Complete Docs to Fast Eddie's Pool and Billiard Parlor Done by Mictlantecuhtli and Stark of Skid Row Introduction Welcome to Fast Eddie's Pool and Billiard Parlor! This is the most ambitious billiards video game of our time--Fast Eddie's combines the entertaining graphics and frivolity of an arcade game with the customizability of great computer software to create a product you will find thoroughly enjoyable, whether you are a novice or an expert at pool or computers. Every effort has been made to give you not only the feeling of being there, but being in control! After all, if the computer won't let you do what you want, what fun is that? BACKUP Before you do anything else, make a backup or working copy of your diskette! The Fast Eddie's disk can be copied by simply dragging its disk icon over another disk icon. Use the working copy you have made, and archive the distribution diskette for safety. Getting Into Fast Eddie's Parlor Fast Eddie's can be run from either CLI or the Workbench icon. To run from the Workbench, double click on the Fast Eddie's Icon or on an Instant Replay icon. If you chose the Instant Replay, the program will immediately load the game and transfer you to the table from which the replay was saved. This feature allows you to restore the situation of the game just as it was when you saved it. To run from the CLI, type Fast Eddie's at the CLI prompt, and [Enter]. If this command is followed by a instant replay filename, Fast Eddie's mygame.replay for example, the saved game `mygame.replay" will be restored just as you saved it, ready to continue playing. Hard Disk installation Fast Eddie's can be installed on a hard disk in any drawer. Installation is simple from the Workbench, drag the icon for Fast Eddie's from the distribution diskette to the drawer of your choice. If running the program from either WorkBench or CLI fails to bring up the program screen, you do not have sufficient chip memory available to run the program. Fast Eddie's is designed to 1 multi-task with other programs, but it does use a great deal of chip RAM. Because of this, we recommend that you not attempt multi-tasking with this program if your computer only has 512K of RAM. If Fast Eddie's is run with less than 512K free memory, no attempt will be made to make use of the the Amiga computer's built-in speech synthesizer software. Please note: it is recommended that overscan not be used on a 512k system. If you are having trouble running in 512k, first try booting off your working copy of the Fast Eddie's diskette, if this was not done. Next, try disconnecting any external disk drives and rebooting. If all these steps fail, contact Technical Support at Oxxi, Inc. The program has not failed to run on any Amiga with 512K or more, to the best of our knowledge. If you are so fortunate as to have Amiga with a CPU accelerator, you are in for a pleasant surprise--Fast Eddie's has been designed to utilize faster CPU's in order to achieve much smoother animation. On a technical note: If you do wish to multi-task with this program, please note that attempting speech or sound from another task simultaneously is not recommended. Sprites #2 and #3 are also requested, but if they are not available, they are simply not displayed - no harm will result. Copy Protection The Fast Eddie's disk is not copy-protected and can be copied under the conditions listed in the license agreement. When Fast Eddie asks for word number N on line number Y on page number P, count each word (but not punctuation), every line, including chapter titles such as Introrduction (except text in illustrations or boxed in note boxes) ad use the page number printed on the manual page. Count hyphenated words as TWO words. For example, Word 13 in line 11 of Page 2 (this page) is "this". We're eager to offer program upgrades and free technical advice to legitimate users, but not to unauthorized users of the program. We need your cooperation in this matter, which consists of your returning your registration card. Software piracy is a crime. So please-spread the word, not the disk! [You better do it!! 2 The Pool and Billiard Parlor Assuming there is sufficient RAM, the title screen will appear once the program is fully loaded into memory. The crisp sound of the cue ball striking other balls should accompany this image-you can adjust your Amiga volume at this point. When done with the credits, press any key or a mouse button to continue. Next you will see the pool hall, with Fast Eddie himself behind the counter instructing you to type in the necessary password, followed by the [Enter] key. There is no time limit on looking up the password. If you give the wrong password, you will be tossed out of the pool hall--and out of the program. Look Around Once you have given the correct password, you are free to do as you wish within the pool hall. To indicate that you are interested in something in the room, just click the left mouse button over that item. Releasing the button while over the item is not necessary for certain items--for example, there is an exit door in the upper left had corner. When the mouse pointer is positioned over that area, and you depress the mouse button, the door swings open. If you release the button while the pointer is still over the door, you will exit the program. If you release the button while the pointer is no longer over the door, the doors swing shut and you can continue to play. The pool hall is viewed from a vantage point near the back of the room. The door is not the only active item in the room, of course. An arcade game in the opposite corner displays EHB if your Amiga has Extra Halfbrite capability. The arcade game can be played by clicking once anywhere on it with the mouse. A warning, though -- Fast Eddie has the game rigged, and is always ready with a sarcastic comment if you lose the game! Next to the front counter is a jukebox, playing Fast Eddie's favorite song. (He turns it off whenever anyone gets serious about playing a game.) The jukebox displays its On/Off, status, in case you have the sound turned off on your machine. You can turn off the jukebox yourself by clicking on the word ON, and turn it back on just as easily. There are additional active areas to be discovered--by clicking on Fast Eddie! The Tables The primary active areas, of course, are the four different tables. One is set up for all the popular pocket pool games, and the other three are for bumper pool, carom billiards, and snooker. Selecting the table you want to play is easy: when the button is depressed while the pointer is over a table, the table "lights up". 3 If the button is released while the pointer is still over the table, you will be ready to play at that table. If the pointer has moved somewhere else when you release the mouse button, the table returns to its original appearance, and you are free to choose other options in the pool hall. Number of Players If you choose a table, but it does not appear, ready for play, you most likely do not have the right number of players selected for play at that table. To change the number of players, go to the rack of cuesticks on the wall between the jukebox and the arcade game, and click on one to remove it or click on the area where one used to be to put it back. Up to four players can be chosen in this fashion. In play, the player's names appear in sequence as their innings commence, with the first player's name in red, the second in blue, green for the third, and the fourth in turquoise. Zero is not a valid number of players, so if all four cuesticks are on the wall, you will be told to grab some if you wish to play. The default number of players is two, but this default, like most others, can be changed. This feature is discussed later, under Saving Your Configuration Playing A Game When you select a table, the table zooms to fill the whole screen, Fast Eddie turns off the music, and the game begins. The first time you select the pool table, the default game is 15-Ball. Let's start with that game--click once on the pool table (close to you on your left). The right mouse button now serves as the menu button, and it will bring up a menu anytime it is pressed, except when the action has already been paused to perform a menu operation. The left mouse button, the selection button, is used to make selections and perform game ections. If a joys1ick is used in port #2, the fire button is the selection button. The Counters and Timers Below the table is a band containing play information. Each player's name will be displayed in turn, starting with Player 1 at the left. Under the player's name are the counters which tally number of balls ad shots. The Balls tally represents the player's score. At the right of each player's area is a timer display. With the initial skill setting, Novice, for Player 1, this timer displays the word UP during Player 1's turn. Between the two player tally areas is the enlarged picture of a cue ball--more about this gadget in a moment. 