log in
sign up or:

By using this site you agree to the privacy policy and terms of service

forgot password?

Any good strategy tips for 8 ball

1/20/2007 12:44:57 AM

Any good strategy tips for 8 ball

whats some good strategy tips u guys no of in wining the game of 8 ball i know that if u get ur ball frozen to the 8 ball u leave it there and if u get ur ball blocking a pocket u leave it there any other tips i should know?

Any good strategy tips for 8 ball

Replies & Comments
  1. excaliberbilliardsforum on 1/24/2007 5:21:39 PM

    Thats a terribly general question, and could be answered with pages and pages of various game plans.

    Are there any specific situations you are interested in learning about?

    For starters, here is an article about defensive billiard strategy and safety play although it isn't too detailed. It will be a good start, as these aspects of the game are considered staples in an overall "strategy." You will also want to consider your own mental state during play.

  2. excaliberkellystick on 5/5/2007 8:01:08 PM

    Yeah that is a very general topic. Forget 8 ball for the moment. Here are some thoughts in no particular order.

    1. Watch your opponent and try to understand his weaknesses and strengths. Don't chat about fishing with your buddies between shots. Keep your mind in the game. Watch his face, how he stands, how he strokes, how he responds to misses, whether he makes excuses, whether he pays attention between shots, whether he looks at all his options, whether he fixes problems early or goes for the easy 5 ball run then throws his hands up because he is snookered, whether he plays defense or not, how he responds to you playing defense and so on... Know your opponent as best you can.
    2. Learn pool table management. If you don't know what that means you need to find out. Study. Here is a hint. The perfect shot is all of these at once: one that you can make, one that leaves you another easy shot, one that fixes your problem balls, one that leaves your opponent nothing if you miss. Add for extra credit one that makes your opponents balls worse or creates problems for him.
    3. Study the game but don't get ahead of your self. If you cant' make a shot consistently in a pocket then don;t be adding right and left english to your game. First learn to make a ball. Then learn to control your speed for position play. Then learn to use follow and draw plus speed for position play. Then add very small amounts of english to your game for position play and so on. Read some books about basics shots like a kiss shot and how frozen ball affect each other. Study a bit. The 99 critical shots of pool is a great book with a lot of good info in it. Each shots is a one or two page deal with a diagram and explanation. Study it but put it down for awhile when it gets ahead of you.
    4. Learn from your mistakes.
    5. Have fun while at the pool table. Don't get angry. Respect yourself and don't expect too much too soon. Give yourself time to warm up when you are cold. Don't get negative on yourself and enjoy the game.
  3. excaliberddub221 on 2/13/2008 4:11:35 PM

    Best strategy is to only start running the table when you can run ALL of them.

    You are at a disadvantage if you make all of yours but 1 and then he has all of these balls left to play safes on.

    8 ball is more of a chess match. Try to choose the group with the best chances of running out. If you make a mistake, swallow your pride and play safe or move your balls to block pockets or move them to better spots to be run later. Don't make the mistake of sticking with your initial plan when something goes wrong.

  4. excaliberguest on 2/14/2008 12:29:00 AM

    My Strategy for Eight Ball: Look at every one of your balls as an asset as long as it is on the table. Your balls can not help you at all once they are off the table. Don't look as them as liabilities that must be gotten rid of as quickly as possible. ONLY make balls when it gives you some advantage. Each ball on the table can give you an advantage such as... help with shape, it is in position for a break out, in a great position that could lead to a great safety latter ext. Also one rule I almost always use... right after the break make no more than 3 balls unless you have a 75% chance of running out. You never (unless your last ball or two is in front of pockets) want to be a position that you have a couple balls on the table and your opponents has all of his/hers. Also I find way more games are lost than are won. In other words playing smart and not making mistakes is more important than shooting great.

  5. excalibertedmauro on 3/31/2008 1:30:18 AM

    I have to agree with most everything above. Especially the post directly above this one. I played an 8 ball match a couple weeks back and lost the first game. I ran the next 3 racks completely out keeping my opponent sitting. The next game there was a tough ball and I missed breaking it out on 3 attempts. This left my opponent with only 2 of my balls in the way and he quickly ran out. I won one other game in the match. I left my opponent open tables 3 other times because I cleared all but one or two of my balls and then failed to run the rack. I would have won that match if I played smart instead of trying to run every rack. Break out your trouble balls and hid the cue ball on the same shot. Get your ball in the open and then go for the run.

