8-ball pool has always been a wildly entertaining game for most youngsters who would rather hang out over a game of pool. Most of these popular games are now available online, with 8-ball pool being the most popular amongst the other cue sports. The game has amassed the likes of millions of players, and its popularity continues to grow. However, many of the novice and experienced players also have certain 8-ball pool misconceptions.
Five 8-ball pool misconceptions
As an 8-ball pool enthusiast, you may be familiar with the rules and the gameplay; however, many players tend to have certain misconceptions about the game. If you are a novice, you can even read a handy 8-ball pool guide to understand the game. The game objective is quite simple and the rules are easy to comprehend. But having these misconceptions can outrightly kill your game. Resolve these five misconceptions before it’s too late in the game for you.
Always go for the easiest shot
A common mistake that most novice players make while playing 8-ball pool is going for the easy shots first. One of the first misconceptions that we’ll talk about is always going for the easiest shot. Players usually judge which object ball is easiest to pocket without considering where the cue ball will go after the shot. Before you play a shot, you should have a plan for your next shot. So, if you go for easy shots that lead to a difficult shot later, your strategy is not good. The second shot is more likely to go to waste. Therefore, you should go for the challenging shots over the easy shots, and the chances are that you may get an opportunity to pocket the ball in the following shot. Following this strategy will make you see the bigger picture in the game and plan accordingly.
Bank shots are easier than cut shots
The second one among the 8-ball pool misconceptions is that cutting-in is harder than banking. When you play a cut shot, the cue ball hits the side of the object ball rather than making full contact. Whereas bank shots hit the ball squarely to create a stop shot. Most of the players tend to go for bank shots because they aren’t familiar with cuts shots.
Cuts shots help control the path of the cue ball and prevents the ball from being pocketed. Therefore, it’s better to use cut shots where possible. With a fair amount of cut shots practice, you will find cut shots easier than most banks while also controlling the cue ball’s direction.
Fewer balls on the table equals winning
A rather dangerous misconception you can have is thinking that fewer balls on the table mean you are winning the game. On the contrary, the fear the balls on the table, the lesser chances you have for playing defense or offense. This is another reason you should ensure every ball is pocketable before you pocket the easy ones. If you are facing trouble in pocketing the balls, opt-in for defense.
Always pocket the unplayable ball in the end
Quite often, players leave out the unplayable and locked-up ball to figure out in the end while playing shots on the other balls. They apply the strategy to get all the balls that they can and figure out a strategy for the difficult one later on. This misconception is quite similar to pocketing the easy balls first. To clear this misconception, it’s better to think of it this way; if you don’t aim for the locked-up ball with many other balls around, it will get more difficult to pocket that ball when that’s the only ball left on the table. So, if you aim to pocket the unplayable ball in the end, you are making it easier for your opponent to win the game.
Calling an object ball and 8-ball in the same shot
Some players have the misconception that pocketing the last object ball on the table and the 8-ball in the same shot is a legal shot. As per the rule book by the World Pool-Billiard Association, you have to call your shots before pocketing the object ball. Further, you may call your shot on the 8-ball only after pocketing all the other object balls. So, even if the object ball is pocketed before the 8-ball but in the same shot, it’s still not legal. The 8-ball has to be called and pocketed after all the object balls have been pocketed.
Conclusion
Now that the common 8-ball pool misconceptions have been cleared, you can play a better game and watch out if your opponent uses these misconceptions against you. The gameplay is somewhat automated in an online pool game; therefore, it’s pointed out when you or the opponent make any fouls. Thus, the last misconception is eliminated in the online 8-ball pool, but you still have to be wary about the other mistakes you make. The next time you play the online 8-ball pool game, you know the strategies to be made based on the above points. So, hop on to MPL to beat your opponents at the 8-ball pool game and win cash prizes while you are at it.
