your pool rules

this is always madness (in britain at least) that every place you go and every different player you meet seem to play different rules, which are never discussed before a game and resulting in arguments, sour atmosphere and probably fights.

what are your rules?

mine=
2 shots after a foul
the 2 shots "carry"
no "freeball" unless snookered from all your colours after opponent fouls
no picking up the ball after a foul
always 1 shot on the black (even after a foul)
potting the white = white goes inside the the D (if there's a D) or behind the line down the table (if no D)
no nomination of pockets required for any shot

do US pool have more regular rules (like just picking the ball up after a foul? and what's this about every shot has to hit a rail/pot a ball?)?

the 1 shot on the black rule is the only pool rule I've come across that differs. i too side with 1 shot only even after foul btw.

the only time i've come across different rules for all the other stuff is on computer games.

I usually nominate the pocket for the black.

i do that sometimes just for the coolness factor

"this won't go fucking anywhere"

mostly the same as ken's but:

2 shots on foul, but no carry. one on black.
free ball after foul even when not snookered. i think.
one of each colour potted = no foul. regardless of potting order.

I play Ken's rules.

I don't play Ken's rules. I play World Rules.

Principal among which are 2 shots carry onto the black, and that a ball must hit a cushion/go into a pocket after legal contact.

And the "Free ball" can be taken if you can't hit BOTH edges of any one of your balls.

I play the same as ken's but two shots don't carry. The free ball thing depends on who I'm playing against and if they're familiar with the rule. Usually they are not.

I actually quite like borrowing the American rule whereby you have to nominate a pocket for every shot and it counts as a miss if the target ball ends up in a different pocket.

Free ball you cannot change.

i approve of the rules ken posted

Eight ball, no ball in hand, no called shots.

I go with Ken's as well. Do you have the "no shooting up the table" rule after a potted white (i.e. has to be aimed away from baulk end)? My brother plays to that rule, but I don't know anyone else who does. When googling to see if that's even a thing, I came across this: http://www.pubpoolrules.com/rulesdetail.php

This you can play from the baulk rather than from where the white ended up after a foul shot thing is madness!

I remember my dad playing pool in the 80s playing the "no shooting up the table" rule, I guess it's fallen out of use?

Fuck picking up the ball IMO

I played pool against a local girl in New South Wales once, and she got really angry with me when I went to take a second shot after she'd fouled. I think she may have not even let me take another after potting. That's just crazy and invites all manner of devious tactics. Don't think I played in any other Aus states, at least not against locals, but apparently there are state-to-state variations.

I have never heard of getting two shots after your opponent fouls.

When you take your foul shot, it has to be behind the line and can't hit any balls that are also behind the line with the cue.

I prefer not only "nominating a pocket" (love ya britishes), but also calling which other balls (of your own, of course) you're going to use in the shot.

And if the bar's crowded, anyone can challenge you to take the table. You can always challenge right back.

I haven't played pool in way too long, and this thread is making me keen for a game now.

Me too :(

^and me

My office has a table in the bar/lobby/reception area. How I get any work done... etc etc Brand new surface but the sizes of the balls, pockets, cushions are all an odd mix of UK and American. Lovin' lunchtimes at the moment.

I used to work in an office with pool & table football, happy days. Especially since we were all taking redundancy and didn't give a shit about the work so we could just piss about in the break room all afternoon.

haha i played a few games last night and had these exact problems! i favour ken's rules by and large, but the "free ball if snookered" thing i'd not encountered before. if by "up the table" you mean "backwards", then yes, i agree you can't do that when, er, teeing off as it were.

aussie rules do indeed vary from state to state, but any more detail i canj't provide right now - all i can confirm is that nsw rules state no two shots, ever. it's a sucky rule indeed.

nominating pockets, though? that's just showboating. and it would suck if you were me, since i pot many many shots by mistake.

"this won't go fucking anywhere"

exactly!

"no back shots" after the white has been potted is sjoooopid.

My ideal table would have US balls and UK pockets. UK balls are a bit lightweight but US pockets are just ridic, cavernous in the corners but almost impossible to get anything but a straight shot into the middle ones.