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Slosh Pool Rules

These Slosh Pool rules explain the very popular snooker game played quite frequently in India.

According to Slosh Pool Rules, points may be scored via in-offs, cannons, and pots. The game is played similar to snooker, and the six colors are placed as they are in snooker. That is one red ball in the direct center of the top cushion, and one white ball in the direct center of the bottom cushion.

The game is played by two players, each of which whom use the same cue ball. The cue ball used is generally the spot white ball from a billiards set. The following list breaks down some scoring and general Slosh Pool rules.

Slosh pool begins with the first player striking the black ball. If a cannon or a valid pot or in-off results from that shot, the beginning player continues at the table. If the shooting player fails to score, fails to hit the black ball first in the shot, or commits a foul, (See below...) the player's inning is over and the incoming player is up. All Slosh Pool players have to strike the black ball first with their opening shots at the table. Should they fail to contact the black ball they shall continue toward this goal, however, each failed attempt constitutes a foul. Once the shooting player successfully strikes their black ball, they may play for any ball in each consecutive turn. If a player should foul at any time during the game, they must complete the aforementioned striking of the black ball. Slosh Pool can be played on either a time-limit or a high score limit.

  • In Slosh Pool rules, to pot the black ball or to make an in-off from the black ball is worth seven point. These shots, however, can only be made in the top pockets.
  • Any pot or in-off shot that is not made in the proper pocket is assessed a foul. The minimum foul assessed is four point, and higher fouls may be assessed for infractions involving higher value balls.
  • Six points can be attained by potting the pink ball or performing and in-off from the pink ball. These shots may be made in any of the four corner shots. The blue balls may only be shot in to either of the two center pockets, the brown ball may be shot in to only the two bottom pockets, the green balls may be shot in to only the bottom left pocket, and the yellow ball may be shot only in to the bottom right pocket. To pot these balls would yeild the standard snooker point values for the balls, which are five, four, three, two, and one respectively.
  • When shooting, and potting a ball from an in-off, the shooting player returns to, and plays from, within the D. All potted balls are replaced to their respective spots on the table. Any time a player is playing from in-hand, they must strike a ball out of the baulk, or strike a cushion outside of the baulk prior to contacting any ball resting inside the baulk. If this Slosh Pool regulation is not met, a four-point foul shall be assessed.
  • To pot a red ball in-off is worth 30 points to the shooting player. However, if the red ball is struck directly, and a pot in-off does not result, a foul is assessed with a penalty of 30 points. After shooting the red ball, the cue ball may not strike any other ball in the same shot. Should this occur, a foul is assessed with a penalty of 30 points.
  • Potting the white ball, or performing an in-off via the white ball is worth 15 points. Other conditions are identical as those with the red.
  • Any shot off of the red ball or the white ball may be made in any pocket.
  • Cannons may be made off of any balls except for the red and white balls. All cannons are worth two points, and only three consecutive cannons are allowed. Beyond three consecutive cannons, the player must play a pot, or an in-off. There are no restrictions on the amount of pots or in-offs a player is allowed.
  • Combination pots, cannons, and in-offs are all scored as in billiards, with appropriate adjustments to the ball's values.
  • If the break shot concludes with the player failing to score, his or her score is added to their previous total score. If the break shot concludes with the player committing a foul, that player loses all points scored during the inning, and the value of the foul is either deducted from the offending player's total or added to the other player's total score.

Slosh Pool rules are fairly simple, but you'll never really learn how to play Slosh Pool unless you get out there and hit the tables.

Slosh Pool Rules

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...or view existing Slosh Pool Rules questions in the forum.

Slosh Pool Rules History

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The official Slosh Pool Rules are predominently observed in India.

How to Play Slosh Pool

  • Title: Slosh Pool Rules
  • Author: (Billiards Forum)
  • Published: 2/11/2008 8:41:00 PM
  • Source: Internet

Slosh Pool Rules

The Slosh Pool Rules article belongs to the Snooker Rules category. Snooker is a type of cue sport game that is played on a snooker table.

Slosh Pool Rules Comments

  1. Peter the PomPeter the Pom from Hervey Bay, Queensland on 2/1/2011 5:44:22 PM

    I have been playing the game of slosh on and off since 1962 but when we played slosh we were allowed to place the cue ball on the "D" line either to left or right of the Brown ball to commence the game, and not off the bottom cushion as listed in the rules.

    Trying to hit the black ball from the start by putting the cue ball on the bottom cushion directly in line with the brown to my mind makes it a "snooker" from the word go.

    That is why us older patrons of the game make it a little easier to commence the play.

  2. mprescottmprescott from Victoria, BC on 6/19/2011 9:47:57 PM

    In Toronto, Ontario and Victoria, BC in Canada, Indian Billiards (or Indian Pool) with a rover blue ball is called Russian Billiards or Canadian Russian Billiards.

    For details on this, search for "Russian Billiards in Canada" in the search box at the top of the page.

  3. David PimblettDavid Pimblett from Willingham, England on 3/28/2015 10:12:15 AM

    Glad I found this.

    I played Slosh to very similar rules in the early-to-mid 1970s on a 9 or 10 foot table at my prep school - Heath Mount in Hertfordshire. Only difference is that there was no extra white ball, and the red ball worth 21 potting or in-off. I've never seen or heard of it any way else.

    Having recently re-erected the family's 12-foot snooker table, Slosh is a game that works very well with players of mixed abilities.

    I've made a few amendments to the rules we use:

    • Red is always worth 30 (in-off or pot)
    • White ball replaced with the red/white number 15 pool ball.
    • Maximum of three pots/in-offs on the same colour consecutively (like cannons).
    • At time (15-20 mins) or score limit (100-150) a "Bar Billiards" type of bar falls; i.e. play continues but correctly potted balls do not come back.
    • When two balls are correctly potted, any ball can be potted (or an in-off made) in any pocket.
    • When two more balls are potted both the red and the red/white can be used for canons and can be played without penalty.

    These rules make for some very interesting, exciting, and sometimes desperate tactics. I'm now considering allowing a player to opt out of his turn but instead move a coloured ball back to it's spot or something similar as a blue hanging over a corner pocket can be fun but only for so long!

  4. VishalVishal from Punjab, India on 8/20/2015 12:03:41 AM

    I would like to know whether rest is allowed in the game of slosh pool or not.

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