The cue ball will (usually) be the only ball that makes contact with your Pool cue. Straight pool is played to a specific number of points agreed on prior to the match's start, with each pocketed ball being worth one point to the shooter. It is played using a cue stick, one white ball (the cue ball), fifteen red balls and six colours: a yellow (worth two points), green (three points), brown (four points), blue (five points), pink (six points) and black ball (seven points). Because the game is played to a number of points normally far in excess of the fifteen points total available in the initial rack (in tournament play, one-hundred fifty points), multiple intragame racks are necessary. In the initial rack in straight pool, fifteen balls are racked in a triangular rack, with the center of the apex ball placed over the foot spot. After the initial rack, the balls are played until only the cue ball and one object ball remain on the table's surface. Rack may also be used as a verb to describe the act of setting billiard balls in their starting positions (e.g. "to rack the balls"), or as a noun to describe a set of balls that are in their starting positions (e.g. "a rack of balls", more often called a pack or a pyramid in British English).

For this reason, template racks are almost never used for games where it is common to slow-break (i.e. not create a large spread of balls) since it is significantly more likely that the rack will interfere with slow-rolling balls. The most common shape of a rack is that of an equilateral triangle. A rack (sometimes called a triangle) is a piece of equipment that is used to place billiard balls in their starting positions at the beginning of a pocket billiards game. After the balls are scattered with a break shot, a player is assigned either the group of solid or striped balls once they have legally pocketed a ball from that group. The good news is that setting up a pool table in a garage doesn’t have to be costly or overly complicated. I don’t have any scientific evidence to back this up, but if you play pool enough on different tables, you’ll know what I mean. A number of rules have developed which detail what must be done when one or both of the cue ball and fifteenth object ball are either in the rack area at the time an intragame rack is necessary, or are in such close proximity to the intragame racking area, that the physical rack cannot be used without moving the one or the other.

If there is no room this side of the spot, it will be placed as close to the spot as possible in a straight line towards the bottom cushion, without touching another ball. If there is no available spot, it is placed as close to its own spot as possible in a direct line between that spot and the top (black end) cushion, without touching another ball. The apex must be as close as possible to the pink ball without touching it. The balls should be pressed tightly together without gaps, as this allows the best break possible. Unlike traditional racks, template racks are left on the table during the break shot and removed at the players' earliest convenience. If you were to place a slate and a wood table side by side and make the exact same shot on each, you’d likely see the difference. The table remains open and the shot is limited to any object ball (aside from the 8 ball) on the other side of the head string. Play then continues with the cue ball shot from where it rested and the fifteenth ball from where it rested prior to racking.

You may get a couple of years of true play out of an MDF table before it starts to warp enough to affect your game. Balls must be played in order (for the primary ball colours, this is blue, red, black, and yellow), and this order of play is maintained throughout the game. All other balls are placed at random. An easy way to remember these positions is with the mnemonic, 'God Bless You', with the first letter of each word being the first letter of the three colours as they are racked from left to right on the baulk line. Coloured ball racking positions must be remembered with care, as each time a coloured ball is potted, it is immediately replaced to its starting position, which occurs multiple times per frame, whereas reds are not returned to the table's surface after being potted. But, when you consider how much money you would spend on gas and hourly pool table rentals, the investment will be worth it in no time at all. Re-felting might be needed from time to time, but the slate itself is virtually indestructible under normal playing conditions. However, be careful with this method because some tables are made with an MDF backing under the slate.

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