Position play: leaving the next shot
In three-cushion, position play is a tie-breaker, not the main event. First choose the shot most likely to score. When two shots are close, choose the one that leaves you something good next.
Score first
A carom ball travels too far, off too many cushions, for anyone to place all three balls exactly. Top players still think about the leave, but they don't trade much scoring chance for it. The modern approach: pick the best scoring shot, then use speed (and sometimes the choice between two similar shots) to improve where the balls end up.
A good leave
The simplest rule: the cue ball should finish near the third ball, the second object ball you're scoring on. Two balls close together, with the third somewhere sensible, usually leave a shot.
- Near, not on it. A cue ball frozen to the ball, or so close that every hit risks a kiss, is a bad leave.
- Not down the table. A cue ball that runs on to the far end, away from both object balls, leaves long, difficult shots.
- Speed is the tool. The cue ball's speed after scoring decides where it stops. Play the route with the speed it needs, and no more.
One shot ahead is enough
There's no need to plan two or three shots ahead in this game. Think one position ahead: if this scores, where will the balls be, and is there a shot from there?
What about safety?
A safety is a shot played to leave your opponent something hard if you miss: the classic version leaves their ball at one end of the table and the other two at the other. Opinions differ. One school of thought says not to think about safety at all unless the shot is a very low-percentage one, because a player busy protecting a miss plays the point worse. Carombo follows that school for now: the engine plays to score.