Maximising a bisque (Part 1).

Playing Yellow you have failed to get in front of hoop 1.

You decide to take a bisque. On your last shot do you:

1. Play in front of hoop 1 and take the bisque
    
2. Play behind Red and take the bisque (rushing Red back to the hoop)
    
3. Play to the Blue ball (with what in mind?)
    
4. Play to the Black ball near the corner (with what in mind?)

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Answer: Option 4.

Option 1 (playing in front of the hoop) is instinctive but wrong. If all the other balls were in perfect 4-ball break positions, you would use it, but there is usually something you can achieve with the bisque turn before coming back to make the hoop.

Option 2 (rushing Red back to the hoop) is slightly better, but not by much.

Option 3 is an improvement. Perhaps you could rush Blue to hoop 2 and take off back to hoop 1? Or rush it to the south boundary ready to be sent to hoop 2?

Option 4 gives every chance of a 4-ball break. Shoot at Black near corner 3 and take a bisque. Send it to hoop 2 as a pioneer while going to Blue (if possible try and get behind Blue to rush it past the peg). Take off to Red at hoop 1.

NOTE: The whole point of a bisque is a complete new turn - if you just position yourself in front of the hoop you have wasted the possibility of a rush and a croquet shot on each of the 3 other balls. .

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