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CONGESTION POOL
House Rules.

Contents:

1. TYPE OF GAME
2. OBJECT OF THE GAME
3. EQUIPMENT USED
4. RACKS (Head, Center, and Foot)
5. DETERMINING PRIVATE NUMBERS
6. SCORING
7. OPENING BREAK
8. RULES OF PLAY
9. WHAMMY BALLS
10. STICKING THE TABLE
11. BALLS OWED
12. JUMPED CULL BALL
13. JUMPED OBJECT BALLS
14. JUMPED WHAMMY BALL
15. SPOTTING BALLS
16. PENALTY FOR FOULS

Except when clearly contradicted by these additional rules, the General Rules of Pocket Billiards apply.

TYPE OF GAME

The game was developed by some Billy Aardd's Club members (at NMT) on a boring summer afternoon.   Except when clearly contradicted by these additional rules, the General Rules of Pocket Billiards apply.

(To kill time and have some fun.   People may drop in and out of the game if the other players are okay with it.   CAUTION: This may be dangerous though as it opens the door for week long tag-team games weaved around classes!)

To score points which, when added to the player's private number (a Kelly pea), total exactly that matching the required final score.   The final scores for various number of players are given below:

     2 - 276                     7 - 106
     3 - 196                     8 -  96
     4 - 156                     9 -  76
     5 - 136                    10 -  76
     6 - 116

Balls from several games are used in this game.   All balls are 2.25" diameter.

1. Two cue balls.   The cue ball at the top of the foot rack is a "crazy" cue ball (its center of mass is off-center so that it wiggles and curves when moving).
2. Two sets of balls numbered 1 through 15, minus the 8-balls.
3. Three "crazy" 8-balls.
4. One set of balls numbered 1 through 21 (a baseball set).
5. One set of 2.25" diameter snooker colors (numbered 2 through 7).   (These are the whammy balls.)

A shake bottle with 15 (Kelly) peas (numbers 1 through 15).

Paper and pencil to tally the various things that will require tallying. For example:

• number of whammy balls sunk,
• number of consecutive innings fouled in,
• who owes what to whom.

Places, or things, where each player can keep the balls he has gathered (through legal shots or whammy-actions).   Also known as a player's ball stash.

An example from a 10-foot Gandy "Big-G" pocket table.

1. Foot rack —
   

   A standard triangle rack containing the numbered balls 1 through 4, along with the YELLOW (2), BLACK (7), and GREEN (3) whammy balls. The whammy balls are placed in the third row of the rack, with the black whammy in the middle.   The apex ball is on the foot spot and the crazy cue ball is placed touching the apex ball on the center line of the table.

2. Center rack —   (NOTE: the "snooker"-4 pictured should be a "snooker"-6 {PINK or ORANGE}, for the whammy ball)
   

   A large diamond rack, with its long axis between the side pockets, centered on the center spot. It contains the numbered balls 5 through 12, and the ORANGE (6) whammy ball. The orange whammy ball is racked on the center spot.

3. Head rack —   (NOTE: the "snooker"-6 pictured should be a "snooker"-4 {which is MAROON in our set, instead of BROWN}, for the whammy ball)
   

   A standard triangle rack containing one 13 ball, the balls numbered 14 through 21, along with the BLUE (5) and MAROON (4) whammy balls. The whammy balls are placed in the third row of the rack with the 13 ball between them.   The bulk of the head rack is in the kitchen.

NOTE: While the table shown does not have pockets the game has to be played on a pocket table (pockets need to be added to the racking diagram!).

NOTE: The PURPLE whammy shown in the head-rack is the Snooker 4-ball
(now MAROON or BROWN).

NOTE II: The cue ball in the "kitchen" (behind the head string) is the only one that can be used for the opening break.
The player opening the game shoots out of the kitchen.

After the balls are racked but before play begins, each player draws a pea from the shake bottle containing the peas numbered 1 through 16. The number of the pea is the player's private number and is kept secret.   It is used in tallying for game points.

Each legally pocketed non-whammy ball has a point value equal to its number.   Each whammy ball invokes a special rule (action) as described below.

