Ring games or group games

Good game. We play it 7 ways no deductions. 1,5,8,10,13, 15 and 61 pts. ...
That's the way we used to play it as I recall. Skunks paid double whether it was a team or an individual, but I think the individual had to have 61 to score that "way". The 1 ball was always the partner ball -- we never had fixed teams.
 
We play the below for 9 or 10 ball ring games

Behind the line
Honest offensive effort
Made balls spot on break & fouls
Return Option on scratch/foul
Change Rotation every 5 rounds (Round is each player taking a turn)
Money on 5 and 9 (10). 5 pays half value of the 9 (10). If we play for $10 or $20 we only pay for the 9 (10). Small games like $2 on the 9 (10) will pay on the 5 as well.
Break and Run are Double
5 players max

fun to play except when you are down $50 or $100+ without getting to the table.
 
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3 ball ring game is played a lot in bars aorund here.

Each players breaks 3 balls and runs out. The lowest score wins after each players has had a turn. If there is no winner, the cash is then carried over to the next round, adding money for each round as well.
 
Golf on a snooker table - we always just played 6 holes - once around the table. The starting spot was either the 6 or 7 spot (depended upon which town I played in). Cue ball in the D, bank the first shot into your lower right corner - ball spots back on starting spot, cue ball remains where you left it... then try for the lower left corner... and so on and so on until you pot your ball into the right side pocket. A miss at any point starts the next player's turn at the table and your ball remains where it was left from your last shot.

Usually limited to 7 players (one red and six numbers, each player has his own ball).

So much per foul (hickey) and so much per game. Lots of strategy involved. You want to make sure you are playing with guys who can handle aggravation without going off the deep end.
 
Ring games. Kelly pool

We used to play Kelly pool in the old days, but I can't remember the exact game. Would someone refresh me on Kelly pool.
 
Fun game we played back in the day, cheap gambling where you could have easily up to 7 players.....

It's called "5/10/15"

Rotation, use the entire rack, shoot until you miss, you must hit the lowest numbered ball first, slop counts, all shots must be offensive (no defense or perceived defense at all).....the 5, 10, and 15 are the money balls.....to keep it cheap and fun, each player pays $1 per ball....

Example:

6 players, each must have $3 to play each individual game....at the end of the game, player 1, 3 and 6 each made a ball.....with 6 players, there is a total of $6 per ball, since each player pays $1 per money ball.....ie, player 1, 3, and 6 all get $6.....

If you have deeper pockets, you can play $5, 10, or 20 a ball......for just $1 a ball, it's cheap gambling, players of all skill levels like to get in the action, and even if you play bad, $20 worth of 1 dollar bills is cheap for an hour or 2 of entertainment with friends....

Hope that is as clear as mud :D

Now that game brings back some OLD memories. Except we use to call it / play it 5,8,10,15. Crazy game with a crew lol, but a lot of fun.
 
Group games

Here's a game that was brought to my room by some players from S outh America. They called it Triple X.
There is no limit to the number of players. Actually, the more the better. It's an extremely simple game and one does not have to be very skilled to enjoy it.
Everyone who wants to play signs up on a peice of paper. Players shoot in the order they signed up. Each player put $1 in the pot.
Play starts with a full rack of 15 balls. First player breaks the rack and gets a free pass (he does not have to make a ball). Now the players shoot in order and must pocket a ball on their turn. Fail to pocket a ball and you get one X next to your name. If the player pockets a ball he is safe for that round and it is the next players turn.
When all the balls are pocketed, the balls are re-racked and each player that is still in the game puts another $1 in the pot. The next player to shoot breaks the rack and gets a free pass (does not have to make a ball). When a player gets the third X next to his name he is out of the game.
As you can imagine, with a large group playing, and a number of re-racks, even playing for a small amount of $ this game can get very interesting towards the end.
Note: They played that luck counted, no called shots. If there was no easy shot available they would just blast away and hope to luck a ball in. This seemed to get a lot more players in the game..
 
I enjoy a Chicago style game we call 1 & 3. It can be played with two, three, or four players. I suppose you could play with more, in a cut-throat style but its more fun as I will explain, this way, with 4 players.

All 15 balls are racked. I sure wish I had the patience to put an image up for you guys but .... the balls are racked as follows.

1 on top, 5 and 8 behind it, 15 in the middle, 10 & 12 behind the 15 to complete a small triangle in the middle of the rack, 3 ball in the center last row, and 2 & 4 on the corners. The order of the other balls doesn't matter.

Each game starts with NO PARTNERS.

There are 7 points to be made. They are ... the 3 - 5- 8 - 10 -12 -15 and game. (the cumulative total of the balls face value count as a point)

Now... the 1 ball is the partner ball. While its not worth a point, it does assure the person making the ball of at least one point (we call it "a way")

If the same person who makes the 1 also makes the 3, then partners go to the next money ball (the 5) Again, if that same person makes the 5 it goes on to the next one.

If the same person who makes the 1 makes all the money balls, he goes alone and everyone pays him whatever you assign to the point value.

Once partners are made, you may have to re adjust the order of play so that the partners do not follow each other. So on occasion, someone skips a turn.

