Anyone Up for Pocket Pool?

Since I have your attention now, let me show you one of my favorite billiard games of all time.  I call the game Pocket Pool, simply for the funny name, and it has provided me with multiple hours of rec room enjoyment.

Pocket Pool, as I have deemed it, uses a point system to determine the victor.  Points are assessed for each ball sunk, and after everyone has had their turns, whoever has the most total points wins.

Pocket Pool’s unique setup sets it apart from many other billiard games.  No triangle or rack is utilized.   Instead, start by grabbing six billiard balls (numbers do not matter) and setting one immediately in front of each pocket.  For the first round, each ball should be no further than an inch or so from the pocket.  Player 1 then places the cue ball somewhere in the kitchen or behind the foul line, and basically shoots until he misses.  If he sinks all six balls before missing, then Round 2 begins.  For Round 2, take six new balls and spot them on the billiard table, but this time place the balls a balls-length away from the holes. The cue ball does not move.  It stays where it stopped after each round, with no respot.  Again, if Player 1 sinks all six of these, then Round 3 commences with all of the balls being set two ball-lengths away from the pockets, and so on (a good way to measure length from the pockets is to use other balls not in play as measuring devices).  As the balls are spotted further and further away from the pockets, the shots become harder and harder.  If Player 1 misses or fouls at any time, his turn then ends, and Player 2 begins with the billiard balls back in their starting positions an inch from the pockets.

Usually in Pocket Pool, scoring is such that a player receives one point per ball sunk, although many

alterations can be made.  For example, make Pocket Pool like a tennis match and give out one point per round of six balls sunk instead of a point per ball.  This will emphasize the importance of advancing by round rather than just making single shots.  Extra points can also be incorporated for a number of reasons, such as sinking multiple balls with one shot or dropping a ball in a pocket other than the one it was spotted in front of.  Determining additional point factors before game play allows players to relieve boredom by consistently mixing things up.

I  play Pocket Pool quite often, and I never get bored with it.  Even if you are by yourself, this billiard game is a great drill for shot setups and consistency.  And to add to its advantages, Pocket Pool is a rather fast game, too.  A single game between two players should take about ten minutes, with a couple of minutes accounting for the setup alone.  So next time you want to add to your list of known billiard games, give Pocket Pool a try, and discover a more challenging and enticing game than you may think.