Do you play a different game on a big spot?

[cincy_kid]

Played a champion this past weekend and I may have a chance to play some more depending on our schedules. He is giving me 11-5 and we broke even (playing cheap) after a couple of hours.

My questions is, for me, should I approach the game as if I was playing in a tournament? I mean do I still do the same shots, same defenses, same offensive moves when applicable or since I am only going to 5 should I be more aggressive? Or less aggressive because of my opponent's playing skills?

I have never gotten this much weight before so I am wondering if i should play any differently.

Thanks!

 

[Cowboy Dennis]

Played a champion this past weekend and I may have a chance to play some more depending on our schedules. He is giving me 11-5 and we broke even (playing cheap) after a couple of hours.

My questions is, for me, should I approach the game as if I was playing in a tournament? I mean do I still do the same shots, same defenses, same offensive moves when applicable or since I am only going to 5 should I be more aggressive? Or less aggressive because of my opponent's playing skills?

I have never gotten this much weight before so I am wondering if i should play any differently.

Thanks!

No, you should play your best game and change nothing.

Dennis

 

[t-dog]

Played a champion this past weekend and I may have a chance to play some more depending on our schedules. He is giving me 11-5 and we broke even (playing cheap) after a couple of hours.

My questions is, for me, should I approach the game as if I was playing in a tournament? I mean do I still do the same shots, same defenses, same offensive moves when applicable or since I am only going to 5 should I be more aggressive? Or less aggressive because of my opponent's playing skills?

I have never gotten this much weight before so I am wondering if i should play any differently.

Thanks!

I have heard that you want to be more aggressive as you should get less offensive chances. When you get a chance to get some balls, you need to. Although, I would find it hard to switch to that until I realize my safes....arent very safe. I am interested in the responses...good post.

 

[lll]

you broke even
you must have done something right....
i also think the answer is to be more aggressive within your skill set
you wont get many opportunities to go for your hole and you will ultimatley make the the first mistake trying to out move him
so dont shoot for the stars and sell out but
loosen up your risk reward ratio alittle
jmho icbw
curious what the more experienced from both sides of the spot have to say

 

[baby huey]

Champions don't like being on the end rail so I would play him having to make shots from there. If you play the stack, he's going to out move you before you get to him.

 

[LSJohn]

IMO, two reasons to be more aggressive: If you execute your shot, needing only 5 you're more likely to get out or get substantially closer to out.; If you screw up, your opponent is less likely to get out than if the same guy had the same shot going to 8.

Best reason to play your normal game IMO is that you're more likely to be comfortable and execute well if you're shooting shots in situations for which you'd usually shoot them.

Best reason to play more conservative IMO is that it's very hard for him to get to 11 if you don't give anything away. (I'm thinking particularly of games that develop up-table and you both have to score one-at-a-time.)

Every game that you can push into an up-table battle relatively early seems to give you an extra edge, but if you have a good game anyway, the downside of this is that you may loose your market.

IOW, bottom line, How the hell should I know? :heh

 

[LSJohn]

curious what the more experienced from both sides of the spot have to say

What Jerry says just above seems like good advice, but I think I'm gonna let Dr. Bill be my final authority on this. He has studied this kind of question a lot.

 

[cincy_kid]

Thanks for the replies so far guys!

Jerry, when you say end rail, you mean keeping him up table on the rail shooting long shots or you mean keeping him on the bottom rail near the stack on the rail? I think you are referring ot the latter but just double checking.

John, you may think sending all the balls up table would be good but this guy banks so darn good, its almost scary to do that lol...

I did run a 4 once and a 5 once but I also needed 1 a couple of times when he needed 4 or 5, I had a shot at my hole, dogged it and then he got out or ended up wining the game, those frustrate me the most!

EDIT: I am also wondering how many have experience at this because most here probably would only dream of getting that big of a spot LOL! (see Mitch, I need more than 8-7!)

 

[Cowboy Dennis]

Thanks for the replies so far guys!

EDIT: I am also wondering how many have experience at this because most here probably would only dream of getting that big of a spot LOL! (see Mitch, I need more than 8-7!)

