How to Play Cut-Throat Pool

Playing pool is always a favorite pastime, but what do you do when you have three or six people in your group. Playing tournaments gets old real quick and your lose your group quickly from boredome. So why not play a game that three or six (playing doubles) people can play. The game is Cut Throat.

Cut Throat is a fun variation of regulation pool because the games move fast and with more people you get a variety of skillsets on the table. The game is set for three players or when playing teams you can have six at the table. Rather than having 7 balls on each side and a neutral ball (the 8 ball), you have 3 sets of 5 balls for each player.

When playing Cut Throat you have three groups of pool balls, 1-5, 6-10, and 11-15. The goal of the game is to sink the other teams balls while leaving one of yours (at minimum) on the table. For example, if you are 6-10, then you would win when 1-5 and 11-15 are no longer on the table.

You choose groups by first having a person break. Once they have sunk a ball they can choose their grouping. The next person that can go will sink a ball and then choose his grouping. The last person gets his/her grouping be default.

Now there are several versions to the game, the first is with how you get to choose the groupings. One variation of Cut Throat is to not allow the first person to choose their grouping unless they have sunk one ball from each of the opposing groups. Otherwise, the choice is still open. However, I find this to actually quicken the game. The game is already fast paced, so I would much rather not have groupings to be another factor that fastens the pace.

At each turn, the respective players continue to try and sink balls from anyone's group other than theirs. During the normal rotation of play there are several options for rules. Followig are the rules I prefer to play and make the game most enjoyable overall. Once you play this variation of pool awhile you will quickly see why I have chosen these rules and be able to make your own preference.

The first rule follow normal pool rules - all balls are neutral with the exception of your own. What this translates to in reguation 8 ball is that when making combination shots, the oponents balls and the eight ball are neutral; meaning that when using any other ball other than your own to hit another ball fora combination keeps your turn.

The second rule to enforce is whether or not you allow suicide. I prefer not to allow suicide when playing Cut Throat. Suicide is sinking your own ball in order to keep your turn in play. It may seem ridiculous at first, but when you now are trying to sink 10 out of 15 balls rather 7 out of 15, sacrificing one of your own to setup for series of shots will make you think otherwise.

Lastly, there are options when a player scratches. You can either just end the players turn or many players choose to activate another option. If a player scratches a variation to bring back into play a sunken ball from each of his opponents. Therefore, if the player for 1-5 scratches, you would place at the break dot a ball from 6-10 and a ball from 11-15. This could in fact bring back a player from the dead.

When a player's balls are competely off the table, the player is out of the game. The remaining players will continue to rotate until only one player remains.

Cut Throat is a game you can play for hours. So rotation changes from game to game depending on the end result. Once your are out you are last on the rotation. Winning the game earns you the right to break the next match. Therefore, rotation follows the order or vistory in the previous match. The winner breaks, the player the winner beat goes second, and the first perosn out breaks and shoots third.

This variation of pool helps you to broaden your skillset by playing more than one player at once. It also allows you to stragegize a bit differently than when playing a traditional game of 8 ball or 9 ball pool. So learn to play a fast paced game while having fun with friends and practicing the skill.

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