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🔊 Listen to this 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.

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One Pocket

Each side or player can only score points by pocketing object balls in their designated foot pocket.

Object

Reach 8 points by legally pocketing object balls into the designated pocket.

Opponents

Two players or (rarely) two doubles teams

Balls

Regular set of balls.

Racking

Standard random rack.

Breaking

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

A legal break is one object ball to a rail.

If illegal break, penalty is one ball.

Regular play

Pocket choice is made by the breaker. Opponent has opposite pocket.

Ball in player’s pocket – 1 point.

Ball made in side or head pockets – spotted after inning ends.

Inning continues if a ball is legally pocketed.

If pocketed in opponent’s pocket, score for opponent.

If incoming player shoots from kitchen and all remaining balls are behind the head string, object ball nearest the head string is spotted.

Fouls

Penalty is always loss of turn and 1 point.

• No ball to a cushion or pocket after contact of object ball
• Scratch (any balls pocketed are spotted)
• Illegal ball touching (optional – moved balls can be replaced with opponent’s approval and play continues with no penalty)
• Three successive fouls by the same player is loss of game

Variations

Designated pockets are head pockets.

Designated pockets are side pockets.