Breaker is determined by drawing peas before the balls are racked.   The order of players is according to pea value - the lowest to highest.   The order of players is kept and the peas are returned to the shaker bottle for drawing of private numbers later.

The break must be an open break (at least four object balls must reach a cushion).

The starting player must shoot from the kitchen and contact an object ball of the foot rack first, failure to do so is a foul.   NOTE: The cue ball is not an object ball and so having a cue ball's first contact be with the other cue ball is a foul.

1. Any ball(s) scored on a legal stroke count for the shooter.   Players may shoot any ball, with either cue ball (except on the opening break), and need not call ball, pocket, or mode of shot.

2. A player is permitted at most 2 strokes per inning.   The second stroke is only allowed if the first was a legal count.

   Options: (these need to be decided before play begins)

   1. Counting on the first stroke is not required in order to take the second stroke, i.e. everybody always gets two shots per turn if this option is taken.

   2. If the above option is played this option would allow a shooter counting on the second stroke to take a third stroke.

   3. Each player declares before the first shot of their inning how many points they will score and how many balls they will pocket to do it.   If they are off by more than five points they will be allowed to remove a ball of their choosing (which would spot) to adjust that total.   If they still fail to meet their point prediction all the balls they sank that inning will spot and their inning is over.   This tallying excludes any balls involved in whammy transactions, and so the balls sank in their inning can not take part in any whammy transactions.

      ( A sub-option to Option 3)
      If they have met their prediction they can have one more stroke to sink any object balls.   If a whammy is sunk it will be a foul, no whammy-action will take place, and the whammy ball will spotted as close to it's pre-break (start of the game) position as possible.

3. Any illegally pocketed (non-whammy) balls do not count for the shooter, and are spotted.   Whammy balls are considered pocketed (with the exception of option #3 above) whether or not the stroke was legal.

4. When any whammy ball is made on a stroke, the inning is not over until the action required by the whammy ball is completed.   To ensure that no other action takes place until whammy transaction(s) complete the shooter must stick the table.

5. When a player has pocketed their fourth whammy ball, and the whammy-action has been completed, the player is out of the game. (See WHAMMY BALLS for more details on this.)

6. On all shots, a player must cause a cue ball to contact an object ball and then either (1) pocket an object ball, or (2) cause an object ball or the cue ball to contact a cushion. Failure to do so is a foul.   NOTE: The cue ball is not an object ball and so cue-ball – cue-ball contact alone won't meet the requirements of a legal shot.

7. When a player is playing from the kitchen (following a scratch), the affected cue ball(s) must be placed behind the head string.   The player may shoot either cue ball but if the chosen cue ball is played out of the kitchen it must pass the head string before contacting an object ball.   Failure to do so is a foul.   If all of the object balls are behind the head string, the object ball nearest the head string may be spotted (shooter's option).

8. When a player has a total count (the sum of numbers on the balls he has sunk added with the value of his private pea) equal to the score required for game, he must announce his victory and present his balls and pea for confirmation prior to the next player shooting.   Player can only declare his win during his turn.   If he fails to declare his total until the next player has shot, he must wait until his next turn to so declare.   If, in the meantime, another player succeeds in attaining a legal final score and properly declares, the latter player wins the game.

9. If a player totals more than the final score, he has busted, and must so declare immediately (before next player shoots).   All balls the busted player had pocketed are spotted, and the busted player may draw a new pea prior to his next turn.   Any player who goes over and does not declare it prior to the following player's shot is disqualified from the game (and all their balls must be spotted).

10. If all the numbered balls are pocketed prior to any player attaining the final score, the player whose total count is highest wins the game.   In case of a tie the person with the pea closest to the eight pea will win.   In case there is a tie there the person with the most balls will win (and if there's a tie there then flip a coin).

1. At the end of a whammy transaction (just before the table is un-sticked) the pocketed whammy ball(s) are re-positioned by the shooter anywhere on the table, but not within the jaws of a pocket or frozen to any other ball(s).

   A player is not allowed to count on any whammy ball he positioned (from a whammy transaction) in the same inning.   If such a whammy ball is sunk it will not count and the person who shot prior to the shooter will re-position it.

