You’ve been dreaming of that gleaming wood finish, fresh cloth, and those shiny cue balls for months. Then what did Santa bring you? A brand new billiard table! To celebrate, throw a game room party and invite everyone over for a game or two of pool. Here are three games to enjoy on your new billiard table with friends and family.
Keep It Classic With 8-ball
Arguably the most commonly played game on a billiards table, 8-ball is competitive, fun, and perfect for teams. The goal? Be the team to pocket the notorious black 8-ball.
The basic, agreed-upon rules are as follows:
- Teams play solid versus stripes.
- Teams must pocket all of the balls on their team before trying to get the 8-ball.
- The team member attempting to shoot the 8-ball must state which pocket they are aiming for.
- The team loses if the 8-ball ends up in a different pocket, if the team member scratches or fouls when shooting, or if the 8-ball bounces off the table.
Do rock-paper-scissors or flip a coin to see which team gets to break the rack.
Cutthroat Pool
Billiard players who are really competitive will love cutthroat pool. Between 3 to 5 people can play, and everyone tries to pocket the opponents’ balls before they pocket yours.
Divide the balls between the teams evenly. For example, if playing with 3 players, they would be divided as follows: Player A gets 1-5, Player B gets 6-10, and Player C gets 11-15. Determine teams by either pocketing balls with certain numbers on them or simply by assigning teams at the beginning. It’s up to you!
Basic rules are:
- Aim for your opponents’ balls.
- If you pocket one, keep shooting until you miss, foul, or make an illegal shot*.
- Players are eliminated when all of their balls have been pocketed by other players.
- The only player with any balls left on the table wins.
Cutthroat pool can be racked like any other game, except that the 6- and 11-ball must be in the corners of the triangle.
*A legal shot requires that you make contact with an opponent’s ball first, and not your own. If you make contact with your own ball then pocket an opponent’s, you have made an illegal shot.
Bank Pool
Bank pool is a great game for beginners. The rules are not very complex, but the game is challenging enough to not be too easy. That’s how you become a better pool player, after all.
Here are the basic rules:
- Each player must call the ball and pocket first before making the shot.
- The ball must be banked off the cushion first before pocketing — hence the term “bank pool.”
- If the ball isn’t banked first or lands in an uncalled pocket, the player doesn’t get the point.
- The ball also cannot touch any other balls. If it does before getting pocketed — even if it lands in the called pocket — the player doesn’t get the point.
Whoever “banks” up to 5 or 8 points first, wins. Pretty easy, right?
These fun and competitive games are just three of many great games to try on your new billiard table! If Santa didn’t bring you a new billiard table for Christmas, don’t worry. The Pool People have got you covered! From new to pre-owned tables and plenty of billiard supplies, we have everything you need for your billiard room and games to enjoy on your new billiard table. With brands like Olhausen, Golden West, Brunswick, McDermott, Cuetec and much more, we’ve got everything you need for the best in billiard play. Check us out today!
