New Pool Game called "Kulay"

Pre-Flag Master

Pre-Flag Master

Cue Ball Man
Silver Member
I have invented a new pool game called "Kulay" (pronounced KOO-lie).

This game involves the colors of the balls, not the groups (as in solids and stripes), and not the numbers (as in rotation games). In this game you actually use the colors. It's sort of a cross between 8-ball and 10-ball.

Here's the general idea. You nominate a color of your choice and shoot that color. If you make your shot, that color is now "established". After pocketing all the balls of the established color, you may then nominate a new color and pocket them, and so on. After all colored balls have been pocketed, you shoot the black 8-ball for the win.

The goals for this new game were to invent a single rack game, where you play until the money ball is made, with no score keeping, no spotting (other than the money ball), using a full rack, that is harder than 8-ball and easier than 15 ball rotation.

It's also harder than 9/10 ball, but easier than one pocket. It has the puzzle solving aspect of 8-ball where you have to find good patterns. And it has the defensive safety play aspect of rotation games. I really like where this game falls in terms of challenge level. I think this game is fun for players of equal skill levels.

Kulay is Filipino for "color". The name "Colors" is already used for another game and I wanted something that sounded unique too. Efren is my favorite player, and the name is partly an homage to him as well. I think the Filipino word sounds "cool" (no pun intended) and I like to think Efren would like this game because it requires thought and creativity.

Some people have said this game is like various other games, such as Cribbage pool and SF's Colors to name a couple. After reading the rules for all the games stated as similar, I have come to the conclusion that there aren't any other games out there that play like Kulay. These other games use one similar concept, using the idea of balls that are paired in same way (usually by color). But the end result is not similar. It's like saying 1-pocket and straight pool are similar because you can shoot any ball you want.

Complete rules to follow. If you're planning on trying this game, please read them. They should be written to completely cover how to play. They are not as long as they seem. Most of it is just a rehash of the standard rules in terms of how they apply to Kulay.

Comments and questions are welcomed. I'm not trying to start a new enterprise here or make any money. I just thought it would be fun to do and if it works as well as I'm hoping, it will be fun to play. I hope others end up playing it and enjoying it too. I think the rules should be solid at this point. But I won't say absolutely set in stone.
 
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Complete Rules

Complete Rules

Before a color is established, the table is said to be "OPEN". When the table is open, the player "NOMINATES" a color of his choice *and* "CALLS" a shot. Naturally, the called ball will usually be the nominated color, but it does not have to be (combos and caroms might be used). The nominated color must be contacted first or it is a foul (if playing a safety, you do not have to nominate a color). If the nominated color is contacted first and the called shot is made, the nominated color becomes the "ESTABLISHED" color.

On subsequent shots, a ball of the established color must be contacted first or it is a foul. This color remains the established color until all balls of that color are cleared. Once all balls of the established color are cleared, the table is again said to be open.

The fact that there may be one ball of certain colors on the table has no bearing on which colors may be nominated. (A ball may have been made on the break, made on a carom or combo shot, inadvertently pocketed on a legal shot pocketing a different ball, jumped off the table, and so on.)

If a player clears all the balls of the established color, then he continues his inning, establishing a new color of his choice as described above. Hence, the table can become open multiple times during a player's inning. If a player misses when the table is open, then the table remains open for the incoming player. If a player misses or plays safe while an established color exists, then the established color remains in effect, and the incoming player must contact the established color first on his next shot.

A shot is either a safety or a called shot. If you call "safety" and pocket a ball, your inning ends. You can play a safety if there is an established color, or if the table is open. If there is an established color in effect, and you wish to play a safety, you simply call "safety" and make contact with a ball of the established color first. If the table is open, and you wish to play a safety, you simply call "safety" and contact any ball. However this does not establish that color, and the table remains open. You can not play a safety and establish a color on the same shot. As usual, you must always drive a ball to a rail or into a pocket.

Remember, if the table is open, and you wish to establish a new color, you must nominate a color AND call a shot.

After all colored balls are cleared, then the player shoots the black 8-ball for the win. You may not call the 8-ball until it is the only ball remaining. When you are shooting the 8-ball, if you make it and foul, it is loss of game.

If the 8-ball is inadvertently pocketed prematurely, spot it. It is not a foul. If the called shot was missed or a safety was called, the inning is over. If the called shot was pocketed the player continues his inning after spotting the 8-ball.

Beyond the game-specific rules for Kulay, the World Standardized Rules apply for the general aspects of the game (for the most part)...

This is a call shot game. A called ball made in the called pocket counts, regardless of incidental caroms, banks, etc.

Make a ball on the break, then you may continue shooting. The table is always open after the break. Four balls must contact a rail or it is an illegal break. 8-ball made on the break is not a win. You have the option to spot the 8-ball and continue your inning or re-rack and break again.

