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Cutthroat Pool Rules: 3 or 5 Players, Fouls, Scoring

Updated Oct 15, 2026 · The LeaguePool Team

Cutthroat is the pool game for three: each player owns five balls (1 through 5, 6 through 10 or 11 through 15), you try to pocket everyone else's, and the last player with a ball still on the table wins. Foul, and each opponent gets one of their pocketed balls back, which is how a player who was knocked out climbs back in.

The Billiard Congress of America printed official Cut-Throat rules in its rule book for years, listing it for three or five players and calling it a game for social play rather than serious competition. Below are those rules, the bar version most people actually play, and the handful of points to settle before the break so nobody argues about them halfway through the rack.

Cutthroat rules at a glance

Group balls carry no point value in the BCA version. You don't score anything for pocketing; you just survive.

Racking and choosing groups

Rack all fifteen balls in a standard triangle with the 1 on the foot spot and the 6 and 11 on the two back corners. That puts one ball from each group on a corner of the rack, so nobody's group starts out sitting in the middle of the pack. The other twelve balls go in anywhere.

How groups get assigned is the first thing to agree on, because the sources split three ways:

• Chosen as you go. Bob Jewett, writing in Billiards Digest, describes the version where the first player to make a ball picks the group they'll defend, the next player to make a ball picks from the two left, and the last player gets whatever remains.
• Assigned by order. In the older version Ray Martin describes, the breaker has 1 through 5, the second shooter 6 through 10 and the third 11 through 15.
• Called shot first. Some write-ups give the choice to the first player who makes a called shot.

The BCA entry itself, as reproduced by Billiards.com, doesn't spell out the assignment method, so pick one and say it out loud. If groups are chosen as you go, the smart pick is whichever group has the most balls still on the table, because your job is to keep balls up, not sink them.

Five players

The BCA listed Cut-Throat for three or five players. With five, each player gets three balls (1-3, 4-6, 7-9, 10-12, 13-15). The rule book entries we could read don't print that split, but it's the only even way to divide fifteen balls five ways. Expect more two-against-one politics with five, since there are more players to gang up.

The break and the order of play

Lag or draw for order. Lagging works with three: everyone shoots a ball to the foot rail and back at the same time, and the ball closest to the head rail wins the choice. One common routine is that the third player in the order racks while the first player breaks.

Under the BCA rules the breaker must make an open break, meaning a ball goes in or the balls are driven to the rails rather than tapped. If the break isn't good enough, the next player can either take the table as it lies and shoot, or have it re-racked and break themselves. Balls pocketed on a legal break stay down, even if they came from somebody's group. In the choose-as-you-go version, agree whether a ball made on the break claims a group. Wikipedia's write-up keeps groups open until balls from at least two groups are down.

After the break, play goes around in a fixed order. Players who have been eliminated are skipped, and if a foul brings them back, they rejoin in their original spot in the rotation.

How a turn works

You stay at the table as long as you legally pocket a ball. Miss, foul, or (in most versions) sink your own last ball, and your turn passes to the next player still in the game.

The big difference between the official and casual games is what you have to hit first:

• BCA rules: the cue ball's first contact must be with an opponent's ball. Then a ball must go in, or the cue ball or a numbered ball must hit a rail. Anything less is a foul.
• Casual cutthroat: any ball may be hit first and shots don't need to be called. Both Jewett and Dr. Dave Alciatore describe it this way.

Can you pocket your own ball?

Yes, and it doesn't end your turn on a legal shot. Any legally pocketed ball lets you keep shooting, including one of your own. It just hurts you, because you're shortening your own life. Wikipedia's write-up calls it cutting your own throat. A ball from your own group that goes in on a foul stays down, too. The one special case is your last ball: sink it and you're out, and under the BCA rules your inning ends immediately. Jewett mentions a house rule where you keep shooting after sinking your own last ball, with a chance to clear the table and win anyway. That's a house rule, not the standard.

An opponent's ball that goes in on an illegal shot is spotted back with no further penalty for that ball.

Fouls, scratches and coming back from the dead

Every foul costs the same thing: your inning ends, and one pocketed ball from each opponent's group comes back to the table. Spot the balls on the foot spot (or as close behind it as possible). If an opponent has no balls pocketed, nothing happens for that group, and the penalty doesn't carry over to later.

That penalty is the comeback mechanism. A player who has already been eliminated gets a ball back the moment anyone else fouls, and they're back in the rotation in their old position. It's also why scratching late in a game is so costly: you hand both opponents a ball at once.

One BCA detail worth knowing: when you have ball in hand behind the head string and every opponent ball is also behind the line, you can ask for the object ball nearest the line to be spotted on the foot spot, so you have something to shoot at. Our scratch guide covers the kitchen rules in more detail, and pool fouls lists the standard fouls that apply to every game.

Winning, and who breaks the next game

The game ends when only one player has any balls left on the table. That player wins. In the BCA version it doesn't matter how many balls the winner has left. One is enough.

For the next rack, the BCA order is the order of elimination: the first player knocked out breaks, the winner shoots last, and everyone else falls in between in the order they went out. That gives the weakest player of the last game the break, which is a built-in handicap. Many bars do the opposite and let the winner break, which Jewett and wikiHow also describe. Both work. Just decide before the first game.

