Playing Pool at a Bar: Quarters, the Chalkboard and Winner Stays
Walk into a bar with one pool table on a busy night and you'll find a whole system for who plays next. It's simple once you know it, and following it is the quickest way to make friends at the table.
How to get next game
- Quarters on the rail: in many bars you line up your quarters (or the coins the table takes) on the rail. The order of the coins is the order of play.
- The chalkboard: other bars use a board on the wall. Write your name under the last one.
- If you're not sure, ask the people playing: "Who's got next?" They'll tell you how it works here.
Winner stays
Most bar tables play winner stays: the winner keeps the table and plays the next person in line, who usually pays for the game. Some bars cap it (for example, three wins in a row and you have to step off) so everyone gets to play.
House rules
Bar 8-Ball rules vary from place to place: what happens after a scratch, whether you call every shot, whether slop counts, and what happens if the 8 goes in on the break. Agree before the break. Saying "what are we playing?" is normal and nobody minds. See bar rules vs. tournament rules.
The unwritten rules
- Don't put drinks on the rail or the table. Ever.
- Keep an eye on the cue rack: put house cues back where you got them, and don't take someone's personal cue.
- Stay out of the shooter's way and line of sight.
- Don't coach strangers unless they ask.
- If you're playing for something (a drink, a few dollars), settle it up right away. See money game etiquette.
- When you're done, give the table up. A bar table is shared.
From bar table to tournament
If you're winning at the bar, you're ready for the bar's weekly tournament. Most bars with a table run one, and they are a great way to play more and meet the local players. Find pool tournaments near you and read what to expect at your first tournament.