This is a problem that basically hinges on two key factors – the actual layout of the table and our basic observations of the opponent.

There is a nice(ish) looking safety option clipping off the seven and trying to get behind the nine and close to the end rail, although it comes at the steep price of any mistake leaving a shot on – albeit a very hard one. There is a second safety option of trying to hit the seven behind the nine and keep the white up table, which again leaves an easy shot if we miss. There is a also a very aggressive possible cut on the seven down the rail, but it is a very hard shot, and one which probably loses us the game every time if we miss.

So let's first compare the two safeties. Clipping off the seven is the clear winner out of these two, as although both have the possibility of leaving a long shot, only the second option also leaves an easy route to the eight as well. If we are playing safe we should go for the first option.

So what about the cut down the rail? To me, this shot is just far too risky when we have a decent safety shot on, and even if we are a little tempted, the player type we are up against and the situation we are playing should sway us a little more towards playing the safety.

Players with off the rack $200 cues and their own stuff are usually solid amateurs, who will clear the table nearly 100% of the time if we miss the cut, leave the seven over the pocket and the game basically just a few short stun shots away from victory.

However, this player type is not the sort who feels comfortable looking at a table length shot with another whole table length positional shot as their first shot in a league match. Even if we mess up the safety, we still actually have quite solid game equity most of the time, and as a result, the risk reward here is pretty simple when we take into account the information we have.

Solution: Clip off of the seven with bottom right and try and get behind the nine and as close to the bottom rail (far left rail in diagram) as possible.