4 Positioning the Cue Ball First the cue ball must be positioned on the table. It can be placed using the mouse, joystick, or the cursor arrow keys. Once you decide on a location, press the selection button to place the ball on that spot. Think carefully before pressing the button--there is no quick way to undo this action! Aiming the Cue Next you aim the cuestick. To aim the cuestick, move the mouse left or right. The graphical image of the cuestick will rotate. When you have your aim set, press the selection button. Do not release it immediately . Hold the selection button down as you fine-tune our aim, if necessary, with the left and right cursor arrows. (This can also be done by moving the joystick left or right with the firing button held down.) Calling a Pocket 15-Ball does not require it, but if the game being played calls for the destination pocket to be named before the shot is made-calling the shot-an X will appear above one of the pockets. Move the mouse up or down (toward the top or the bottom of your mouse pad) to cycle through all of the pockets. The joystick or up-and-down cursor arrow keys can also be used to select a pocket. In bumper pool, you will sometimes have the option to choose which ball to shoot as the cue ball. In a bumper pool game, moving the mouse up or down (or using the cursor arrow keys) cycles through all balls that you are eligible to shoot. Make Your Shot The final step is executing the shot. A crosshair will appear at the bottom of the screen, hovering above the enlarged cue ball _____ / F \ / \ F: Follow stroke / \ D: Draw stroke | | | Reverse English |L --+-- R| R: Right English | | | curves ball left \ / L: Left English \ D / curves ball right \_____/ between the player tally areas at the bottom of the scree. The crosshair, which looks like a "+", can be moved in any direction by using the mouse or joystick. This crosshair position is used to apply spin to the cue ball. Spin To apply Spin or `English" to the cue ball, position the crosshair off-center. Lateral spin, left-hand or right-hand English, is produce if the crosshair is located to the left or right of center. For Follow (backward spin), position the crosshair above the center of the cue ball. Draw (forward spin or "reverse English) is created when the crosshair is positioned below the center of the cue ball. Often, it will be most strategic to place the crosshair at the center, which imparts no unusual spin to the ball. If you do apply spin, be careful not to miss the ball--and don't jump the table! Fast Eddie gets very annoyed if your ball breaks the glass in his trophy case. Power Having chosen the crosshair position, all that remains is determining how hard to hit the cue ball. The crosshair is constantly growing and shrinking, representing the velocity of the shot should the selection button be released at that instant. The larger the crosshair, the greater the velocity of the shot. To hit the cue ball hard, release the selection button when the crosshair is at its largest. The Shot When you release the button, the shot is executed, and the cue ball is sent on its way. While the shot is played out, the menu and selection buttons do not function. Pressing the right mouse button during the animation of the snot invokes a requester which asks whether you wish to Abort the shot in progress. If you say Yes, the shot is immediately terminated, leaving all balls at their current position. You will not need this feature for normal use. To return to the pool hall screen, use the menu button to select Quit under the Game menu. 6 A Different Game Pool and Other Games You can stop playing any game at any time, without leaving the table. The New command under Game allows you to select any of the games available at the table. The pocket pool table offers a selection of one to nine games, depending on now many players there are. Playing By Yourself When you are the only player, the pocket pool table offers you only one game, Golf. Every other game at this table requires at least two active players, one or more of which can be the computer. With two, three or four players, nine games are offered. 15-Ball, Rotation, 14.1, Moon, Golf, 6-Ball, Wild Sevens, and 9-Ball are available for two to four players. Cutthroat is available only if exactly three players are at the table, and 8-Ball requires two or four players. Moving To a New Table To play a game offered at a different table, you must Quit from the current table. Select Quit from the Game menu, or press Right-Amiga- Q . if you are actively playing a game at this table, you will be prompted to see if you really wated to Quit the current game. Once you are back in the pool hall, press the selection button and release it while you are over the desired table. If you are playing with the correct number of players for that table, you will be at the table, ready to play. The other three tables in the pool hall do not have muitiple games offered. Demonstration Play You can set Fast Eddie to play another pool-hall layabout, Las Gatos Fats, in a demonstration of ay game--in fact, you may want sometimes to get the real "heavies" at Fast Eddie's to play for your amusement or instruction. Watching Los Gatos Fats, West Chester Wally play a fast game of 8-Ball at the Legend level is epic. To set up demonstration play at any level, simply set all the players to Amiga type, and select the skill levels preferred. The player's names appear in sequence as their innings commence, with the first player's name in red, the second in blue, third, green, and the fourth in turqouise. 7 Instant Replay One of the most interesting features of Fats Eddie's is Instant Replay , allowing you to review the last shot. To activate Instant Replay's VCR control panel, select Replay from the Shot menu. At the bottom of the screen will appear six buttons, like the controls of a Video Cassesette Recorder. These are operated with the left mouse button or the function keys F1 through F6, and perform Rewind , Play , Pause , Stop , Slow , and Record respectively. The Rewind button winds the replay "tape" back to the beginning. Play begins the animation. Pause allows frame-by-frame viewing of the recorded action. The Slow button toggles the speed of the replay from slow-motion to full speed. Stop terminates the replay, removes the VCR control panel, and restores the setup of the game as it was before instant replay was selected. The Record button, like the Stop button, stops the replay and removes the VCR control panel; however, it does not restore the game setup. This resets the game in progress to to the situation recorded in the replay tape-this feature is used in restoring old games from disk, discussed later. Save Instant Replay Instant Replay shots of interest can be saved to disk for viewing or playing at a later time. The Save item under the Shot menu pops up a file requester, which prompts you for the filename to call your replay file. When you