Responding To the Break

First of all, when I entitled my last article in this series "Perfecting Your Break," I wasn't kidding. If I could break like this every time or even a majority of the time, I'd be in fat city. I will speak in the first person as if I'm the incoming player facing your break (nice break, by-the-way). There are 4 and maybe 5 balls open to your pocket and not much open to mine. There are balls on the long and short rail that aren't accessible to me even with a kick. This takes away an often easy option of thinning a ball and rolling up to an empty rail. All this would be grim enough but with the cue ball being on the rail it makes anything resembling a draw shot risky at best. I don't know about you but I feel hopeful whenever I see my opponent jack way up. Remember, in this game, unlike the strategy of "playing the table," you are interacting with your opponent: you're trying to force an error. If you know that long shots are a weakness you might want to tempt them with table length shots that if missed could sell out several balls or the whole game. What can I do? From this position there's not much aggressive that can be done.

The best I can hope for is to get through the inning without selling out and hope for a better opportunity in my next turn at the table. There are several options. On the graphic I have shown three possible responses. To shoot the example labeled 1 requires excellent ball speed, the right amount of spin and a lot of confidence in the path of whitey off the side of the blue ball. All this, while taking into account that using spin when jacked up even a little will cause the cue ball to curve. Nicking the green ball by your pocket coming off the rail or rolling past the maroon ball near the foot rail could easily cost me the game. I would give this shot some consideration but need to be realistic about my chances of success shooting off the rail. Examples 2 and 3 are both intentional fouls for which I would owe a ball. Since table fouls don't give up ball-in-hand, I would at least be certain not to sell out. The problem with option 2 is that it wouldn't be difficult to put me right back in the same jam I'm in now (or even worse), making my sacrificing a ball not productive. I prefer option 3. It's not difficult to execute (coming off a rail makes the speed play easier) and from that cue ball position you don't have a clear shot, complicated by the distance and being on the rail.

Unless you are a top player that I have no business gambling with, I definitely make myself a favorite if you choose to shoot the off-angle combination from that spot. If you shoot the combo and miss, I do have open balls from that side of the table and I could make you pay dearly for that decision. Even if you get lucky and don't leave me a shot to my hole, I would be out of the trap and you would lose your break advantage (and it only cost me 1 ball). How close to the pocket the green ball is, how soft the pockets are and how strong a player you are would have to be considered. The other offensive shot you might consider is the yellow ball. The problem with it is that it's a tough shot from that distance and the cue ball will glance directly into the stack... spreading them and moving them toward my hole.

Furthermore, it's possible to take that risk, cinch the shot and not be rewarded with a follow-up shot if the cue ball glances off the red ball and tracks between the green and maroon balls by your hole. In this situation (distance and on the rail), anything you do has a certain potential for mistakes. No matter how great of a shot you come up with, I am nearly guaranteed a better opportunity in my next inning. It is definitely better to lose a ball to get a better shot than risk the game. From the head rail, you'd probably try to thinly hit either the black ball or the green ball by the foot spot, go to the long rail and try to snuggle up to the maroon ball by my pocket. Great shot if you can do it but one that comes with a price if you fail.

Immediately after your break, I'd check to see how pleased you were with it and might even compliment you. "Wow! What a great break." Then I'd assess as quickly as I could, shoot Option 3 and turn away from the table and head to my seat before the cue ball even stopped rolling. Just a little psychological ploy to tell you that your traps don't worry me. Then (while your back was turned), I'd take a deep breath and thank my lucky stars that just maybe, I succeeded in surviving till my next inning.
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