Is there a common rule, that you ignore when playing with friends and family?

I don't call double hits when the cue-ball is close to the object ball, but I, too, tell them that technically they fouled.

Bumping the cueball on practice strokes.
Slop
Miscues on the break.

9 Ball Fan said:

I don't call, "no rail after contact". I just let it slide. I point it out to them as being a foul when the pros play, but tell them that I'm not really that worried about it.

If I am playing with someone who would call it on me; then of course, I call it on them. But with friends and family? Nope. Just show me contact with the object ball. Can you hit it, or not?

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Tournament rules most of us take for granted and always play by without thinking are relaxed and simply don’t apply in a recreational/social pool setting, and the number of them is too long to list here. It’s honestly not even worth informing them of what the real rules are, as most of them will never be in a situation where they’d need to know them. If they are, they’ll learn them real quickly!

9 Ball Fan said:

I don't call, "no rail after contact". I just let it slide. I point it out to them as being a foul when the pros play, but tell them that I'm not really that worried about it.

If I am playing with someone who would call it on me; then of course, I call it on them. But with friends and family? Nope. Just show me contact with the object ball. Can you hit it, or not?

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No. I three-fouled my grandmother once.

ChrisinNC said:

Tournament rules most of us take for granted and always play by without thinking are relaxed and simply don’t apply in a recreational/social pool setting, and the number of them is too long to list here. It’s honestly not even worth informing them of what the real rules are, as most of them will never be in a situation where they’d need to know them. If they are, they’ll learn them real quickly!

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Exactly! I would rather not even play them. I find that it’s just better to show them a few drills and let them try to learn some basics by themselves. I played a friend recently who wanted to talk to me all the time, even when I’m down on the shot. I didn’t want to correct him, it’s not a serious game, but it just wasn’t enjoyable at all. Yet another reason to avoid playing in those situations. Not to mention all the other issues, like chalk constantly be sat down the rail upside down...I try to correct that though, but to no avail, it continues.

I let double hits go and I always allow a rebreak on a miscue.

Lawnboy77 said:

Exactly! I would rather not even play them. I find that it’s just better to show them a few drills and let them try to learn some basics by themselves. I played a friend recently who wanted to talk to me all the time, even when I’m down on the shot. I didn’t want to correct him, it’s not a serious game, but it just wasn’t enjoyable at all. Yet another reason to avoid playing in those situations. Not to mention all the other issues, like chalk constantly be sat down the rail upside down...I try to correct that though, but to no avail, it continues.

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Yes, common sense etiquette and showing respect for your opponent and for the equipment among more serious players is night and day difference than what is considered acceptable among recreational play.

Depends on if I am the spanker or the spankee.

The best rule is "ignore family and friends" when it comes time to play pool.

Pool is meant to be played by people who know how to play.

no rules ignored but i play leftie. trying to break my opposite hand pack record which is still 1.

I don't call fouls. I can beat them anyway, so I just focus on having a good time with them.

"I'll keep it short and sweet. Family, religion, friendship. These are the three demons you must slay if you wish to succeed in business."

-Mr. Burns

I ignore any and everything, I love the game. So do others who can’t play a lick. Friends and family are just for fun. I throw off as much as I can reasonably fake so everyone has fun.

I relocated once here in Houston back in the 80s on So Main as it was easy to get downtown to work. Found a pool hall pretty close, I’m Irish-White (pretty dang light) and the place was 90+% Black. Race did not remotely come into play; I am just describing the environment. I was just shooting by myself. I had (I think) one of my Richard Black cues, I think it was a Bushka. This guy came up and wanted to play. Did not say anything about money. I recognized him as it was Calvin Murphy, HOF Rockets guard.

Activity around ceased and a few folks were watching. I won the first game and saw he wasn’t very good (at pool). I was throwing off the next game to let him win but was too clumsy. He called me on it and was pretty hot about it. I said I needed to go and left.

So, when I’m playing pool players, I play pool. When I’m playing regular folks, I try to make it fun for everyone. I’m just better at doing that now.

Is there a common rule that you ignore when playing with friends and family?

Yes, don't play pool with friends and family.

HawaiianEye said:

The best rule is "ignore family and friends" when it comes time to play pool.

Pool is meant to be played by people who know how to play.

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So, no beginners allowed? No disrespect intended.

However, an observation I made last time I was in a hall. On one table not far away, two good players having a money match. Almost dead silence, rules being followed, both of them examples of total concentration, each moving a bead after a win.

On another table, a mom, a dad, and a couple of children, Some giggling and groaning over shots made...not so much to disturb anybody in the hall. Couldn't say any of them knew how to play, but they were having fun, and if any of them knew rules, they didn't show it, and it was obvious the rules didn't matter to them.

I'm asking all here...Isn't pool supposed to be fun?

When I play with my 8 year old daughter we use two cue balls and I let her pick which one to use based on the shots she has available.

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no cash, no rules

When there isn't any cash or moving ahead in a tournament on the line I don't worry too much about rules. An example, a bar with one nine footer, the rest bar boxes. The nine was a very ratty old Big G but it was the only nine I knew of for many miles around. The owner and I had a bit of an unspoken agreement since the first time I came in, I practiced free, I contributed very generously to the tip jar. Everybody was happy.

On the table for "free" I didn't feel it was right refusing someone wanting to play with me. One time a man came in with his fourteen year old nephew. It was a small town bar. The kid wanted to play and I obliged him. Just banging balls, but things got funny when he knocked a ball off the table. He picked it up and threw it on the table as hard as he could saying, "Around and around she goes, where she stops nobody knows!" Oooooh taaay ... I resumed normal play. Happened a few times as his uncle watched closely. I doubted the kid was spending much time in bars or pool halls yet and I figured he would learn when the time came.

I have never called double hits and illegal shots on people unless they tried to scoop the cue ball. Then I explained to them why not to for the protection of cloth.

When I managed to get someone to play snooker with me I never bothered explaining the rules, never took points for missed balls. They struggled enough on the table, confusing rules would have just further discouraged them and it was nice to have somebody else on the snooker table with me sometimes.

If somebody is on the table to have fun I try to accommodate that. We need more players and taking the fun out of the game isn't the way to get them. If they get interested in pool they will learn the details soon enough.

Hu

Playing run-out pool by the rules with family and friends is like playing power volleyball at a backyard picnic.