  6. excaliberquickshot on 4/1/2008 1:00:41 PM

    The best stragety you can use is to find out what the house rules are before you rack up. And then apply the above mentioned advice.

  7. excaliberFenwick on 4/1/2008 7:40:37 PM

    Everything mentioned above and. Put as much effort into the easy shots as you do the hard shots.

  8. excaliberjana on 4/1/2008 7:53:32 PM

    ha ha that's totally true. I've lost so many games because I think the shot is too easy. I assume that very little effort is required to pocket the ball and totally miss the shot. Of course the opponent goes on to win the round. You'd think it would be a lesson learned, but it always seems to happen to me every now and then.

    One last thing I can think of is more a matter of playing smart and thinking ahead rather than strategy specific to eight ball, but it may help.

    How many times have you all when playing a less experienced player and practically clear the whole table before the event had a chance? what typically happens is you'll miss one of your lack shots, because he opponent has too many of their own balls remaining on the table. When the opponent approaches the table for their inning they have almost an open table with which to pocket their remaining balls. This allows them to practically run the table leaving you both with only one or two balls left. Regardless of your differing abilities, the chances that the opponent could fluke out and beat you is a lot greater at this point.

    The main point here is that you shouldn't let yourself practically clear the table and then be blocked on your last couple of shots.

  9. excaliberSHOOP05 on 4/28/2008 11:11:05 PM

    Well for one thing, you have to pick your spots. You know better than anyone the types of shots you can and can't make. Now granted you may make a shot during a rack that you never have before, but for the most part you will have a better chance of winning by taking shots you know you can make. When I say pick your spots, I mean it in the sense of when to take a shot and when to play safe. Too often Ive seen players run out of position on a 4 or 5 ball run, then try a nearly impossible shot for their skill level, and blow the rack. We as players tend to get into a rhythm and won't want to leave the table. The truth is, there is no problem in running 5 balls, then sticking the opponent with a nasty safety. DEFENSE WINS CHAMPIONSHIPS. THAT'S NOT JUST A SAYING! The best way to take a good shooter out of his game, is to leave him with really tough shots, or none at all. If you leave someone with a really good safety, and they make the shot anyway, so be it. Give them their credit and keep on shooting. Another important thing is learning how to finish racks. Never underestimate any shot, whether it be straight in, or a shot you've made 1,000 times. Approach each and every shot the same way. All players have their techniques, so I'm not going to tell you any specific way to do it. Go into a rack with the mindset that you can win. Many players will see someone who they believe is superior to themselves and they will virtually eliminate themselves before the break. Be confident, trust your judgement, and just do the damn thing.

    I hope this advice helps you,

    Good Hunting!

    Shoop

  10. excalibertedmauro on 4/29/2008 12:00:04 AM

    My friend Ryan wrote a book about 8 ball. It's a pretty good read and although I have been playing 8 ball for years, I found some cool tips and tricks. You can read about the book and decide if you want it with the link below.

    http://tnrmktng.8secrets.hop.clickbank.net/?tid=BILLFORU

    Many of my subscribers from the 7 part billiards fundamental training from my website have read the book and all of them have given me some good feed back.

  11. excaliberOldShooter on 6/26/2008 9:25:47 PM

    Don't run 7 if you can't run 8.

    OldShooter

  12. excalibertedmauro on 6/27/2008 9:55:39 AM

    A good strategy for getting out in a rack of 8 ball is to plan your safeties ahead of time. In most league and tournament play, the ball in hand rule applies. Position your cue ball where you can break out your trouble balls and leave the cue ball frozen to one of those balls. This will frustrate your opponent, open up your run and win you many games. Nothing like breaking out a cluster of balls and leaving your opponent buried with only an off chance of hitting their ball.

upload a photo or document

use plain text or markdown syntax only
log in or sign up

Sign in to ensure your message is posted.

If you don't have an account, enter your email and choose a password below and we'll create your account.

Preview:

Any good strategy tips for 8 ball

  • Title: Any good strategy tips for 8 ball
  • Author: (Zach Anderson)
  • Published: 1/20/2007 12:44:57 AM