IKE vs EARL # 1

ike made 2
its still his shot

Larry,
It is always difficult to see the extreme details of a layout such as this but I do see a few options which may have offensive merit. My first thought would be the thirteen ball. It looks close to being dead. I would want to look very closely at this shot because if this goes then it's "katie bar the door". Nine ball into the edge of the eight and carom into the thirteen. Draw the cue ball slightly to keep it on the safe side of the eleven.

It is hard to tell but if Ike can see the three ball past the eight to cue it in, then by all means that too is a good shot to shoot here. The three offers natural shape on the ten and again Ike should be out.

Another option is the billiard on the two off the eleven. This shot seems more risky but it isn't that hard a shot to pull off, again there is natural shape on the ten. The only sell out to this shot is a possible bank.

Third choice could be a three rail shot on the fifteen but I really don't like putting the cue ball up table here given there is a decent move available by playing the twelve to the bottom rail and rolling the cue ball into the cluster. This last option is pretty passive but could be very effective.

Tom

Looks to me like he can cut the 5 ball in, and if so, that's definitely his shot. If not, play Tom's third option, putting the 12 in action and freezing the cb on the stack. I believe the 6 ball is in the way of trying the 9-8-13 combo. Earl is hurtin' for certain.

I like just softly banking this pink stripe. I don't even want to give Earl a chance to slice in the red stripe, so I am not going to risk freezing the cueball to the stack.

And I want to try and precisely place the pink stripe such that none of my live balls are doubled up.

For me, this is my idea of mistake free one pocket. It might not be the absolute best shot. But I am guaranteed to execute it properly. I am guaranteed to remove one of his live balls, and add it to my side.

On second thought the billiard might be almost dead going to Earl's hole, so I might pick a different shot.

I'm cutting the 12 into the 6. Nice med/soft draw the qb to the 1st diamond on the long rail and it floats to the foot rail close to the diamond. That opens the table up and puts the noose around Earls neck.

jtompilot said:

I'm cutting the 12 into the 6. Nice med/soft draw the qb to the 1st diamond on the long rail and it floats to the foot rail close to the diamond. That opens the table up and puts the noose around Earls neck.

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Not a bad choice there as long as the cue ball gets to the bottom rail. Can't afford to let Earl see the ten.

ChrisBanks said:

I like just softly banking this pink stripe. I don't even want to give Earl a chance to slice in the red stripe, so I am not going to risk freezing the cueball to the stack.

And I want to try and precisely place the pink stripe such that none of my live balls are doubled up.

For me, this is my idea of mistake free one pocket. It might not be the absolute best shot. But I am guaranteed to execute it properly. I am guaranteed to remove one of his live balls, and add it to my side.

On second thought the billiard might be almost dead going to Earl's hole, so I might pick a different shot.

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Or this might work.

I'm going to try and freeze the CB to the stack.
Rod.
P.S. Earl's right handed. Makes this leave even tougher.

Frank Almanza said:

Or this might work.View attachment 7649

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The trouble with that shot MIGHT be in what happens with the twelve ball.

androd said:

I'm going to try and freeze the CB to the stack.
Rod.
P.S. Earl's right handed. Makes this leave even tougher.

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That's similar to what I chose. Cutting in the 11 might not do much good for Earl. But I still wouldn't want to leave it for him.

Frank Almanza said:

Or this might work.View attachment 7649

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Hey Frank thanks for drawing up the shot I posted. There is no way Earl escapes from there.

Tom Wirth said:

The trouble with that shot MIGHT be in what happens with the twelve ball.

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Earl wont be able to see the 12

jtompilot said:

I'm cutting the 12 into the 6. Nice med/soft draw the qb to the 1st diamond on the long rail and it floats to the foot rail close to the diamond. That opens the table up and puts the noose around Earls neck.

Click to expand...

Thats my shot also. Cueball floats underneath the 11 ball. Deadly

Going with Arod on this one. Moving the 13 to his side and tying up the CB, I don't see anything but good. The only other shot I see is hitting the 11 with the carom in mind to move the 2 to Ike;s hole, but the CB would stick around and give up a bank.
I wouldn't want to bust up the stack by trying to hit the 13 into the stack and bring the CB behind the 11. Ike doesn't need that stack broke up, he has all the balls he needs by his hole . Opening the stack just give Earl more ball in the open to figure a shot out of them.--Smitty

This is another easy choice, for me anyway. Rod's shot.

The only other thing id even remotely consider would be pulling down behind that 11 someway, either frank's shot or just straight follow if that lays.

It really looks like the 11ball is positioned ideally for the billiard to be a very viable option. I wouldn't be afraid of leaving the return bank on the 10ball, the angle suggest to me that by banking the 11ball straight back the cue ball will billiard the 2ball and leave the area of contact. There's a good possibility that after making the 2ball the 5ball may be your next shot. If the billiard is not laying right, then I like drawing one rail off the side rail and dropping under the 11ball. That option seems like it plays easy for a right handed player.

Dr. Bill

2nd from the left in the front row is the venerable, John Henry McHenry.

Beard

jtompilot said:

Earl wont be able to see the 12

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I think I'm getting better. I studied this diagram right after Larry put it up and saw every one of the choices outlined so far. I like this choice also. Usually when you hit a ball into two other balls like that, it should stay in that area, so I don't think he will be able to hit the twelve ball either. Good call...

Think I like using distance and the rail here instead of trying to stick the cue ball to another object ball. I'm thinking shoot the 12 into the 6 to open up that cluster a little bit, create a little more traffic for my opponent to navigate, and play the cue ball 2/3 rails back into the kitchen...for me I would try to leave the cue ball as close to the center diamond on the end rail as possible.

I know if I were in Earl's spot I would try to be thinking of a way to move the 7 and send the cue ball downtable so my opponent does not have an offensive shot from the area of the table.

The move I described kind of beats him to the punch, but now he's in a spot where there are open shooting lanes for most balls and he is not close to any object balls, so he can't just slide off of a froze ball or kick the cue ball to a safe spot easily.

well ike went for the 11-2 carom
he left earl like this