SINGLE POOL
Many of the more ordinary strokes required at this game have already been discussed; but, as single pool is a most scientific and interesting game per se, it deserves a few lines to itself. As the striker is always playing on his player, the problem of safety is quite different. Two general maxims should be writ large in the striker’s mind: (1) Leave the balls as far apart as possible; (2) Never play for a middle pocket unless it is a certainty. The first of these requires no comment: a moment’s thought will show the importance of the second, which applies equally to doubles and to direct shots, as a stroke for the middle is sure, if it fails, to leave the adversary’s ball in the middle of the table, when he will either have a good chance of a hazard or no difficulty in getting safe.
Diagram VIII.
Reverting to Diagram VIII., stroke 1, at ordinary pool red may, caeteris paribus, try to hole white in the middle pocket. The danger of this stroke for three-pool has already been shown; at single pool it is even more risky, as from A white would have an almost certain hazard with red at B. The same remarks apply to stroke 2.
For the opening stroke, again, it would be suicidal for red to drag slowly up to white: an endeavour should be made to double the white into one of the bottom pockets by a stab, for which object the white should be driven against the top cushion, about four inches to the right or left of the centre of it behind the spot, leaving the striker’s ball as near the cushion as possible; but some players like to use a little direct side while playing for the same double, leaving their own ball under a side cushion.
Two strokes are shown in Diagram IX. illustrating the difference of play demanded by single pool. In stroke 1, at ordinary pool the striker would try to hole white in the top corner pocket; at single pool he should play a smart stab, being careful not to follow on, driving the object ball all round the table towards the bottom cushion. Stroke 2, known as the Z shot, separates the balls well and should be played with some right side, white being cut very fine, so as to leave it high up the table. It would be an equally sound stroke to play for a double in the right-hand bottom pocket; but the reader is again warned that these and all other sample strokes should be tried over coolly in private, and not be essayed for the first time in the heat of actual conflict.