Playing 3 person Cut-throat

[BilliardsAbout]

Is there a way that you can make cut throat a better game for all 3 players, when the players involved are decent to good shots?

It just seems that 1-5 6-10 11-15 if you can run balls is too easy.

We tried playing you can only shoot 1 of your own balls in to keep your run going, but I guess we could remove that option.

Bank your last ball?

Need something to keep all players interested.

Have you tried this for Cut Throat?

1) You can shoot your own balls to keep the inning--allows a player to knock themselves out of the rack if the run fails (fun!)

2) Winner of each rack removes one of their set for the next rack, making it easier for opponents to take them out--the winner has to be the last ball(s) standing on the final rack

 

[fastone371]

Is there a way that you can make cut throat a better game for all 3 players, when the players involved are decent to good shots?

It just seems that 1-5 6-10 11-15 if you can run balls is too easy.

We tried playing you can only shoot 1 of your own balls in to keep your run going, but I guess we could remove that option.

Bank your last ball?

Need something to keep all players interested.

You could add another row of balls, that's 2 more for each player and a lot of congestion. I have seen stranger things at the table.

 

[BasementDweller]

Maybe each player has to pocket (but not necessarily shoot) their balls in numerical order. If you can't pocket your lowest ball you can shoot one of your others into position. So early inning would be tactical. Just throwing stuff at the fan.

I did come across a neat way to play nineball with my son this weekend. I play normally and he gets to shoot any of the 3 lowest balls on the table excluding the 9 ball. It worked pretty well as he had to do some thinking and usually had a makeable ball he could shoot at. He could actually play safe against me which he can't do yet playing normally. My safties were really tough. Nineball is just way way too difficult for novices to play. Probably even intermediate players.

 

[Bob Jewett]

You could add another row of balls, that's 2 more for each player and a lot of congestion. I have seen stranger things at the table.

You could do this with a Baseball Pool set (1-21) or also just borrow from a regular set. There are baseball sets available, but they're about $300 since Aramith isn't making them any more. Or get these:

 

[GoldCrown]

if you must play cut throat, maybe you could play rotation style where you have to pocket the balls in order? just a thought

That would be a challenging game.

 

[TheBook]

Play 3 ball. Anti up and determine the amount paid for each shot to make all 3 balls during your turn. If there is a tie for the lowest score the pot rolls over. And everyone antis up again and etc until there is no ties. Many times you will need 2 shots to win. Making 2 balls break and a shot on the 3rd, or making one on the break and then 2 on the next shot using caroms, or combos.

Pots can get large with small amounts.

Another game would be Pea Pool.

 

[bpeacock]

Play 3 ball. Anti up and determine the amount paid for each shot to make all 3 balls during your turn. If there is a tie for the lowest score the pot rolls over. And everyone antis up again and etc until there is no ties. Many times you will need 2 shots to win. Making 2 balls break and a shot on the 3rd, or making one on the break and then 2 on the next shot using caroms, or combos.

Pots can get large with small amounts.

Another game would be Pea Pool.

That's a good alternative. We played that back in the 80's and you can play 3,4,or 5 people and everyone seemed to enjoy it.

 

[garczar]

That's a good alternative. We played that back in the 80's and you can play 3,4,or 5 people and everyone seemed to enjoy it.

We used to get 50+ every week. Pots got up over $6,000 a few times.

 

[BilliardsAbout]

Does anyone like good 'ol Pocket Billiards (rack 15 balls, open break, shoot any ball, 8 balls wins) as much as I?

I've asked slower/weaker players to shoot pocket billiards when sharing a table, handicaps easily, too. Everyone I've showed this original billiards game to loves it.

 

[garczar]

Does anyone like good 'ol Pocket Billiards (rack 15 balls, open break, shoot any ball, 8 balls wins) as much as I?

I've asked slower/weaker players to shoot pocket billiards when sharing a table, handicaps easily, too. Everyone I've showed this original billiards game to loves it.

Played since '79 and i've never even heard of much less played that. Had to go look up the rules. Probably why 8b was invented, looks pretty easy.

 

[dr_dave]

Is there a way that you can make cut throat a better game for all 3 players, when the players involved are decent to good shots?

Several common and good variations for better players can be found here:

cut throat game variations for better players​

 

[WobblyStroke]

Played since '79 and i've never even heard of much less played that. Had to go look up the rules. Probably why 8b was invented, looks pretty easy.

Ha. Ye I haven't actually heard of that as a game either tho it makes sense. I sometimes play this as a handicap with friends....we break 15 balls and they shoot anything while I play rotation. First to 8 wins.

 

[Pushout]

Does anyone like good 'ol Pocket Billiards (rack 15 balls, open break, shoot any ball, 8 balls wins) as much as I?

I've asked slower/weaker players to shoot pocket billiards when sharing a table, handicaps easily, too. Everyone I've showed this original billiards game to loves it.

Playing since the mid '60s and never heard of this.

 

[BilliardsAbout]

Played since '79 and i've never even heard of much less played that. Had to go look up the rules. Probably why 8b was invented, looks pretty easy.

Of course it's easy, and here's the thing--super fun.

When I play at a bar, for example, and new ones want to join in, knowing they'll take ten minutes longer to try to run an 8-Ball rack than I would, we play this--and when some of these folks jump in, I can handicap them 13-3 or 14-2 balls, I run fast, they play slow. It's still fun for all players.

Good players should pocket 8 of 15 balls in an inning or two only, regardless of who breaks, right? It's REALLY fun to play 15 racks of this in an hour, instead of two 8-Ball racks or a single One Pocket rack!

I'm exaggerating about the other games, but you should be knocking out at least 15 racks on Pocket Billiards in 60 minutes, yes? It's also a good game for a few really quick warmup racks before you and a bud get to the other games.

 

[BilliardsAbout]

Several common and good variations for better players can be found here:

cut throat game variations for better players​

Excellent advice, thank you.

 

[cjr3559]

Does anyone like good 'ol Pocket Billiards (rack 15 balls, open break, shoot any ball, 8 balls wins) as much as I?

I've asked slower/weaker players to shoot pocket billiards when sharing a table, handicaps easily, too. Everyone I've showed this original billiards game to loves it.

I do, but nobody knows what the hell I’m talking about when suggesting it. New/novice players will try if you can sell a handicap, but once they see you running more than 6 balls they want to play something else they’re familiar with like 8B.

If you can find a peer that’s willing to play Basic PB, it winds up being a 14.1 safety game and they’d rather play 1P anyway.

Other than maybe Honolulu, most of the games found in the BCA rulebook are seemingly near extinction unfortunately. When was the last time you found someone willing to play Forty-One, Fifteen-Ball or Cribbage.

 

[BilliardsAbout]

I do, but nobody knows what the hell I’m talking about when suggesting it. New/novice players will try if you can sell a handicap, but once they see you running more than 6 balls they want to play something else they’re familiar with like 8B.

If you can find a peer that’s willing to play Basic PB, it winds up being a 14.1 safety game and they’d rather play 1P anyway.

Other than maybe Honolulu, most of the games found in the BCA rulebook are seemingly near extinction unfortunately. When was the last time you found someone willing to play Forty-One, Fifteen-Ball or Cribbage.

Good points all, we play no safeties, just run/warm-up so the incoming player is waiting perhaps 60 seconds.

I've never had someone say "I dislike this, let's do 8-Ball instead" since I play fast as a courtesy to the weaker player. This is what I suggest when 8-Ball et al are s...l...o...w.