How to Play Bumper Pool

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If you’re looking for a casual game to play with friends reminiscent of traditional pool, bumper pool is a great choice. You’ll have fun figuring out the best shots to get your balls in the scoring hole and deciding on strategies to block your opponent from scoring. All you need are a special bumper pool table, bumper pool balls, and cue sticks. Once you read the rules and play a few rounds, you’ll find that it’s not a complicated game, but it’s definitely a fun one!

Method 1
Method 1 of 3:

Setup

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  1. Set 2 red balls to the left of the scoring hole and 2 on the right. Position the spotted red ball directly in front of the scoring hole. [1]
    • Typically, the red balls go on the side of the table with the white bumpers sitting next to the scoring hole.
    • Your scoring hole is on the opposite side of the table from where you’re standing. Your opponent’s scoring hole is on the side of the table where you are.
  2. Put 2 white balls on the lefthand side of the scoring hole and 2 on the righthand side. Place the spotted white ball right in front of the scoring hole. [2]
    • The white balls should be on the side of the table with the red bumpers on either side of the scoring hole.
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  3. Bumper pool is a great game to play with a friend or a group of 4. If you play on teams, you and your partner will switch back and forth whenever it’s your team’s turn to shoot. [3]
    • If you’re new to bumper pool, playing on a team with more experienced players is a great way to familiarize yourself with the rules and strategies.
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Method 2
Method 2 of 3:

Gameplay

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  1. The goal is to get your marked cue ball into your scoring hole on the opposite side of the board. Since there are bumpers in the center of the table, you have to bank your cue ball off the righthand wall so it’ll rebound at an angle and get as close to the scoring hole as possible. You and your opponent do this at the same time, both shooting to the right so that your balls don’t collide. [4]
    • This is bumper pool’s form of a “tip-off” to decide who gets to take the next shot.
    • It helps to do a countdown so you and your opponent hit your balls at the same time. [5]
  2. Whoever got closest to the scoring hole gets to go first. If someone’s ball went into the scoring hole on the first shot, they get to go first. If you both got your balls into your scoring holes on the first shot, you each take the farthest lefthand side cue ball, set it in front of your scoring hole, and shoot again at the same time. [6]
    • If you and your opponent are having incredible games and both continue to sink balls at the same time, you might end up with a draw! [7]
  3. You can either hit the cue ball that you've already shot with, or you can hit one of your other cue balls that haven't been put into play yet. Use the walls and bumpers to try and ricochet your ball as close to your scoring hole as possible; hopefully, it will go straight in! [8]
    • Some rules stipulate that you have to score with your marked cue ball first before scoring with any other balls. The penalty for sinking an unmarked ball before the marked one is that all your in-play balls have to return to their original positions. [9]
    • A big difference between traditional pool and bumper pool is that bumper pool doesn’t allow you to make a straight shot from your side of the table to your scoring hole. You have to get your balls around the set of bumpers in the middle of the table.
  4. Play continues to go back and forth between players whenever someone misses a shot. Each cue ball gets shot from wherever it is on the table. Try to angle your shots so that your cue balls bounce off of the walls and bumpers and go straight into your scoring hole. [10]
    • Some rules stipulate that you can only work on scoring with a single ball at a time. Other versions of the game say you can have multiple balls in play at once. Talk with your team or opponent beforehand to make sure you’re on the same page. [11]
  5. You can hit a new cue ball on each turn if you want to, or continue working on one of the balls you hit on a previous turn. As you become more experienced, you’ll learn how to play defensively and what kinds of moves give you penalties. [12]
    • If your final ball accidentally goes into your opponent’s scoring hole, you forfeit the game. So be careful! [13]
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Method 3
Method 3 of 3:

Tips and Fouls

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  1. Don’t be afraid of the bumpers! You should use them to your advantage to angle your shots and get your balls in the hole faster. [14]
    • For example, if your ball is next to a bumper beside your scoring hole, it might look nearly impossible to score from that position. But if you shoot your ball toward the center group of bumpers, you can rebound the ball off a bumper back toward the scoring hole.
  2. Don’t be afraid to play defense! If you’re in a place where you could knock a ball away from the scoring hole and keep your opponent from getting their ball in, you can do that. It’s a great strategy that can buy you some extra time to get more of your balls in the scoring hole. [15]
    • Be careful not to accidentally knock your opponent’s ball off the table when you do this.
  3. The great thing about this is that when your opponent accidentally knocks your ball into their scoring hole to get it out of the way, you get to automatically place 2 balls in your scoring hole! [16]
    • This is another excellent strategy to slow down your opponent while working on getting a few of your balls off the table.
  4. Knocking your ball off the pool table is never a good thing, so there’s a penalty for it. Set your ball in the middle of the table right in the center of all the bumpers. It’s a lot harder to make a shot from that position. [17]
    • Similarly, if you knock your opponent’s ball off the table, place one of your balls in the center of the bumpers. Put your opponent’s ball back where it was before you knocked it off.
    • In some variations, if you knock your ball off the table, your opponent can place your ball wherever they want and take 2 balls for their own score. [18]
  5. A jump shot is when you try to hit your cue ball so that it jumps over another ball or obstacle. You might be sorely tempted when you’re in a tricky situation, but bumper pool doesn’t allow jump shots. [19] Some versions of the game state your opponent can place your ball wherever they want on the table if you do one. [20]
    • Remember to chat with your opponent beforehand about what set of rules you’ll follow. This should prevent any mid-game arguments from breaking out.
  6. Remember, your balls should go into the scoring hole on the opposite side of the table. If you accidentally hit your ball into the scoring hole on your side of the table, your opponent gets to place 2 balls into their scoring hole. [21]
    • Sometimes these things happen, so don’t be too hard on yourself if it does. Just concentrate on making your next shot and trying to win the game!
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Community Q&A