have entered the name, and the file has been saved, the game continues. Load a Saved Replay To view an instant replay file later, choose Load under the Shot menu. The file requester will appear. When your choice has been selected and loaded, the instant replay VCR control panel will automatically be activated. You can choose to view the replay, then continue with the current game you were playing--to do this, simply select the Play button, followed by the Stop button. Resume Playing An Old Game You can also use this feature to abandon the current game, and take up play of a saved game at the point where you saved the replay. To do this, select the Record button. To include the very last shot made when this game is saved, select the Play button first, and wait for all balls to stop before selecting Record . Create Your Own Shots Have you ever wanted to try some trick shots? Fast Eddie's lets you do just that, and more! Simply select Create from the Shot menu. The pointer will change to an image of a hand to indicate you do just that, and more! Simply you are in create mode. 8 Game play and menu operations are suspended during create mode. Due to the precision input necessary, the keyboard and Joystick cannot be used in this mode, only the mouse. In create mode, you have the ability to move any ball to any place on the table. Move the pointer to the desired ball and click the left mouse button to select that ball. Any movement of the mouse will result in a corresponding movement of the selected ball. In most games, an object ball can be removed from the table. Just move the ball to the very top of the screen, and place it over the marker for that particular ball. Click the left mouse button, and if successful, the ball will be dropped at that spot. If the ball was not in the correct position, the ball will still be "in your grasp". To put a ball back on the table, simply grab it from the top of the screen and move it back onto the table. In all games except bumper pool, it is not possible to remove the cue ball, and in billiards, no ball can be removed from the table. However, in bumper pool, the bumpers and even the pockets can be moved--be careful not to place the pockets up on the rail! The setup which exists before the first shot of a bumper pool game will be used at the beginning of all subsequent games, until it is changed again before the beginning of a game. Use Create to customize the initial setup--even handicap your opponent by removing one or more balls or placing the holes in different positions. To restore the bumper pool setup to its original setting, select the Create menu item and click the button labeled [Default]. This moves all balls, holes and bumpers back to the standard positions. Remember that if you do this after the first shot of the game, next time you begin a bumper pool game, the initial setup will revert to the positions which were in effect before the defaults were restored. At either side of the storage spots for balls removed from the table, you are offered two choices for quitting create mode. [Proceed] will accept the changes you have made, returning you to play the shot you have created. You may also chose to [Cancel] all changes made, in which case the original positions of the balls, before Create was selected, will be restored. Since all shots can be saved as instant replay files, if you devise an interesting setup using Create , consider saving a shot made with that setup. At a later time, by loading in the replay and pressing the Record button, and you can try your interesting setup again! 9 The Options Menu Under the Options menu is a array of different parameters you can customize for your play at this table. Edit Player Is your name Human ? Many computer games make this assumption. For those of us who do not answer to that moniker in our day-to-day lives, Fast Eddie's allows you to put in your own name. If no name is entered, Player 1 is the default name displayed for the first player. Names can be entered fo up to four players. Some games require at least two people to play. Not Fast Eddie`s --the Amiga computer can play, and plays reasonably well, at that. The computer can also "fill in" for any player at any time in the game. In fact, you can set the computer to play itself. Skill Level You also can change your skill level--the default is Novice , which means you need things as easy as possible. As you become more proficient, you may wish to advance to Expert , or even Legend . These more--difficult settings can be used to handicap yourself when facing others who are playing the game for the first time--or use them to handicap the computer for easier tutorials. The Novice player has an unlimited time to make a shot. The Amiga computer at the Novice setting makes its shot in 30 seconds or less (usually less than 10 seconds). Experts and Legends are timed--the timer appears at the right of the player's counters at the time play passes to the player, and counts down 30 seconds for the Expert, and 10 seconds for the Legend. At timeout, if no shot has been made, a foul buzzer sounds, and play passes to the next player in the sequence. Order of Play The initial defauit order of play is Player 1, yourself then the Amiga. You can reset this, so the Amiga breaks, and you are second. Other human players can be set up just as easily. Name, skill, and preset order of play are adjusted using the Edit Player command from the Options menu. The name is edited by clicking the cursor down into the player name box. Change the skill level and player type (Human or Amiga) by clicking the button next to the player name. The requester allows you to define these characteristics for up to four players. The attributes for all participating players can be changed, and will be reflected immediately after the requester is dismissed by selecting the OK button. 10 Preferences. In the Preferences sub-menu are settings which affect the display of the pool balls, order of play, and other features of the pool and billiards games. To turn on any option, select Preferences under the Options menu, and release when the item you want turned on is highlighted, so that it becomes check-marked. Unlike the other menus in this program, selecting items in this one does not turn off the other settings in this sub-menu; it only toggles the selected item. As a resuit, there may be muitiple items check-marked in Preferences . To toggle muitiple settings in this menu, click the left mouse button over each of the items you wish to change, holding the menu button down until all selections are completed. Show Numbers Show Numbers toggles the display between showing the numbers on each ball, and showing an animated, more realistic look. For novices to the game or those with color-blindness, being able to read the number of the ball can be a real boon. Normally, you will want Show Numbers turned off. This menu item applies only to the pocket pool games which require numbered balls. Drop Shadows The ability to turn off Drop Shodows is included for users whose Amiga computers lack the Extra Halfbrite display mode capability. When Drop Shadows is checked, the program renders pool ball images which look great in Extra Halfbrite, but unattrective on machines without this capability. To determine whether your machine has Extra Halfbrite, look for the initials EHB on the arcade game in the pool hall. If you do not see these initials, you do not have Extra Halfbrite display mode, and should turn off drop shadows to obtain more accurate ball images. Reverse View The Reverse View item rotates the positions of all the balls 180 degrees. This feature is provided as a change of pace. Normally, the pool, snooker or billiards table is displayed with the foot spot on the right and the head spot on the left. Reverse View reverses not only the display of ball positions, but also the points where balls are re-spotted, the areas where the cue ball may be placed during break, and