While I was in Oshkosh, Wisconsin with Scott Lee, Denny Stewart and Lance Cowles, we played a lot of pool after class, but with three or four people, we wanted to play a game that everyone could play. Cut throat came to mind, but Lance Cowles, a super one-pocket player, thought it would be fun to have each player only make balls in the pocket that they first made a ball in. This resulted in a fun game that I wanted to share with all of you!
The game has some amazing shots as each player was trying to pocket balls into their pocket. It also has mind boggling defense as you are also trying to defend against two players and two pockets rather than just one, and allows for interesting moves to herd balls by your pocket and protect them.
Here is the first look at the rules that we have come up with. Please email any suggestions or ideas that you have as I think this game will challenge rotation game players and intrigue one-pocket players as well.
Rule #1. The balls are randomly racked, but we toyed with the idea of racking the top three balls in the pyramid to be from each group (low, medium and high).
The break, order of shooting and ball group are randomly determined.
Rule #2. Balls made on the break stay down and the breaker shoots again. If the breaker makes a ball on a subsequent shot, that pocket becomes the breakers pocket and he/she can only make balls in that pocket.
Rule #3. After a miss or a run out, the next player can shoot at any pocket except the one claimed by the breaker.
Rule #4. Balls made in pockets other than the shooters pocket are spotted except the shooters balls, which stay down. This prevents the shooter from pocketing a hanger to protect a ball!
Rule #5. If all a players balls are pocketed the player is out of the game, however, if one of the two remaining players or teams scratches, that eliminated player/team is now back in the game.
Rule #6. On a scratch where the cue ball goes into a pocket, or the player does not make a hit on a ball or contact a rail after a ball is hit, one ball from each opposing team is spotted, but not one of the shooter’s. This allows a player who has been previously eliminated to come back into the game.
Rule #7. The winner is the last player standing with balls on the table.
This game can be played with three, five, six, ten or twelve players and should be a real challenge keeping track of ball groups, shooting order and pockets.
Please give this game a try and let me know what you think. You just might like it!
See ya on the road,
Mark F.