Let's Talk Tactics

Out and About

By Jeff Soo

Abbreviations used: blUe, Red, blacK, Yellow

In the last issue, we looked at the opening stalemate when all balls are clean and for #2. The only way to break the stalemate is to play aggressively — attack or attempt a two-ball break. These are risky plays for most intermediate players. We looked at a couple of attack patterns that carry less risk, but they are still aggressive and challenging plays. Fortunately, a third way exists. The stalemate is always a threat when all balls are clean and are for the same wicket. Avoid those conditions and you prevent the stalemate. You can do this easily by keeping one or both of your balls out of the game.

Except at the championship level, the out-game more often happens by accident than by design; many players shun it. You don’t have to love the out-game, but you will have to play it sometimes, so you should at least try to understand its main lines of play.

The “Chernobyl” is the original out-game opening, devised by Garth Eliassen in 1986. After the first three balls have played in, Y plays to close position (or into the jaws) at #1. This is a classic opening, so you’ve probably seen it even if you haven’t played it yourself. It’s more of an advanced opening, though, and can still lead to a stalemate, so we’ll skip over it for now.

The Chernobyl is a good example of one type of out-game , in which one side has both its balls in the game. We’ll focus on the second type of out-game: neither side has both balls in. Usually, this means each side has one ball in and one ball out. I’ll call this the “2/2” opening.

The classic 2/2 opening has one ball blocking and clearing shots to prevent an opponent ball from scoring #1. Out-balls can’t make roquets, so this half of the game is essentially a two-ball version of golf croquet. The other half is, of course, a two-ball version of the normal game. With no partner ball available to roquet, the players advance by taking scoring position and sometimes by shooting at the opponent ball.

This opens a wide range of low-risk plays. You can’t go partner-dead when your partner is an out-ball, and you can’t give up a three- or four-ball break when with only two inballs. Most of the time you are free to take position at your wicket. Even if your opponent then hits you, it probably doesn’t cost you much.

This would be rather boring if not for how the two halves of the game interact. It might seem like two separate games, but usually one or both out-balls are a threat to enter the game. The tactics of the in-balls depend on the positions of the out-balls and vice versa. For the two out-balls, it is not just about controlling or scoring the wicket, it is also about seeing the most to gain by entering the game. If your partner ball is losing the “in-game,” you probably want to bring your own ball in sooner rather than later. But if you have the lead, you may prefer to keep the out-game going longer. It is most important to look for the chance of a three-ball break: an out-ball scoring #1 and either picking up an immediate break or setting one for partner.

The best chance of creating a 2/2 opening is to block #1 with U. R then has many options: jump, half-jump, clear U, promote U through #1, take close position behind U or hang back where K can’t clear it far. As in golf croquet, subtle differences in each ball’s position can have a big effect on the tactical balance. It may take several turns for any ball to enter the game, but this is usually followed quickly by one of the opponent balls.

Figure 1 shows a typical 2/2 position with U and R battling at #1. Y has taken off from K and finished its turn by taking good position at #4. What would you do with U? Come up with your own answer before reading on.

The game appears balanced, Y having a slight advantage over K but U having better control at #1. U’s advantage outweighs Y’s, though. If U scores #1 well enough to have an unhampered continuation shot, it can easily play between K and #3 to set K for a break. Or, more aggressively, it can shoot at Y. If U hits, it can roll Y to #3 while attempting to get a rush on K to #2. If that works, it is an immediate three-ball break for U. If U doesn’t get position for a rush, it can simply play near K, setting K for its own three-ball break while keeping U alive on partner. R would have to run #1 from a very difficult position and then make a long hit-in to disrupt that play.

If the colors were transposed (U and R swapped, K and Y swapped, R to play), RY would not present the same doublethreat, because of the rotation: R can’t set Y for a three-ball break because K plays next. In a 2/2 opening, the rotational advantage goes to the side that precedes the opponent in each half of the game. That is, if U and R are in the same half of the game, you would rather be UK; if U and Y are in the same half, you would rather be RY.

The 2/2 opening is especially good in a high/low doubles game. The stronger partner should always be the ball that stays out of the game. If you are the low-handicap player on your side and your low-handicap opponent enters the game with U, have your partner attempt to play into the jaws with R. (If I am playing high/low doubles, I never enter the game until my partner is already in.) If you win the toss, have your partner attempt to play into the jaws with U.

If you are an intermediate player and you dread the stalemate at #2, try the 2/2 opening. It gets the game going right away, it’s fun and unpredictable and it gets you scoring points without having to worry about partner-ball deadness.