How To Play Cribbage Pool: The Fifteen-Point Cue Sport

Estimated Read Time: 5 mins | April 27, 2025

Cribbage Pool—also known as Cribbage Pocket Billiards—adds a card-game twist to your billiard table. By pairing balls that total fifteen, it creates a fresh scoring challenge. This guide follows the Amateur Billiards Federation’s RuleBook, Revision 2.0, chapter 6; other editions can use different scoring or foul provisions.

Equipment & Setup

Standard pocket billiard table with full set of object balls (1–15) plus cue ball
Triangle rack, placing the 15-ball in the center
Corner balls arranged so no two of them sum to fifteen; all others can be random

How to Play

Two players alternate turns.
The ABF version requires an open break: pocket a ball or drive at least four balls to rails.
On every shot, the cue ball must contact an object ball, then either pocket a ball or send any ball to a cushion. Failing to do so is a foul.

Scoring by Fifteens

A regular cribbage is a pair totaling 15, pocketed consecutively in the same inning. If the companion is not pocketed on the next stroke, the shot is a foul and the unpaired ball is spotted. Multiple balls can create several pending pairs; see chapter 6 for their completion order.
The seven regular cribbages are: 1+14, 2+13, 3+12, 4+11, 5+10, 6+9, and 7+8.
The 15-ball is played last and is worth two points in the ABF version. Pocketing it early ends the turn and it is spotted, but is not itself a foul.
First to five points wins. Seven one-point pairs plus the final two-point 15 provide nine possible points in this version.

Fouls & Penalties

Three consecutive fouls and you lose the game.
A foul ends the inning without deducting points. The opponent may accept the position or return the shot to the fouler; an ordinary foul does not automatically give ball in hand.
Failed unpaired balls are spotted; previously completed legal pairs remain scored. Use the book’s spotting and general-foul provisions for other cases.
Scratching or jumping the cue ball gives the opponent cue-ball-in-hand behind the head string.

Why Play Cribbage Pool?

Fresh scoring: Pairing to fifteen feels novel and keeps both players engaged.
Call-pocket play: The ABF rules use called pockets, with obvious shots exempt from an express call. Plan the companion before taking the first ball.
Strategic depth: Choosing which combinations to pursue impacts table control and defensive positioning.
Quick matches: Racks end as soon as one player reaches five points—perfect for rotating through multiple games.

Conclusion

Cribbage Pool stands out by blending the simplicity of call-shot play with the strategic fun of pairing numbered balls to fifteen. It’s a great choice when you want a game that’s easy to pick up, yet offers tactical variety and brisk play. Chalk up, plan your pair, and see if you can outscore your opponent in this pairing-to-fifteen challenge.

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