Billiards

Rules of 4 Popular Billiards Games, and One of My Own

14.1 continuous

The game of pool requires cue sticks, a white cue ball, and in the U.S. 15 object ball numbered 1-15. The 1-8 balls are solids, and the 9-15 balls are stripes.

        This is the most popular billiard game in the U.S. It is also called 14.1 continuous, pocket billiards, and straight pool. This game is for only 2 players.

The game begins with the 15 object ball racked unordered in a triangle. The player that breaks must make 2 of the object balls hit a cushion, or 1 of the object balls go into a pocket. After that, each player attempts to pocket all the rest of the object balls until only 1 object ball remains on the table. Then the other 14 balls are racked again with a space left at the head of the triangle. He player who pocketed the 14^th ball now attempts to pocket the 15^th ball, and scatter the rack. Before each shot the player must call the shot. One point is scored after every successful shot. A game usually goes to 150 points.

 8-Ball Pool

8-ball is the most common game played on coin-operated pool tables. The game begins with the 8-ball racked in the middle of the triangle. After the break, 1 player shoots at the solids, 1-8, and 1 player shoots at the stripes, 9-15. Every time you pocket a ball you get another turn. After you have pocketed your section, solids or stripes, you go for the 8-ball. If you sink the 8-ball before your group of balls your disqualified. Whoever pockets their group and the 8-ball first wins.

Three-Railed Carom Billiards

        This form of carom billiards is played with two white balls, and a red ball on a pocket less table.

        To score a point a player must hit one of the white balls, and it must hit one of the other balls, and at least three cushions before hitting the other ball. Games are usually played to 50 points.

Snooker

This is the most popular game in Great Britain. The game of Snooker takes cue sticks, and 21 object balls. The 21 object balls are: 15 red balls (worth 1 point each), 1 yellow (2), 1 green (3), 1 brown (4), 1 blue (5), 1 pink (6), and 1 black (7). Each player must pocket a red ball first, then they pocket a colored one, then a red, then a colored, etc. A player’s turn ends when he fails to pocket a ball. Each colored ball is re-spotted on the table, until all the red ball are pocketed. Then the colored balls must be pocketed in ascending order. The player with the most points at the end of the game wins.

Last Ball (This one’s my own)

The rules of Last Ball are simple. Each player has to try to *pocket a ball. * If one player fails to pocket a ball, that player’s turn ends. If a player successfully pockets a ball, their turn continues. The player to pocket the last ball wins.

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