8 ½ Ball (aka 8 Plus Ball) - The Billiards Game
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8 ½ ball is a billiards game played with a cue ball and 15 billiard balls on a pool table with 6 pockets.
Equipment
Object of the Game
Setup
The 14 colored and striped balls along with the 8 ½ ball are placed in a triangle, called a "rack." The base of the rack is parallel to the short end of the pool table and positioned so the ball in the top of the rack is located on the foot spot. The balls in the rack are pressed into contact with the top ball, and remain in contact after the rack is removed. Within the rack, the 8 1/2-ball is centered while the two corners at the bottom of the rack contain one solid ball and one striped ball. The cue ball is placed anywhere the breaker desires in the quarter of the table farthest from the rack.
Starting the Game - The Break
If the 8 ½ ball is pocketed on the break, the shooter wins immediately.
If the breaker pockets any solid or striped ball, it is still the breaker’s turn. If the pocketed ball is solid, the breaker will continue to shoot at solid balls throughout the game and the opponent will shoot at striped balls. Likewise, if the initial pocketed ball by the breaker is striped, the breaker will continue to shoot at striped balls and the opponent will shoot at solid balls.
If the breaker fails to pocket a ball the turn ends and the other player may shoot at a ball from either group. If this player sinks a ball that is the group he now must shoot at and his turn continues. This means that until a group is determined either player can shoot at any of the balls numbered 1 through 7 and 9 through 15.
If the breaker pockets balls from both groups (solid and striped) then the breaker’s turn continues and he/she chooses which group to shoot at for the remainder of the game and the opponent will shoot at the other group.
Taking Turns
Note: If a player pockets balls from both groups (solid and striped) on a single shot, the balls remain pocketed and his/her turn continues. If a player sinks only opponent’s ball(s) on a single shot, the ball(s) remain pocketed and his/her turn ends.
Winning the Game - Pocketing the 8 ½ ball
Pocketing all group balls
Pocketing the 8 ½ ball in combination
Infractions
Losing the game immediately
Major Faults
1. Cue ball is pocketed. Any balls that are pocketed remain pocketed.
When one player commits a major fault, the other player gets the cue "ball in hand", that is, may place the cue ball anywhere on the table before playing their next shot. The one exception is that when the cue ball is pocketed on the break, then the other player places the cue ball anywhere behind the "head string" to play his/her next shot.
Minor Faults
1. Failure of the cue ball to first make contact with the 8 ½ ball if that is the only ball the player has remaining to shoot.
The first minor fault has no penalty. Any additional minor fault results in “ball in hand” for the opponent.
Strategy
Barry Tevelow
Trademark SN 77267623, August 29, 2007
http://www.restoreus.org/eightandahalfball.html
There are two groups of balls. One group is seven solid-colored balls numbered 1 through 7. The other groups consists of seven striped balls numbered 9 through 15. There are two special balls. One is black and white, numbered 8 ½ and the other is a solid white cue ball.
To pocket the 8 ½ ball.
The “long string” of the pool table is the imaginary line which divides the pool table into two equal halves lengthwise. Widthwise, the pool table is divided by two imaginary lines, the “head string” and “foot string” which run perpendicular to the long string, placed 1/4 length away from each end of the table. The intersection of the long and head string is called the "head spot", and the intersection of the long and foot string is called the "foot spot".
One person is chosen to shoot first by any number of methods: flip of a coin, loser of last game breaks, winner of last game breaks, "lag", etc. If the shooter who breaks fails to make a legal break (usually defined as at least four balls hitting cushions) then the opponent can either re-rack and break, or play from the current position.
A player will continue to shoot until he/she faults (see below) or fails to pocket one of his/her group balls. Then, the other player takes his/her turn. Play alternates like this for the remainder of the game.
Once all the player's object balls are pocketed, he/she can now attempt to sink the 8 ½ ball and win. To win, he/she must specify the pocket it will land in, and make it in that pocket. If it is shot in the wrong pocket, or if there is a major fault (see below), he/she loses. If the 8 1/2 ball is not pocketed, the player's turn is over.
At any time during the game a player may call for a combination shot to sink the 8 ½ ball. The player must call the object ball (only a ball of his/her group) that will be struck first and the pocket in which the 8 ½ ball will be pocketed. If there is a major fault (see below) on this shot the player immediately loses.
A player immediately loses the game if:
1. The shooter pockets the 8 ½ ball without announcing his/her intention of pocketing the 8 ½ ball
2. The shooter announces the incorrect pocket into which the 8 ½ ball is pocketed
3. The shooter pockets the cue ball having announced an intention to pocket the 8 ½ ball.
4. Having announced an intention to pocket the 8 ½ ball, the shooter commits a major fault.
2. A ball leaves the table. If the ball is not the cue, the ball is returned to the foot spot (or as near as possible, if another ball is occupying that space).
2. Failure of the cue ball to first make contact with a ball of that player’s group.
3. After the cue ball makes contact with an object ball, the failure of at least one ball (cue, group or 8 ½) to be pocketed or to hit at least one cushion.
This game requires the planning of positions both for making regular and combination shots while also foreseeing the blocking of the opponent‘s shots. As this game is played the importance of positioning will become apparent.
Design Patent Pending
Copyright 2007