New Pool Variant: POOL-BOWLING (different from BCA's "Bowlliards")
Hey all...
Now, don't laugh too hard! This is a pocket billiards variant based on Ten-pin Bowling. I invented this game a few months back with some help from my friends. We're still perfecting the rules and whatnot, but it has been pretty well accepted in the below form. Please post your thoughts/comments/questions (and any ten-frame high scores!). I'll be sure to post some WeiTable/CueTable illustrations in the next couple days to go along with the Frame Examples at the bottom. Enjoy!
Pool Bowling
Object of the Game:
Special Definitions:
The Concept:
The Rack:
Fouls (these result in the immediate end of the current Roll, which is automatically scored as "0"):
After a Foul:
The Break:
Playing a Frame:
Some play-by-play examples:
EXAMPLE FRAME 1:
EXAMPLE FRAME 2:
Hey all...
Now, don't laugh too hard! This is a pocket billiards variant based on Ten-pin Bowling. I invented this game a few months back with some help from my friends. We're still perfecting the rules and whatnot, but it has been pretty well accepted in the below form. Please post your thoughts/comments/questions (and any ten-frame high scores!). I'll be sure to post some WeiTable/CueTable illustrations in the next couple days to go along with the Frame Examples at the bottom. Enjoy!
Pool Bowling
Object of the Game:
To score as high as possible over ten "frames", as in the real game of bowling. Scoring is identical to the real game of bowling, with spares adding the score from the previous roll, and strikes adding the scores of the previous two rolls. The tenth frame is also special, as in real bowling, in that a Strike on the first roll allows the player a bonus roll. A second strike on the bonus roll allows the played a third roll in the frame. A spare made on the first two rolls of the tenth frame also allows the player a bonus third roll.
Special Definitions:
• The Gutter – includes the area between the head rail and the first diamond, as well as all pockets. The cueball is said to be "in the Gutter" if it is either scratched, jumped off the table, or left lying between the head rail and the first diamond.
• The Lane – the area between the head rail and the second diamond (identical to the "kitchen" in other games).
• Pins – object balls
• The Lane – the area between the head rail and the second diamond (identical to the "kitchen" in other games).
• Pins – object balls
The Concept:
The Lane, as defined above, is the area from which the player will attempt to clear all Pins (object balls) during the course of a frame. The player gets two rolls, as in real bowling, to accomplish this. At the end of the first roll, the player counts how many object balls (or "Pins") are left in the Lane. Subtract this from ten, and this is the players score for his first roll. Similarly, at the end of the second roll, count how many Pins remain in the Lane, subtract from ten, and this is the players score for the frame. Some examples:
(note: the "-" character used in the scores below does not represent negative, it is used to signify a roll that scored "zero", just as in real bowling)
First roll: 6 Pins remain in the Lane – score "4"
Second roll: 1 Pin remains in the Lane – score "4 5"
First roll: 3 Pins remain in the Lane, cue ball in the Gutter – score "-" (zero)
Second roll: 1 Pin remains in the Lane – score "- 9"
First roll: 2 Pins remain in the Lane – score "8"
Second roll: 0 Pins remain in the Lane – score "8 /" (spare)
First roll: 0 Pins remain in the Lane – score "X" (strike)
(note: the "-" character used in the scores below does not represent negative, it is used to signify a roll that scored "zero", just as in real bowling)
First roll: 6 Pins remain in the Lane – score "4"
Second roll: 1 Pin remains in the Lane – score "4 5"
First roll: 3 Pins remain in the Lane, cue ball in the Gutter – score "-" (zero)
Second roll: 1 Pin remains in the Lane – score "- 9"
First roll: 2 Pins remain in the Lane – score "8"
Second roll: 0 Pins remain in the Lane – score "8 /" (spare)
First roll: 0 Pins remain in the Lane – score "X" (strike)
The Rack:
The rack is a triangle of any ten balls, just like the rack for the game of 10-Ball, except that no particular arrangement is necessary. We typically use ten unnumbered red balls.
Fouls (these result in the immediate end of the current Roll, which is automatically scored as "0"):
Gutter Ball – the cue ball is left lying in the Gutter area, or in a pocket, or off of the table.
Miss – the cue ball fails to strike at least one pin.
Miss – the cue ball fails to strike at least one pin.
After a Foul:
After a Gutterball of any kind (cue ball in the Gutter area, in a pocket, or off of the table), the cue ball is placed directly on the head spot and played from there. If the cue ball cannot be placed completely on the head spot because of an obstructing object ball, the cue ball is placed on a line through the head spot and perpendicular to the head rail, nearest to the head spot (similar to other games when a ball cannot be spotted directly on the head spot).
The Break:
The player may break from any spot inside the kitchen, as in other popular games, such as 8-Ball. The only rule on the break is that you must hit at least one object ball. You may hit the rack at any point, and get there in any manner (including kicking off one or more rails). You need not cause any balls to hit a rail (although you will probably want to!). Fouls include leaving the cue ball in the Gutter (which includes scratches and cue ball off the table) (read above about the Gutter), and failing to hit the rack. A foul immediately ends the current roll, and the roll is scored as a zero, regardless of how many Pins have been cleared from the Lane.
Playing a Frame:
A frame of pool-bowling is just like the real game of bowling in that it consists of two "rolls". However, in pool-bowling, each roll can consist of more than one stroke of the cue.