so on. If you are playing Bumper Pool, the default display shows the white balls and white pocket at the top. Selecting Reverse View in the Bumper Pool game puts the red balls and red pocket at the top. 11 Lag for Break If a preset order of play does not suit you, you may choose to "lag for break", determining not only who goes first, but the order of turns for other players as well. The object of a lag is simple: bounce the cue ball off the far rail and end up as close as possible to the near rail, without scratching (pocketing the cue ball). Each player shoots in the preset order of turns. To avoid any strategical advantages, the other players should not watch while a player is making a lag shot. (In real life, each player would perform this shot simuitaneously, but for practical reasons, it is implemented differently in this program.) Show Path The Show Path oplion displays a straight line along the aim of the cue, which extends across the table to assist you in your aim. It acts like `laser sights" to let you know precisely where your cue ball will move if it is struck dead center. Side English on the cue ball will tend to move it off this straight path after the ball is struck. Straight follow or draw strokes should not curve the cue ball off the path. Table Speed The table speed can be changed at any time in the game. Settings ranging from very slow to very fast are chosen from the Table Speed menu under Options . A "fast" speed means the balls take a long time to slow to a stop. An additional setting, Random , randomly changes the speed every game. A checkmark indicates which setting is active; only one table speed setting can be active at a time. To change the setting, move the mouse to highlight the new setting and release the menu button. Table Color The color of the table cloth can be changed in a similar fashion. The Table Color item under the Options menu permits several classic choices, with green as the defauit. To change the setting, move the mouse to highlight the new setting and release the menu button. Ball Makeup The behavior of the pool balls also can be changed at any time in the game by changing the ball makeup. The default is ivory, which resuits in normal behavlor. The other settings will be left for you to explore. To change the setting, move the mouse to highlight the new setting and release the menu button 12 Save Options Save Options, the last item of the Options menu, performs a save of all parameters pertaining to the Options menu to a file on disk. This configuration file will be saved under the name S:Pool.cfg . From then on, when Fast Eddie's is run, the program will automatically grab its defauit settings from this file, and your favorite options come to life, just as they were when they were saved! To restore the factory settings for the Options menu, simply delete S:Pool.cfg . Saved parameters include the number of players, the jukebox setting, and the Option menu settings. 13 Practice Makes Perfect Undo, Create and New Games Because accidents can happen, a command has been provided which will allow you to undo a shot you have just made. It is called Undo and is found under the Shot menu. If you should inadvertently select Undo by accident, or feel remorse after doing a premeditated undo, don't worry. Simplychoose the same menu item. It will be called Redo instead of Undo , and it will restore the game to the way it was before the Undo was made. By creatively using the Create , Undo/Redo , and New Game options, you can polish and perfect your--even practice pool "hustling" with your unwitting friends. Break In the chosen game, set the playing order with yourself first. Turn off Lag for Break in the Options menu. Break, with the object being to maximize your score in the break---or practice scattering the balls for a "safety", to give your opponent the most difficult shot possible. After the break shot, you can continue to pocket balls until your frame ends, or you can halt the shot and set up to break again with the New Game command (Right-Amiga- N ). Bank Shots Sending the cue ball into the object ball by rebounding it off one or more rails is called a Bank Shot , and requires practice to master. By using the Abort Shot and Undo fetures, you can polish your technique. To practice bank shots, use Create to set up one or more object balls, then turn on Show Path (Right-Amiga-5), or select Show Path from the Options-Preferences menu. The cue ball will rebound from the rail at the same angle as it encounters it (the incident angle equals the rebound angle). Use the diamonds (the eighteen spots in the rails) to help you eye-in the angle. If your shot does not go as planned, press the right moue button to abort the shot, then press Right-Amiga-Z to undo the shot. The table will return to its pre-shot situation, and your cue will return to its original angle. Use the fine-tune options (press the left mouse button and use the left and right cursor arrow keys) to adjust the aim of the cue stick, or position the crosshairs differently to redo the shot. 14 Kiss or Carom Shots Striking an object ball with another object ball which has been set into motion by the cue ball striking it, is a Kiss or Carom Shot, and it is a difficult technique to perfect. Instead of the motions of the cue ball and a single object ball, carom shots require you to understand how three or more balls will interact on the table. Force from the striking cue ball is transmitted through the first object ball, at an angle that depends on the characteristics of the cue ball's motion. The cue ball's spin, speed, and the point at which it strikes the object ball all help determine where the struck ball will travel. For example, a cue ball with left-hand English on it, striking "square" on the object ball (at the nearest point of the ball's circumference) will impart a right-hand spin to the object ball. Likewise, a cue ball with no spin on it, striking the object ball on its right side, will also give the object ball a right-hand spin. Again, you can use the Abort Shot and Undo features to polish your technique. To explore the behavior and interaction of the cue ball and multiple object balls, or just to practice carom shots, use Create to set up one or more object balls, then turn on Show Path (Right-Amiga-5), or select Show Path from the Options-Preferences menu. Use the diamonds to help you figure all the angles. If your shot misses, simply abort and undo It. The table will return to its pre-shot situation, and your cue will return to its original angle. Use the fine-tune options to adjust the aim of the cue stick, or position the crosshairs differently to retry the shot. Combination Shots Another difficult type of shot is the Combination . This involves shooting your cue ball into a number of object balls-often a cluster, with several balls touching--in order to pocket an object ball at the outside of the grouping. Combination Shots are usually classed as trick shots, and are very useful to awe and astound onlookers. Fast Eddie's Undo, Create, and Abort features will help you hone this technique to a fine edge. In fact, Combination shots are a special kind of carom shot, and the method described above works very well to give you plenty of practice perfecting them. New Game If you select New Game from the keyboard (Right-Amiga- N ), what you get is a new break set-up for the previously-selected type of game. At the Pool table, to select a totally new kind of game, pull down the Game menu and open the New Game submenu. You will see the A -N notation next to the current game type. Select a different game to change this default. 15 Fourteen Ready-to-Play Games Practice playing each of the different pool, billiards, snooker and bumper pool games. Not counting the irifinite possibilities of the Create option, Fast Eddie's provides 14 defined games, for up to four players. 