+TECH TALK+ BY Bob Jewett MORE THE MERRIER II A few more multi-player games that may be new to you. AST TIME, I covered the rules for ring will play their first shot. After that, the 9-ball, a multi-player game that Summary of Rules order for that game is set. If someone was a favorite in the room where plays out of order, it's a foul and the in• I first learned to play. When the bet• coming team restores the correct order. ter players got together, they tended lo for 9-Ball In subsequent short-rack games, the play ring 10-ball, which uses the same winner's partner breaks and the oppos• rules but with one more ball to slow and 10-Ball ing team again has the choice of first down the runouts. This time I'll cover to shoot. some other games that more than two Ring Games With partners games, you have to can play. decide whether coaching is allowed or In a ring game, it's usually necessary to • NO SAFETIES: A good not. I think in games that are not too remove safety play because a good safe safety will force the serious, and with mixed abilities, it's doesn't benefit the player who played next player to sell out to good for partners to share shot choic• it; the safety helps the player two spots the player after that, so es, but any comments should be brief, down the shooting order. A game that aim to make a ball. such as "try to leave me on this side of puts safety back into the ring-game for• the 6 ball." Serious instruction, though, mat is called "Liability." This is played should be saved for the practice table. If • NO BALL IN HAND: , mostly with normal snooker rules on a your partner totally botches your well- snooker table, but you could probably Fouls are played where intended suggestion, it is unlikely that adapt the basic idea to 9-ball. Only six the cue ball lies. your opponents or your partner will reds are used, and the game starts with Scratches result in the want to listen to your post mortem. the normal safety break, with play• incoming player get- A dynamic partners game is "Chica• ers after that shooting in order in the ing ball in hand in the go," which is a kind of 15-ball rotation standard ring-game style. The scoring kitchen. game. It is called by various names, is like snooker, with one point per red and around the rec center where we ball and two to seven points for the played it while avoiding homework, • ALL BALLS SPOT: If other balls ("colors"), which return to it was known as "Money Ball." It also the table until the rotation phase when a ball is pocketed on has several variations of rules; I'll only the reds are gone. a foul or driven off the cover the way we played it. The tricky part is the scoring: Any table, it's placed on the Chicago is played by four players. A points you make are charged only foot spot. full rack of balls is used, and you have against the player who preceded you; to hit the lowest ball first on each shot. he is liable for your scoring. If you foul, • SHOOT AGAIN AFTER Slop counts, so turn up the energy those points are credited to that same FOULS, MAYBE: A foul when there's no obvious play. The 1 player since it was presumably his good ball is racked in front with the 2 and 3 play that forced the error. Fouls count gives the incoming play• on the corners, and the 5, 8, 10, 13 and from four to seven points as at snooker. er the choice between 15 balls are safely buried in the middle Safeties are handled slightly differ• shooting or passing the of the rack as they are the worth one ently from snooker, in that on any shot shot back to the one "way" each. The numeric values of the some cushion must be contacted either balls also count as in standard 15-ball who committed the foul. before or after contact with the object rotation, so the team scoring 61 points ball. This rule is to prevent the "cheap" or more gets two additional ways for safe play normally available which is to four players is to use a "scotch dou• a total of seven available each game. to roll up softly to a color without any bles" format. The players on each team The easiest way to keep track of who cushion contact to leave your oppo• alternate shots until the team misses, has made which balls during a rack is nent snookered on all the reds. If you then the other team begins alternat• to have a cache spot assigned to each foul, the following player can ask you ing shots. There are several ways to set player, such as the ball tray or the left to shoot again, but the liability for any the order; here's one: the first breaker ball bin in the front of the table. points you score is then on him. is decided by the breaking team. When The rules for fouls are mostly the One way to adapt any two-player game they miss, the other team decides who same as for ring 9-ball, including 26 BILLIARDS DIGEST January 2011 "shoot to hit" and "shoot again" for a probably will get the ways for points foul. All balls made illegally are spot• as well, although a 5-2-0-0 split is pos• ted, but you never lose a ball you've sible. made legally. The rack ends as soon as all ways While the 1 ball is not worth any• have been decided, so there may be one thing directly, it is the "partners ball" or two balls left up if the 15 has fallen and whoever makes the 5 is partners prematurely. Whoever makes the last with the owner of the 1. If those are the ball breaks in the following rack and same player, the maker of the 8 will be the order decided in the previous rack paired with the 1-5, and so on. Once continues into the new rack although the pairing has been established, the the partnerships are dissolved with the partners alternate innings, not shots, new break. and the order may change slightly if One of the best features of Money Ball two partners were following each other An example of the 'Chicago' rack. is the constantly shifting partnerships. before partners were decided. The weakest player always has one of It may be that one player manages to If there is a complete sweep by one the better players on his side, and the make the 8 before the 5 ball is pock• team — five money balls and two strongest player is not guaranteed to eted, but that does not decide partners. ways for 61 or more points — the win. I think the game works best for If one player has the 1, 5 and 8 while score is doubled. It may be that a rack social rather than serious play, and it another has made the 13 and 15 but the ends without partners being formed if stops being interesting if any of the 10 (the last remaining money ball and one player gets the 1 ball and the five players is likely to run out a rack. If the partners decider) has not been pock• money balls. If that player also has the scene at your poolhall is getting a little eted, the two pointless players both highest points count, he is paid double stale, try some Money Ball or one of the want desperately for either of them to by the three other players. Since the six other ring games for a little variety. I'll make the 10 to avoid a sweep by a part• important balls total 52 out of 120 to• share a few more multi-player games nership of the two rich players. tal points, the money ball monopolist next time. January 2011 BILLIARDS DIGEST 27 +TECH TALK+ BY Bob Jewett MORE THE MERRIER III Cutthroat is a starting point, but there are plenty more options. N MY last article, I mentioned scotch ball, he could continue at the table with doubles, a game for two pairs of play• Summary of Rules for a chance to clear all the balls and win Iers with the players on a team alter• the game. We also played cutthroat as nating innings. At the Mosconi Cup in a scored game, with the winner getting London last December, this idea was one point for each of his balls left up at taken to the limit with the 10 players CUTTHROAT the end. The winner of the game breaks from both teams taking turns shooting in the next. in the first match of the competition. I 3 PLAYERS, 15 BALLS: I think it's clear that cutthroat loses its think it worked quite well to introduce Each player has a group charm if any player is likely to run 10 the players to the audience. It was in• of five balls (1-5. 6-10, balls, or even clear off one group from teresting to see the interaction between 11-15). Your goal is to sink the break. If a runout is not viable, the two main strategies become the two- the players — all of them champions your opponents' balls while — when deciding what position to play against-one game and bumping your for the following player.