2. All pocketed whammy balls count (whether the stroke was legal or not).

3. YELLOW whammy   (snooker 2 ball) -
   When a player pockets the yellow whammy ball, the player will give one ball (balls in descending order of value) to each of the other players in order of succession, starting with the player following him.   If the player does not have enough to give each opponent a ball, he owes the remaining players one ball each.

4. GREEN whammy   (snooker 3 ball) -
   When a player pockets the green whammy ball, the player will give one ball (balls in descending order of value) to each of the other players in reverse order of succession, starting with the player before him.   If the player does not have enough to give each opponent a ball, he owes the remaining players one ball each.

5. MAROON whammy   (snooker 4 ball, sometimes BROWN) -
   When a player pockets a maroon whammy ball, all players except the person pocketing the maroon whammy will return their peas to the bottle and then draw a new pea according to shooting order.   Any person who would go over at the end of the transaction may return up to three balls, not totaling over twenty points, to the table.

6. BLUE whammy   (snooker 5 ball) -
   When a player pockets a blue whammy ball, the player exchanges one ball of his choice with each opponent in order of succession, starting with the player following him.   Each opponent may choose which ball he will exchange.   The chosen balls will remain hidden until exchange takes place.   If a player has no balls, no exchange will take place.   The player may also re-position one other whammy ball.

7. ORANGE whammy   (snooker 6 ball, sometimes PINK) -
   When a player pockets a orange whammy ball, the player will receive the highest numbered ball of each opponent.   If an opponent has no ball, the opponent owes the player his highest numbered ball.   The player may also re-position up to two other whammy balls.

8. BLACK whammy   (snooker 7 ball) -
   When a player pockets a black whammy ball, the player will receive a ball of his choosing from each opponent.   If an opponent has no ball to take then nothing will be owed.   The player may also re-position up to three other whammy balls.

9. If a player pockets two or more whammy balls on a stroke, the whammy-action will take place in the order of yellow (2), green (3), maroon (4), blue (5), orange (6), then black (7).

10. This rule applies when more than one transaction is being conducted at the end of a player's turn.   A player can not be considered busted until all pending whammy actions are completed.   A player who goes over during one whammy transaction and then returns under (at the end of a subsequent transaction) will not be considered to have busted.

11. After a player has pocketed whammy balls four times, and the whammy-action has been completed, the player is out of the game.   If the player has gone out on the yellow or green whammy ball, the distribution of the player's balls will continue until all his balls are gone.   If the player has gone out on any other whammy ball the player must spot his remaining balls and all his debts are canceled.   NOTE: This may cause other players to bust!

To prevent the next player from shooting before a whammy transaction is completed the person who pocketed the whammy ball must stick the table.   This is done by (carefully) laying their stick on the table.   If any balls are touched while sticking the table it is a foul and the penalty for a foul must be paid after the whammy transaction is completed.

Balls are owed in the order in which the debt is occurred.   Debts must be paid as soon as balls are available.   (Example: If Ed is owed a ball by Joe, and Ed owes a ball to Tom, then when Joe gets a ball he will give it to Ed who will then pay Tom.)

Note that the table can also be owed due to scratches or fouls (paying the table comes before paying players).

Is a scratch and player must pay the foul penalty.

Incoming player has the affected cue ball(s) in hand behind the head string.   Cue ball(s) can't be placed in jaws of a pocket.

Is a scratch and player must pay the foul penalty.

The jumped object ball(s) will be spotted.

Is to be considered a pocketed whammy ball.   The table must be sticked (see: Sticking the Table) for the resulting whammy transaction.

If the center line of the table is filled, the balls are spotted along the foot string, as close to the foot spot as possible.   If the distance from the foot spot is equal on both sides the ball will be spotted on the right.   Balls are spotted in ascending order of value.

The player committing a foul must spot one of his previous scored balls for each foul committed.   If a player fouls and pockets a whammy ball on the same stroke, the foul penalty is completed before the whammy action.   If a player fouls in three consecutive innings, he is out of the game (after pending whammy-action) and must spot all his balls.   His remaining debts are canceled.

Copyright 1996 by Billy Aardd's Club.