What would you do here?

I'm playing in the local tournament last night. Race to 3, both on the hill. My break, lucky me gets this. There is no push on the break. What would you do??? (diamond bar box)

CueTable Help


The best solution I can think of is to kick behind the 7 to the 1, and try to hit it thin enough with proper speed to send the cueball in the direction of the 9 and the 1-ball in the directon of the 8-ball and the sidepocket. You might get lucky and make the 9, or you might make the 1, but if not there is still some distance, and the chance of hiding the 1-ball behind the 8-ball is still there.
 
Roy- look again at the angle of the cb-2, the best you can get going that way is just past the side pocket. Which means you can't get to the 1 past the 7 that way. Good thought though.
Aim for a wider angle, but use low english. That will shorten the angle of the CB.

Doc
 
Then I would go for the 3-railer, pretty hard, praying that the PoolGods are busy messing up with someone on another table which would perhaps give me a lucky roll.
 
Take the foul. Try to re-arrange the table. Fire the two ball into the 9-ball and hope for the best.....randyg
 
Looks like the kick on the one is no good. The only thing you can do is send the two to the short rail and bump the nine away from the pocket. Then sit back and let your man try to run out.
 
I would try kicking the one and holding the cb in the middle, trying tosend the one to the end rail...barring that, I'd drop back 10 and punt!
 
Then I would go for the 3-railer, pretty hard, praying that the PoolGods are busy messing up with someone on another table which would perhaps give me a lucky roll.

Yeah, I'd probably roll at the 3-railer too. Looks like the 4-ball is in the way a bit, so it might require a slight masse to get the correct angle coming into that first cushion. At least a miss on the short side, which looks to be much more likely than a miss on the long side, has a good chance of moving the 9 and forcing them to run out.

The only other thing I see is to shoot the 2 into the 1, hoping to make the 2/1 combo and perhaps sink either the 2 or 9 in the other corner. Depending on the rules you were playing by, that might cause multiple balls to spot, thus forcing opp. to play safe on their next inning. If everything but the 9 stays down, though, that obviously wouldn't be a viable option.

Wow, you get all the rolls Neil. :D

Aaron
 
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I too would take the foul. If you don't have a guaranteed hit to send the 1 ball somewhere safe, drop that 9ball. Let it get spotted and give him ball in hand. It gives you a better chance of coming back up to the table than leaving that 9b sitting so deep in the pocket.
 
I'm playing in the local tournament last night. Race to 3, both on the hill. My break, lucky me gets this. There is no push on the break. What would you do??? (diamond bar box)

CueTable Help

The odds of getting a reasonably safe hit on the 1 here seem low. It appears that you can see most/all of the 7, therefore I would roll the 7 up onto the 3 to give my opponent a serious problem in the runout. This is the best percentage play I can see here.
 
The odds of getting a reasonably safe hit on the 1 here seem low. It appears that you can see most/all of the 7, therefore I would roll the 7 up onto the 3 to give my opponent a serious problem in the runout. This is the best percentage play I can see here.

Which would leave your opponet a 1-9 combo,,,game set match
 
I think going 3 rails, above the 4 with some serious low left swerve. A man of your caliber is gonna to give the one a good run, and you have a decent shot of moving the 9.

You could hit the 2 into the 9, but I'm assuming you're playing someone with some game, and this would put a for sale sign on the house.

Ok Neil, we all know you pulled a rabbit outta your hat, (like that one you Op'd before where you pulled a rad masse outyobutt!).

Inquiring minds wanna know. Show and tell!
 
I like the 2-railer with a little right english (playing on the 4-rail line). Hit firm, you get a good chance of some separation between the 1 and the CB.

CueTable Help

 
Tough call

Looking at the table it looks like you can reverse the cue ball under the 7. If I had that option that would be my first choice. Hopefully I would catch the 9 ball right and have a pop at the 1-9 combo. If I catch it right and miss the combo I have a shot at the cue ball coming back down table, it looks like the scratch in the side is clear, hopefully I don't sell out the 1.

If that option is not available I would play 2 rails under the 4 ball, If I miss the one coming in I have a shot at it 4 rails on the way out, it's natural that way,assuming again the 2 ball is not in the way, it looks clear.
I prefer to play a calculated shot rather than a crashem smashem shot and hope I get lucky and tie something up, if I dog it I dog it, it's better for my game to play accurate and precise, rather than to just wing it, that doesn't do anything for anyones game except hurt it. Win or lose I am playing a calculated shot.
 
I'm with doc... firm draw and some right to 1 rail it past the 7. It was a real eye opener to me how much draw can shorten up the angle on this sort of kick.

The exact amount of draw and left is tricky and unknown but it's gotta be a higher percentage than anything involving 2 or 3 rails. And forget any option that doesn't involve playing for the 1. You have to kill that 1-9 combo.
 
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