16 Menu Overview Game About Program version is displayed. Help A-H Game's rules are displyed. New A-N Start a new game at this table. Quit A-Q Quit this table, return to the pool hall. Shot Reploy A-I instant replay remote control panel. Load A-L Load a replay from disk. Save A-S Save a replay to disk. Delete Delete a file. Undo A-Z Undoes the last shot made. Create A-C Allows placement of balls in any position. Options Table Speed Change rate at which balls slow down. Slowed Slow Normal Fast Fastest Random Table Color Change the color of the table cloth. Green Red Gold Tan Black 17 Preferences Switch various game toggles. Show Numbers A-1 Drop Shadows A-2 Reverse View A-3 Lag for Break A-4 Show Path A-5 Edit Flyer Edit player parameter. Name Skill level Human or Amiga Ball Makeup Change behavior of the pooI balls. Boingite Ivory Velcro Save Options Saves configuration file to disk 18 The Rules Of The Game For All Games Help With so many different bliliard games to choose from, it is easy to forget the rules of a particular game. It would be very annoying if the rules were not readily available to the player during the course of a game. The rules are also spelled out in this manual--but who wants to go fetch a manual and search for game rules in the middle of a contest? So this information is provided online. With the touch of a key, you can get the basic rules of the game that is being played. Just press the HELP key (Right-Amiga- H ) or select Help under the Game menu. Foul Buzzer In any game, at any table, when the cue ball is sunk or hits or sinks the wrong ball first, a loud buzzer sounds, a statement of the type of foul appears at the top of the screen (and of course, Fast Eddie makes a sarcastic comment!) Driving balls off the table is also a foul, and provokes the buzzer. Force Player to Break Again In many pool and billiard games, a foul shot on the break requires the player to break again. At Fat Eddie's , however, a requester will appear to ask if you want to force this player to break again. If you select YES , the balls will be racked again, and the player who fouled will have another chanoe to break. Selecting NO passes the play to the next player in sequence, who will break. Pocket Pool The standard pool table is a rectangle 9 feet long, and 4.5 feet wide, with six pockets, one in each corner, and one at the mid-point of each long rail. Two spots, the head spot and the foot spot, are located one-quarter of the way along the table from each short rail, and centered between the two long rails. An imaginary line (marked on some championship tables) extends between the center diamonds on the foot and head end of each long rail, through the foot or head spot. The line which extends through the foot spot is called the foot string. Balls are always racked with the lead point of the triangle on this line, and re-spotted balls are placed, touching each other, in a straight line from the foot spot toward the foot rail (perpendicular to the foot string). 19 The line extending through the head spot is called the head string, and it defines the furthest forwars point at which the cue ball may be placed for the break. The section of the table between the head string and the head rail is sometimes called the "kitchen"--many games require the cue ball to leave the kitchen for the shot to be legal. Pool Balls Pocket pool games are played with 16 balls, a white cue ball, 8 solid balls, and seven striped balls. The balls are numbered 1 through 15, and have specific colors. Ball Number Color Characteristic 1 Yellow Solid 2 Blue Solid 3 Red Solid 4 Purple Solid 5 Orange Solid 6 Green Solid 7 Brown Solid 8 Black Solid 9 Yellow Striped 10 Blue Striped 11 Red Striped 12 Purple Striped 13 Orange Striped 14 Green Striped 15 Brown Striped Racking the Balls At the beginning of the first five games listed, all of which use 15 balls, the balls are racked with the ball at lead point over the foot spot, in semi-random order in the racking triangle. Order is semi-radom because each game has one or three specified balls which must go in the points of the triangle. Game Lead Point Left Back Right Back 15-Ball 15 Rotation 1 2 3 14.1 1 5 Moon 1 Cutthroat 1 6 11 Golf uses all 15 balls, but they are placed about the table in a random pattern, different for each game. After the 8-Ball is sunk during a Golf game, a flashing "8" may appear at the top of the screen throughout the rest of this player's turn. 20 One other game uses all 15 balls--8-Ball. In this game, the 8-ball is racked in the middle of the third row, with the other balls racked at random within the triangle. Games which use fewer than 15 balls have a specified order and pattern in which the balls must be set for break: Game Rack Shape Number balls Order 6-Ball Triangle 6 Lead=1 Second Row=2,3 Third Row=4,5,6 Wild Sevens Hexagon 7 Lead=1 T Clockwise from 1-ball=2,3,4,5,6 7-ball in middle 9-Ball Diamond 9 Lead=1 9-Ball inside 2 through 8 random. 15-Ball Number of Players: 2 to 4 Object: Outscore your opponent(s) by sinking as many balls as possible, in any order. The value of each ball is equal to its number. The game ends when any player reaches 61 points (15-Ball is sometimes called "61" for that reason) or when all object balls have been sunk from the table. Sinking the cue ball is a foul, and the foul penalty is always three points. After a foul, play moves to the next player in the sequence. 15-Ball is an easily-understood game. You don't need to know which balls have what numbers and there is only one way to foul (pocket the cue ball)--this makes it ideal as a beginner's game. In 15-Ball, all 15 balls are racked in the triangle, with the 15-ball at the lead point. The other ball are placed at random positions in the triangle. Any ball on the table can be the object ball, and there are no limitations as to which ball must be struck first. Illegally-sunk balls (balls sunk during a foul shot) are replaced on the table, spotted in a straight line from the foot spot to the foot rail. 21 Rotation Number of Plyers: 2 to 4 Object: outscore your opponent(s) by sinking as many balls as possible, in any order. Like 15-Ball, the value of each ball is equal to its number, but a game of Rotation ends when all object balls have been sunk. To be a legal shot, the cue ball must first touch the lowest-numbered ball on the table. In Rotation, all 15 balls are racked in the triangle, with the 1-ball at the lead point, the 2-ball in the upper (left) back corner, and the 3-ball in the lower (right) corner. The other balls are placed at random positions in the triangle. The cue ball must strike the 1-ball first on the break--if you fail to touch the one-ball first, play passes to the next player in the sequence, and any balls pocketed on the break are re-spotted on the table. On the break, if the 1-ball is struck first, you get credit for all balls pocketed on the break. As each ball becomes the object ball when the lower-numbered balls have been pocketed, any balls pocketed are credited to you as long as the first ball struck by the cue ball is the object ball--even if you don't pocket the legal object ball. Sinking the cue ball is a foul. There is no point-penalty for a foul, but three consecutive fouls is loss of game. After a foul, play moves to the next player in the sequence. When you first begin playing Rotation, it may help to press Right-Amiga-1 to turn on the Shadow Numbers feature. Of course, as you becorne more familiar wl1h the game, you willi not need to see the numbers to avoid fouls. 