[daryn]

this came up last night. we went to a billiard place for a friend's birthday. i was reminded of how i hate playing pool with basically everyone, because nobody but me seems to know the rules.

things that i hate:

i'll have nothing but the 8 ball left and they of course will have 5 or so balls scattered around. the cue will be stuck behind a few balls making it very improbable that i get a legal shot off. it's my shot. of course they are quick to say IF U SCRATCH U LOSE DOOD!! of course they don't realize that you only lose if you scratch on the 8 shot and the 8 is potted.

another one is ball in hand rule, where they scratch and then they make you put it "behind the line". the worst is when you're on the 8 and the 8 is on the same side of the table, so they force you to make some kind of circus shot where you have to bank it off the far cushion and back. of course, go back to my first gripe, they say if you scratch YOU LOSE LOLOLOOL!!!

another one i came across last night. guy went up to take his shot.. just barely tapped the cue into a neighboring ball. the ball barely moves. then he says "your shot"... as if it's not a scratch. you must drive a ball or the cue to a cushion, or pocket a ball... otherwise you could just go back and forth trading little taps.

this really bugs me more than it shoud.. and most of the time i just "play dumb" and play by the "house rules" or whatever.

also last night some guy scratched on the break, and he was like, "that's the game, we lost" .. WTF? NO you do not lose if you scratch on the break.