What's the Move?-Biding Your Time

What's the Move?By Jimmy ReidBiding Your Time You're Yellow, and Red has just left you with this shot. What to do, what to do?Very often in a difficult situation, players just take a makeable shot that will give them some sort of a possibility to run out. For example, in this position, Yellow may quickly elect to play the 2 ball in the corner and come out for the 1 ball in this bottom side pocket, perhaps giving yourself some kind of chance to break out the 4 ball, but as you can readily see, this could spell disaster.So Yellow needs to go back to step one. Walk around, chalk up, and study the table. Ask yourself what happens if I shoot off the left or right side of all the balls that are mine.After a lot of thought and deliberation, I think that the best possible play is to bank the 1 ball up near the 4 and 11 balls. The 4 ball does go straight in the side with either ball in hand or perfect position later, and the 11 ball can't be made straight in anywhere.Banking the 1 ball past the 4 and 11 balls would be ideal, but we're looking at the results of a reasonable hit here without any risk of breaking up the 4 and 11 by playing this shot too hard. Trying to win this game from here is a world of trouble for Red, who could play off the right side of the 9 ball and try to leave Yellow on the right side of the 8 ball. Yellow could then try to bank the 2 ball two rails or kick it one rail and bring it back toward the end of the table in the direction of the 4 and 11 balls. You could also bank the 2 ball two rails just past and toward the middle of the table. Whatever Red does from this position, he's a big underdog to win this game.What did you learn about 8-ball? Don't always try to play those difficult run-outs and dig your own grave. Take your time and show a little patience, especially when you can leave your opponent in a nearly impossible situation.Had Yellow tried to play the original runout, he would've been about a 5 to 1 underdog to win this game. Now he's about a 5 to 1 favorite to win. Some difference, huh? There's something to be said about slow play-it's more like just biding your time. By playing this one move, Yellow has put this game on layaway and will pick it up later. Visit InsidePOOL for pool and billiards instructions and lessons.

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