Racking the Balls
The balls should be randomly racked with a solid color in front preferably the yellow one ball and with a solid and a stripe on either side of the back row. The 8 ball should be in the middle of the third row. The one ball should sit in the center of the second row of diamonds on either side of the table.
Lagging for Break
If for some reason there is a problem determining who will break, another round of drinks might help but lagging might be an option too. Place the cue ball and another ball behind the second row of diamonds on the opposite side of the table and hit the ball into the opposite bumper hard enough to make it come back and get as close as possible to the bumper you are shooting from. If your ball hits both rails it’s OK. The winner is determined by the resting distance from the bumper to the ball. Whoever is closest wins the break.
Breaking the Balls
Place the cue ball anywhere behind the second row of diamonds on the opposite side of the table and break the balls to start the game. If you don’t get any balls in your turn is over. If you get one ball in then you have that set be it stripes or solids. If you get both a strip and solid in then you get your choice of having stripes or solids, but if you miss then that choice goes to the next player. Unless they miss, and so on until someone pockets a ball. If you pocket the cue ball you lose your turn and it is considered a foul.
Playing the Game
To continue your turn you must pocket a ball. Loss or turn results…
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- anytime you pocket the cue ball
- if you hit your opponents’ ball first
- if you knock the cue ball off the table
- if you knock an object ball off the table
- If you hit the 8-ball before hitting your ball
- if you make a slop shot during a no slop game
- If your cue touches the cue ball without pocketing a ball
Scratches and fouls
Anytime you pocket the cue ball or knock the cue ball off the table it’s called a scratch and is considered a foul. If you hit your opponents’ ball first with the cue ball before hitting one of your balls it’s called a foul. These fouls result in loss of turn and the cue ball is placed anywhere behind the second diamond at the end of the table opposite of where the rack of balls was originally. You are not allowed to hit any of the balls behind the second diamonds without hitting a bumper first. The target ball must be completely past the second diamonds.
Loss of game can result from any of the following
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- Pissing off the bartender, etc…
- Getting tossed out by the bouncer
- Not calling your pocket for the 8-ball
- Pocketing the cue ball when shooting the 8-ball
- Pocketing both the cue ball and 8-ball at the same time
- Knocking the 8-ball off the table at any time
- Knocking the cue ball off the table too many times
- Knocking the cue ball off the table while shooting the 8-ball
- Pocketing the 8-ball in the wrong pocket, unless your playing slop.
If a players ball is knocked off the table it should be spotted in the middle of the second set of diamonds where the yellow one ball was placed at the start of the game.
Winning the Game
You must first pocket all of your balls and then the 8 ball in a pocket that you have called even if it was obvious to everyone what pocket you were trying to sink it in. Calling bank shots or shots that include touching a bumper is optional but not required. It doesn’t matter how you get your balls into the pockets, it matters if they go in or not. Slop is allowed on the 8-ball shot if it was called at the beginning of the game. So just hit the balls in the pockets, what could be easier? Pocketing the 8-ball on the break is easier and you automatically win the game if you do.