Meaning the cue ball can hit cushions but still be considered a foul if it doesn’t contact an object ball. If the shooter doesn’t have any object balls on the opposite side of the head string, he or she must bounce the cue ball off of one or more cushions at the opposite end of the table before it’s able to legally contact an object ball in the kitchen. A table scratch occurs when a player fails to hit an object ball with the cue ball. For a deeper exploration of the rules and potential penalties in pool, you may also want to read 8-Ball Pool Rules: The Simple Version, What is billiards or learn what happens if you hit your opponent’s ball in. The twist: the player must hit the lowest numbered ball first. Balls contaminated with any slippery substance - treated with a polishing or rubbing compound and/or waxed - must be cleansed and dewaxed with a clean cloth moistened with diluted alcohol before play. Any object balls pocketed during the break remain pocketed and the table remains open. This means that, no matter in which pocket the cue ball is pocketed in, the opposing player can only take the ball in hand from behind the head string.

Without friction, the ball travels indefinitely unless it reaches a corner, which stops the ball like a pocket. Now words like "ball-in-hand" and "behind the head string" are being thrown around, and you’re left wondering what’s next. Cue balls like this are very effective teachers. Slower balls tend to present more drastic spin and movement than faster balls. These guides offer insights into other aspects of the game, helping you become a more knowledgeable and skilled player. When a player pockets the cue ball, there are two common outcomes as a result of the foul. A player wins the game if that player legally pockets the 8 ball into a designated pocket after all of their object balls have been pocketed. In Eight-Ball, the player who pots the 8-ball after their designated balls wins. A correct guess wins the guesser the prize underneath the walnut half; an incorrect guess moves the guesser to the back of the line.

Another potential consequence of a scratch is being restricted to positioning the cue ball "behind the head string." The head string is an imaginary line dividing the table, and being behind it means that the cue ball must be placed or shot from the specific area nearest the end where the game began. Most collisions between billiard balls don’t happen in a straight line. A shot goes amiss, and your heart sinks as the cue ball heads straight for a pocket. So, if the player strikes the cue ball, which strikes an object ball, the object ball must either travel to a cushion or a pocket in order to be a legal shot. In this case, the shooter can only aim at object balls that are directly on or on the opposite side of the head string. Another form of table scratch occurs when the shooting player fails to drive the legal object ball either to a cushion or to a pocket. Cue Ball Pocketed, 8-Ball Not Pocketed: In cases where the cue ball finds its way into a pocket while the 8-ball remains un-potted after an attempt on the final 8-ball, in a way, you lucked out!

Those who think they have what it takes to survive in this lair camp out every other year for the chance to obtain free tickets to Garriott's four-night haunted house. Did you know there were so many kinds of ball games out there in the world? In some unofficial circles, a scratch on a break is an automatic loss, but this is not common practice in the professional pool world or in most agreed upon informal rules. The proper and best-fitting pool cue based on the game and the player’s profile will contribute to making the player as proficient as possible, often depending on their skill level. This penalty can limit the player’s options, making their next shot more challenging. A few more require various amounts of cash as an incentive to cough up the details. This Aramith Jim Rempe training cue ball is marked for beginners on one side and more advanced players on another. The head string is denoted by the middle markers or diamonds on either side at the head of the table. In addition to the perfect billiards tables, we offer various pool table accessories, including supplies, cloths, and cues.