No balls are ever spotted, except the 8-ball as stated above.

Ball in hand rules apply. Must contact the nominated/established color first, then a ball must go to a rail or into a pocket, otherwise it's a foul. Scratch on the break, incoming player has ball in hand anywhere on the entire table.

The usual "cue ball fouls only" rules apply.

Standard Racking

  • 8-ball in the middle.
  • One color at the apex and on the foot spot, the other ball of that color in the middle of the back row.
  • No two balls of the same color on the same side of the rack.
  • No two balls of the same color in the same row.

Optional Racking

  • 8-ball in the middle.
  • All other balls placed at random.

Other optional racking patterns may be determined by player agreement. Place the 8-ball in the middle and try colored pairs arranged to make the game more/less challenging as the players see fit.

Example: The player breaks and makes the 5-ball. The table is open and he shoots again. He could nominate orange if he chooses or he could nominate any of the other colors as well. He nominates red and calls the 11-ball. He pockets the 11-ball and red is now the established color. On his next shot he must contact the 3-ball first or it is a foul. He calls the 3-ball and makes it. The table is now open again, and he continues his inning. He has his choice of colors to nominate, orange or any other remaining color.

If he had missed the 3-ball on the second shot, his inning would end and red is still the established color. The incoming player must contact the 3-ball or it is a foul. If he had missed the 11-ball on his first shot, his inning would end and the incoming player begins his inning with an open table.

Another Example: The nominated/established color works like a rotation game in that you can use it to carom/combo other balls. You just have to contact the nominated/established color first to be a legal shot. If the table is open, you would have to nominate a color AND call a shot. So let's say that the 2, 10 and 6 are on the table. You have an easy 10-6 combo. So you nominate blue as the color and call the 6 as the shot. If you make the shot, now blue is the established color and you must contact blue first on your next shot. But you have two choices, the 2 or the 10.

If you made the 6 ball, but then missed the 2 or 10 on a subsequent shot, your inning ends and your opponent now comes to the table with blue as the established color. If you missed the 6 ball, your inning ends and your opponent now has an open table with his choice of colors to nominate.
 
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This cannot possibly be a "new" game. Back in the sixties, Led Zepplin said we needed this game.

Just listen to the song "Whole Lotta Love". :thumbup:

Maniac
 
it sounds alot like honolulu except you can only play kicks, caroms, banks, and combos. you get a top level player he is just going to make the established ball and he going to nominate the closest ball color and continue. if i'm not getting this right please feel to comment.
 
mahalkita4120 said:
it sounds alot like honolulu except you can only play kicks, caroms, banks, and combos.
Click to expand...

Honolulu is a game that you can only play kicks, caroms, banks, and combos. In this game (Kulay) you may play kicks, caroms, banks, and combos. But like most other pool games those shots wold only be played occasionally. Most of the time you would just be playing a straight in shot.

In Honolulu the first one to pocket eight balls wins. In Kulay, you run the entire rack and then pocket the 8-ball to win.

In Honolulu you can pocket any ball any time. In Kulay you only have your choice when the table is open. Once a color is established you have to hit that color next.

In Honolulu you spot balls on a foul and lose a point. In Kulay you never spot a ball, except the 8-ball, and fouls result in ball in hand.

My conclusion is that it's not much like Honolulu in terms of rules of play.

mahalkita4120 said:
you get a top level player he is just going to make the established ball and he going to nominate the closest ball color and continue. if i'm not getting this right please feel to comment.
Click to expand...

Nominating the closest color is not necessarily a good strategy, because the other ball of that color may be tied up. I noticed this game requires people to take a lot of longer shots because you are forced to choose colors that have open pairs and those two balls may be far apart from each other.

My conclusion is that it's not much like Honolulu in terms of strategy either.

Another strategy that came up when playing this, is that you often try to use the second ball of a pair as a break out ball. If you make your shot and get the break out, you may or may not have a shot if you are restricted to one ball. By using the second ball of the pair, the table will be open after the break out.

Another "strategy" is to get better at hitting the cluster in the exact right spot to predict how the cluster will break up and leave yourself a shot even if you are restricted to shooting at one ball after the break out.

I really do like this game, very challenging, but a bit easier than 15 ball rotation because you do have more than one choice at times.

Fatz
 
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This

sounds like a 'shortened' version of Rotation 8 ball, or Dakota 8 ball as I call
it. All normal BCA rules apply. After the break, the shooter has to shoot the 1 ball or 9 ball (if 1 or 9 is made on the break, they have to shoot the 2 or 10). They, then, must shoot in rotation the rest of the solids or stripes before shooting the 8 ball. It is a call pocket game.

Try it, it is not as easy as it sounds, and this is the game I feel the pros must go to regarding an 8 ball game.
 
