Billiard Game Rules

The game of billiards may look like a lot of luck at first glance, but when playing professional games, a lot of talent and practice is involved in order to perfect the game. There are multiple billiard games that players participate in, and they all feature different rules and situations. Two of the most popular billiard games are eight-ball and nine-ball, but both feature vastly different rules to follow.

The game of eight-ball uses the full 15-ball standard billiard set. The balls are set in a triangle "pyramid" rack with the longest row featuring five balls. The order of balls changes depending on house rules, but one constant is that the eight-ball always lies in the middle before breaking. A white cue ball is used to shoot against the other balls in attempt to make them in one of the six pockets located on the pool table. During eight-ball, each player or team is assigned to "stripes" or "solids," also known as "highs" and "lows." The type of balls assigned is determined by whoever makes the first ball in. Whoever shot it in is assigned the type that was made. Players alternate turns with missed shots. If a player makes a ball, then they continue playing until they miss. The eight ball is the final ball that must be shot in by both teams, but if it is shot in early, the game is forfeited and the team that made it in loses.

Unlike eight-ball, nine-ball actually represents how many balls are used during a game. Numbered balls one through nine are racked on a diamond shaped rack. The purpose of nine-ball is to get every ball in using numerical order, starting with one. Like the eight ball in eight-ball, the nine ball is the final ball, and if it is made early, the game is forfeited. The only exception to this rule is that if the nine ball is banked by the current numbered ball, at which point the person who shot it is declared a winner. In nine-ball, players continue until they miss a shot, but every pocket must be called during nine-ball. Games usually end quickly in nine-ball, so multiple games are usually played with points rewarded for each victory.

A scratch occurs when the cue ball is knocked into the hole, and these are played very differently in both nine-ball and eight-ball. In eight-ball, when a scratch occurs, the cue ball must be placed in the area behind the second diamond at the top of the table. In order for a player to hit any balls in that area, he must first bank it off the other side of the table and send it back. For any balls located at the rest of the table, the player can hit them without banking it. It a player is on the eight-ball and scratches, the other player is awarded with the win. In nine-ball, a scratch can occur in two ways. The first way is by knocking the cue ball into an open pocket. A player can then place the cue ball onto any spot at the table and hit any ball. Another scratch occurs if a player does make contact with the ball in play. For example, if the game is on the three ball and the cue ball does not hit it, then the next player can pick up the cue ball and place it anywhere he wants to.

Calling shots is mandatory in nine-ball, but is an optional choice in eight-ball. When a player takes a shot, she must pick which ball and what pocket the ball will go into. If any of the balls goes into another pocket, she is still awarded the points, but she does not get another turn. The only exception to this is with the final ball in eight-ball. If the eight ball goes into a pocket that was not called, then the player who shot it automatically loses.

Other than nine-ball and eight-ball, there is a large collection of billiard games that can be played, as well. Snooker is a popular game played all over the world. Instead of multiple colored balls, snooker is played with a set of all red balls, and points are scored for each ball. Pocket pool is played by assigning a specific pocket to each player and seeing who scores more balls. Bank pool focuses specifically on banking the cue ball or other balls in order to score them into pockets.