A "roll" is completed after any stroke that does not pocket a ball, or a stroke that leaves the cue ball in the Gutter. The break is special and does not end the player's first roll, should he fail to pocket a ball on the break. The only occasions where the first roll is over immediately after the break are when the cue ball is left in the Gutter (Gutter area, scratched, or jumped off the table), or the cue ball fails to strike a ball in the rack.
On any given shot, a player may pocket one or more Pins (object balls). The player can choose to pocket any Pin, whether it lies in the Lane or not. A successful pocketing of one or more Pins (without fouling) causes the player's current Roll to continue. Once he plays a stroke that either fouls or fails to pocket an object ball, the current roll is ended and scored.
A "roll" is completed after any stroke that does not pocket a ball, or a stroke that leaves the cue ball in the Gutter. The break is special and does not end the player's first roll, should he fail to pocket a ball on the break. The only occasions where the first roll is over immediately after the break are when the cue ball is left in the Gutter (Gutter area, scratched, or jumped off the table), or the cue ball fails to strike a ball in the rack.
On any given shot, a player may pocket one or more Pins (object balls). The player can choose to pocket any Pin, whether it lies in the Lane or not. A successful pocketing of one or more Pins (without fouling) causes the player's current Roll to continue. Once he plays a stroke that either fouls or fails to pocket an object ball, the current roll is ended and scored.
Some play-by-play examples:
EXAMPLE FRAME 1:
ROLL 1: Efren (yeah, that's right, Efren plays pool-bowling) steps up to the table to play a frame. The ten balls are racked, and he smashes into them, making sure not to scratch or leave the cueball in the Gutter. As the balls roll to a stop he notices that he's knocked 7 out of 10 Pins out of the Lane. Since this was his break shot, and no foul was committed, he is still on his first roll, despite not pocketing any balls on the break. He notices that he has 3 Pins left in the Lane, and figures the best way to get them out, hopefully while still on his first roll (which would score a strike). He has left the cueball far from the Lane, and has no easy way to safely carom the three remaining Pins out of the Lane. Thus, he decides to get position by pocketing a ball (that isn't in the Lane) into a side pocket. He pockets it, and his first roll thus continues. He has now left the cueball deep in the Lane, to make clearing the Lane a bit easier. He lines up on one of the three Pins in the Lane, and pockets it into the corner. Since he pocketed a ball without fouling, his roll continues. Now he has two Pins remaining in the Lane. He decides he can carom both balls out of the Lane on one shot, thus he need not try and pocket either ball. He plays the carom and clears both Pins out of the Lane, but accidentally knocks one Pin back into the Lane that had previously been cleared. Thus, having not pocketed a ball on this shot, his first roll has ended. At the end of the roll, there is one Pin in the Lane, so his score for the first roll is 9.
ROLL 2: His careless carom shot at the end of the first roll has left the cueball down the table, snookered on the last Pin in the Lane. Noting that all he needs to do is knock this Pin out of the Lane, he could just play a kick shot on the final Pin, but this is risky. Instead, he pockets a ball from center table, rolling the cueball back towards the Lane and continuing the current Roll. On his next shot, he simply taps the last Pin out of the Lane. He could have pocketed it, but clearing the last Pin out of the Lane ends the frame anyways, and there was no need to risk missing the pocket and possibly leaving the last Pin in the Lane. Thus, Efren scores a "9 /" spare for this frame.
ROLL 2: His careless carom shot at the end of the first roll has left the cueball down the table, snookered on the last Pin in the Lane. Noting that all he needs to do is knock this Pin out of the Lane, he could just play a kick shot on the final Pin, but this is risky. Instead, he pockets a ball from center table, rolling the cueball back towards the Lane and continuing the current Roll. On his next shot, he simply taps the last Pin out of the Lane. He could have pocketed it, but clearing the last Pin out of the Lane ends the frame anyways, and there was no need to risk missing the pocket and possibly leaving the last Pin in the Lane. Thus, Efren scores a "9 /" spare for this frame.
EXAMPLE FRAME 2:
ROLL 1: Francisco (yep, Django loves pool-bowling, too!) steps to the table to play his first frame. He breaks, leaving only one ball left in the Lane. There was no foul or cue ball in the Gutter off the break, so his first roll continues. He attempts to pocket a ball that isn't in the Lane, but it hits the corner of the side pocket, and rolls back into the Lane. Since he has missed, the first roll ends with two Pins in the Lane, so he scores 8.
ROLL 2: Francisco starts his second roll by pocketing one of the two Pins remaining in the Lane. Now he has only one Pin remaining, which he attempts to just push out of the Lane. He succeeds in pushing it out of the Lane, but carelessly, he allows the cue ball to come to rest in the Gutter area between the head rail and first diamond. This Gutterball scores him an automatic zero for his second roll, despite having cleared his last two Pins from the Lane (which would have given him the "8 /" spare. Instead, his frame is scored "8 -" for a total of 8 points.
ROLL 2: Francisco starts his second roll by pocketing one of the two Pins remaining in the Lane. Now he has only one Pin remaining, which he attempts to just push out of the Lane. He succeeds in pushing it out of the Lane, but carelessly, he allows the cue ball to come to rest in the Gutter area between the head rail and first diamond. This Gutterball scores him an automatic zero for his second roll, despite having cleared his last two Pins from the Lane (which would have given him the "8 /" spare. Instead, his frame is scored "8 -" for a total of 8 points.
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