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These series of “Game Rules’ provide rules of many different games for the pool table. The rules here have been simplified from the official versions – to make them a little easier to understand.

There are other games that have been invented, copyrighted and generally available to the playing public. Web searches will turn these up and the rules printed out for use.

Cowboy Billiards

This game is another adaptation of caroms and pocket billiards that hones your skills in both pocketing and object ball path control.

Object

Score exactly 101 points.

Opponents

Any number of players.

Balls

Object balls – 1, 3, 5 plus cue ball.

Racking

1 ball on the head spot, 3 ball on the foot spot, 5 ball on the center spot. Cue ball in the kitchen.

Breaking

Starting player determined by local rules (coin, lag, card draw, etc.)

From the kitchen, shoot the 3 ball. If no contact, next shooter can request a reshooting, or take over where the cue ball stops.

Regular play

No call shot.

Scoring the first 90 points can be done by pocketing and caroming:

• Pocketed balls: scores ball number (i.e., 3 ball counts as 3 points).
• Caroms: cue ball to two object balls – 1 point, cue ball to three object balls – 2 points.

To score points for 91 through 100, only caroms can be counted.

Point 101 counts only if cue ball caroms off the 1 ball into a called pocket (cue ball must not touch another object ball).

Any pocketed ball is spotted immediately before the next shot. If position is occupied, ball stays off table until the position opens up.

If on 100 points and the 1 ball cannot be spotted, it is moved to the next available spot.

On a scratch, incoming player shoots out of the kitchen. If all balls in the kitchen, 3 ball is moved to the foot spot.

Fouls

Loss of turn and any points made during that inning.

• No legal shot
• Balls off table
• Illegal ball touching (optional – moved balls can be replaced with opponent’s approval and play continues with no penalty)
• Scratch (except on point 101)
• On scoring the 90th point, any points other than caroms
• On point 101, if the cue ball does not touch the 1 ball. Also if cue ball touches any other ball.