing up your safety options. Say you're looking at a tough shot with tough position. Your options are,
a) Take the tough shot, if you make it and get position you're probably out.
b) Play X safety to lock him up badly. It's not the easiest safety, but it's nearly inescapable if it works.
c) Play Y safety to leave him a very tough shot (maybe a bank). You can guarantee that you'll get the leave you want, but it's less certain that he won't be able to hit you with a good return or even make the shot.

Each shot carries a probability of successful execution, that doesn't depend on your opponent. However, each shot also carries a quantifiable benefit if successfully executed, which does depend on your opponent in the case of the safety options. Against a very very good player, you might feel the only way to win is to go for shot a), regardless of the percentages. Against a player that doesn't kick as well, maybe option b) becomes the best risk/reward ratio. Against a weak player, you may be best off with option c), since the risk is so very low.

When you're running balls, it's best to put the opponent totally out of your mind. But when deciding whether to play safe, great players weigh risk/reward very effectively to choose the smartest shot, and your opponent's ability to respond to each of the options is something that has to be considered.

-Andrew

 

[Johnnyt]

You have the right idea. On offense, you play the table. That means, you don't shoot scared if you are playing a real good opponent. You play what is given to you.

On the other hand, you also play your opponent when playing safes. Try and figure out his weaknesses, and leave him that.

If you are hustling, you always play your opponent.

I agree with all that. What I do is make myself hate my opponent so bad I want to destoy him. Just like in the ring. I would look at him before the bell rang and think kill, blood, hurt him. I found out later on in life that while this is good, you still have to have enough control of yourself not to get too wild. A couple of "I never saw that punch coming" wakes you up to that control. Johnnyt

 

[ShootingArts]

Neil says it well

Neil's post explains it well. From an emotional standpoint the other player doesn't matter, you play the table. Playing a friend, playing someone you detest, shouldn't be a part of the game. Playing a weaker player, playing a world beater, shouldn't matter.

However, offense and defense I am always thinking about the opponent. When I am weighing which shot to shoot, I am considering possible costs. Early in a moderately tough rack on a tight Diamond the odds are good that I will come back to the table if I miss playing most players. A top player I can't afford to miss and if there is a risk it is probably smarter to duck. Shot selection offensive and defensive and when to go on defense is influenced by who I am playing.

As everyone has said, defense is largely determined by the other player. If they hate banks, leave them banks. If they hate being on the rail . . . Once you learn what your opponent likes least, make sure they see it often.

Hu

I have read that you should play the table and not the opponent when playing pool. This makes sense and I have tried to follow this for awhile now. You reduce the percieved strength of your opponent and play the best % shot you can. Against a bad player you don't go after stupid shots and against a good player you won't be intimidated.

Lately I have been thinking about this. I think to a new player this is good advice but for some you should weigh the strengths/weaknesses of your opponent. For example, if you know the person you are playing against is no good at banks you may want to safety him into bank shots more than another person. At this point you are playing the table and your opponent.

I would be curious to hear what others think about this.

 

[androd]

I would say the better you get the more you pay attention to your opponents and your strengths and weaknesses. Paying attention to the table will help a bit if it rolls one way or another, but knowing your strengths and weaknesses as well as your opponents is definitely a lot more important. I have been playing pool on and off for about 12 years and paying attention to detail and watching people tips me off on some things i.e....he doesn't like to bank, or he tries to run every rack instead of playing safe. Fixing the table from a roll is out of your hands for the most part, but observation and focus on your own game is in your hands!

Playing the table means, playing your speed and not being intimidated by your opponents rep. or wondering about who he is or how he plays. The secret to playing strangers is, if you play your speed you can quickly tell if you are outclassed or not, but if you hack at shots you keep thinking I should have gotten out there and it's hard to quit.
PS; nothing to do with table rolls.

 

[Spimp13]

I think I might have miss read it . I would agree. Was busy multi tasking with work and replying lol.

 

[vagabond]

hustlers & roadies usually don`t play the table.

 

[Quesports]

true nuff

hustlers & roadies usually don`t play the table.

They want to get into your head like a rabid chipmunk!!

 

[Tom In Cincy]

There was a time that I thought it was necessary to play the opponent more than the table. It use to be 'gamesmanship'... or at least some players used that term a lot.

It is amazing to me that some players were able to 'dish it out' in big quantities but would absolutely fold and couldn't 'take it' when it was reversed.

When I shoot I play the table. If I still have a huge flaw after all these years, I take the offensive shot all to often instead of the safe. I guess I just can't justify giving up the table on purpose.

<---------hates playing SAFE and giving up the table.

 

[Andrew Manning]

There was a time that I thought it was necessary to play the opponent more than the table. It use to be 'gamesmanship'... or at least some players used that term a lot.

