Pool 8 is a game for two players played on a table with seven solid
colored balls (solids), seven striped balls(striped), and one black
ball (the 8-ball).
2. Game objective
The object of this game is to use a cue stick and a white cue ball to hit
your set of balls (either striped or solid) into the table pockets.
Players use their cue stick to hit the white cue ball. The white cue
ball should then contact a colored or striped ball and propel the
ball into one of the table’s six pockets. The first player to
shoot all of his set of balls (either striped or solid) into the
pockets must then shoot the black 8-ball into a nominated pocket to
win the game.
3. Players alternate turns
If during a player's turn, he pockets one of his balls without
committing a foul, he continues playing (see below for a list of
fouls). If the player fails to pocket one of his balls, pockets one
of his opponent's balls by accident, or commits a foul, it then
becomes the opposing player's turn. If at any time, a player
accidentally pockets the white cue ball, (even if he pocketed one of
his own balls during the shot) it becomes the other player's turn.
Any player that intentionally or unintentionally pockets the black
8-ball BEFORE pocketing his set of balls automatically loses the
game.
4. The Break
The game starts with all balls (except for the white cue ball) placed in
a triangle formation at one end of the table. The player that is
going to “break” the balls, places the white cue ball
anywhere in the lower quarter of the table that is furthest from the
balls. The player then "breaks" the triangular formation
of balls using the white cue ball. If during the break, the player
pockets a ball, he can continue to pocket that ball set for the rest
of the game OR he can begin to pocket the other ball set. If he sinks
both a striped and a solid during the break, he can choose which set
of balls he wishes to pocket during the game. In other words, it
doesn’t matter how many or what color (striped or solid) balls the player pockets during the
break. The first ball that a player pockets AFTER the break
determines what color set he will pocket for the rest of the game.
5. End of the game
After a player has pocketed all balls of his set, he must then pocket the
black ball. Before shooting for the black ball, the game will ask the
player to first nominate which pocket he intends to shoot the black
ball into. After the player nominates a pocket, he must then shoot
the ball into that pocket. If the player pockets the black ball into
the pocket that he nominated, he wins and the game is over. If the
player pockets the black ball into a pocket other than the nominated
pocket, he loses and the game is over. If the player does not pocket
the black ball, it becomes the opposing player’s turn.
6. Fouls
Foul are
essentially illegal moves or actions that lead to penalties against
the player committing the fault.
When a player breaks the balls to start the game, at least four balls (not
including the white cue ball) must come in contact with the cushions
OR at least one ball other than the cue ball must be pocketed. (The
cushions are the sides of the pool table.) If less than four balls
contact the cushions AND no ball was pocketed, then a fault has
occurred and the opposing player (the player that did not break) has
three options:
The opposing player can allow the game to continue as normal, as if no
fault occurred. If this option is chosen, it will be the opposing
player’s turn to shoot.
The opposing player can allow the player that committed the fault to
re-rack the balls and then re-break them.
The opposing player can re-rack the balls himself and then re-break
them himself.
If the player that is breaking the balls pockets the white cue ball during the
break, regardless of how many other balls may have been pocketed, it
is a foul. It becomes the opposing player’s turn. The
opposing player may now place the white ball anywhere behind the
baulk line. The baulk line is the line that separates the lower
quarter of the table from the rest of the table. After placing the
white cue ball BELOW the baulk line, the player must shoot for a
ball that is ABOVE the baulk line.
If, at any time, a player pockets the white cue ball, he loses his turn. The
white cue ball is removed from the pocket and given to the opposing
player. The opposing player can now put the white cue ball ANYWHERE
on the table before he shoots. The opposing player can shoot for any
of his balls.
If a player pockets one of the opposing player’s balls, it is a foul. The
player loses his turn and the opposing player is given the right to
shoot.
If a player pockets the black ball before he has pocketed all the balls of his
set (solids or striped), he instantly loses and the game ends.
If a player hits the white cue ball and the white cue ball does not subsequently
come in contact with any other ball on the table, a foul has been
committed. It is now the opposing player’s turn. The
opposing player can now put the white cue ball ANYWHERE on the table
before he shoots. The opposing player can shoot for any of his
balls.
If a player shoots and the white cue ball FIRST comes into contact with one of
the opposing player’s balls, a foul is committed, even if the
player sunk one of his own balls during the shot. It is now the
opposing player’s turn. The opposing player can now put the
white cue ball ANYWHERE on the table and shoot for any of his balls.
Note: This foul does NOT apply immediately after the break, before players have been assigned their
ball set (striped or solid).
If a player shoots and the white cue ball FIRST comes into contact with the
black ball, a foul is committed unless the black ball is the
shooter’s last remaining ball on the table. It is now the
opposing player’s turn. The opposing player can now put the
white cue ball ANYWHERE on the table and shoot for any of his balls.
For every shot, a player must cause the white cue ball to directly or
indirectly contact at least one ball of his set, otherwise a foul
has been committed.
For every shot, the ball that has been first hit by the white cue ball must
then either go into a pocket, contact a cushion, OR cause another
ball (including the white cue ball) to directly or indirectly
contact a cushion or go into a pocket. (The cushion is the side of
the pool table.) If one of these things does not occur, a foul has
been committed. It will then be the opposing player’s turn.
The opposing player can now put the white cue ball ANYWHERE on the
table before he shoots. The opposing player can shoot for any of
his balls.
If, after pocketing all of his set of balls, the player pockets the
black ball into a pocket other than the pocket he has nominated, he
loses and the game is over.
If a player pockets the last ball of his set and the black ball at the same
time, it is a foul and that player automatically loses the game.
