Always stick to your strategy

I always have 2 options when I play.

Option 1: 80% “bag runner”. When I play pick bags that on the slow side usually slides right into the hole, but about 20% of the time the bag accidently blocks between 1” to dripping into the hole. 

Option 2; Anytime I play against a very skilled "dirty player” I become a 100% bag runner. I put a little more power into my bag and try to get every bag into the hole. If they block, I flip my bag to the fast side and push thought. If they put a bad block I get around with a “cut”. If I accidentally block these highly skilled “dirty players”, they back block and now the board gets dirty and they destroy me in that round.

The game starts and my opponents is throw a lot of block. Usually a player gives a perfect block about 60% of the time and a bad block 40% of the time. A bad block is a bag I can get around. This player was giving me nothing but perfect blocks. I know it is time to take option 2. Every time he blocks, which was usually 3 times a round, I turn my bag to the fast side and push through. Most of the time I accomplish this but every once in a while I throw a bag off the back, next thing I know he is winning 0-9. 

I thought to myself I am going to lose this match 0-21. Then out of nowhere he stops blocking and starts running bags. Now I am in my element. I still ended up losing the match 15-21, but if he kept his strategy he would have won much faster and easier. He also let me get back into the game.

I love learning and can learn from everybody. So I asked “Why did you change your strategy? You were destroying me”. He said “Every time I blocked you just pushed through. I had to change”. I said “I thought to myself when is this guy going to stop blocking me”. And we both had a good laugh. He got frustrated, did not look at the score, and changed his best strategy to his worst strategy.

By keeping to my strategy I took him out of his game and he gave me a chance to come back. You should always have 2-3 different options on how you are going to strategically play. Between round 2-4 you should know exactly how you are going to play for the rest of the game. You must stick to this strategy. The only reason you should ever change strategies more than once is if your opponent drastically changes his strategy in the middle that is not beneficial to you. If you lose, but have your best strategy against your opponents you should be proud and work to get better. NEVER lose because of bad strategy. 

Definition "Bag runner” Get every bag in the hole. No blocking

Definition "Dirty player” Player who puts a lot of blocks, a lot of bags on the board and likes to play with a lot of strategy. This player has a roll, reverse cut and an airmail. So they have many options when the board gets dirty