Well, the authors say these are "unofficial" rules, more like bar-style play. Actually, my friends and I never play by official rules, and as far as I can tell, none of the people I know would ever use those "professional" rules. They're far too complicated for casual play for fun :smile: The fact this guide uses that kind of rules actually suits me. Please could you leave that aside for now and concentrate on the technique, tactics and the general strategic part of the game described in the guide? That's more important to me right now :wink:
If they are "unofficial" why publish a set of random rules at all. You may as well put out a manual on fixing cars that has 5 chapters on duct tape use. Got a rip in the seat, who needs upholstery, duct tape! Hole in a hose? Duct Tape!
If you play with people who don't know the rules of the game and no-one wants to learn the real rules, and you are OK with that, keep doing what you are doing. I would not spend any time reading anything from that guide. If the first 10 pages are wrong, the rest of the 30 pages are suspect. Someone that does not know the correct name of the table parts will not know anything much you want to learn. Read this book
http://www.amazon.com/Byrnes-Standard-Book-Pool-Billiards/dp/0151003254 if you want to learn how to play.
I should be able to narrow down the "complex pro rules" to a few lines.
Break from behind the head string (2nd diamond from the table end opposite of where you rack). The rack is 8 ball in the middle, one solid and one stripe at each corner, the rest does not matter.
If you make a ball, pick whichever set of stripes or solids you want, does not matter what you sink on the break.
After that, if you don't hit your group first it's a foul, other player gets ball in hand anywhere on the table.
Cueball goes into a pocket off any shot, it's a foul, other player gets ball in hand.
If you make the 8-ball early except off the break, it's a loss of game. Scratching AFTER you make the 8 is loss of game. 8-ball made on the break is a iffy topic, here you can play it a few ways, a win or it gets spotted up and the person that made it on the break continues shooting as normal.
Moving the cueball at any time not with the tip of your cue is a foul, moving another ball as long as it's not deliberate, you can either leave them there or move it back,not a foul.
I think the pro rules are a lot less confusing because they don't deal with things like "If you are a good player and make 4 balls in a row and your name is not Bob who comes here all the time, after your 4th ball you need to let the other guy shoot, unless the other guy is wearing a cowboy hat, then you need to let him shoot after you make 3 balls."