Who ever makes the 15 ball also breaks the next game, which as I said, restarts with NO PARTNERS. The previous partner of the person making the 15 racks for the new game.

Each time there is a "NO HIT" you must pay the kitty one point. This can go to pay the table time, or if there isn't any time, you spit the kitty at the end of the night.

You do not have to hit a rail on the hit, you can jump the cue ball off the table so long as a hit is made it is ok.

Any scratch is cue ball in hand behind the head string. This does not count "no hits" .

If the cue ball scratches, and the next numbered ball is behind the headstring, it is spotted.

Now, if one team makes 4 points, and the other team makes 3 in a given game, then each player on the team with 3 points, pays each of the 2 players on the other team "one way" or one point. If one team makes all the points, then the other two players each pay 7 ways to the two winners.


A tip for playing 3 persons (which is cut throat) that makes figuring out the payout easy. Simply make believe you are starting each game down 7 points .... each time you make a pay ball, you go UP 3 points.

So, if you make 2 pay balls in a game (six points) you start out down 7, you now end up paying one way.

That sound complicated for 3 handed games, but it really isn't.
 
has any one heard of these rules. I learn them from some asian's I play with.
1. money balls r 3/5/7/9. we play 2 bucks a ball.
2. run on the break, everyone pays 1 buck on all money balls.
3. ball in hand on any foul. and safties aloud. + push out after the break
4. only one person(the one that let the person to the table) pays the person pocketing the money balls.
example...players 1/2/3/4/5 r playing in that order. player 1 breaks and misses the 2ball. player 2 now runs the 2-3-4-5-6-7 and misses the 8. only player 1 pays for the money balls too player 2. no one else gets punished for player 1's mistake.
5. winner breaks. and the order is reversed. if 1 or more players didnt shoot that rack. they go 2nd.
6. all money balls spotted if pocketed early.

i didnt like the game at first but after u play it all night u wouldnt go back to the orginal every one pays the winner. play in the same order. all offence rules.
 
That's the way we used to play it as I recall. Skunks paid double whether it was a team or an individual, but I think the individual had to have 61 to score that "way". The 1 ball was always the partner ball -- we never had fixed teams.

another form we play here in the south is called odd ball.there a 10 ways,8 odd balls,points 61 and number of balls.play it singles or partners.

another game is pay ball on a snooker table using the 6 number balls.each ball has a value and the last ball plays double plus the break.both are good rotation games.

bill
 
... another game is pay ball on a snooker table using the 6 number balls.each ball has a value and the last ball plays double ...
In the 1960s this was called "pink ball" around here. There used to be legendary games over at Cochran's in San Francisco with Ronnie Allen and "The Canadian" playing for $20 a point with double on the run. On a 6x12, of course. With 7 players in the game, a runout was worth 20*6*7*2 = $1680 to the winner.

Unfortunately, the game was never in progress when I was there.
 
Hi Bob,

A 9-ball ring game that is played at Match Up's in Fort Collins has similar spotting rules as mentioned, but they pay double for making the 5/9 in the side, and after the 9-ball is made when it is the last ball, the cueball must be in the kitchen or the pocketed 9 doesn't count and the player does not get the break. The game is over, they just don't pay the 9-ball - I think the player that follows gets the break.

Many times they also play that everyone pays more for a break & run (if they play $1 on the 5/$2 on the 9 (double if made in side), they may play $5 for break & run + what is actually won).

I don't play in them so I guess I'm not 100% sure of the rules, but this is the jist of it. It's a hoot watching them beg the cueball out of the kitchen. And it has to be the full ball in the kitchen so they study it a lot :).

Dave
 
In Japan we play a 9 ball ring game that is quite different from other versions:


-Score is kept with points. You recieve the amount of points you get in a rack from each person. You subtract the amount of points your opponents get from your score. A money value can be assigned to each point (for example, $.10 per point).

-If the rack is a break and run, you get double the total points for the rack.

-If at the end of a rack all players end up with the same amount of points, the next rack is worth double (A break and run on this rack would be worth 4x).

-All early caromed/comboed money balls spot up. All balls made on a foul spot up (in order from lowest to highest).

-Side pockets pay double.

-The money balls are the 5 and the 9.

-The 5 is worth 1 point (2 in the side pockets).

-The 9 is worth 2 points (4 in the side) IF
A) it is pocketed it early on a combo or carom
B) it is made on the last shot of the rack and cue ball lands behind the head string

-On the last shot of the rack, if you fail to get the cueball back in the kitchen, you only recieve 1 point (2 if it was in the side) for the 9 and you lose your break to the next person. If it was a break and run, it is still doubled.

-Order is decided before you start, it reverses every 5 racks.

-No safeties.

-There are 2 types of fouls; not touching the object ball first and pocketing the cue ball.

-If you fail to hit the object ball, but the cueball stays on the table the next player has 4 options
A) Play the shot as is.
B) Move the lowest numbered object ball to the foot spot with the cue ball as is.
C) Move the lowest numbered object ball to the center spot with the cue ball as is
D) Take ball in hand behind the head string with the rest of the table as is.
Note: If the lowest numbered object ball is behind the head string, you can take ball in hand behind the head string, but you must then spot the object ball on the foot or center spot.