Omaha Rotation

i thought of an easier Rotation but haven't had anyone trying yet.
sort of Omaha Rotation, where you can start your run at every beginning of inning with the lowest ball and up, the highest ball and down or from the 8-ball (and up to highest ball or down to lowest number ball)
so if you go from 8 to 1, after that 9 to 15 or 15 to 9...
when pocketing the 8ball you would still have choice to go up or down
when 8-ball is pocketed there would be 4 entry balls....the lowest, the highest and for example the 7 (to go down to lowest numbered ball) and the 10 (if 9 were also pocketed) to go to 15

player to pocket last ball on the table wins.
call shot
no BIH, only spotshot after foul or letting opponent play

interested in suggestions and experiences when tried
 
Snapshot9 said:
sounds like a 'shortened' version of Rotation 8 ball, or Dakota 8 ball as I call
it. All normal BCA rules apply. After the break, the shooter has to shoot the 1 ball or 9 ball (if 1 or 9 is made on the break, they have to shoot the 2 or 10). They, then, must shoot in rotation the rest of the solids or stripes before shooting the 8 ball. It is a call pocket game.

Try it, it is not as easy as it sounds, and this is the game I feel the pros must go to regarding an 8 ball game.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I don't think that sounds too easy (I do like a challenge). I vaguely recall hearing of "Dakota" before, and also recall discussing this concept with other people. After a quick search can't find any more info or rules. Can you point me to some info?

If I understand it right, it sounds like it would be a bit easier than 15 ball rotation. You are still dealing with a rotation game and you are still dealing with an entire rack of balls as obstacles, but you have to pocket less balls to reach the end.

Compared to Kulay, would it be harder or easier, let's see... Again, if I understand the rules of Dakota correctly... In Kulay you have more choices more often, making it easier, but you have to run the entire rack which means more pressure to not miss and you have to deal with every cluster. So maybe it's a toss up.

I think Kulay feels more like a tougher version of 8-ball. But Dakota would feel more like a tougher version of 9-ball. What I like about 8-ball is that you have choices and therefore, think more in a creative vein.

Dakota sounds like a solid game though, and clean rules. I'll have to try this sometime.

Fatz
 
plague said:
i thought of an easier Rotation but haven't had anyone trying yet.
sort of Omaha Rotation, where you can start your run at every beginning of inning with the lowest ball and up, the highest ball and down or from the 8-ball (and up to highest ball or down to lowest number ball)
so if you go from 8 to 1, after that 9 to 15 or 15 to 9...
when pocketing the 8ball you would still have choice to go up or down
when 8-ball is pocketed there would be 4 entry balls....the lowest, the highest and for example the 7 (to go down to lowest numbered ball) and the 10 (if 9 were also pocketed) to go to 15

player to pocket last ball on the table wins.
call shot
no BIH, only spotshot after foul or letting opponent play

interested in suggestions and experiences when tried
Click to expand...

I don't mind folks comparing my game to games that already exist. I admit that I created this pretty much in a vacuum, and I didn't consider that there may be other similar games already out there. But if you want to create your own new game, I ask that you start your own thread for that please.

thanks
Fatz
 
Played this game for a couple more sessions since my last post. As predicted, it's a fun challenge as far as finding a pattern that will get you out.

The one rule change I made was good. You can't run out often times so the rule change that allowed for safety play was necessary. Have not yet explored the safety aspect of the game very much, but when there is an established color, early in the rack, it feels like rotation - lots of balls to hide behind. Late in the rack it's like any other rotation game, it can be hard to find a safety. Knowing when (often in the middle of a game) to play safe is big.

Playing a safety with an open table is a different proposition, and I have explored that even less than safeties with an established color. But I think of it like "playing safe" in 8-ball when the table is open. Sometimes you just have to.

Sometimes, you move a ball while playing safe to improve the table layout. But running out in this game is still pretty hard. Even after getting ball in hand you will often find yourself wanting to play another safety while improving the layout even further.

It's becoming clear that it's a very chess-like game. Even more looking ahead and planning patterns than 8-ball, which I expected. And more safety play than 8-ball, and it seems also more safety play than 9/10 ball as well. If you are playing with someone who doesn't chaotically move balls, it's a pretty rewarding exercise. But even if you are a ball bumper, you just end up with a different puzzle.

Which reminds me about another thing. It is very likely that you will get your chances at the table with this game. I think it's like 8-ball in that high skill level players and lower skill level players will play this game differently, but both can enjoy it.

