What Would A Sucker Do? Part 6
If you look around the room and don’t see any suckers….YOU are the sucker!
You made all of your stripes and are now on the 8-ball. Your opponent has one solid left. What do you do?
Idea #1: “Softly hit the right side of the 8-ball, leaving the cue ball hidden safely behind it!”
Idea #2: “Slow roll the cue ball into the 8-ball leaving them a long shot on their solid!”
Idea #3: “Bank the 8-ball in the side pocket!”
Suckers…
What’s wrong with these ideas?
Idea #1: This is extremely difficult to execute successfully.
Idea #2: This increases the likelihood of your opponent running out and winning the game.
Idea #3: The side pocket is less forgiving than the corner pocket. If you miss, you may leave them an easy run out.
Answer:
Most of the time, attempting a bank shot is not the wisest course of action. However, in this example it makes sense to go for a “two-way” shot, which allows you to attempt the bank while also leaving your opponent with a difficult shot if you miss. To execute this shot like a pro, it is important that you bank it with the proper speed to leave the cue ball in a safe place near the end rail and the 8 in front of the pocket in case you miss. If you don’t win the game with this shot, your opponent is left with a tough long shot on his last ball and virtually no options to play safe. By choosing to approach this as a two-way shot, you will greatly increase your odds of winning this game.