14.1 Number of Plyers: 2 to 4 Object: To be the first to score 25 points. This game, sometimes called "straight pool", is the classic game in which the player "calls" each shot. It is sometimes called 14.1 continuous, because the 14 pocketed balls are re-racked when one object ball remains on the table. Each ball is worth 1 point, but only if the fiirst ball sunk is in the specified pocket. All 15 balls are racked at the start of the game, with the 1-ball in the upper or left-hand back corner, and the 15-ball in the lower or right-hand back corner. Each player's frame continues until a shot is missed, when play passes to the next player in sequence, with the existing situation of the table. When only one object ball remains on the table, the rest are re-racked--not spotted in a straight line, but placed in standard 22 format in the traangle and racked, with the lead point of the triangle empty. If the cue ball or a remaining object ball lies in the space normally occupied by the triangle, the balls are racked with the lead ball above the foot string, as close as possible to the normal position. Because of the way the balls are re-racked on the table,a point of strategy in a game of 14.1 is the position of the break ball (the object ball remaining on the table before the others are re-racked) and the cue ball after the key ball (the last ball pocketed before the re-rack) has been pocketed. Obviously, if the cue ball is badly positioned for the break after re-racklng, you may miss your shot, and play will pass to another player. Less obvious is the role of the break ball--but its position helps determine where the re-racked balls will be placed. In 14.1, the pocket is called. Any object ball may be sunk in the called pocket, but sinking object balls in another pocket without any ball going into the called pocket is a foul. Penalty for fouls is two points on the break, and one point thereafter. Whenever a point is lost, one obJect ball is returned to the table, spotted normally at the foot spot. Three consecutive fouls is a five-point penalty. Sinking the cue ball is also a foul. After a foul, play moves to the next player in the sequence. Moon Number of Players: 2 to 4 Object: To be the first to score 25 points. The legal onject ball is the lswest-numbered ball on the table, and it must be the first ball hit by the cue ball for a shot to be legal. If the object ball is sunk first, each ball sunk after it is worth 3 points, otherwise, each ball is worth 1 point. All l5 balls are racked at the start of the game, with the 1-ball at the lead point, and the others placed in the triangle at random. Play begins with the break--the 1-ball must be struck first on the break--and continues until the player fouls or misses a shot, when play passes to the next player in the sequence. When only one ball remains, the rest are re-rack--not spotted in a straight line, but placed in a standard format in the triangle and racked. If the cue ball or a remaining object ball lies in the space normally occupled by the triangle, the balls are racked with the lead ball above the foot string, as close as possible to the normal position. Like 14.1, Moon thus involves some foresight in your strategy-the position of the cue ball and the break ball are important when the balls are re-racked. The penalty for a foul shot is one point. Scratch, or sinking the cue ball, is a foul with a penalty of 3 points. After a foul, play moves to the next player in the sequence. 23 Golf Number of Players: 2 to 4 Object: Sink the 8-ball in the designated pocket in as few shots as possible. Table setup is random, but is identical for all players. The game ends after each pocket has been made, for a total of six "holes" of golf. Foul penalty for sinking the 8-ball in the wrong pocket is 1 "stroke" (an additional shot added to your total), and is assessed when the 8-ball is sunk in the wrong pocket. A 1-stroke penalty for scratching or jumping the cue ball off the table is also in force. After a foul, play moves to the next player in sequence. Golf is the only pocket pool game which can be played solitaire. In fact, playing games of solitaire Golf is a good way to develop your eye or agles of shots, and practice bank, carom, an combination shots. Turn on tje Show Path option (Right-Amiga- 5 ) for a some assistance with sighting and lining up your shots. You can endlessly Undo and re-shoot your shots if you're using the game as a practice session. And each new game of Golf lays out a completely new table situation for your enjoyment. Cutthroat Number of Players: 3 Object: Sink the balls of your opponents. Before the break, all 15 balls are racked with the 1-ball in the lead point, the 6-ball in the upper or left-hand back point, and the 11-ball in the lower or right-hand back point. The first player to sink a ball chooses which group of balls to protect: 1 through 5, 6 through 9, or 10 through 15. The second player chooses one of the two remaining groups to protect, and the last player protects the remaining group. A player wins when all the balls left on the table belong to that player's group. If the cue ball hits a ball from the player's own group first, it is a foul. On a foul, one ball of each opponent is returned to the table at the racking point, and play moves to the next player in the sequence. Cutthroat gets its name from the style of play it encourages--your goal during any frame is not only to sink as many of your opponent's group as possible (the offensive game), but also to leave your group in as difficult a lie as possible (the defensive game). A practiced player sets up one opponent to sink most of the other opponent's group, then polishes off the remaining opponent in the next frame. 24 6-Ball Number of Players: 2 to 4 Object: To legally pocket the 6-ball. To be a legal shoot, the cue ball must hit the lowest-numbered ball first. Players may sink the 6-ball on any shot, as long as this requirement is met. Each player continues to shoot as long as a ball has been legally sunk on the previous shot. 6-ball is not a scored game--the only way to win is to legally pocket the 6-ball, nobody is "ahead" at any point in the game, and there are no ties or draw games. A foul shot is any shot in which the cue ball does not touch an object ball, does not touch the lowest-numbered ball first, or in which the cue ball is pocketed. Balls sunk on a foul shot are returned to the table, re-spotted touching in a straight line with the lowest-numbed at the foot spot, and higher-numbered balls in numeric sequence toward the foot rall. There is no point penalty for fouls, but three cosecutive fouls loses the game. After a foul, play moves to the next player in the sequence. An unusual aspect of 6-Ball play is that, after a foul, the succeeding player may spot the cue ball anywhere on the table. This is the true penalty for fouls--the next opponent in the order of play can make the shot an easy set-up! 6-ball is a lightning-fast game, ideal for players who have only a little time to spare for play. Even at the novice level, two players can finish a game in a few minutes, yet 6-ball involves all the elements of skill needed for the longer games. 8-Ball Number of Plyers: 2 or 4 Object: To legally pocket the 8-ball. 8-Ball is a fast pool game, as demanding in its own way as 14.1 or Cutthroat. Except the 8-ball, the seven object balls may be sunk in any pocket, without calling the shot. Only in the end game, when all other balls of this player's group have been pocketed, does the player need to call a shot--the 8-ball. The game begins with all 15 balls racked in random order except the 8-ball, which must be placed in the middle of the second row, or the center of the triangle. The first player to sink a ball after the break chooses a group of balls to sink, stripes (1 through 7) or solids (9 through 15). Any ball on the table, including the 8-ball, may be used in carom or combination shots, but the player automatically loses ff the 8-ball is pocketed while any other object balls remain. When no more of this target group remains, the object becomes to sink the 8-ball into the called pocket. The player automatically 25 loses if the cue ball is pocketed while attempting the 8-ball, or if the 8-ball is sunk in the wrong pocket. Three consecutive fouls also loses the game. After a foul, play moves to the next player in the sequence. Behind the 8-ball There are many ways to automatically lose a game of 8-ball, most of them involving the 8-ball itself--in fact, there are more ways to lose than to win! No wonder the expression "behind the 8-ball" became part of the language, describing a feeling of being in a no-win or hopeless situation. 