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The No-Win Scenario?
© Copyright 2000, Jim Loy
In one of the Star Trek movies, we find that at Star Fleet Academy,
Captain Kirk cheated on the No-Win Scenario (a test of a person's ability to
handle failure), and so never had to face a real no-win scenario. Here are some
very difficult situations in 8-ball. You are faced with a loss. These may not
be automatic losses, but they are close. Can you at least make your opponent
work for his win?
Diagram #1 - Here you have one solid left and your
opponent is on the 8-ball which is hanging in the pocket. You are in trouble. I
see five options (depending on the exact situation), (1) try to make the red
ball somewhere, (2) lag the red ball toward the 8-ball, making sure a ball goes
to a rail, and remain hooked on the 8-ball, (3) 2-rail kick softly to the red
nudging it (on the right side of it in the diagram) and end up hooked on the
8-ball, (4) move both the red ball and the cue ball to the end rail, ending up
hooked on the 8-ball (shown in the diagram), or (5) Shoot to the red ball so
softly that you hardly move it and then the cue ball hits the rail. All of
these options require a lot of delicacy, judgment, and/or luck. Let's look at
all five options.
(1) Make the red ball somewhere. There is a strong possibility of a
three-rail bank into the lower right corner pocket (off the diagram to the
lower right). There are other banks (like two rails into the opposite side
pocket), but this one is almost a natural. But it is tough, and there might be
a kiss over by the top rail in the diagram. You can draw the cue ball to avoid
the kiss, but then you leave an easier 8-ball.
(2) Lag the red ball toward the 8-ball, making sure a ball goes to a
rail, and remain hooked on the 8-ball (and make sure you don't make the
8-ball). This doesn't look possible in the diagram, but it is possible in
similar situations. The kick that you leave may be fairly easy, but your
opponent may follow the 8-ball in to the pocket.
(3) 2-rail kick (to top rail then left end rail of the diagram) softly
to the red, nudging it and end up hooked on the 8-ball. This sounds nearly
impossible. But the kick with running English (Two Rail
Kicks and Banks) is fairly accurate. If you get the right speed, this is
not a bad shot. This shot can be shot from a great distance away. And when the
object ball is very close to the 8-ball, this may be the only good option.
(4) Move both the red ball and the cue ball to the end rail, ending up
hooked on the 8-ball (shown in the diagram). I like this shot. In the diagram,
it is about a half-ball hit with enough speed to get either ball to near the
end rail. When the shot works (it worked the first time I tried it), the kick
that you leave your opponent is long and difficult. If the red is frozen to the
rail you will have to make sure you get one of the balls to the end rail.
(5) Shoot to the red ball so softly that you hardly move it and then hit
the rail. If the cue ball happens to be very close to the red ball, this may be
fairly easy. In the diagram, it is a very delicate shot. You have to be
familiar with the table to shoot this soft. The benefit is that you probably
block off all one-rail kicks to the 8-ball. And many people will not know any
two-rail kicks. You are very likely to get ball in hand and a win.
There is also a throw shot that may work in some situations. In the
diagram, shoot softly to the red ball with right English knocking the red ball
to the end rail just to the right of the 8-ball. The throw (left English that
the red ball now has) makes the red ball go back to the side rail, and
hopefully blocks your opponent from shooting the 8-ball directly. That shot
looks a little foolish, as the situation can probably be achieved in a better
way.
There is yet another option, get a good hit and move the cue ball all
the way to the opposite corner (upper right in the diagram), hoping that the
opponent will follow the eight ball into the pocket. Depending on how tough
your starting position is (in the diagram, your cue ball may be on the far end
rail), this may actually be your best option.
Diagram #1 (part 2) - Diagram #1 is a specific example of the many
situations in which your opponent has a duck (hanging in the pocket) 8-ball,
and you have a tough shot (a tough cut or a bank or a long shot) on your last
ball. In most of those cases, the recommended plan is to just sink your ball,
no matter how tough it is. It is do or die. Sometimes the only reason your shot
is tough is the pressure situation. In that case, just sink your ball, and
forget the pressure. You do want to become a good pressure player. And
sometimes there will be a delicate safe available, bump your object ball and
hook your opponent.
Diagram #2 - This is closer to "no win" than the
previous diagram. Here you are on the 8-ball, which is about to drop into the
pocket. Your opponent's last ball is frozen to the 8, and you cannot see (hit
directly) the 8, even if you had ball in hand. Anyone who touches the red ball
is likely to make the 8-ball. The two players may choose to trade fouls (never
trying to touch the two balls) forever, not very satisfying. [This may be a
"stalemate" situation, in which after both players intentionally foul three
consecutive times, the game is restarted from an opening break. But the rules
do not give this situation as applying. 8-ball no longer has a 3 consecutive
foul rule, because ball-in-hand has supposedly made that rule unnecessary]
First of all, I think you have to foul (without touching any object
ball) in the diagram. Just hand your opponent the cue ball. Instead, you may be
able to shoot down the rail and not make the 8-ball, but it may be too risky.
Anyway, I am sure that your opponent will foul back, as he/she cannot afford to
move the red ball. So now you have ball in hand. You may be able to nudge the
red ball toward a rail (preferably the side rail) without making the 8-ball.
Some side English throw, to help move the red ball away from the 8-ball is
probably preferable. Your opponent now has ball in hand, and can leave you
hooked on the 8-ball. But it is now possible to kick at the 8-ball (look to see
if you can hit an edge of the 8-ball directly). You may not like the kick yet,
for one reason or another. You may want to give up ball in hand again, hoping
for an easier kick. Kick softly (or maybe very hard) so you don't follow the
8-ball into the pocket.
Let's say that in diagram #2, your opponent has two balls left before
the 8. The extra ball is either near the red ball in the diagram or not. If it
is near the red ball, you can probably knock it away, once you have ball in
hand (or earlier). This extra ball is of no use to your opponent (he/she cannot
use it to clear up the diagrammed situation). All he can do is stall off the
inevitable by playing safe off his extra ball. If he/she doesn't shoot it down,
you will be able to shoot it down eventually. Then you will have diagram #2,
and you should get ball in hand and win, if you can make a kick on the 8-ball.
There are situations in which you never get to knock the extra ball away from
the red ball, and you may give ball in hand forever.
Note: If the eight ball and the red ball are reversed, in the above
diagram, the player who is shooting the eight can make both balls when he/she
has ball in hand, by throwing the eight in after it with draw on the cue ball.
Be careful to hit the eight squarely into the red, with draw.
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