Anyone for a game of 8-Ball Pool?

On Monday nights I play 8-ball pool for the local pub team. This week we faced a team one place below us in the league. We knew we had to win to give us any chance of being promoted from the second to the first division this season.

The format of team pool in this league is: each team has six players, each player plays one singles match and one doubles match. The score is then decided on a best-of nine frames.

It was 4-2 to us when it came to my singles game. If I won, we won the match, and took the two bonus points on offer. However, as I was about to break I realised I was playing the other team's best player. I broke off and didn't pot anything. He came to the table, potted four yellows, and then miraculously missed. I had a chance...

I had awkward balls all over the place. I started by taking a fairly simply red into the bottom left pocket, leaving me nicely positioned to attack one of two red balls stuck tight to the bottom rail. I knew if I potted the first I would be nicely on the second. I rolled the first in perfectly, and did the same with the other. 3 down...5 to go.

I was again nicely positioned on a red ball into the bottom right pocket but I also had a chance to either pot or leave another one of my balls over the middle, hopefully blocking one of my opponents yellow balls. However, I knew it was a difficult shot. The angle was very tight, the pot would probably miss, and if I didn't cover the middle pocket, I knew my opponent would clear up and win. So I decided instead of playing safe, I would go for the win...

I potted my fourth red ball into the bottom right pocket with top and right-hand side to bounce the cue ball off the cushion up into the middle of the table. This gave me a choice of either one ball into the middle, or one down the left rail. I took the ball into the middle pocket with a little screw and left myself straight on the ball down the left cushion. I knew if I potted it I would leave a difficult double into the middle - the double would be the ball I was a few moments earlier contemplating potting in the opposite middle pocket. 5 down...three to go.

I played the red ball down the cushion and it went in. I didn't think twice, I just got down and played the double, knowing I'd be near the black ball with a chance to pot it. The double was a 50/50 shot but it was on...

...I played the shot, and watched as the ball hit the cushion and started its motion back towards me. The ball went in, I had a chance to finish. 7 down...1 to go.

I could have taken the black into the middle pocket but it was thin. I knew if I took the slightly more difficult shot into the top left corner I could screw the cue ball back towards the cushion, and, if I missed the black, leave my opponent a much tougher shot.

I played the black...as I watched it head off along the length of the table I realised I'd played it with more pace than I had meant to. But it potted...the frame was mine!

We went on to win 7-2.