This is what makes one hole the best of all the pool games. Out of this fairly simple situation, with only a few viable options available, comes such a useful outpouring of wisdom and experience. As I stood there waiting for Joe to decide and shoot, I thought he'd go for the cut shot because he is more of a shooter than a mover, and he's willing to lose the ranch on a tough shot. I also thought to myself that if it were me in his shoes, I wouldn't want to lose the game on this shot, so I'd go for the kick and try and lay the cue ball down under the ball near my hole, not touching the 10 at all, a shot that should be pretty easy to execute. I'd take the penalty figuring that whatever he does, I'd be able to knock that ball away on my next shot, and I'd still be alive. Cutting the 13 or using it to try and knock away the 10 never featured in my considerations. In my estimation, I'd like to say that I can cut that 13 in maybe half the time but the truth is likely less than that. Knowing that it is an almost certain loser if I fail makes it harder to execute, too. I like Dave's billiards shot, and would try to come off the short rail into the back of the 10, but c'mon, the odds don't favor that kind of heroic adventurism.
After looking 'em over, Joe got down to shoot the kick shot, but for reasons I'm not clear on, he badly miscued and fouled leaving the cue ball in the middle of the table. I made the duck and got position on the 13 and got out for the game.
Disgusted, Joe set up the balls again using my picture and showed me what he intended to do, a shot that nobody here devined: he kicked it two rails and pushed the 10 ball away from my pocket, as shown in the attached picture. He insisted that was the plan, with an intent to aim it so that if he missed the 10 ball the cue ball would just slide to the short rail and stay below the ball. Pretty elegant solution, and he pulled it off (with a second chance.)