Pool strategies and risk taking in 8 ball?

Question

Among some of my Associates. We have discussed that it is better to make a mistake in begining of the game than at the end. In tournaments sence I have about 5 ball consistency and only expect to give my opponent about one chance if any. Depending on my apponents consistancy the better he or she is the lighter I break the rack leaving more balls clustered which gives the better player the advantage. Less chance for luck.I have about a fifty percent banking ability. In the begining of the game. Say I have one ball that is hooked on the bank and the rest are fairly easy to get to. Now my apponent is good but he is likey to give me another chance. If I make the bank im more likely going out. Should I take the bank first. Or should I try to break out the hooked ball as I maneuver around the table. knowing however I might allow the cue ball to run lose. Concept being that the more things the cue ball hit the less control I have of it.

Answer 1

I'd say the timing of which to shoot first comes down follow up shots.  which one gives you the better shot at the other next, or later if there are still other balls to contend with.  when I step up to the table I look at every ball, where it is, what the problems are, which shots give me the best opportunity to address my problems, while leaving as many of my opponents problems still on the table.  Then I make my decision accordingly.  I'm usually planning several shots ahead, if not the whole table.  Of course somethings you just can't plan for, like when you break apart a cluster.  sometimes I like to do this early if it's a cluster of just mine, while there are still more balls on the table in case the cluster doeesn't break the way I expect.  But every situation is different, and every player is different.  Hope this was help to you.

Keep rackin' em

Answer 2

It's never good to make a mistake late or early in the game. But i tend to agree with you that it is better early in the game. Although most of the guys i play with will make you pay for it anytime you make a mistake. They either figure a way to get out or they will hook you sure as h**l. Not so sure i like the light breaking idea though. Your not only leaving a mess for your opponent but for youself too. Get a big break working for you and you can roll. Sure , your not gonna run out every rack but a good break at least gives you a chance to run it out. Unfortunately for a lot of players the break is one of the last things they work on when practicing and thus costs them a lot of games. Yes ,Cory Duell, among others, does that soft break a lot when playing 9 ball but it is not to create clusters for his opponent to deal with, it is to keep at the table.He's playing that break to pocket the one in the side and control the cue ball hopefully having a shot at the 2 and run out from there. I guess what i'm getting at is that a soft break isn't really giving anyone an advantage. Reason being if your opponent is better than you  chances are he's going to deal with the clusters better than you are. If you are better than your opponent then your just making the game hard on youself by having to deal with all the clusters. When you could just use a big break and beat him outright. All of the great players i know bust the balls hard and just try to outplay their opponents both offensively and defensively. Those are some of the best matches to watch, a great defensive player against a great shot maker , that can add up to some really great pool. My basic strategy is a big break , try to stay in line , play safe when i have to, and have a good time. Great question , good luck to ya!

Answer 3

If you feel like you can make the bank and then run the table, you should go for it. If you can leave your cueball good for your run and bad for your opponent it would be a plus. (The 2 way shot) Getting the tough ball open early is good because it allows you to focus on keeping in line and running out.

I hope this helps.

Ted

Answer 4

dave worded it perfectly for me.  i play to win every risk is calculated and in control.

Answer 5

First off, I feel a clustered mess gives the weaker player a better chance. A good player can make a ball most of the time on the break and will generally only have a couple of balls clustered up. A good player should either be able to run out in this situation, or play a good safety and run out their next turn or 2 at the table. When you leave a clustered mess, you're giving the worse player more shots at the table, and more chances to luck into a run out.

Each situation is different so I can't comment on your scenario without seeing a setup, but in general you should only try to run out when you are almost positive you can run the whole table. If early in the rack you are faced with a situation where balls are clustered up, you should either try to pocket a ball and break them out, then re-evaluate the table, or try to break them up and play safe so your opponent cannot make a ball. (My objective when playing safe is always to improve my setup at the table, and prevent my opponent from running out)There is no point in running down several balls if you cannot make them all.

As far as when to make mistakes, obviously early mistakes are more forgiving than late mistakes. If you miss your first ball, your opponent will still have to maneuver around your group to finish off the rack. If you miss your last ball, the table is wide open and he just needs to clear the table.

Answer 6

Here is my theory on play.  Every time I get to the table I try to get out, every time I break, unless in a points per ball tourney and I would only need a ball or 2 and they need the game, I break to run out.  I like to play a bit more controlled aggressive.  Play to get shape on your problem balls, and if you see a break out shot go ahead and play for it.  If you can't set up to play a safety.  The thing about how you say you break soft to keep balls together to me sounds like you are saying before the game has even started you expect to lose.  Always play to win, don't leave shots on the table where you think as you are watching your opponent run out "man, I should have just taken that shot"  Be smart, the best thing about pool is that every single game is different.  Always, Always, play to win, don't play to your opponents ability, play to yours.  Keep racken em up!