Problem of the week 28. - Pool, Snooker, and Billiards -- Two Plus Two Poker Forums

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Problem of the week 28.

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02-24-2011 , 08:26 AM

Wamy Einehouse

rack 'em

Join Date: Dec 2008 Posts: 4,653

This is an amateur/advanced US 8 ball problem. You are on the eight, playing a league match against a skilled amateur on a well cut and well maintained regulation US table:

Best shot and why?

Solution:

Spoiler:

Problem of the week 28 is a spot that weak players generally habitually make a huge mistake in, and one that costs them vastly more games than good players lose in this spot. On the whole weak players take a brief look at the table, and play the hyper 'obvious' shot – kicking off the top rail in the diagram and trying to sink the eight in the lower left corner pocket on the picture.

They generally miss, leave a completely open table, and stay in their chair as their opponent makes a trivially easy run out to take the game. However, had they looked and thought a little harder, they would have spotted a much smarter shot – one that not only is more likely to go in, but one that also has a lot of escape outs if you miss.

The best shot in this spot is to try and kick the eight into the top middle on the diagram. The six makes the pocket much larger than it otherwise would be, and even if you miss you will either knock the six down the rail making it a bit harder, or over the three and five, hopefully blocking some of the paths and giving you some chance of getting back to the table. Even worst case, that of hitting the eight too fine and hitting the rail left of the corner, you might even get the black blocking the six a little – slim possible equity in all, but some, and some is always better than none.

The only real downside with this shot is the potential scratch in the lower middle. It's very hard to evaluate such a shot over the table often, and it's certainly hard from this diagram, so that will have to be left as a bit of an open question – if you see it on the table, you are probably better off using an extra rail to change the angle of attack a little.

Solution – go to kick the eight in the upper middle pocket on the diagram. The pocket is larger due to the six, and you have a few outs even if you miss. Use either just the far left rail in the diagram, or a combination of the bottom and far left depending on the exact angle involved to avoid the chance of a scratch.

Last edited by RayPowers; 03-04-2011 at 10:23 AM.

02-24-2011 , 11:07 AM

McCrimbob

stranger

Join Date: Feb 2011 Posts: 5

If it were me in this position I would bank the cue ball of the top cushion and hit the 8-ball from the backside.

If you catch it thin you have every chance of dropping it in the middle due to the 6 ball making the pocket bigger.

If you catch it thick then there is every chance that you impede the 3 or 5 ball in the corner, either from in front or behind.

Of course with the second outcome you could find yourself in another horrible snooker but you do get another chance to get your hand on the table.

It'll be interesting to see other ideas in this spot.

Last edited by McCrimbob; 02-24-2011 at 11:16 AM.

02-25-2011 , 02:28 PM

llDayo

grinder

Join Date: Jan 2009 Posts: 461

I'd take the cueball off the bottom rail between the middle pocket and the first dot to the right with a little top spin. Try to send the eightball into the top middle pocket (the 6 gives you room to work with). Speed should be just enough to go in. If you miss but are close the spin should put the cue at the left rail with the 8 blocking the top pocket. If you're lucky the 2 will block the cue from having a clean shot at the 3 or 5.

02-26-2011 , 07:27 AM

squashington

veteran

Join Date: Jun 2007 Posts: 2,389

Quote:

Originally Posted by llDayo

If that's shot's not impossible it's definitely the lowest % shot of our 3 options.

I think kicking off top rail and playing 8 in lower left corner is highest % shot, but risks scratching in side and gives an easy run out when we miss.

The shot McCrimbob described is probably our best shot. With the right speed, it's very makeable and in the likely event we miss there's a decent chance we:

a) block the side pocket
b) prevent taking the 6 in any of the top 3 pockets
c) pin the 6 on the rail

02-28-2011 , 03:38 AM

dinopoker

Carpal \'Tunnel

Join Date: Mar 2006 Posts: 9,437

Kicking to make the eight in the side pocket by the six is the only realistic option that I see. Playing this one cushion off the end rail to catch the eight about half ball is the obvious shot at that, but as I see it that also leaves a fairly big scratch off the eight in the opposite side. That being the case I might actually kick THREE cushions at the eight, playing off the far side rail and playing to just miss the corner pocket. That should put the eight squarely in the cueball's path.

02-28-2011 , 10:07 AM

llDayo

grinder

Join Date: Jan 2009 Posts: 461

Quote:

Originally Posted by squashington

As dinopoker already mentioned you risk scratching in the opposite side pocket. The option I mentioned does the same as McCrimbob's but with no chance at scratching PLUS you'll leave the cueball at the end of the table making for a better leave. You're only kicking off one rail so your chances of missing are not much worse than McCrimbob's suggestion.

03-04-2011 , 10:24 AM

RayPowers

Carpal \'Tunnel

Join Date: Aug 2005 Posts: 9,916

Bump for solution added.

03-23-2011 , 06:10 AM

FishTaco

banned

Join Date: Jan 2009 Posts: 29

Wamy these problem of the week threads are awesome, thanks for doing them.

I agree with you on the 8ball going top middle, but I'm jumping the 7 and banking it there. I'm not too worried about the cue ball being that far off the rail for a jump because it's close enough to the 7 that I don't have to hit it very hard. I just think that with such a huge sweet spot on the 6 ball I'm not remotely thinking about missing it.
If I do **** the bed and miss badly enough for the 8 not to go in, the cue ball should hop some and end up down near the bottom left pocket and the 8 can drift up table to hang up the 3 and 5.
If he gets out anyway, I just tell him gg while planning a voodoo doll or silently wishing him herpes or something.

03-23-2011 , 10:04 AM

Wamy Einehouse

rack 'em

Join Date: Dec 2008 Posts: 4,653

Quote:

Originally Posted by FishTaco

Your margins of error unless you have a world class jump shot will be smaller than they are coming off of the rail. You have a larger margin of error hitting the eight from behind than you do banking it in due to the angle you create coming back onto it from the rail.

Think about it this way - unless you have a sick jumpshot the angle you get jump shot banking it leads to a lot of full ball contacts on the six when you under hit it, and very few pots when u miss the six completely when you over hit it due to the horrible angle for making a middle pocket. Coming at it from behind means you have much more of the six to hit, as well as many wins when it misses the six but goes in anyway due to the friendly angle into the middle you do not have jump shot banking.

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