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

pwd72s said:
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?
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I own and manage a non-alcohol family friendly grill and pool room for nearly 24 years. I like to think we have an extremely unique pool room and grill, where our clientele range from serious/tournament players, recreational payers, as well as beginners/families, playing on the very best tables and equipment they will likely ever experience anywhere else.

I’ve learned to accept all kinds of stuff I see on our pool tables, and manage to bite my tongue and stay out of it, so that they’ll have a good time and increase the likelihood that they’ll come back. I draw the line at any activity / behavior that becomes disruptive to players playing at other tables around them, or any action that can/could result in damage of our pool tables, cloth, balls, sticks, etc. They play by any rules they wish, but if they do come to ask me for a ruling, I'll give them the tournament rule. For obvious common sense reasons, If I'm aware of serious players playing a match, whenever possible we keep a buffer of an open table between them and the recreational players.

A few examples of these actions I don't put up with are attempting scoop under the cue ball jump shots, attempting masse shots when they have no clue what they are doing, throwing the balls on the table, numerous players attempting to hit moving balls on the table at the same time, twirling our house cues a la Vincent (Tom Cruise), banging their cue stick on the rail or cloth after missing, throwing their sticks down on the table after missing, playing with the bumper end of the cue and sliding that black bumper on the cloth that results in black marks, etc. I’ve learned that even when I see this stuff starting to happen, to deal with it swiftly, but as discreetly and respectfully as I can, so as not to embarrass the customer in front of others, but make it crystal clear that this action is not ever allowed on our tables. If it’s a younger child doing it, I always approach and direct my terms as to what isn't allowed to the parent/guardian.

I always try to keep in mind that beginner/recreational players honestly may not be aware of what is and what isn’t appropriate to do on a pool table in a public pool room. Even when they are doing something that I can’t believe anyone would do and really upsets me, it’s all about how you approach them and deal with it in a very nice, respectful and informative manner, to increase the chances that they’ll choose to come back. One negative experience of a poolroom owner/manager over-reacting and sternly disciplining a young player for doing something they shouldn't that they may not even be aware of that they are doing, could potentially turn them off to pool for a lifetime!
 
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When I was little I'm sure my grandpa let me try all sorts of stuff over, etc. But when I was good enough to really play (not meaning really good, lol), we played by the rules and enjoyed it that way. Same at our house when my dad and I would play. With my kids the same. There is learning the game and having fun learning but at some point, we just enjoy playing by the rules and they get into that. Played some team 8 ball over Xmas and a couple times had to look up a couple rules just to be sure we got it right. If they didn't enjoy playing that way, we'd play a different way, but they do, so why not.
 
In all seriousness, the best family game is good 'ol cutt-throat. Multiple people can play and its fast-n-fun. Don't sweat the rules that much. Now, if uncle Bob wants to bet the ranch that's another story altogether. ;)
 
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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THis,

You want them to have fun, especially the girls.
Most of the tournament rules do not allow such fun.
And it doesn't matter anyway.
 
Played about 6 hours the other night with a buddy, plenty of whiskey involved and the following rules ignored at one point or another.

Miscue months break and miss the entire rack...free do over.

No rail contact in 9 ball...we always ignore this as a house rule

8 ball...we play that you only establish who has what the first pocketed called shot. That maybe the actual rule...we don't really know.

Scratch means you take a shot...pretty sure not a real rule even in APA.

Sent from the future.
 
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