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  • Question
    If both players pocket their first shot at the same time, do they both shoot again or how do they determine who goes first?
    Community Answer
    In the event that both marked balls are pocketed on first shots, each player takes one of the remaining balls and spots it in front of cup and both shoot at same time, just as they did with marked balls. From there on they take turns beginning with the player who pockets his ball or is nearest to his cup.
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  • Question
    Can I block the hole with my ball to stop other opponents going into their hole?
    Community Answer
    Yes. You can place your balls strategically to inconvenience your opponent.
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  • Question
    If player one has two balls left, and player two makes one of his balls, is the game over?
    Community Answer
    No. The player one's ball that was knocked in by player two stays pocketed. It is now player one's turn.
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      Tips

      • Bumper pool tables are a lot smaller (and less expensive) than traditional pool tables, making them a fun choice for an at-home game. [22]
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      Things You’ll Need

      • Bumper pool table
      • Bumper pool balls
      • Bumper cue sticks

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      References

      1. ↑ https://www.lovecuesports.com/how-to-play-bumper-pool/
      2. ↑ https://www.lovecuesports.com/how-to-play-bumper-pool/
      3. ↑ https://www.billiardworld.com/bumppool.html
      4. ↑ https://uploads-ssl.webflow.com/5a4d1361519d350001b2da95/5a81fee1c88fbf0001e8930c_Bumper%20Pool%20Rules.pdf
      5. ↑ https://bargames101.com/bumperpoolrules/
      6. ↑ https://www.billiardworld.com/bumppool.html
      7. ↑ https://www.lovecuesports.com/how-to-play-bumper-pool/
      8. ↑ https://www.lovecuesports.com/how-to-play-bumper-pool/
      9. ↑ https://uploads-ssl.webflow.com/5a4d1361519d350001b2da95/5a81fee1c88fbf0001e8930c_Bumper%20Pool%20Rules.pdf
      1. ↑ https://www.lovecuesports.com/how-to-play-bumper-pool/
      2. ↑ https://www.lovecuesports.com/how-to-play-bumper-pool/
      3. ↑ https://www.lovecuesports.com/how-to-play-bumper-pool/
      4. ↑ https://bargames101.com/bumperpoolrules/
      5. ↑ https://www.lovecuesports.com/how-to-play-bumper-pool/
      6. ↑ https://uploads-ssl.webflow.com/5a4d1361519d350001b2da95/5a81fee1c88fbf0001e8930c_Bumper%20Pool%20Rules.pdf
      7. ↑ https://www.lovecuesports.com/how-to-play-bumper-pool/
      8. ↑ https://www.lovecuesports.com/how-to-play-bumper-pool/
      9. ↑ https://www.billiardworld.com/bumppool.html
      10. ↑ https://www.lovecuesports.com/how-to-play-bumper-pool/
      11. ↑ https://bargames101.com/bumperpoolrules/
      12. ↑ https://www.billiardworld.com/bumppool.html
      13. ↑ https://bargames101.com/bumperpoolrules/

      About This Article

      Article Summary X

      Bumper pool is a fun variation of pool played on a table with bumpers instead of pockets. You can play 1 on 1 or with 2 teams of 2. At the beginning of the game, each player or team is assigned 1 of the 2 scoring holes at the ends of the table and either the red or white balls. Whichever player or team has the scoring hole next to the white bumpers gets the red balls, and vice versa. Players arrange the 5 balls in their color so there are 2 balls on the left of their scoring hole and 2 balls on the right. The spotted ball goes in front of their scoring hole. To start the game, each player shoots their spotted ball to the right of the table at the same time, trying to get it as close to their opponent’s scoring hole as possible. Whoever gets closest gets to continue shooting. From that point forward, players take turns shooting. If a player gets a ball in their opponent’s scoring hole, they get to take another shot. Once a player sinks their spotted ball, they can shoot any of their other balls on their turn. Players continue taking turns and trying to sink their balls into their opponent's scoring hole. Players can also play defensively by using their balls to knock their opponent’s balls further away from their scoring hole. Whoever sinks all of their balls first wins! To learn how to deduct points for bad plays, keep reading!

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