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 that’s easy to understand but rich in strategy.

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 opening break must send the cue ball into an object ball and have the cue ball plus two object balls touch a cushion, or it’s a break violation.
• 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

• You only score by pocketing two balls in succession whose numbers add to fifteen (called a “cribbage”).
• The seven regular cribbages are: 1+14, 2+13, 3+12, 4+11, 5+10, 6+9, and 7+8.
• After all seven pairs are made, the 15-ball itself becomes a cribbage worth one point.
• First to score five cribbages wins the rack (from a total of eight possible).

Fouls & Penalties

• Three consecutive fouls and you lose the game.
• On any foul, your inning ends with no point penalty; incoming player may accept the table as is or take ball-in-hand behind the head string.
• Illegally pocketed or jumped balls get spotted with no additional penalty.
• 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.
• Mixed-skill friendly: Call-shot structure and set order make it accessible for newcomers while still rewarding accuracy and planning.
• 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, call your pair, and see if you can outscore your opponent in this memorable fifteen-point challenge.

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