It is amazing to me that some players were able to 'dish it out' in big quantities but would absolutely fold and couldn't 'take it' when it was reversed.

When I shoot I play the table. If I still have a huge flaw after all these years, I take the offensive shot all to often instead of the safe. I guess I just can't justify giving up the table on purpose.

<---------hates playing SAFE and giving up the table.

There's something to be said for this. Many champion players very rarely play safe. Efren plays an amazingly strong return-safety game, but he doesn't often initiate the safety battle. The best defense is a good offense, and the best way to make sure you don't leave your opponent a shot is to run out. When you let them to the table, even if you play a strong safety, there's a very significant chance for them to benefit from some good luck. This chance is zero if you run out.

-Andrew

 

[Rob_jerrylee]

Now In my APA league I play the table , I do take notes on my opponent when he/she is at the table to see what there weakness is but when it's my time at the table , I play the table not my opponent , it's kinda funny when I first started that's all i was worried about is my opponent .

 

[Chi2dxa]

I have read that you should play the table and not the opponent when playing pool. This makes sense and I have tried to follow this for awhile now. You reduce the percieved strength of your opponent and play the best % shot you can. Against a bad player you don't go after stupid shots and against a good player you won't be intimidated.

Lately I have been thinking about this. I think to a new player this is good advice but for some you should weigh the strengths/weaknesses of your opponent. For example, if you know the person you are playing against is no good at banks you may want to safety him into bank shots more than another person. At this point you are playing the table and your opponent.

I would be curious to hear what others think about this.

I don't care who it is I always play the table. Playing the player can be intimidating. Taking what the table gives you without doing anything cute will make you mentally stronger(if the shot is not there its just not there end of discussion). Johnny Archer was the house pro at Mr. Cues 2 so I had a number of oportunities to play him and if you start thinking about how you are going to play him you just end up out of character. Your time is better used concentrating on solving the puzzle in front of you rather than the player behind you (after all he is seated and you are at the table).

 

[2rgrbn]

I agree with all that. What I do is make myself hate my opponent so bad I want to destoy him. Just like in the ring. I would look at him before the bell rang and think kill, blood, hurt him. I found out later on in life that while this is good, you still have to have enough control of yourself not to get too wild. A couple of "I never saw that punch coming" wakes you up to that control. Johnnyt

I think most of us have probably been in a situation where someone insulted the game or in some way caused us to have a surface level dislike for them and that aggression that you have towards them seems to boost your confidence and put you in focus. What JohnnyT says in his post has been a great tool for me but it does have to be controlled and directed as focus and not distraction. There is no better feeling then when something like this sets you off and before you know it you stand up from stringing a few racks and were so focused that no sound or any outside influence has been realized. I have often asked myself what separates me from the champions Answer: They are able to pull up this level of focus in any situation. I agree with playing the balls but if playing the opponent puts you in focus and is not a distraction then do what works for you. If I am playing a guy I don't like it helps me focus on the game based on my dislike for him, if I like the guy then I better go with my lifelong battle with the orbs (balls) find what works for you. I think the key to the playing the opponent is to remain subjective and make smart choices based on what you know about opponent where it hurts is when you are intimidated by him, you have to believe you can win even if it is Reyes sitting there. The fact is if he is sitting you are winning as long as you play the balls well and don't turn control over you are set. To me this is the aspect of the game that separates the champions from the rest of us. Once your knowledge and fundamentals are developed sufficiently. Who ever finds the triggers that put them in the zone the most has the edge.

 

[TheNewSharkster]

There's something to be said for this. Many champion players very rarely play safe. Efren plays an amazingly strong return-safety game, but he doesn't often initiate the safety battle. The best defense is a good offense, and the best way to make sure you don't leave your opponent a shot is to run out. When you let them to the table, even if you play a strong safety, there's a very significant chance for them to benefit from some good luck. This chance is zero if you run out.

-Andrew

Do you believe a strong safety can offset a skill advantage someone has over you? I mean we all can't play like Efren :smile:

 

[Andrew Manning]

Do you believe a strong safety can offset a skill advantage someone has over you? I mean we all can't play like Efren :smile:

Safeties are undoubtedly an important weapon to have, and yes, the better safety player can sometimes make good enough use of these skills to overcome a player with a stronger offense. However, the decision to play a safety instead of attempting a run out is one that can be made too often, and I think a great number of amateur players do make it too often. A safety is no substitute for not letting your opponent to the table at all. Players who try to play safe instead of having the courage to attempt a makeable runout, often end up on the receiving end of an opponent getting a good roll and winning the rack. You don't want to give your opponent that opportunity unless you really have to.

-Andrew