Cribbage Billiards = Improved Cue Ball Control

oldroller said:
around here was--you could make the first ball anyway (even slop )but the second ball must be a clean hit & called shot.Usually played to 15 points.[highlight]Good game,easier than strait pool,interesting,some strategy,good practice game.[/highlight]
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I agree that it is easier then straight pool; however, introduce the "shot-for-shot" rule and it's gets a little rough. (Shot-for Shot Rule: Anytime you make 15 you get to pick who among your opponents takes a Shot of liquidation! - You=:grin:; Opponent=:thud:)
 
I love Cribbage!

cmbwsu said:
If you are looking for another way to improve your cue ball control, try Cribbage Billiards. It is a fun game to play, and easy to learn.

The official rules for Cribbage Billiards are in the BCA Official Rules and Records Book, but I can offer a summary of the game here.

A cribbage is a combination of two balls that equal a total of 15 points; i.e. 14-1, 7-8, 5-10, etc. The object of the game is to earn 5 cribbages (there are a total of 8 in a rack) before your opponent. There are 7 cribbage pairs: (1-14, 2-13, 3-12, 4-11, 5-10, 6-9, & 7-8.) After all cribbage pairs have been pocketed, the 15-ball is a cribbage by itself. The 15-ball must be the last cribbage played, and only if necessary for the 5 cribbage win. As soon as a player has 5 cribbages, the game is over.

The balls are racked with the 15 ball in the center. No two of the three corner balls shall add up to 15 points. Other balls are placed randomly in the rack.

The rack is broken from behind the head string, usually with force in order to make a ball. If a ball is made on the break, the breaker continues to shoot, but may only shoot at the companion of the ball that dropped. For example, if the 4-ball was pocketed on the break, the shooter must try to hit and sink the 11-ball. If he fails to sink the eleven ball, the 4-ball is spotted and his inning is over. The incoming player must shoot the table as it lies.

If two balls are pocketed during a single stroke, the player may select which companion ball he wants for a cribbage. If he sinks the companion ball he must go after the companion of the second ball that dropped during the single stroke. If he fails, the previously pocketed companion is spotted and his turn is over.

As with other games, the general rules of pocket pool apply to Cribbage Billiards.

Like 9-ball and Rotation, there are no optional balls to go after should the player fail to get position on the next legal ball. Cribbage Billiards is an excellent game to play to improve ones position skills. It is also a great deal of fun.

When you practice alone, consider playing Cribbage as opposed to just running racks at random. Yes, it is work. It is hard work in fact, but very rewarding when you need to play your best pool in competition.
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I first learned of this game when I was 12 or 13 years old. When I ask people nowadays nobody really knows what I'm talking about. It's great to hear it mentioned on AZ. One little difference is I was taught that you play to 15 (meaning it must go at least 2 racks). Mucho fun and great for learning to control "the rock". :wink: Also we never played 'ball-in-hand', it was always behind the head string........I don't think ball-in-hand should be used in this game.....just shoot from where it lies. You always have any pair on the table to choose from. Scratch.....then behind the line....no bad hits or anything.
 
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Ralph Kramden said:
There is game much like cribbage that plays faster.

COLORS is a take off of cribbage.
It plays with balls of the same colors instead of numerical values.
The difference from cribbage is that the first ball never spots.
The second ball if missed is then paired up with the 8 ball which always spots up like the game of snooker.
It plays faster than cribbage and it is easier to identify the companion balls. Try it for a comparison.

Rules for COLORS can be found at www.sfbilliards.com under miscellaneous files #46.
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I too have created a similar game, no point system though. It's called Gum Ball ...

http://pool.fojavi.com/Gum_Ball_Rules.pdf
 
Couple of questions about cribbage:

On a scratch does the incoming player get BIH, or BIH behind the head string?

Also, on a scratch, which costs the player point, do you spot up a previously made cribbage so the rack will still add up to a total of 8? I'm guessing you have to spot up a cribbage on a scratch.
 
very cool game, love alternative games.

colors sounds interesting as well, but the whole 8 ball thing and multiple colors being made was confusing. I understand it is used so the next person must sink 2 balls consecutively in order to get a point (the companion ball and the 8 ball) and to score any points, you must shoot pairs (or the remaining ball and 8) consecutively. is that the only purpose of the 8 ball? As with cribbage, you still don't get a choice to bail out on the point ball and go for another 2, right?

anyways, the rules are worded in a hard to understand way. it seem like the 8 ball can be made after you sink a companion pair for an extra point, but there are only 7 points. "Pocketing the Black 8 ball on the same shot or consecutively AFTER any single color ball also counts as 1 Point". They should say point ball instead of single, or say the single ball becomes the point ball unless it is not pocketed in the same inning. and they should not say "also" in my quote.

