Billiard Games Rules & Regulations

The billiards table is a popular spot for people looking to show off their pool skills in front of others. The three primary games played on most billiards tables are straight pool, eight ball and nine ball. The rules and object of each game vary, though there are enough similarities from game to game that learning them is quick and simple.

Straight Pool

Straight pool is the simplest billiards game to play. The object is for a player to sink more balls than his opponent. All 15 balls are placed in the rack in any order, and if the player taking the first shot sinks something on the break, his turn continues. Players must declare which pocket they're planning to use, and will lose their turn if they miss the pocket, even if a ball goes in a different pocket as a result. A player also loses his turn if the cue ball ends up in a pocket. The first player to sink eight balls is declared the winner, although participants may choose to continue the contest until every ball has been made.

Eight Ball

In eight ball pool, a player must sink all of his colored balls and the eight ball before his opponent. The balls must be racked with the one ball in front and the eight ball in back. Solids and stripes must be alternated throughout the remainder of the rack. The table is always open after the first shot, even if multiple balls are made on the break. The first ball a player makes after the break determines whether he is shooting solids or stripes. Players lose their turn if they fail to make a shot, hit the wrong type of ball or put the cue ball in a pocket. Once a player's balls are gone, she must identify a target pocket and make the eight ball in order to win. If she sinks it in the wrong pocket, she loses. The game is also declared over if a player makes the eight ball at any point other than the end of the game.

Nine Ball

In nine ball, only the first nine numeric balls are put in play. They're arranged in a 1-2-3-2-1 diamond formation in the rack, with the one ball in front and the nine ball in the middle. The object is to make each of the balls in order from one through nine, with the winner being the player who makes the nine ball. The lowest numbered ball must be hit first on each turn, though it doesn't have to be the one that goes in for a player's turn to continue. The nine ball can be made at any time during the game, as long as the low numbered ball is struck first.