Cutthroat (pool)
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Cutthroat is a three-player pocket billiards game, played on a pool table using cue sticks. Each player is assigned a set of numbered balls. The object is to be the last player with at least one ball still on the table. Subtle differences in game rules exist, with numerous regional variants. The name "cutthroat" is not unique to pool, but refers to any game played with three or more players in which each player must fend for himself (such as cutthroat bridge).
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[edit] Game play
When starting the game, the one-ball, six-ball, and eleven-ball should be placed on the three points of the rack. The one-ball is placed on the top where it is spotted.
In cutthroat, the "low" balls are 1-5, the "mid" balls are 6-10 and the "high" balls are 11-15. Each set of five balls is initially unclaimed, the assignment of groups of balls to each player is done during the initial stages of game play. The three players take turns attempting to knock any ball into a pocket. Once a player has knocked in a ball, he knows that he does not own that group of balls. For example, if a player started the game by hitting in the 3-ball and the 8-ball, he would own the high balls, as he has knocked in a low ball and mid ball. The other two players would still not have ownership over a set of balls, and would, during their turns, attempt to knock in balls to gain ownership over a set. This may vary by region. The most common variation is to assign the sets ahead of time in order of play (the first shooter is 1-5, the second shooter is 6-10, and the third shooter is 11-15).
A player's turn continues so long as he knocks in an opponent's ball with each shot. A shooter can even knock in his own ball without sinking an opponent's ball, thereby weakening his own chances to win in exchange for continuing his turn. This circumstance is called "cutting one's own throat".
[edit] Scratch
Another peculiarity of this game is the consequence of scratch, or knocking the cue ball into a pocket. In most circumstances, a player's opponents are rewarded by taking one of their balls each out of the pockets, and spotting them back onto the table. In some regional variants (and especially when played in bars with coin-operated tables where balls cannot be removed at will) the player who scratched selects one of his balls to be pocketed immediately. Other variants allow the next player ball-in-hand.
[edit] Winning the game
The object is to be the last player with at least one ball left on the table. When a player has no balls on the table, he is said to be 'out' and his turn is skipped in the rotation of taking shots. Under normal rules (where balls are retrieved on a scratch), if one of the remaining players scratches, the "out" man can recover a ball and return to the game.
[edit] Variations
A four player inverse variation with "community" balls, allegedly called lolzacat[verification needed]: The balls 1-15 are divided into five sets of three balls each: 1-3, 4-6, 7-9, 10-12 and 13-15. The balls are racked in the standard triangle and broken by the first player. The first player to sink any ball gets to choose one of the lower-numbered four sets of balls (typically the set that contained the ball just pocketed, though this is not required), and so on until each player has a set. The fifth and highest-numbered set is a community set. The object is to pocket one's own particular set of three balls, then the three community balls in ascending numerical order (like nine-ball), which cannot legally be pocketed by a player before that players' individual three object balls are pocketed. The winner is the player to legally pocket the last of the community balls.