9-Ball Number of Players: 2 to 4 Object: To legally pocket the 9-ball. A game of 9-Ball begins with balls 1 through 9 racked in a diamond shape, with the lead "point" of the diamond, the 1-ball, on the foot spot, and the 9-ball in the center of the diamond. The other balls are placed in any order to complete the diamond. The player who breaks--this is one game in which it is to your advantage to break because you might make the 9-ball and win-tries to pocket any ball in any pocket. A player continues to shoot until a ball is not sunk in a specified pocket--except on the break, when the shot does not need to be called. After the break shot, the cue ball must hit the lowest-numbered object ball first on any shot. The object is to sink balls in the called pocket. The 9-ball can be sunk at any time. 26 A shot is a foul if the cue ball does not hit the lowest-numbered ball first, when a ball is not sunk in the called pocket or if the cue ball is sunk. Play passes to the next player in the sequence on a foul. There is no penaity for fouls, but 3 consecutive fouls is automatic loss of game. Wild Sevens Number of Players: 2 to 4 Object: To legally pocket the 7-ball. To be a legal shot, the cue ball must hit the lowest-numbered ball first. Players may sink the 7-ball on any shot, as long as this requirement is met. Each player continues to shoot if a ball has been sunk. Three consecutivee fouls loses the game, and the player automatically loses if the 7-ball is sunk on a foul shot. After a foul, play moves to the next player in the sequence. Pockets need not be called on any shot. Wild Sevens is a fast rotational pool game like the games developed for the time requirements of television, averaging about three minutes per game. Players need skills in carom and combination shots. A special circular rack or the diamond rack of 9-ball may be used to rack the balls clockwise in numerical order with the 1-ball at the lead point and the 7-ball in the center of the circle. 27 Bumper Pool The bumper table is octagonal, and its standard configuration calls for 14 bumpers, 10 of which are arranged with four pairs forming an opened-centered cross, and two more located one on either side at about mid-point between the horizontal arm of the cross and the rail. The bumpers thus form four four vertical, two horizontal, and two diagonal "channels" through which the balls must pass to cross the table. A pocket at the "top" and a pocket at the "bottom" of the table are each bracketed on either side by two of the remaining four bumpers. Four plain red balls are lined up on one side, two along the rail on each side of the bumpers. The fifth, a spotted ball, is placed in front of a red-rimmed pocket. This setup is echoed on the opposite side with five white balls and a white- rimmed pocket. Because of the bumpers, this game combines the skills of kiss or carom shots, bank shots, and careful eyeing of angles for an expert tecnique. Use the Create and Undo features to set up and re-shoot practice shots until you are comfortable with the characteristics of rebound from the bumpers and oblique angles of the rails. The Game Number of Plyers: 2 or 4 Object: To be the first to sink all the balls of your color in the opponent's pocket. Each "side" has a spotted ball which serves as the cue ball until it is sunk. The spotted ball must be sunk before the others, or it is a foul. Shooting a ball into your own pocket is also a foul, and results in the removal of one of your opponent's balls, and the return of all illegally-sunk balls to the center point between the bumpers. After a foul, play moves to the next player in the sequence. The point or tally area of the screen reports how many of each side's balls are left on the table at any time. Once the spotted ball has been legally sunk, any of the player's balls may be used as the cue ball. To cycle through the balls that you are eligible to shoot, move the mouse or joystick up or down (or use the cursor arrow keys). 28 Snooker Snoker can be played on any pocket pool table, but it is played with 15 solid red balls (the "reds"), 6 balls of other solid (the "coloreds"), and the white cue ball. At the start of the game, the 15 red balls are racked with the lead ball over the foot spot. The pink ball is placed in line with the lead ball, touching it. The back ball is placed midway between the center ball of the back row of the rack, and the foot rail. A blue ball is placed on the center spot. Green, brown and yellow balls are each placed along the headstring, with the brown ball on the head spot, and the other two equidistant from it, not quite half the way along to the side rails. An imaginary semi-circle bounded by the head string and the green and yellow balls is referred to as the "D". Play begins with the first player placing the cue ball anywhere within the "D". The Game Number of Players: 2 or 4 Object: Be first to sink all your balls in the goal pocket. The initial stroke of each turn must strike the cue ball against a red, so long as any reds remain on the table. The second stroke of your turn must strike the cue ball against a colored ball first, the third against a red, and so on. The ball which is next to be struck is referred to as the "on" ball. Reds are not returned to the table after pocketing, but any of the colored balls thet are pocketed are respotted to their original start-of-game positions. When another ball occupies this original position, the ball will be re-spotted at the closest original poisition of another colored ball. Reds are worth one point each, credited when the ball is legally pocketed. The colored balls must be pocketed in ascending order of their point value for the points to be credited to the player; pocketing a colored ball out of order is a foul. Point Values of Balls in Snooker Ball Color Points Red 1 Yellow 2 Green 3 Brown 4 Blue 5 Pink 6 Black 7 29 Play continues as long as the player keeps pocketing red balls, until there are no more red balls on the table. This puts the player in the end game, when the colored balls must be pocketed in ascending order, beginning withg the Yellow and ending with the Black. In the end game, colored balls are not replaced on the table. After any foul shot, play passes to the next player in the sequence, and the player who fouled looses any points that might have been credited from the foul shot. If the cue ball failed to hit the appropriate type of ball first, the opponent receives 7 points. Fouls Scratching (pocketing cue ball) Missing all balls Hitting first a ball which is not "on" Stiking simultaneously two balls, other than two reds Pocketing on the same shot two balls, other than two reds or the "on" ball and another ball Pocketing the wrong ball Snookered A player is said to be snookered when a ball which must not be played obstructs a straight line between the cue ball and the ball that is next to be struck. The player must attempt the shot, but it in dire straights of being penalized--so the phrase "snookered" came to be used for any situation where you are punished if you do, and punished if you don't. 30 Billiards Billiards is played on a slightly larger table then a pool table, without any pockets. At Fast Eddie's, the Billiards table is the one nearest you on your right when you are in the pool hall. The game is sometimes called Carom Billiards, to distinguish it from English billiards (which is played on a table with six pockets, like pool). Only three balls are used--solid white, a solid red, and a spotted white ball. The white and spot white balls are used as the cue balls, one by each player or pair of players. The red ball must never be hit by a cue ball, only by knocking other balls against it. At start of play, the red ball is placed on the foot