Well, they came back through yesterday and we ended up playing 9 ball banks, big mistake on my part. I got drilled for a couple of dimes in about 12 hrs.. He out moved me and I still had problems missing many easy cross sides that would cost me the game. I would need to put many hours of practice on a diamond to beat a good bank player. These pockets were also 4 1/4", which played tough. Banking Billy is what they call him, he's a black guy about 6-6 from the Memphis area I think. I had my nose open and told him we could go 40 miles and play on a goldcrown, which he refused. I had played most of my bank pool years ago on a barbox and very little on a 9 footer, big difference on safety play. It was awhile until I realized me not making sure balls where on both ends of the table was really playing into his out moving me and beating me to the shot. John B and Freddy, if your reading this do you get into the defensive part of the game in your instructional video?
I address this particular strategy on my website in the Bank pool lessons page:
MORE STRATEGY
To counter safety play designed to slow the game up and meant to discourage aggressive shooting, you need to place at least two balls at the head of the table.
In the beginning of the game, look to put your opponent underneath a ball or balls at the foot of the table (where you rack the balls). By that I mean you should try to freeze him behind the main body of balls at the foot of the table. You want to keep the opposition from returning the Cue Ball to the back rail (head of the table).
When an opponent leaves you at the foot of the table your main job is to ignore any marginal shots you may have and instead shoot at least one ball to the head or end rail, and snooker your opponent to keep him from seeing, and then being able to move that ball back to the foot of the table.
If opponents are snookered they will not play a safety to the head rail because that would allow you to either have a shot at the ball that you previously put there, or you could shoot it away and leave him frozen on the back rail and far away from the body of balls.
Since you are going to be left at the foot of the table again, you ignore any marginal shots — your main objective is to get two balls up table by shooting a second ball up to the head of the table — completing your mission.
If that is not possible, play again to snooker your foe from seeing the balls on the head rail and force your opponent to leave you among the balls at the foot of the table again.
Once two balls are at the back end (head) of the table, refrain from shooting a marginal straight-back with any one of them. Because once you miss your opponent will remove the remaining ball there by either playing safe or playing a shot with it. In either case you will be back where you started. Better to find another ball to shoot to the head rail (as a move) to bring the count to three. The more balls at the head of the table the merrier.
Conversely, if you are the one trying to slow the game down, then you would naturally look to remove any single ball from the head of the table to keep two balls from collecting there.
Beard
