When someone says, let’s go to the café and play a pool match. Everyone lightens up and starts feeling energetic. And then suddenly you spring back and realize that you don’t even know the basics of the game, you may not even know how to set up pool balls? On the other hand all your friends are pro in the game.
If you are the one facing such a situation, then don’t be sad. We have specially made a guide for you, which will direct and guide you. This guide will also play a key role in knowing the basics of the game and would help you become a pro in the game, just like your friends.
There are several rules and ways for how to rack balls on a pool table. Each technique is different from the other. But before starting the techniques, let’s first talk about the basics of the game that you must know before challenging your friend for the pool game.
Table of Contents
Dimensions of the pool table
The pool table has a fixed size which is 12 feet by 6 feet. The table has four corner pockets and two cushion pockets located in the center of both the table’s length. So, in total, we have six pockets.
The objective of the game and a bit intro about the game:
The player with the maximum score wins the game. There are in total 21 balls, but only 15 balls are taken up while playing the game.
There are seven colors of balls used in the game, and those are yellow, red, green, brown, blue, pink, and black.
Each ball has specific points. And the number of points is also painted on the ball. But still, for your reference, we are affirming it over here as well.
- Red balls have one point.
- The yellow ball has two points.
- Green balls indicate three points.
- Brown balls win you four points.
- Blue balls give you five points.
- Pink balls help you to get six points
- And the black ball gives you the maximum number of points that is seven.
All you need to simply hit the numbered ball, with the help of a cue ball in any one of the six pockets. Doesn’t it sound easy? It is not that easy to aim the ball and hit it such that it reached one of the pool pockets. This isn’t easy, as you need to aim and keep a check on your score. If you fail to aim the ball in the pocket or do any other foul, you would be rewarded with foul points or negative points.
Rules of the game:
First things first, let’s start with the basic rules, or let’s say what you must keep in mind to avoid foul or negative points.
- Push Shot:- Push shot rule is implied when you strike the cue ball (which is the white-coloued ball) with the object ball (six differently colored balls are called object ball, it excludes white ball though), then in a single shot you need to strike the cue ball. If you fail to do this or hit on the cue ball again, then your opponent will get four brownie points.
- Miss:- When you are playing with any of the object balls, let’s take red as an example. And if your cue ball (white) doesn’t touch the red object ball, then foul would be considered four points.
Note:
If your object ball is yellow, green, brown, or red then the foul points would be four. If you are playing with blue and fail to take blue to the pocket, then five foul points would be considered. The same rule applies for wrest of the colors as well, for pink six points of foul are considered, and for black, seven points are deducted or are counted as foul points.
- Off the table:- If any of your balls, be it a colored ball or a white cue ball, then foul would be considered. The foul points are the same as in the case of the miss rule.
- Touching ball:- If your cue ball is touched with the object ball, and there is no space to release the cue ball, then, in this case, you can give your opponent a game of snooker (it is a situation where you cannot touch the object ball directly) or can release the cue ball as well.
- One foot on the ground:- It is mandatory that both your legs, including toes or shoes, should be on the ground itself. If you take a bit hike, it would be considered wrong, and you will get four points.
These were some of the basic well-known and worldwide used and implemented rules. It would help if you took careful note of the following rules, to score valid points.
Here is how you can set a pool balls:
Setting up the table.
Now you are aware of the basic rules and fundamental background of the game. So, the next thing that comes is setting the table. As to start a game, you must set the table first. You might be thinking that it is the most straightforward task; we can keep the balls together in a triangle shape and start with the game.
You are WRONG. There are many styles of racking the balls on a pool table. Though, it is true that the most common style of racking is a triangular rack.
As a triangular rack allows the player to easily manipulate the balls following the game, they decide to play.
Now, we talk about some of the primary and most-used techniques for setting a pool table.
Eight ball Technique to set up pool balls
Let’s get started with the first and most widely used technique that is eight ball technique. This is the simplest method to place the pool balls on the table for the game.
The first ball in the rack lines up with the second mark on the side of the table. Previously the rules required each row to have spots and stripes interspersed. But now, regulations have changed, and now we only need to ensure the first correlates to the mark. We do, however, have to place two separate balls. Those two balls are spot and stripes. These two balls have to be on the corners regardless of the exact colour. The black ball would be in the centre. It would be great if you always remembered that the pack of balls is tight together for the first break of the game. Now, gently remove the triangular frame, and you are good to start the game.
Nine Ball Technique to set up pool balls
The next type of method used to set up the pool table is the nine-ball technique. This type of technique is not popular. There are two rules that you need to know while setting up the pool table. According to the first rule, ball number “one” should be placed in the front. The first rule is followed by the second rule, which states that the ball number “nine” should be placed in the middle. And all other balls should be placed randomly, without giving any thought.
After this, again, there come two rules that relate to where the rack must lie. In the first method, one ball goes on the spot, and another is that the nine-ball is on the spot. So, these are the two ways and rules that you need to take care of while setting the pool table.
Straight Pool
Another standard method to set up the table is by following the method of straight pool. A straight pool’s main objective is to score a predetermined amount of points much faster than your opponent. This type of pool is also commonly known as 14.1 pool, rack pool, and continuous pool it is a much-known technique and is generally played between two people. In this type of game, to score a point you must use a cue ball (white ball) into a numbered ball, and aim so that the numbered ball goes into a designated pocket of the pool table.
Now comes the most critical point, which is setting up the table. Take all the fifteen balls and randomly place all the balls within the triangular rack. Now, position the rack’s angle so that the number one ball sits on the foot spot of the pool table.
Pro-Tip to set up pool balls
If you want to go a pro, you must familiarize yourself with the game and its rules and methods. You cannot succeed in a day by reading this article. This article will only guide you with the basics of the game and with different techniques, and you will know that how you can set up pool balls, which would be very useful. Apart from this, you need to practice a lot and should have good aiming skills.
Once you get to know the pool table, rules, techniques, mastering the stroke, aiming at the shots with focus, and of with sufficient practice, you will indeed become a pro in the game. It won’t take much time from beginner of the game to be the PRO the indoor game.
