Eight on the Break

The preliminaries were over; they’d wished each other luck. The loser of the toss tried to make a tight rack out of the fifteen numbered and colored balls that are used in the game of eight-ball, a courtesy and a sign of good sportsmanship and because the eight ball doesn't move much on the break. A loose rack invariably yields the undesirable result of the eight ball moving across the table.

Our hero set the cue ball about a half inch from the rail, just behind the second diamond on the left side of the kitchen, that area on the table from which the break has to be made. The game was about to be on.

Taking the break stick in hand, he slid it through his fingers a time or two to make sure it wasn’t the least bit sticky, set his bridge hand on the rail, put the tip of the stick to about four o’clock on the cue ball, and took a couple of preliminary strokes without hitting it. Then slowly and deliberately he concentrated his gaze on the second ball in the rack, the left one of the two balls behind the apex, drew back the stick and sent the cue ball to that ball with all the force he could muster.

A split second later the racked balls exploded, balls going in all directions. He looked at the roiling chaos and the black eight ball caught his eye as it rolled slowly toward the side pocket on the right and fell in!

Eight on the break! His team cheered loudly at this combination of skill and luck that occurs only once in a while. Score, one game to nil, rack them for the second game. The excitement subsided and it was time to concentrate on the next break.

The same scenario was repeated but this time the eight ball hardly moved from its position at the interior center of the rack. Seven shots later his opponent sank the eight ball making it one game each.

Our hero won the match after another four games transpired. His opponent left himself an impossible shot which allowed our hero to place the ball anywhere on the table and go out.