"Killer" is my new favourite game

Pidge

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Last night I was at the pool hall waiting for a buddy of mine to arrive, I wasn't really playing I was just sort of slumped over the table playing angry birds on my phone. I hear all this commotion from the other side of the room and a group of guys with their girlfriends were playing "killer" which is a pretty common gambling game here usually for less than £20 per man.

The rules:

- requires atleast 2 players and there is no maximum but anything over 8 is a bore
- each player has a set number of "lives" usually 3-5.
- you rack 15 balls in no order but the black goes in the usual spot in 8 ball, and potting the black gives you an extra "life"
- players decide on an "order" before the game eg Paul is first, John is second and Peter is third. This order is the same and just loops until the game is over
- the aim is to pocket any ball on the table, and a miss results in -1 "life" and a miss and a scratch results in -2 "lives" and a pot and a scratch results in -1 "life". Once you have no "lives" left you are out, and the order of play is the same but you just skip past the "dead" players.
- breaker gets 2 shots; 1 to break and 1 to pot. If you make a ball on the break its the player next on the lists turn
- once the last ball is potted you rack the 15 balls again and move the CB behind the headstring and continue

So that's the gist of the game. I'm sure you have something very similar in the States but may call it something different.

So about an hour after my buddy gets here they ask if we want in, after we were exchanging jokes accross the room. We accept and at first it was for £5 per man. Really cheap action so me and my buddy weren't trying to screw them over. After about 3 games of it one guy had won it twice and his buddy the once. Beer plus the fact they were feeling unbeatable one decides to up the odds, from £5 per man per game to £250! Me and my buddy are straight in, and after some doubt another guy accepted.

The 2 guys were buddies and clearly had a "plan" and then to split the winnings. Me and my buddy didn't say anything but we knew what to do. What ever happens we were not going to screw each other over and we were too going to split the winnings. So yeah, after the night was over we both had £1250 each in our back pockets whilst the other 2 guys were getting abuse from their girlfriends. Pretty successful night, we didn't lose 1 game and missed about 5 or 6 balls all night.

Killer is my new game!
 
Pidge,

When I was a young pup, that is a variation of the game that my Dad & the old Gentleman that lived next door, from whom I stole my game, would play with me so that the three of us could play & one of them would not have to sit out to let me play.

It's a fun game...& the game should be fun.

Best Wishes,
Rick
 
I think I get it... so each player steps up and sinks one shot then steps away for the next player.
So I guess the strategy would be, make the easiest shot possible, but at the same time try to
leave the most horrible position possible to force the next guy into losing a life.
Freeze him to the head rail or another ball or something. Towards the end it's easy to leave
someone crappy on the final ball or two... so lives start getting lost more rapidly.

Sounds kinda fun ^^
 
I play that after the local leagues are done if there's 5-6 players still hanging around we will bet $5-$15 a person but we play it 3 strikes your out, any miss or scratch is a strike and the break you don't have to make a ball in just make a legal APA break basically 4 balls have to hit a rail. The games get good though because everyone is concentrating on leaving the next player the toughest shot possible after making their ball
 
We call it "hickey pool"

Because most of us played league with each other or know how each other plays we give out varying degrees of life or hickeys.

Step up and shoot any ball and then the rotation continues through the players. Break doesnt count against anyone.. they break and shoot after the break.

Its a pretty social game and towards the end there is strategy involved.

We never gambled at it but rather it was a party game so that everyone could play and have fun.
 
Hickey Pool! Love it. I was wondering what others called it because I'm sure its played worldwide and I'm sure even in the UK there are different names.

There is no rotation, any ball is allowed and the black gives you an extra life or hickey.

Standard is 3 lives and if you make a ball you stay on 3, you miss or fould you go to 2 and so on.

Its a really fun game and it has tactics like no other game. Really gets you thinking about safety play, but at the same time you can't forget about making the ball. Players will usually take the easiest pot on and try leave you a bank or tight to a rail with distance. With better players the best you can hope for late in a game is a long cut with the CB tight to a rail.

Generally my tactics are to not take the easiest pot but to take a pot that gives me the best position for the CB without using english. When its down to 2 I try to avoid the easy balls if I can and pocket a harder one but leave the other person snookered on the easy balls, just to force them into missing and you having an extra life than them. Then you can be a complete dbag and not try pocket a ball but leave them touching ball or something.
 
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