Creative Ways to Play Pool

Pool – a Multi-Faceted Game

Pool is a game with many variations. For example, billiards is somewhat similar to but it does not involve sinking balls into pockets. Instead, balls are struck against rails and other balls. Another popular variation is snooker. Invented by British soldiers, snooker is played on a slightly larger table than pool, using more balls. Those are just the tip of the cue when it comes to variations on pool. Here are several popular variations on the great table game and how you can play them.

One Pocket Pool

If you’re finding standard pool too easy, with too many pockets to choose from, One-Pocket Pool is the perfect game for you. It is very difficult, as each player must pot into a designated pocket.
 
Place all balls randomly in the rack, with a player making the break by choosing a particular pocket they will use for the rest of the game. They will need to pot the ball in their chosen pocket for the entire game. 
 
Their opponent then nominates an alternative pocket and sticks with it for the game. You score a point each time a ball is potted, with the winner generally being the first player to reach eight points.
 
Some alternative versions of One-Pocket Pool see a player losing a point in the event of a foul. When a player makes three consecutive fouls, they immediately lose the game.  

Cut-Throat

The game Cut-Throat is a unique version of pool that enables three players to play at once. Unlike other pool games, the aim is to be the last player with a ball on the table. 
 
Within Cut-Throat the 15 balls are divided into three sets: Low Balls (numbered from 1-5), mid balls (numbered 6-10) and high balls (numbered 11-15). Each player is assigned one set of balls. Each player takes a turn to pot a ball, remaining at the table until he or she misses a shot.
 
If you mistakenly pot the cue ball each of your opponents is given a chance to restore one of their own balls to the table. A player with no balls on the table at any point of the game is forced to miss a turn until an opponent pots the cue ball. 

Eight Ball

The phrase “behind the eight ball”, meaning being stuck in a bad position, originates from the classic pool game of eight ball. The game is played with 15 numbered balls (seven solid, seven striped, and a black eight ball, initially assembled in a triangular rack.
 
The object of the game is to sink all seven balls (of your type), along with the eight ball. If you accidently sink the eight ball while one of your other balls is still on the pool table, you lose. All shots must be called (i.e. you must say which ball you’re shooting into which pocket for it to count).  

Black Ball

Black Ball is Eight Ball made easy. The chief difference being that you don’t need to call your shots while making them. You can send your target ball careening wildly around the table, and if it lands in a pocket, it still counts. This simplified version of Eight Ball is popular for a casual game of pool, or on family game night. 
 
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