Weird house rules?

leto1776

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Seems like everywhere I play around where I am (exclusively bars,as there's no hall around,unfortunately),when playing 8-ball,people expect you to call every shot,like it's straight pool.I'm only 28,but it's been that way around here for years, and everyone seems to learn that way.When I play,I have to tell them I only expect them to call the 8.

Anyone else live in an area where this is the norm?
 
I'd say call shot 8 ball is the way 99.99 percent of pool players play 8 ball. Most bar rules are (stupidly) even more strict about what must be called on each shot including every kiss, carom, and rail rather than just ball and pocket.
 
Actually,calling everything is,if I recall correctly, how it was in the bar league that I played with for a season in Korea in '06.
 
Our house rules not only stipulate you call each ball (not unusual) but that the 8 has to go in "clean", not touching any other balls.

And while that's not even all that rare, once the 8 is "in play", the other player can't use the 8 either, be it a carom, deflection or multi ball combo.

At least we don't have to call the rails :p
 
I wish I could get my group to play 8-ball as a call-pocket game. If they don't have a shot they just smash the cue ball at the nearest cluster and pray. Play safe? Not a chance.

It gets old real fast.

BTW, you can download WPA and others game rules to a smart phone and have a very handy "well, let's look at the official rules..." tool.
 
To me its wierd if there are Not house rules. Over the years its worked out to a players advantage.
 
Call pocket is a standard rule for 8 ball.

A lot of bars make you call your combinations and even call the rail which is a bit ridiculous.

I played in a bar tourney and finished 2nd because the guy running the tourney says that we aren't allowed to play safe/defense.

He conveniently missed his ball that was glued to the 8 ball from a foot away knowing that breaking the balls apart would give me the game.

I was the better man and broke them apart on my turn and he proceeded to win the tourney.

MJ...you are a dick and everyone thinks so.
 
Playing pool in a bar is like playing monopoly. Nobody actually reads the rules. It's all about how they learned to play. Obv your opponent is going to make you call every carom and every rail touched on every shot because that's how his daddy showed him at the local pub back in 1962. This is just like collecting money when you land on free parking. The moment you step into a *real* poolroom, all of this changes. I'm sorry you don't have access to one.
 
Bar Rules Suck!!!

It is so lame when some chump thinks he can shoot but insists bar rules (call shot, no table scratch, BiH out of the kitchen) is the better set of rules. These people can't appreciate a good hit, let alone a good safe :banghead:

The 8-Ball "clean" rule is by far the worst stupid rule ever :speechless:

100th post!!! :woot::woot:
 
Last edited:
Complain all you want, but..................back when I was hitting all the local bars and playing for whatever they would bet, I loved the goofy rules. More times than not, the rules came around to bite em in the butt!
It doesn't matter what rules they used, in the end, the better player walked with the cash :thumbup:

One guy said slop counted on all shots but, the 8 ball you had to call every rail rub, kiss, carom and speck of dust, LOL.
He got to the 8 ball a couple times and wouldn't ya know? Instead of straight in it touched another ball or he called off the ball and it would go clean. I had to chuckle inside and try not to let it show.

I usually just play BCAPL rules with BIH on fouls and call pocket.
 
Our house rules not only stipulate you call each ball (not unusual) but that the 8 has to go in "clean", not touching any other balls.

And while that's not even all that rare, once the 8 is "in play", the other player can't use the 8 either, be it a carom, deflection or multi ball combo.

At least we don't have to call the rails :p

Yes...and your house rules are stupid regarding the 8. It's not always possible for the 8 to go clean.

I have seen many bars where the rules are call pocket and scratch behind the line. But the dumbest rule I ever heard was in Carlisle PA where if you made a shot where you put your opponents ball in on the same shot as you put yours in your ball had to fall first or it was a bad shot and loss of turn.
 
Yes...and your house rules are stupid regarding the 8. It's not always possible for the 8 to go clean.

And as you know, those rules are used in Eagles Clubs all over the state, for their official tournaments... lol.

Our club uses them for their in-house league, too.

Funny stuff.
 
Yes...and your house rules are stupid regarding the 8. It's not always possible for the 8 to go clean.

I have seen many bars where the rules are call pocket and scratch behind the line. But the dumbest rule I ever heard was in Carlisle PA where if you made a shot where you put your opponents ball in on the same shot as you put yours in your ball had to fall first or it was a bad shot and loss of turn.

Really? That's one of the house rules I thought was pretty common,where your ball has to go in first.

I knew called shots and behind the rail on a scratch were common,but it's weird the way people will act like those are the only rules for 8-ball,simply because it's the only rules they know.I play in an APA league,and simply trying to explain those rules to some peeople is like teaching a rock to move on its own.
 
And as you know, those rules are used in Eagles Clubs all over the state, for their official tournaments... lol.

Our club uses them for their in-house league, too.

Funny stuff.

Actually no...not all of the official tournaments. Every eagles tournament I've ever played in does not require the 8 ball to go into the pocket without first contacting another ball.
 
Really? That's one of the house rules I thought was pretty common,where your ball has to go in first.

I knew called shots and behind the rail on a scratch were common,but it's weird the way people will act like those are the only rules for 8-ball,simply because it's the only rules they know.I play in an APA league,and simply trying to explain those rules to some peeople is like teaching a rock to move on its own.


First time I ever heard of it...and it makes absolutely no sense...who cares who's ball goes in first if your ball goes into the pocket that it was intended to go in?
 
I played somewhere recently with the rule that if you pocketed a ball of your opponent's suit, it was a foul. Even if you otherwise played a legal shot.

Yeesh.
 
It's funny, to you those are 'weird house rules'. In most pool halls they're normal, standard rules. Consider yourself lucky, call-shot is a sign of people who actually take pool a little more seriously than the average banger!

Do you happen to live in Ames, Minnesota??
 
It's funny, to you those are 'weird house rules'. In most pool halls they're normal, standard rules. Consider yourself lucky, call-shot is a sign of people who actually take pool a little more seriously than the average banger!

Do you happen to live in Ames, Minnesota??

No, southwestern PA.
 
Back
Top