Inventing a new pool game: "Colors"

Pre-Flag Master

Pre-Flag Master

Cue Ball Man
Silver Member
Starting a new thread for this pool game I created now that I have the rules basically ironed out and an official name for it, Kulay.

http://forums.azbilliards.com/showthread.php?t=285986

This game involves the colors of the balls, not the groups or the numbers. In this game you literally need to use the colors. It's a little bit of a cross between 8-ball and rotation games.

The goals for this new game was to invent a full-rack, pool game harder than 8-ball and easier than 15 ball rotation. Also, I wanted this to be a single rack game with no score keeping and no spotting (other than the money ball).

Some people have said this is like Cribbage pool and SF's Colors. After reading the rules for those games, I would disagree.

Fatz
 
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The overall idea sounds really interesting to me, especially at mine and my buddies novice skill level.

I appreciate the fact that the incoming playing is forced to examine the table, create a game plan, and attempt to follow that. I specify that because at our skill level, sometimes we focus on just the object ball, and ignore the rest of the table, landing horribly on our next shot, lol.

This game demands skill level, and eliminates much of the luck on cue ball position.

My only question is, when does a player attempt to pocket the 8-ball?
-is it when all the balls on the table besides the 8-ball have been pocketed?
if so, it raises the concern of one player running out, failing on the 8-ball and leaving his opponent to win the game.

Great idea, by the way.. only thing left for me to do is patent it, and claim it as my idea:D lol
 
You would be very surprised by the number of "good" players who are color blind......

As a niche game you might be able to come up with something but colors are a bonus to lots of us.....
 
Great idea, by the way.. only thing left for me to do is patent it, and claim it as my idea
Click to expand...

Too late. Already did it at onlineinstantpatents.com

Sounds like a fun game to try once the rules get ironed out.

Would you make it so each ball is worth 1 point and the 8, how much?

If one ball is made and the next missed, would you spot the balls mate up?
That would make it a bit tougher as it makes you always shoot 2 balls in.

You might find yourself in a position where more than one ball is made on the break or thru the course of the game, several balls are slopped in.

Having to always spot the balls up would make the game longer and harder.

If you broke and made the 10 and the 7, you could choose to play the 2, therefore the seven would be spotted before the 2 is played. And vice versa if you chose to play the 15. Always keeping 2 mates on the table until they are shot in consecutive order.

If you comboed the 10 6 and then missed the 10, you might spot the 6 back up. Or, you might spot the 6 anyway and just use it to continue shooting.

You might find a way to both receive a point and have one deducted from your score if you want to make it really complicated.

I better quit before I make this more complex than 14:1 or one pocket.

Its been fun anyway.

I'm going to try it some night.
 
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slaya786 said:
The overall idea sounds really interesting to me, especially at mine and my buddies novice skill level.

I appreciate the fact that the incoming playing is forced to examine the table, create a game plan, and attempt to follow that. I specify that because at our skill level, sometimes we focus on just the object ball, and ignore the rest of the table, landing horribly on our next shot, lol.

This game demands skill level, and eliminates much of the luck on cue ball position.
Click to expand...

Well then, at your skill level, 8-ball is already difficult enough to run a rack. Nothing wrong with that. We all started there. But this game "Colors" adds enough complexity and more balls have to be made before the money ball, that if I were you, I'd mostly stick with 8-ball for now. But you can always play this too to mix it up a bit.

slaya786 said:
My only question is, when does a player attempt to pocket the 8-ball?
-is it when all the balls on the table besides the 8-ball have been pocketed?
if so, it raises the concern of one player running out, failing on the 8-ball and leaving his opponent to win the game.
Click to expand...

That's the idea. Run ALL the balls on the table before you are allowed to try the 8. I am trying to create something harder than 8-ball. The "problem" you mentioned is common to all rotation games and this is what makes rotation games difficult. You can't just run most of the rack, you had better finish.

slaya786 said:
Great idea, by the way.. only thing left for me to do is patent it, and claim it as my idea:D lolc
Click to expand...

The best ideas are worth stealing. :smile:

Fatz
 
The Renfro said:
You would be very surprised by the number of "good" players who are color blind......

As a niche game you might be able to come up with something but colors are a bonus to lots of us.....
Click to expand...

Yeah, that sucks. But then again, one could easily learn the pairings. You just have to look at the numbers. Maybe not so great for color blind people trying to watch it on TV though. Wait a minute... TV!!! Now I'm really dreaming. :rolleyes:
 
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Blue Hog ridr said:
Too late. Already did it at onlineinstantpatents.com
Click to expand...

I actually tried to go to this website. :o

Blue Hog ridr said:
Would you make it so each ball is worth 1 point and the 8, how much?

If one ball is made and the next missed, would you spot the balls mate up?

[snip]
Click to expand...

