Bottle pool..anybody play(ed) this?

3

3RAILKICK

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Played 9ball league the other night...between games, on a practice table, a guy set up 'bottle pool' for us to try...he said it had been 30 years since he played....so maybe he didn't remember all the rules...

So...we played that you could pocket the 1 then the 2..just once...then had to successfully carom off one into the other with the cb, or hit either with cb and knock over bottle with cb..before you could go back to straight pocketing either the 1 or 2 and then be allowed to pocket the other ..

He said that if the knocked over bottle strikes a rail...foul....negates points, and you lose 1 point...



Seems like a fun game that can improve your cueball control.



Anyone play it or used to play it?

Any strategy hints? Any local rules or differences to be aware of?
 
BCA handbook

3RAILKICK said:
Played 9ball league the other night...between games, on a practice table, a guy set up 'bottle pool' for us to try...he said it had been 30 years since he played....so maybe he didn't remember all the rules...

So...we played that you could pocket the 1 then the 2..just once...then had to successfully carom off one into the other with the cb, or hit either with cb and knock over bottle with cb..before you could go back to straight pocketing either the 1 or 2 and then be allowed to pocket the other ..

He said that if the knocked over bottle strikes a rail...foul....negates points, and you lose 1 point...



Seems like a fun game that can improve your cueball control.



Anyone play it or used to play it?

Any strategy hints? Any local rules or differences to be aware of?
Click to expand...

It's been listed and described in the BCA Rules & Records book for a long time.
 
LOL .....“Bottle Pool” is still regularly played today in some private men’s clubs in New York City. Two clubs even hold tournaments in formal Black Tie dress ... though it primarily becomes an excuse for eating and heavy drinking. I played in them from 2004 through 2009.

There, it’s a quirky game played on antique 10 foot pool tables with 2 object balls (they use 63mm billiard balls!!), a carom set cue ball (63mm) and a polished antique leather bottle. You can score 1 point (yellow ball) or 2 points (red ball) by pocketing those balls, 1 point for a carom, or 5 points for a carom that knocks the bottle over (but not off the table or into a pocket!). If the bottle ends back up standing on its mouth (very rare), you get10 points. The last 3 points of the game can only be carom points and then the game must end with a scratch of the cue ball off the yellow ball and into a called pocket. There are many other arcane rules and penalties (e.g. you can lose ALL of your points under certain circumstances) that make it dizzying to remember, especially intoxicated, unless you play it regularly. It’s very strange.
 
3RAILKICK said:
Played 9ball league the other night...between games, on a practice table, a guy set up 'bottle pool' for us to try...he said it had been 30 years since he played....so maybe he didn't remember all the rules...

So...we played that you could pocket the 1 then the 2..just once...then had to successfully carom off one into the other with the cb, or hit either with cb and knock over bottle with cb..before you could go back to straight pocketing either the 1 or 2 and then be allowed to pocket the other ..

He said that if the knocked over bottle strikes a rail...foul....negates points, and you lose 1 point...



Seems like a fun game that can improve your cueball control.



Anyone play it or used to play it?

Any strategy hints? Any local rules or differences to be aware of?
Click to expand...

We used to play with the bottle standing on it's neck. The bottle starts on the center of the table.
If you knocked the bottle over (on a carom) you get 5 points and the bottle stands back on it's neck where it lays.
If the bottle gets knocked over and hits a rail or pocket, you get the 5 points it goes back to the table center.
If the bottle gets knocked over by the cue ball on a carom, and turns upright on it's bottom you win.

1 ball..1 point. 2 ball..2 points. Carom on both balls..1 point. Carom & knock over bottle..5 points. Play to 31 points.
 
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Ralph Kramden said:
We used to play with the bottle standing on it's neck. The bottle starts on the center of the table.
If you knocked the bottle over (on a carom) you get 5 points and the bottle stands back on it's neck where it lays.
If the bottle hits a rail or pocket it goes back to the table center.
If the bottle gets knocked over on a carom and turns upright on it's bottom you win.

1 ball..1 point. 2 ball..2 points. Carom on both balls..1 point. Carom & knock over bottle..5 points. Play to 31 points.
Click to expand...

That's pretty much how I remember playing it. It' been about forty years since I last played it. Seems that there was a big penalty for knocking the bottle off the table, I may be wrong.
I don't remember ever wagering on it but it was fun to play for a change of pace.
 
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Michael Fedak said:
LOL .....“Bottle Pool” is still regularly played today in some private men’s clubs in New York City. Two clubs even hold tournaments in formal Black Tie dress ... though it primarily becomes an excuse for eating and heavy drinking. I played in them from 2004 through 2009.

There, it’s a quirky game played on antique 10 foot pool tables with 2 object balls (they use 63mm billiard balls!!), a carom set cue ball (63mm) and a polished antique leather bottle. You can score 1 point (yellow ball) or 2 points (red ball) by pocketing those balls, 1 point for a carom, or 5 points for a carom that knocks the bottle over (but not off the table or into a pocket!). If the bottle ends back up standing on its mouth (very rare), you get10 points. The last 3 points of the game can only be carom points and then the game must end with a scratch of the cue ball off the yellow ball and into a called pocket. There are many other arcane rules and penalties (e.g. you can lose ALL of your points under certain circumstances) that make it dizzying to remember, especially intoxicated, unless you play it regularly. It’s very strange.
Click to expand...

That's just how I remember playing it.
I think players with pretty good cue ball control were knocking over the bottle almost every shot,
kind of made the 2nd ball irrelevant.. the game seemed a little too easy but might be good for midlevel
players who haven't got their cue ball on a tight leash yet.


BTW, I had no idea you posted on here Mr. Fedak. Wanted to think you for your contribution
to make the DP straight pool happen.
 
My grandpappy taught me his version of this game.Now when I'm in the Man Cave holding court with my buds we will break-up the evening 8 ball tourney and throw in a few games of Bottle Pool. When you go back to 8 or 9 ball all sorts of shots show themselves so it, IMO, def. helps with whatever other game you may be playing.
 
We used to play bottle pool like this, put 1 bottle on each spot upside down, then put another bottle in the dead middle of the table.

Who even knocked a bottle over , had to put money on top of that bottle, who ever made the 9 ball won all the money on each bottle.
 
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