CK,

Remember this; If you alter your approach to the game in any way and you lose you won't know if you lost because you altered your game or because you couldn't win anyway.

That said, I'll say this; I've never received 11-5 from anyone (I've given it up and more) but I've watched Cornbread give up 11-5 to a coke dealer for $1000 per set and one thing I learned is this: The better player must change how he runs open balls more than the weaker player must change anything.

Play your regular game and put the pressure on him to change his game.

Dennis

 

[LSJohn]

John, you may think sending all the balls up table would be good but this guy banks so darn good, its almost scary to do that lol...

That's almost a given for anyone giving you 11-5. I still think it's harder for him to try to outrun you one ball at a time.

EDIT: I am also wondering how many have experience at this because most here probably would only dream of getting that big of a spot LOL! (see Mitch, I need more than 8-7!)

I have gotten 12-4 from Hopkins (years ago) , McCready, Joyner, and Harriman. I didn't learn anything useful, though, except to be sure to bet only what my recreation is worth to me.

I play a little better now, but 11-5 would still be a steep hill to climb for me against the top 25 guys. In fact, I got 11-6/11-5 from Harriman about a year ago and I had no realistic chance to win.

 

[Mkbtank]

Do you play a different game on a big spot?

Champions don't like being on the end rail so I would play him having to make shots from there. If you play the stack, he's going to out move you before you get to him.

Bloop....

The sound of a pearl dropping

Also...With all that video 1p you are playing... I may have the worst of it at 8-7

 

[petie]

So who is the champion you are playing?

 

[cincy_kid]

So who is the champion you are playing?

It was LSJohn!!!

Just kidding but I was trying to keep their name out of it. I guess it doesn't matter, it's Shannon Murphy.

 

[LSJohn]

It was LSJohn!!!

Shhhhhhhhhh!

GD knocker. I'll never be able to trap Hacker now. :heh

 

[petie]

It was LSJohn!!!

Just kidding but I was trying to keep their name out of it. I guess it doesn't matter, it's Shannon Murphy.

Kiss your money goodbye.

 

[cincy_kid]

Kiss your money goodbye.

I am not trying to win any money or score here I am just trying to get better by playing better players. I consider it pool lessons in a sense. And if I can improve to 10-5, then 10-6, then 9-6 etc...maybe one day I will win a few matches at the derby hehe...

 

[lll]

cincy
i dont know how good you or shannon play
but here is a story and the lesson to learn from my past
in college (1970's) i played pool
could run 20 -30 in straight pool (sometimes)
and could get out from the 3 in 9 ball (woo hoo,,,)
thought i was hot sh^t cause i could beat all the college kids
its along story which i will call you to tell you
but eventually i got introduced to REAL POOL at the sports palace in new orleans
i didnt know too much about onepocket back then
i would got to sweat the action of the players there who at the time their names didnt mean much to me
but later on i realized i saw some of the legends of pool
new york blackie /st louie louie/ bugs/earl heisler to name a few
well one day blackie was down on his luck and said to me he would play me 10-4 for $5 a game
i said sure...
i didnt have a chance....
i never got a shot at my hole and when i would f*ck up he would run alot of balls.....:frus:frus
the lesson learned is at some point the spread of skill level is insurmountable regardless of your strategy or the spot
icbw
i was just a kid

 

[Jeff sparks]

Really good players can carry a lot of weight against weaker players...

They will lock you down tight and trap trap trap until you give up a shot, and there went the spot... Now you're playing at a huge disadvantage with a much better player... Most times you're gonna lose, if they show patience.

You wouldn't be getting a big spot if you could run 5 balls easily, or if you moved really well. I don't know the guy you're playing, but keep the bet in the affordable range, otherwise you might not ever get to shoot at your hole

 

[sappo]

My suggestion is to play the best one pocket you can play. just understand at that spot a mistake will cost you a lot. being more aggressive and missing will hurt.

 

[cincy_kid]

Thanks all, and yea I played my normal game like I was playing anyone else - just the best that I can play so I will continue to do that instead of changing my game up to accommodate for the spot.

Like I said earlier he is letting me play cheap at $10 a game so for those stakes I would play about anything and to be able to play one of the best in the country and the chance to learn and improve - I will take it