Rodney’s Classy Move

I pulled a quick two and out at the West Coast 10 Ball Challenge this April and had the opportunity to watch a Rodney Morris match that I’ll never forget.  Rodney was playing against a pretty decent shooter (I didn’t catch his name) on table 12.  The match was a race to 8 and Rodney was up 7-3.  Rodney made the one ball on the break but left an open shot on the 2 ball for his opponent.  It was a pretty tough layout, so his opponent looked the table over for what seemed like three or four minutes, then began pocketing balls.  2, 3, 4…he was methodically dropping balls and it soon became apparent that he had a chance to run the rack out.  Near the end of his very difficult run, he played the 7 ball and got perfect position on the 9.  He was hyper focused and started stroking for the next shot, not realizing the 8 ball was still on the table. I was sitting directly in his line of sight and noticed the error, but I was torn…do I say anything before he shoots…or not?  I decided not to say anything because it wouldn’t be fair to Rodney.  The rules are the rules and a foul would give Rodney ball in hand and almost certainly the game and match.  A few seconds later the player fired the 9 into the corner pocket and got perfect (and pretty difficult) position on the 8 ball.  I glanced over at Rodney waiting for the foul to be called, but Rodney just raised his eyebrows, leaned forward a bit in his chair, looked the table over, then sat back to watch the next shot.  The shooter had been so focused on making the 9 ball and getting proper position on the 8 that he never realized he was shooting out of order.  He subsequently made the 8, got perfect on the 10, then drilled the 10 home for the game.  When he walked to the back of the table to set up the next rack, Rodney leaned forward and told him that he had pocketed the balls out of sequence.  The guy looked a little shocked and unsure of Rodney’s intent, but Rodney waved off his concerns and gave him the game to the amusement of the spectators.  I nodded to Rodney and said, “You have to admit though, it was one HELL of a run!”  He laughed and said, “Yes, it sure was!”

PoolSynergy: My Favorite Games

PoolSynergy is a monthly collection of some of the best writing in pool.  The host of this month’s PoolSynergy topic is Johnny, a pool player who lives in St. Louis, MO.  This month he asked each of the PoolSynergy writers to discuss the game that we like the most.  I decided to write about playing against the ghost.  If you want to read articles from the other PoolSynergy authors, visit Johnny’s blog here.  Hope you enjoy!

Playing Against the Ghost

“I have met the enemy, and the enemy is me!” – Walt Kelly (paraphrased)

To improve your game, you need some competitive experience… you need to find someone who can challenge you, someone who can push you to the edge of your abilities, expose your weaknesses, and make you yearn to improve.  I’ve found that player…and it is me.  When I get serious about working on my game, I often get a table in a quiet corner of the pool room, and play against myself… and take notes.  Playing against yourself is often referred to as “playing the ghost.”  There are many ways to play the ghost.  The most extreme version goes like this:  you choose a game to play, like 8 Ball or 9 Ball, and play against yourself in a race to 7.  Typically, you break the rack, take ball in hand after the break, and try to run the table out.  If you run out successfully in your first turn, you win.  If you don’t run out for any reason, the ghost wins.  You can take notes on why you lost position during the run, or what shots you missed, and work on these aspects of the game in a later practice session.

That is the traditional view of “playing the ghost,” but that version is only successful as a training and motivational tool if you already have the capability of running racks.  What if you don’t yet have the skills needed to run the whole table?  There are other versions of “playing the ghost” that ARE within your reach, regardless of your skill level, and I present two versions here.  Each of these games does not require any specific skill level, and can be enjoyed by all players.  An added benefit of these games is that they can be used to measure your current playing ability and monitor your progress as you continue to improve your game.  I’ve also provided a scale for each so that you can compare your scores with other players whom have played these games.  This can help you get a sense of where you are today, and where your performance could be in the future.  I hope you enjoy! 

Game:  “Equal Offense”

Rack all 15 balls and break from anywhere in the kitchen.  After the break, spot any balls that are pocketed.  Take ball in hand in the kitchen on your first shot and pocket balls in any order you choose.  This is a call shot game, slop doesn’t count, and each ball pocketed earns you 1 point.  Assuming you don’t scratch or miss a shot, keep shooting until you get to the last ball, then stop and rack the 14 balls already pocketed.  Now try to continue your run by pocketing the 15^th ball and simultaneously using the cue ball to break open the rack, just like in 14.1 straight pool.  If you manage to pocket the 20^th ball, the inning is over.  If you miss a shot or scratch at any time, the inning is over. 

After 10 innings, add up your scores and compare your performance with the following chart provided by Tarl Roger Kudrick at the Internet Equal Offense site.  You can use this chart to get a general idea of how you stack up against the rest of the pool world.  Good luck, and have fun!

If your typical score is	You’re probably better than THIS percentage of pool players		If your typical score is	You’re probably better than THIS percentage of pool players
25	5%		76	55%
35	10%		80	60%
41	15%		85	65%
47	20%		91	70%
51	25%		98	75%
55	30%		106	80%
59	35%		114	85%
64	40%		125	90%
68	45%		136	95%
71	50%		160	99%

 

Game: “10 Ball Rating Game”

Rack up 10 balls and break from anywhere in the kitchen.  Any balls made on the break count as one point.  If you scratch on the break, pocketed balls are spotted.  After the break, start with ball in hand anywhere on the table on your first shot, and run the balls in rotation.  All balls made are one point.  If you miss a shot, the rack is over.  Shoot 10 racks and count the total number of balls made. After 10 racks, take your total and compare it to the chart below.  This is a good game because it takes several skills into account (shotmaking, position play, cluster breaking, break shot skills, etc.)  The only downside is that it doesn’t cover safety play, which is a critical in the upper echelons of play. 

