Are you a potter or a snookerer ?

[itsnoteasy]

Always , always go for it, I took up snooker very late , I don't have enough years left in me to be fudging around. Unless you are playing snooker for a living what's the point in playing timid, it's only a game.

[MrRottweiler]

I'm a potter and have never put much effort in to a safety game even though I'm ok at working out escapes and know the importance of playing the percentages. I used to have a regular practice partner who was a very good break builder and much better than me around the pink and black spots and I would hand every frame to him on a plate by missing a long pot he had set up to leave him with an easy red and he knew it. One of my best memories of playing him is when I had started to put more effort in to safety play and not taking on long pots every time. I won the first five frames in a row and I could tell he was getting distracted because I wasn't playing the way he wanted and he ended up finishing the session early.

[neuronic]

I used to be a snookerer, now I am a potterer

[mikee]

Always , always go for it, I took up snooker very late , I don't have enough years left in me to be fudging around. Unless you are playing snooker for a living what's the point in playing timid, it's only a game.

Perfectly put ,its good to have a half decent safety game for when you do need it though .

[Cue crafty]

I think we all know in snooker you need both snookering and pottering ability to win games but it's the decision on the right shot at the right time that makes the difference.

In the OP scenario, I would always rather loose a frame trying to win it over loosing the frame playing safe... Safety shots are difficult too and aren't gauranteed!!

Good scenario for Neil against Yan last night, he took on a difficult blue and won the match and if you watched it you could feel it was time to take that chance and that's the key.

[trains]

I think we all know in snooker you need both snookering and pottering ability to win games but it's the decision on the right shot at the right time that makes the difference.

In the OP scenario, I would always rather loose a frame trying to win it over loosing the frame playing safe... Safety shots are difficult too and aren't gauranteed!!

Good scenario for Neil against Yan last night, he took on a difficult blue and won the match and if you watched it you could feel it was time to take that chance and that's the key.

bit dissappointed yan knocked that blue so close to the pocket , he should have won that match , robertson does nothing for me and his follow up comments to murphy crying about si jiahui were pathetic.

[tomwalker147]

It depends how i'm feeling at the time but if i'm more likely to pot than to miss i'd go for it. Nothing worse than losing a frame without trying to win it.

[JimMalone]

You can't answer this question on a general basis. It really depends on the special situation, how the balls are placed exactly. There are difficult shots I feel rather comfortable about and some I absolutely hate to play and I'm sure this is true for every player.
Also it depends on how am I feeling at the moment.

For myself lately I tried to pot more though and always with getting position for the next ball, cause this is what I really want to get better at. And I don't care much about losing the last months. But therefore I also lost more.

Though to generalize a little bit:
Usually I'd be a bit more on the cautious side and had good experiences if I play one more safety and also the same feeling about when I watch players.

There was one early post, which said: Think about John Higgins would do. And I'll add: Yes, think about what Higgins and Selby would do.

[trains]

true about higgins and selby but they're both established all time greats , its somewhat more about the slightly lesser known players although still very experienced who still go into default safety mode and never seem to move on from it , liam highfield for example almost seems to be waiting for something negative to happen with further safeties although he benefited from chen zifan's cautious approach mentioned earlier.

[JimMalone]

true about higgins and selby but they're both established all time greats , its somewhat more about the slightly lesser known players although still very experienced who still go into default safety mode and never seem to move on from it , liam highfield for example almost seems to be waiting for something negative to happen with further safeties although he benefited from chen zifan's cautious approach mentioned earlier.

Yeah, but I can also say that a safer approach would exactly be what Jack Lisowski would need to make the next step towards elite. And same is true for Zhao to be consistenly a threat.

[trains]

Yeah, but I can also say that a safer approach would exactly be what Jack Lisowski would need to make the next step towards elite. And same is true for Zhao to be consistenly a threat.

true but these players attacking and potting prowess shouldn't be subdued either , some players can base their whole approach on safety and when they get their chance they're somewhat lacking in either potting or positioning ability , that for the most part can't be labelled at either lisowski or zhao i don't think.
i know its kind of a circular argument , its more about the situation to win matches , i think i'd go for it most times to avoid the frustration afterwards , as mentioned earlier.

[Zelig]

I would go down on the shot to pot the red and wait for the inner voice to pop up.

If the inner voice says I'm going to pot it, I'll go for the red.

If the inner voice says I'm going to miss it, I'll check the clock, think about what's in the fridge at home, try to remember if there is a good sip of wine left to compensate me losing the frame and if there is some good snooker live on tv once I am back. Whatever the answers, I'll go for the red and lose the frame (cause the inner voice is always right). The only thing that will change is that I will either (a) eat a delicious warm toastie with a glass of Morellino watching something like last week's Brecel-Wilson all night long, or (b) eat rotten peanuts holding an alcohol-free IPA while falling asleep after two shots of Ebdon-Selby (that is around 12 minutes of watching).

I guess the short answer is a potter.

[trains]

I would go down on the shot to pot the red and wait for the inner voice to pop up.

If the inner voice says I'm going to pot it, I'll go for the red.

If the inner voice says I'm going to miss it, I'll check the clock, think about what's in the fridge at home, try to remember if there is a good sip of wine left to compensate me losing the frame and if there is some good snooker live on tv once I am back. Whatever the answers, I'll go for the red and lose the frame (cause the inner voice is always right). The only thing that will change is that I will either (a) eat a delicious warm toastie with a glass of Morellino watching something like last week's Brecel-Wilson all night long, or (b) eat rotten peanuts holding an alcohol-free IPA while falling asleep after two shots of Ebdon-Selby (that is around 12 minutes of watching).

I guess the short answer is a potter.

I generally find alcohol is only a social thing and only works on your own when you’re trying out new brands , once the novelty has worn off you’re back to square one.

[Danger Steve]

true about higgins and selby but they're both established all time greats , its somewhat more about the slightly lesser known players although still very experienced who still go into default safety mode and never seem to move on from it , liam highfield for example almost seems to be waiting for something negative to happen with further safeties although he benefited from chen zifan's cautious approach mentioned earlier.

Would Frazer Patrick fit this description also? Maybe…

[trains]

Would Fraser Patrick fit this description also? Maybe

Yes to be honest i had him in mind but on the upside of his play he is a very good safety player and seems to have a very good temperament as well so there's a balancing act playing there too.
don't know why i have trouble quoting you Steve , it doesn't seem to happen with anyone else , no idea why. :-)