"Consecutive shots with the Black ball can be made Point ball FIRST at anytime during the game. The Black
ball ALWAYS spots immediately on the Center spot for continuous position play."

continuous position play? just a little confusing. I understand this to mean if there are 2 neutral balls potted, you can make the companion ball, the 8 ball, then the other companion, and the 8.
 
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Johnnyz86 said:
"Consecutive shots with the Black ball can be made Point ball FIRST at anytime during the game. The Black
ball ALWAYS spots immediately on the Center spot for continuous position play."

continuous position play? just a little confusing. I understand this to mean if there are 2 neutral balls potted, you can make the companion ball, the 8 ball, then the other companion, and the 8.
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COLORS
All 14 colored balls start out as Neutral balls. There are 7 companion colors.
When any color Neutral ball pockets, the Companion ball becomes the Point ball of the pocketed color.
If the Point ball pockets on the consecutive shot after it's Neutral Color companion, a point scores.
If the consecutive shot fails, the Point ball will be a ball of a single color and will pair up with the Black 8.

Points are scored when either the 2 Companion balls pocket consecutively, or a ball of a Single color is followed consecutively by the 8.
The Black 8 spots and pairs up with other balls having a single color for continuous position play.

2 color companion balls = 1 point. A single color Point ball and the 8 = 1 point.
Seven colors = 7 total points. Neutral balls never spot. Point balls spot on the foot spot if the 8 is missed. The pocketed 8 always spots on the center spot.

If you make 2 neutral balls on 1 shot, you can pocket the companion of either ball. The other ball would then be a point ball and must be followed by the 8 after it pockets.

Hope this helps.
 
thanks, those were the rules as I understood them, will have to try this and cribbage out. to those that have played both, do you like colors where the first ball doesn't come out or prefer cribbage?

i forsee clusters of spotted balls in cribbage with less than spectacular players
 
Played this, like, 30 years ago! BCA Rule Book has a lot of games that can be fun to play, under the right circumstances.
 
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I have the book, and have tried Bowliards, Cowboy... There are a lot to choose from, and I think I tried one or two before that I didn't particularly like and took me a while to read and fully understand the rules. So, pick your favorites from the book for me to try out.
 
Johnnyz86 said:
I have the book, and have tried Bowliards, Cowboy... There are a lot to choose from, and I think I tried one or two before that I didn't particularly like and took me a while to read and fully understand the rules. So, pick your favorites from the book for me to try out.
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I don't have any particular favorites, they're just different games. Bottle Pool comes to mind, it's late and I ain't goin' to get the book. Not from the book, Two Ball, from a Bob Jewett article in Billiards Digest comes to mind, also. I may have a scan of the rules printed out. I doubt I could find the issue it's in, we moved in December and I would have to go through a bunch of magazine boxes to find it.
Eyes are blurry from World of Warcraft.
 
Johnnyz86 said:
I have the book, and have tried Bowliards, Cowboy... There are a lot to choose from, and I think I tried one or two before that I didn't particularly like and took me a while to read and fully understand the rules. So, pick your favorites from the book for me to try out.
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All right, ya got me:( I oughta be in bed, but I had to cover the table first, anyway. After Bottle Pool, but in no particular order...Equal Offense, Forty One, Golf, Line Up, Mr & Mrs {good to play with a girl who can't play a lick}, Kelly Pool, Snooker, and Billiards.
Note that if you play Bottle Pool, make sure your opponent understands that you're playing Bottle Pool and not Bottle Billiards. I got in a hell of an argument with a guy more years ago than I care to remember about it.
Other games which I learned about here or on rsb years ago...Fargo, Olympic Nine Ball, the already mentioned Colors, and Rotation Continuous.
The games from the book, I haven't played most of them in years.
Apologize for hijacking the thread.
 
Rules question: for example you pocket the 7 and then miss the 8. You spot the 7 correct?

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scottyr44 said:
Cribbage one hole anyone????

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Yes. Here are the rules as posted on Wikipedia. Of course, you may find a slightly different rule set somewhere else:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cribbage_(pool)

The wiki rules are not exactly clear on this but it seems that under these rules you are allowed to use the 15 ball in order to continue a run. As an example, you pocket the 7 but don't have shape on the 8. You can pocket the 15 ball in order to get position on the 8. The 15 ball would immediately spot after going down but you continue to shoot, hopefully pocketing the 8. I've also played where this type of play was not allowed. You can also play where the 15 ball spots after the inning or after the cribbage so that it can only be used once in an inning or once per cribbage.

Also, according to these rules if you sink more than one ball on the break or any shot you are on more than one cribbage. If you make the first cribbage but miss the 2nd, you still get credit for the first cribbage. I believe this is different than what the OP posted. So say you make both the 7 and the 3. You make the 8 next, but then miss the shot on the 12. You still get one point for the 7-8 cribbage, and the 3 ball spots.

Suffice to say there are different rule sets out there.
 
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I was introduced to this game in the late 80's by a friend that has since passed on, brings back allot good memories. It's a fun game to play and it will defiantly help cue ball control
 
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