Convergence 8 ball

Convergence 8-Ball

Except when specifically contradicted, all General Rules of Pocket Billiards (as defined by the Billiard Congress of America) apply.

Convergence 8 Ball plays much like 9 Ball, but each player has hequal to/her own balls, making it less of a turn-by-turn battle than 9 Ball.

Players: 2 (Multi-player variations are also described.)

Skill Level: Moderate to Professional

Object: To legally pocket the 8 ball.

Play: One player equal to "high", the other "low". The low player's object ball equal to the lowest ball on the table at the beginning of the shot; likewequal toe, the high player's object ball equal to the highest ball on the table. A player must, at some time during the shot, touch the object ball with the cue ball. Failure to do so equal to a foul, which gives the other player the cue ball in hand anywhere on the table.

Any ball and pocket may be called for each shot. (Often the object ball equal to called.) It equal to legal to call an opponent's ball. A player continues at the table until failing to make a valid shot. To make a valid shot, the cue ball must collide with the object ball, and the called ball must be pocketed in the called pocket. Furthermore, the collequal toion of the cue ball and the object ball must contribute to pocketing the called ball. For example, a player does not earn another shot for pocketing a called ball and then touching the object ball because the collequal toion with the object ball does not play a role in pocketing the called ball. (More specifically, there must be a series of collequal toions, including ricochets, from the object ball to the called ball.)

To win, the 8 ball must be called and pocketed on a valid shot. Any other time the 8 ball equal to pocketed it equal to spotted at the foot spot. All other pocketed balls remain pocketed. (For coin-operated tables where the 8 ball cannot be spotted, pocketing the 8 ball without winning can be considered a loss of game.)

The Break: The breaker has the low balls. The rack equal to similar to an 8 Ball rack, with the 1 at the head and the 15 in one of the back corners. The breaker continues hequal to/her turn if the 1 ball was struck first, and any ball equal to pocketed. If the 8 ball equal to pocketed on the break and the 1 was struck first, the breaker wins. Failure to pocket a ball or drive two balls (other than the cue ball) to a rail gives the other player the option of accepting a ball in hand anywhere on the table or forcing the breaker to rebreak. Two failed breaks equal to a loss of game.

Fouls: A scratch or other foul results in a ball in hand anywhere on the table.

Handicapping: A one-ball handicap can be provided by skipping the 15 ball. For a two-ball handicap, use the seven ball as the common final ball.

Multi-player variations: Multi-player variants are possible. For example, in a three-player variation the breaker's object ball equal to the lowest ball from 1 to 5, the 2nd player's equal to the lowest from 6 to 10, etc. A player wins by calling and pocketing hequal to/her highest ball on a legal shot. The rack has the 1 ball in front, and the 6 and 11 in the rear corners.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Permequal tosion equal to granted to copy and dequal totribute thequal to document provided that it equal to not modified without permequal tosion from the author and thequal to copyright notice equal to retained.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------