I think Efren would like this as they say he is a chess player and he seems to be a real thinker and planner at the table. Does Efren post on this forum? :p ;)

If you like 8-ball and 14.1 but don't care for one-pocket, you might like this game. I'm hoping some of you pool aficionados (including those who do like 1-hole) will give this a try and report back your opinions.

thanks
Fatz
 
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Pre-Flag Master said:
...Here's the general idea. You nominate a color of your choice and shoot that color (you have to contact that color first, but you can call any ball to pocket, except the 8-ball). If you make your shot, that color is now "established". After pocketing all the balls of the established color, you may then nominate a new color and pocket them, and so on. After all colored balls have been pocketed, you may then shoot the black 8-ball for the win...
Click to expand...

It sort of sounds like a quasi-cross between 8 Ball and Cribbage.
 
DogsPlayingPool said:
It sort of sounds like a quasi-cross between 8 Ball and Cribbage.
Click to expand...

More like a cross between 8-ball and 9-ball. You have to pocket the money ball to win. That occurs after the rest of the rack is cleared. And you are not necessarily pocketing the established/nominated color. You may plays caroms/combos, but you must contact the established/nominated color first. So the game offers/necessitates safety play.

Try it. It's fun but challenging.
 
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Played a few more racks of Kulay last night. A new tactic is getting used a little. Sometimes two balls belonging to the same color are not in a position where you can get from one to the other easily. So the new tactic is to carom or combo a ball just to get it off the table. Doing this, you are either using an established color, or establishing a new color, but either way, after the shot you are limited to 1 or 2 balls that you may contact next. So it's a useful new tactic we discovered, but you still have to manage it carefully.

We haven't played that many racks of this new game yet (maybe a dozen racks total so far), so we are still feeling it out like bangers new to pool. We are sort of trying to transition form trying to run out each rack to learning the best way to incorporate safety play.

I am noticing there is a lot of time spent studying the table early in the rack. Sometimes in 8-ball, the table lay-out is tough and you study it for a minute. Multiply that by three for Kulay. Some people will consider that a negative. I think it's an indication of a good thing that I like about this game. It's a challenging puzzle to solve and it requires thinking and planning.

There is usually more than one problem color. I think one tactic that will become common would be to find a way to fix one problem color, then establish an easy color to play a safety from, then play a safety. We just haven't explored that specific tactic very much yet.

Fatz
 
Played this game a few more racks since my last post.

We found a new advantage to the tactic I mentioned in my last post...

Sometimes you can carom or combo a ball that has a matching colored ball in a bad position. That leaves only one ball of that color on the table without making it the established color. In one rack one of my buddies did this twice, leaving two colors on the table with only one ball. This increased the flexibility of his run out greatly, because when you pocket one of those balls, the table remains open. So we started looking for opportunities to carom/combo balls even if the partner ball was not in a bad spot. As long as the leave is good, you can end up with multiple colors of a single ball, and you can end up with a much easier run out.

However, I don't think this will be an obvious or frequently used strategy. It's something to look for, and if the opportunity is there, take it.

We are playing safeties more too, realizing that - like rotation games - it's necessary at times - more so than 8-ball.

It's turning out to be a good game, IMHO. Just can't talk my buddies into playing it as much as I would like though. :frown:

Fatz
 
i've been playing a version of koolay called roy-g-bim or rainbow as some like to call it for years. where the colors must be sunk in the order red orange yellow green blue indigo marroon...

with koolay you can chose any colors but in roy-g-bim you must shoot in the order of the colors of a magical rainbow.
 
Not like other games

Just a note. There have been a few comments in this thread (and the original thread for this game) that said something along the lines of how Kulay sounds like this other game and that other game. I would then read the rules to these other games only to find that they are not really much like Kulay.

I'm assuming you folks posted those comments in the vein of conversation. But just because there is one similar aspect to the rules doesn't mean the games will play similarly. It's a little like saying that 9-ball "sounds like" 15 ball rotation because they are both rotation games.

What I'd really like here is to get people to actually try the game. I've played quite a few rack of this now and I think it's a pretty fun game. I'd like to encourage you all to give Kulay a try. If you do try it, please feel free to post your questions or opinions here.

Just to summarize the rules simply; You call a shot. If you make that shot, that color is now "established". After pocketing all the balls of the established color, you may then nominate a new color and pocket them, and so on. After all colored balls have been pocketed, you may then shoot the black 8-ball for the win.

Usually people will shoot in direct shots, as in any pool game. But as in other pool games, you may choose to shoot combos and caroms at times. The requirement is to CONTACT the established color first. if the table is "open", the requirement is to nominate a color AND call a shot. If the called shot is made, AND the nominated color is contacted first, then the nominated color becomes the established color.

Once a color is established, it remains the established color until all balls of that color are cleared. Beyond this, the normal rules of pool is pretty much all you have to know.

Read post #2 for the complete rules. It looks long but it's not. There are a lot of short paragraphs, and a lot of one-line paragraphs. And two examples. And a lot of it is just showing how normal pool rules apply. This game actually has a very clean, simple set of rules.

Fatz
 
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