No points, no spotting. Too complicated. That's one thing I don't like about 15 ball rotation, keeping score. Rather than 15 ball rotation, I'll play a game someone on this forum invented. It's basically 10-ball using all 15 balls. the extra five balls are just obstacles basically. Makes the game more challenging, but less complex from a "rules" standpoint.

In "Colors" you just will end up with colors having only one ball to shoot sometimes.

Blue Hog ridr said:
Sounds like a fun game to try once the rules get ironed out...
[snip]
I'm going to try it some night.
Click to expand...

Thanks, let us know what you think.
 
Ralph Kramden said:
Here is a game called COLORS.. http://sites.google.com/site/poolandbilliard/Home/colors---cribbage-type-gam

I think it's similar to the game you're thinking about.
Click to expand...

Well looking at that game, the only thing it has in common with mine is the name.

I do admit, however, that I did absolutely zero research to see if my game already exists. So it's quite possible that this is already out there somewhere. I don't suppose that my creative process is so amazingly unique that no one else has ever thought of this before. Therefore, effective immediately, I am adding this to the public domain, and I will cease to call it "my" game. I do however reserve the right to be the custodian of the rules until that is ironed out. Any questions?

As the custodian of the rules I would like to solicit ideas for alternative names as the name "Colors" is both unoriginal and already used.

Respectfully yours,
Fatz
 
slaya786 said:
The overall idea sounds really interesting to me, especially at mine and my buddies novice skill level.

I appreciate the fact that the incoming playing is forced to examine the table, create a game plan, and attempt to follow that. I specify that because at our skill level, sometimes we focus on just the object ball, and ignore the rest of the table, landing horribly on our next shot, lol.

This game demands skill level, and eliminates much of the luck on cue ball position.
Click to expand...

I'm going to address this post again.

Actually, there may be something to what you said. But as for "examine the table, create a game plan, and attempt to follow that", you need to do that in 8-ball anyway. This game is harder than 8 ball in that you have to run more balls. And sometimes it's harder than 8-ball in that you will have only one ball you are allowed to shoot at. (Sometimes in 8-ball, you are bailed out by the fact that you have other balls to choose when you did not land right on the intended next ball.)

However, this game will seem easier than 8-ball at times because sometimes you will have a choice of all balls on the table (except the 8).

It's kind of a cool dynamic...

choice of 13 balls,
choice of one ball,
choice of 11 balls,
choice of one ball,
choice of 9 balls,
choice of one ball,
etc, etc, etc

If it forces you to look at two balls at a time, if nothing else, that's better than only looking at the current shot.

There is a drill you can do where you throw three balls onto the table randomly. Take cue ball in hand and run the three balls.

Fatz
 
Pre-Flag Master said:
I am trying to create a full rack game harder than 8-ball and easier than 15 ball rotation. This game involves the COLORS of the balls. "Groups" means solids and stripes. "Numbers" are obviously needed for rotation games. In this game you literally need to use the "colors". It's a cross between eight ball and rotation. I don't have this completely worked out, so any input is welcomed.

edit: But a pretty good summary is now in post #18.

Here's the general idea.

At the beginning of you inning, you have to nominate a color of your choice and shoot that color. So if you called the 10 ball and made it, next you must shoot the 2 ball. Then you may nominate another color of your choice and shoot both balls, and so on. After ALL other balls are down, ONLY then may you shoot the money 8-ball for the win.

Any constructive comments are welcomed. If you think the game is broken, please make suggestions. I haven't tried it on the table yet.

Fatz
Click to expand...
Virtually identical to Cribbage. Plus, the link to the game Colors highlights where it differentiates from Cribbage.

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

Freddie <~~~ can't invent anything
 
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Pre-Flag Master said:
Well looking at that game, the only thing it has in common with mine is the name.

I do admit, however, that I did absolutely zero research to see if my game already exists. So it's quite possible that this is already out there somewhere. I don't suppose that my creative process is so amazingly unique that no one else has ever thought of this before. Therefore, effective immediately, I am adding this to the public domain, and I will cease to call it "my" game. I do however reserve the right to be the custodian of the rules until that is ironed out. Any questions?

As the custodian of the rules I would like to solicit ideas for alternative names as the name "Colors" is both unoriginal and already used.

Respectfully yours,
Fatz
Click to expand...
http://www.sfbilliards.com/colors_game.pdf

Apparently you really didn't look at the link Ralf Kramden provided. The existing game Colors is almost exactly like yours and no doubt started exactly like yours but since it was too close to Cribbage, they added the feature that allows the scoring of the leftover pair to differentiate the game. I think part of the issue is that you mustn't know the pool game of Cribbage either since you haven't mentioned it it once! Cribbage rules are in the BCA rule book and can easily be found online.

If anything, I'd suggest a name change to Pairs or Colored Pairs and add the option of going in rotation. Without the added rotation, your version of Colors is IMO a step backwards compared to the existing Colors game and has no strategic difference from Cribbage.

With rotation, Efren would end up dominating your game as well.

Freddie
 
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