spot, and the opponent's cue ball on the head spot. The first player may place his cue ball anywhere in a semi-circular "D", similar to the cueing area of the snooker table. Each player continues until no score is mede on a shot, or a foul is committed, whereupon play passes to the next player in the sequence. The Game Number of Players: 2 to 4 Object: To be the first to score ten points. A point is scored when both object balls (the opponent's cue ball and the red ball are struck by your cue ball during the execution of the stroke. The cue ball may kiss from one object ball to another--as long as both object balls are struck by the cue ball, a point is tallied. In any shot except the break shot, the player's cue may contact either of the object balls first. A player's turn continues until a shot makes no score or, a foul is committed, then play passes to the next player in the sequence. A shot in which no score is made, but no foul committed, is called a "safety". A safety shot in billiards is any shot in which the cue ball touches one object ball and sends it to the rail. Foul shots include those in which one or no object ball is touched, or in which the touched balls do not go all the way to the rail. Each foul reduces the player's score by one point. 31 Glossary Angle The relationship of the cue ball to the target (object) ball. Ball On A stright-in shot. In a combination shot, any ball which can be stroked into a called pocket. Bank A cushion or rail. Bank Shot A shot in which the object ball is driven into one or more cushions before it is pocketed. Behind the 8-ball In a game of 8-ball, to be in a position where every possible shot will lead to a penalty and loss of game; any hopeless situation ( slang ). Billiards Any game played on a billiards table. The name is thought to come from the French word for stick, billiarts . Break The opening shot of the game. Bumper Any of the 14 cylindrical obstructions on a bumper pool table. Called Ball The ball which must be pocketed next in the game. Called Pocket The pocket into which the player intends to drop the called ball--in Fast Eddie's , the called pocket is marked with an X and can be shifted with the mouse, joystick or cursor arrow keys. Carom A shot in which the cue ball strikes and rebounds from and object ball. Carom Billiards Another name for Billiards, to distinguish it from English billiards, which is played on a different typoe of table. Center Spot A point in the precise center of the pool table, where an object ball may be spotted. Count A score, a point. Cripple A ball that comes to rest close to a pocket opening; an easily pocketed ball. Cue Ball Pool and Billiards: The solid white ball which is struck with the cue. Bumper pool: Until the spotted ball is sunk, it is the cue ball. After it has been pocketed, any ball of the player's group may be selected as the cue ball. Cuing Striking the cue ball with the tip of the cue. Cuing at Fast Eddie's is controlled by the aim of the cue stick, and the position and size of the crosshairs when the mouse button is released. Cushion The rails that form the edge of the table. D An imaginary half-circle bounded by the head string and the positions of the Yellow and Green balls in snooker or a similarly sized and positioned half-circle on a billiards table, where the cue ball may be spotted for the break. Diamond One of the eighteen spots spaced regularly around the rails of the pool table. Draw Sometimes called reverse English, draw is a stroking technique which causes the cue ball to reverse its direction after striking the object ball (the cue "draws" the cue ball back toward it). Draw is produced by positioning the crosshair below the center of the cue ball. Draw Shot A shot in which draw is applied to the cue ball. English Any spin or twist applied to the cue ball or an object ball. English Billiards A game laid out like Billiards (or Carom Billiards), but played on a pocket billiards table. Follow A stroking technique which causes the cue ball to continue rolling in the same direction as the object ball (the cue ball "follows" the object ball). Follow is produced by positioning the crosshair above the center of the cue ball. Follow Shot A shot in which follow is applied to the cue ball. Foot Rail The short rail nearest the foot spot. Unless you have selected Reverse View, the foot rail is on the right. On a commercial pool table, this is the short rail opposite the one with the manufacturer's name on it. Foot Spot A spot (usually marked) on the table, equidistant from the center spot and the center diamond on the foot rail, used for spotting object balls. The foot spot is where the lead ball of the rack is placed before the break. Foul Any unfair stroke; a violation of the rules of the specified game. After a foul, a specified penalty may be applied, often including the passage of playing turn to the next player in the sequence. Frozen A ball touching the cushion or two balls touching each other. Frame A single turn or inning. Head Rail The short rail nearest the head spot. Unless you have selected Reverse View, the head rail is on the left. On a commercial pool table, this is the short rail with the manufacturer's name on it. Head Spot A spot (usually marked) on the table, equidistant from the center spot and the center diamond on the head rail. ii Head String An imaginary line drawn through the head spot and the center diamonds of the side rails on the head end of the table (usually not marked) which is the limit of the "kitchen", the area in which the cue ball may be placed for the break. many games require that the cue ball move past the head string for a legal shot. High Run The highest toal of points scored by an opponent during a single inning or turn. Inning A playing turn or frame. Kiss A carom. Lagging Banking balls the length of the table (from head rail to foot rail and return) to determine playing rotation. Left English A stroking tecnique which spins the cue ball to the left. Balls with left English on them will curve right as they move across the table. Long String An imaginary line drawn through the foot spot and the center diamonds of the side rails on the foot end of the table (usually not marked). Miscue A faulty stroke. Miss Failure to perform a shot as intended. Object Ball A ball other than the cue ball. On Ball In snooker or billiards, the object ball which is to be struck next. Pool Any game played on a pocket billiards table with pool balls. Pool is distinguished from English billiards and Snooker, also played on a pocket pool table, by the pool balls, 15 consecutively-numbered balls, the first eight of which are solid colors and the last seven striped. Rack The frame in which the balls are grouped before the break. The most common rack is triangular, but there are also diamond-shaped and circular racks for specialized racking set-ups. See also Triangle . Reverse English Draw. Right English A stroking tecnique which spins the cue ball to the right. Balls with right English on them will curve left as they move across the table. Run A series of consecutive points or counts in one frame. Safety A defensive shot, taken in an effort to leave the balls in a difficult set-up for your opponent. iii Scratch A stroke in which the player forfeits a turn--most often used to refer to pocketing the cue ball, but actually any stroke which causes play to pass to the next player in the rotation. Set-up A simple shot. Snooker A game played on a pocket billiards table with snooker balls, 21 balls (not counting the white cue ball) of which 15 are solid red, and six are other solid colors. Snookered To be in a position where any possle shot at the obiect ball which must be hit next is blocked by a ball or balls which must not be hit; any impossible task or situation (slang ). Spotting Placement of balls on designated spots. Triangle A triangular rack in which the 15 object balls are placed to prepare them for the break shot. See also Rack .