Rating Scores
30-35       D+
36-40       C
41-45       C+
46-50       B
51-55       B+
56-60       A
61-65       A+
66-70      A++
71-up       Pro

So, those are my favorite two games.   If you want to read articles from the other PoolSynergy authors, visit Johnny’s blog here.  Good luck, and happy shooting!

Can I beat Efren Reyes?

I will be playing in the Seminole Pro Tour 10 Ball Event at California Billiards on April 29.  Since I don’t play very much 10 Ball, I figured it would be a good idea to practice the game.  Last night at the CBC I practiced my 10 Ball break to see if I could run a rack.  Well, I’m happy to report that miracles do happen.  On my very first break, I pocketed two balls, ran three balls, and then was able to make a fairly routine 5-10 combination shot for a run out.  On my second break, I got lucky again, made one ball, and was able to run the whole table out.  From that point on, it was all downhill.  I stopped the exercise after 12 racks, so my final tally was 2 break and runs in 12 attempts.  Not too bad for me.

I was feeling pretty good about my run out percentage, so I began wondering…suppose I get lucky and draw Efren Reyes in the first round of the tournament.  What are the chances that I could beat him?  On any given day, it’s possible that one player can get really hot and run some tables.  If the other player is really cold, it could be a rout.  Ok, let’s be honest – anyone who thinks they can actually beat Efren in a race to 9 format is either insane or at best delusional, but the mental exercise can still be fun.  What would it take for me to be able to beat Efren?  I decided to do a little analysis to figure out the answer.  Here are my assumptions:

1. Efren is a better shot maker than me. (No, really?!)
2. Efren is the better safety player than me.  (Duh!!)
3. Efren’s lag shot and break are better than mine.
4. Every component of Efren’s game is much better than mine.
5. I completed 2 break and runs in a row last night (incidentally, my first in 10 Ball!)
6. I have occasionally hit a perfect lag shot.
7. I’m in trouble!

Well, so far, it’s not looking very good…but let’s not give up hope yet.  As Jim Carrey’s character Lloyd said in the movie, Dumb and Dumber, “…there’s a chance!”  If you’re one of the five people on this planet who are not familiar with this quote, you must see the video below:

Efren is a very tough opponent because he’s not going to miss very many shots, and if he can’t make a shot, he’s going to play a hellacious safe and get ball in hand.  The way I figure it, the only way I can beat Efren is to never allow him to get to the table.  How could I do that?  First of all, I would have to win the lag.  Secondly, I could never let him get to the table.  What are the chances I can do that?  Let’s look at this situation from a probabilistic standpoint.  If I could maintain an average run out rate of 16.66% (very unlikely), and could somehow win the lag (I figure maybe a 15% chance since I have home field advantage), here’s the chance of me running 9 straight racks and defeating Efren:

P(Michael>Efren) = (0.15)(.16666)^9 = 1.4884E-8

In layman’s terms, the chance of me beating Efren is about 0.00000149%.  That’s a REALLY small number.  To help you understand just how small that number is, let’s compare it to the probability of some real world phenomena. 

1. P(Struck by lightning this year) = 1.736E-7 = 0.00001736%
2. P(Dating a Supermodel) = 1.136E-5 = 0.00114%
3. P(Spotting a UFO today) = 3.333E-7  = .0000333%

Turns out, it’s more likely that I’ll date a Supermodel, spot a UFO, and get struck by lightning before I beat Efren.  Hummm…the odds are not that good, but hey, I’ve still got a chance!!!!

Games to rate your pool playing skills – Part II

Here’s another game to help rate your pool playing skills.  Have fun!

10 Ball Rating Game

Rack up 10 balls and break from anywhere in the kitchen.  Any balls made on the break count as one point.  If you scratch on the break, pocketed balls are spotted.  After the break, start with ball in hand anywhere on the table, and run the balls in rotation.  All balls made are one point.  If you miss a shot, the rack is over.  Shoot 10 racks and count the total number of balls made. After 10 racks, take your total and compare it to the chart below.  This is a good game because it takes several skills into account (shotmaking, position play, cluster breaking, break shot skills, etc.)  The only downside is that it doesn’t cover safety play, which is a critical in the upper echelons of play. 

30-35       D+
36-40       C
41-45       C+
46-50       B
51-55       B+
56-60       A
61-65       A+
66-70      A++
71-up       Pro

TAR broadcasts US Open 10-ball Championship

I got home late last night, and caught the last few racks of the title match of the US Open 10-ball Championship.  The tournament was held at the Riviera Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada.  Lee Vann Corteza of the Philippines was playing Hi Wen Lo of China.  The match seemed to last forever, as each player walked around the table and examined each shot from multiple angles before shooting.  And who could blame them with $20,000 on the line? 

I was able to watch the tournament over the internet, via The Action Report.  No commercials, no interruptions, just pool.  As I mentioned in a previous post from March 19, 2010, TAR is the site created by Justin Collett and Chad Pullman.  Their intention was to create a website to stream matches on the internet to promote the game that we all love, especially the action side.  They teamed up with Ustream.tv to broadcast the event live, for FREE!.  The coolest feature was the sidebar tweeting.  I was able to log in and join other spectators in providing commentary on the match as it progressed.  It was a blast…kinda like MST3000 with lots of irreverent comments and witticisms, but better since WE were the ones providing the comments.  Very Cool!!  Oh, by the way, Lee Vann Corteza won the match 13-12 and bagged a cool $20,000.  I know I’ll never play at that level, but it was great to watch such talented players.  Maybe someday….. 😉