-If the cue ball is pocketed the next player has 3 options.
A) Ball in hand behind the head string with the lowest numbered object ball moved to the foot spot.
B) Ball in hand behind the head string with the lowest numbered object ball moved to the center spot.
C) Ball in hand behind the head string with the rest of the table as is.
Note: If both the cue ball and lowest numbered object ball are pocketed, you can't chose option C, the object ball has to come up.

-Weaker players can be spotted money balls like the 7 or 3. A common spot for A players to give weaker A players is '7 single'. 7 means that they get 1 point if they make the 7. Single means that they don't get the side pocket bonus on the 7 even if they make it in the side (the spot for recieving the side pocket bonus would be 7 double).

Despite all the rules, it is fairly easy to get used to and fun to play. The double in the side rule makes it more common for players to try risky shots/patterns to get the 9 ball into the side with the cueball in the kitchen (if the 9 stays put after the break like its supposed to, it is more difficult than it would seem). The getting the cueball in the kitchen after making the 9 rule makes the game really interesting because it sometimes forces you to take risks even at the end of a rack. Also, because money doesn't change hands until the end, it makes it easier to tell who is up and who is down.
 
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This is the way I used to play it ( I say used to, because nobody around here wants to play it anymore, it's always partners)-

1. flip coins for order of rotation, change every 3 rounds. A round is after everyone has shot 3 times.

2. No obvious safes, must make honest attempt to try some kind of shot to make the ball.

3. 5 and 9 are money balls. Made out of turn they count and get respotted.

4. Scratch on the ball before the money ball, it gets spotted.

5. No ball in hand, all scratches are ball in the kitchen.

6. After a scratch, you can make the scratcher shoot again. Same on any foul, you make make the person that fouled shoot again.

7. Other than above, general rules of 9 ball apply. Must hit lowest ball first, slop counts, something must be pocketed or hit a rail after hitting ob.

edit: As far as ring 10 ball, have never played it.

This is how I remember playing the game except player rotation didn't change. HOWEVER if I ever play a ring game again I will highly recommend player rotation after so many rounds!
 
Odd Ball is the Name

That's the way we used to play it as I recall. Skunks paid double whether it was a team or an individual, but I think the individual had to have 61 to score that "way". The 1 ball was always the partner ball -- we never had fixed teams.

I actually played it about a month ago its with FOUR players. Rotation, one ball and nine are partners for just that game. Designated breaking & shooting order, if you make the one and nine then the next higher ball is you partner. Sometimes the person who makes the one and nine also makes the 10-15 so your partner may be in posession of the 8 or 7 or whatever. Partners do not follow. each odd ball is worth one point ( nickle, dime, quarter, dollar etc.per point) and the team that scores 61 pts or more gets 2 points and combine 8 pts for 8 odd balls, for a total of 10, if your team got all the odd balls and 61pts or greater, we called this a blitz. A blitz can pay dbl in different ways. Either an ALL ball blitz, meaning your team got all fifteen balls, or a lesser blitz would be the sixty one points and the eight odd balls. Also once in awhile one player will get all fifteen balls, then all three players would pay that player double.

Example:

If one team gets three odd balls and the other team gets point and remining odd balls thats a 7 minus 3 so one team will win 4. It's a great game to involve unequally skilled players as you most always (99%) have a partner for each game. Sometimes your rootin for him, next game your NOT :)

Rules;
Rotation, just like nine ball
slop counts, all balls spot
player that scratches can be made to shoot again by incoming player
if player makes good contact and nothing made next up must shoot
Gold Crowns are the best for this game because of the ball box storage area.
 
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I'm writing an article on games that can be played by more than two people and especially those games that are better with more than two. For three players, there is cut throat of course, which has a reasonable set of written rules.

For ring games such as nine ball, the rules aren't so clear and vary from room to room. What rules do you use for ring nine ball? If you play ring 10 ball, are the rules any different?

Are there other multi-player games that you like to play?

Bob,

We play captians one pocket from time to time, 2 of us play the same the 3rd player plays about 4 balls better, we play $5/man and play 9/7(i cant remember rite now i just woke up) depending on who the strong player is teamed up with and we come out about even, i'm a hair weaker than the middle guy and depending on who plays best that day thats who gets the $$, it took us about 3 sessions to get the line right. We keep it real cheap as its just social, sometimes it gets a little to serious for $5 as were all competitive guys. It's a great ring game
 
3 ball ring game is played a lot in bars aorund here.

Each players breaks 3 balls and runs out. The lowest score wins after each players has had a turn. If there is no winner, the cash is then carried over to the next round, adding money for each round as well.

Had many a long night with $2 three ball; and much longer nights with $1 three ball.

Josh
 
In regard to 9 ball ring games, the two ways I've played that dealt with the issue of "no safeties/honest attempt" was A) the incoming player has the option of giving it back or B) The incoming player gets BIH after any miss. The second way was how it was recently played in a pro ring game that was on ESPN last week.

I suppose you could modify it to be BIH behind the head string with the OB spotting up if is behind the line.
 
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