While 8-Ball and 9-Ball dominate television broadcasts and league night, your slate pool table is capable of hosting dozens of rich, historically fascinating cue sports. Exploring alternative billiard games sharpens your position play, teaches tactical defense, and makes game night thrilling for groups of any size. In this 2026 compendium, we break down the rules and strategies of the 7 best billiard games you should be playing on your home table.
7 Games Every Player Should Know
Master One-Pocket, 14.1 Continuous (Straight Pool), Cutthroat, 10-Ball, 3-Ball, Kelly Pool, and Bowlliards to master every corner of the table.
Table of Contents
The 7 Great Billiard Games Ranked
1. One-Pocket (The Chess Game of Billiards)
Each player chooses one of the two foot corner pockets. Any ball pocketed into your chosen pocket scores one point. Sinking a ball into any other pocket spots it back up. First player to score 8 balls wins. Demands the highest level of defensive safety play in cue sports.
2. 14.1 Continuous (Straight Pool)
The game played by legends Willie Mosconi and Minnesota Fats. Every shot is called (ball and pocket). After pocketing 14 balls, the 15th ball remains on the table as a “break ball” while the other 14 are re-racked. Players can string together runs of 50, 100, or 200+ consecutive balls!
3. Cutthroat Pool (Best for 3 Players)
Balls 1-15 divided into Lows, Mids, and Highs. Eliminate your opponents’ balls while protecting your own (see full Cutthroat Pool Rules).
4. 10-Ball (The Professional Call-Shot Discipline)
Rotation game where you must contact the lowest ball first, but unlike 9-ball, every shot must be called—slop shots and flukes do not count!
5. 3-Ball (The Fast-Paced Bar Challenge)
Only three balls are racked in a tiny triangle. Players take turns breaking and running out the three balls. The player who sinks all three in the fewest total strokes wins.
6. Kelly Pool (Pea Pool)
Players draw numbered peas from a shaker bottle. Your goal is to sink your secret ball before opponents uncover which number you hold.
7. Bowlliards (Pool Bowling)
Ten frames of play. Each frame, you rack 10 balls. You get two innings (like bowling frames) to pocket as many balls as possible. A run of 10 on your first inning counts as a Strike (30 points)!
(Make sure your table dimensions allow full cue swings with our Pool Table Room Size Calculator and review defensive tactics in The Art of the Safety Shot).
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
What is the best pool game for 3 players?
Cutthroat pool is universally regarded as the best 3-player billiard game because all three players participate actively without requiring anyone to sit out.
7 Exciting Pool Table Games Beyond Standard 8-Ball & 9-Ball
While 8-ball and 9-ball dominate tournament television and casual bar play, your billiard table is capable of hosting dozens of thrilling, highly strategic alternative cue sports. Whether you have three players looking for an elimination battle or want to hone your position play with bowling scoring, these seven games offer endless entertainment for any game room.
1. Cutthroat (The Ultimate 3-Player Game)
Cutthroat is designed specifically for three players. The 15 balls are split into three equal groups: Lows (1–5), Mids (6–10), and Highs (11–15). Each player claims a group, and the goal is to pocket all of your opponents’ balls while keeping at least one of your own balls on the table. If an opponent scratches, all eliminated players get one ball restored to the table, creating dramatic comeback opportunities.
2. Bowlliards (Pool Meets Bowling Scoring)
Bowlliards translates ten-pin bowling directly to the pool table. A single player or group plays 10 frames. In each frame, you rack all 10 balls. You have two chances (“innings”) to pocket as many balls as possible in any order. Pocketing all 10 on the first attempt scores a Strike (30 points maximum); pocketing all 10 across two attempts scores a Spare. Perfect 300 games are the ultimate test of run-out consistency!
3. Straight Pool (14.1 Continuous)
The traditional grandmaster’s game played in classic pool halls. Each legally called ball scores 1 point. When 14 balls are pocketed, the 15th ball remains in place while the other 14 are re-racked with the apex open. The shooter then pockets the 15th “break ball,” caroming into the fresh rack to sustain continuous 50-to-100+ point runs.
Summary Comparison of Game Variations
| Game Name | Player Count | Skill Level Required | Primary Tactical Focus |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cutthroat | 3 Players | Beginner – Intermediate | Offensive potting & defensive safety clustering |
| Bowlliards | 1 to 4 Players | Intermediate – Advanced | Pattern play, cue-ball speed control & endurance |
| Straight Pool (14.1) | 2 Players | Advanced | Break-ball positioning & end-of-rack clusters |
| One Pocket | 2 Players | Expert | Banking, rail dead-safeties & defensive chess traps |
Frequently Asked Questions About Billiard Games
What is the best pool game for an odd number of players?
Cutthroat is the gold standard for three players, while Kelly Pool (Pea Pool) allows 4 to 15 players to compete simultaneously using numbered pills drawn from a shaker bottle.
Can you play snooker games on an American 8-foot pool table?
Yes, you can play modified 10-red or 6-red snooker using scaled 2 1/16-inch snooker balls on any standard American pool table.
Marc Robert is the founder, chief technician, and senior equipment tester at Billiard Guides. With over 15 years of competitive amateur tournament and league experience (APA Skill Level 7 & BCA Master Division), Marc pairs deep table-side knowledge with rigorous mechanical bench testing. A certified cue mechanic and table mechanic, Marc specializes in three-piece slate alignment (calibrated using Starrett 98 precision machinist levels to ±0.005″), high-speed 240fps cue shaft deflection analysis, Shore D durometer tip hardness profiling, and Simonis worsted cloth friction testing. His independent reviews, drill curricula, and diagnostic calculators are trusted by over 500,000 cue sports players worldwide.
