[Pin]

I've been thinking about tactics for 8-ball recently.

I'm not really playing my best pool these days - I'm coming back from a 3 month lay-off and am only managing a single night of pool each week (although I've started doing stroke drills on a table top to fill the gaps).

Consequently, I'm not feeling confident about my ability to run several balls - even when all the balls are open, my positional play is still too impresice for me to be able to *expect* to make a finish of, say, more than 4 balls.


The basic 8-ball tactics are 'don't try to get out until you know you will' - since failure leaves you with few balls on the table, and thus at a disadvantage.

Howeve, if you don't know you 'will' finish when you have all 8 on the table, you're going to have to pick off enough balls to leave yourself something you can achieve.


So, anyone who is or has been in my position, how do you handle the tactical side of the game?

- Try to run a few then hook, and hope to retain control of the table by denying the other guy a shot?

- Cover pockets?

- Run a few and try to leave your last few balls in positions where it'll be difficult for the other guy to hook you?

- Any better ideas?



Thanks for the help :-)

[Pelican]

I think that anytime you have an opportunity to get a locked up nuts tight safety that will get you ball in hand - take it even if you have a multiple ball run. Nothing is stronger than ball in hand.

JMHO, Pel

[Sodapop]

If i see the table is'nt runable I decide which is the best balls stripes or solids, then I pot one of those

balls but only one and then my next shot would be to start postioning my balls in better positions, open up my tide up balls or moving balls out of tuff

positions and closer to pockets etc. etc. until I finally get to the table and am very confident I will run the rest of the balls. If the other player is not

that great he wll most likely try to run out moving his balls out of the way for you and making it easier and easier for you to get out or to forever

hook him. If after the break I see the best balls are stripes but I only have a shot at solids. I will call just a shot and postion the cue ball into a postion where the other guy only has a shot at

solids, most dummy's will try to runout and take the more difficult balls, leaving you the easier setup. Eight ball is a great strategical game

especially on a bar table where it is very crowded. 9 ball requires the most skill, Straight pool requires the most knowledge, and 8 ball requires the most strategy, problem is most people learn 8 ball in a

league format where they decide the winner by most balls sunk, so players try to run everything to beat a guy 10 zip I wish leagues would change the format to wins loses, so you can play the game

properly, the way it is suppose to be played. Especially if you go last, half the time you get to the table and your team mates are telling you you need a 10 zip, 1 or 2. If you have a team put your

safe players first and your runout players last so your players can play the style they are comfortable playing. I prefer going first I don't mind winning 10 to 5, 6 or 7 as long as I win!

[ Edited by Sodapop on 2005/11/10 18:57 ]