Scoring cutthroat over a night

If you want a running score, Jewett describes giving the winner one point for each of their balls still on the table. Wikipedia lists another version: three points for a win plus one per ball left, and two points for the last player eliminated. Bead strings or a pocket score counter keep it honest. Our guide to keeping score in pool covers the tools.

Settle these before the break

1. How groups are assigned: chosen by the first ball made, fixed by order, or by called shot.
2. What you must hit first: an opponent's ball (BCA) or any ball.
3. Call shot or not.
4. Whether combinations and caroms count (they do unless you agree otherwise).
5. Where ball in hand goes after a scratch: behind the head string or anywhere.
6. Whether sinking your own last ball ends your turn right away.
7. Who breaks the next game: first eliminated, or the winner.

Seven questions, thirty seconds. That's cheaper than an argument with two people who both think they're ahead.

Cutthroat with 2, 4 or 6+ players

The game was built for three, and the BCA allowed five. Other headcounts work with a different split. Wikipedia lists seven balls each for two players, three each for four or five, two each for six or seven, and one each for eight to fifteen. With six, play three teams of two: each pair shares a group and partners alternate turns or shots, scotch-doubles style.

With two players, cutthroat stops being interesting, because there's no third player to gang up on anybody. Play 8-ball or 9-ball instead. For four or more, see our full list of pool games for groups, which covers killer, team 8-ball, scotch doubles and ring 9-ball.

Strategy that wins cutthroat

Cutthroat is a political game. The table usually decides it before anyone's stroke does.

• Don't knock out the weakest player first. Once one player is gone, the game turns into a straight duel, and you lose your ally. Work on whoever has the most balls left.
• Expect two against one. If you're ahead, both opponents are now shooting at you. Bob Jewett names the two-against-one game and moving your own balls to safe spots as the two main strategies once a runout isn't on.
• Bump your balls to safety. A ball frozen to a rail or tucked behind others is hard to pocket. Under casual rules you can nudge your own balls toward those spots on purpose.
• Don't foul late. A scratch gives both opponents a ball back. When you're the leader, a careful safe is worth more than a low-percentage shot.
• Talk, a little. Jewett's tip: when you're not shooting, point out to the shooter how nicely the third player's balls are sitting.

For the shot-level skills behind this, our position play basics are a good place to start.

Handicapping a stronger player

Cutthroat falls apart when someone at the table can run ten balls from the break. Jewett says the game loses its charm in that case, and Dr. Dave suggests several fixes:

If your group is evenly matched and wants a tighter game, Dr. Dave also describes a race version: each player pockets their own group in rotation, and the first to clear all five wins. It's no longer cutthroat in spirit, but it's a good three-player game.

Sources

• Billiards.com: BCA Cut-Throat rules (reproduced from the BCA rule book)
• Billiard Congress of America, Billiards: The Official Rules and Records Book, Cut-Throat entry (1990s editions, read via the Internet Archive)
• Bob Jewett, "More the Merrier III," Billiards Digest, February 2011 (PDF)
• Dr. Dave Alciatore: cutthroat rules and variations
• Ray Martin, The 99 Critical Shots in Pool, rules appendix (fixed-group version)
• Wikipedia: Cutthroat (pool), for headcount and scoring variants

Our picks

Links open the current selection and price on Amazon so you can compare real reviews before buying.

Aramith Crown Standard Ball Set

Clear numbers for three groups

Cutthroat lives and dies on everyone reading numbers across the table, and this full 16-ball Aramith set is regulation 2-1/4 inch phenolic resin with 8 solids and 7 stripes. Phenolic shrugs off the constant breaking a three-player night puts on a set far better than cheap polyester.

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Solid Wood Triangle Rack

Racking the 1, 6 and 11 on the corners

A solid pine triangle sized for standard 2-1/4 inch balls, with rounded edges that are easier on the cloth. The cutthroat rack depends on getting the 1, 6 and 11 on the corners, and a rigid wood frame holds them tight while you set it.

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JINGSEY 4-Digit Score Counter Set, 4-Pack

Scoring cutthroat over a night

Four small counters with rotating number wheels, one per player plus a spare. If you score cutthroat by balls left standing, each player keeps a running total in their own counter instead of on a napkin.

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Frequently asked questions

How many players do you need for cutthroat pool?

Three is standard, each with five balls. The BCA rule book also listed it for five players, who get three balls each. Other counts work with uneven splits, but with two players there's no reason to play cutthroat.

Do you pocket your own balls or your opponents' balls in cutthroat?

Your opponents' balls. You win by keeping at least one of your own on the table after the other groups are gone. You can pocket your own ball and keep shooting on a legal shot, but it only hurts you.

What happens when you scratch in cutthroat?

Your turn ends, the next player gets ball in hand behind the head string, and each opponent gets one of their pocketed balls spotted back on the table. That can bring an eliminated player back into the game.

Can an eliminated player come back in cutthroat?

Yes. When any remaining player fouls, one ball from each opponent's group is spotted, including the group of a player who was out. That player rejoins in their original place in the order.

Do you have to call your shots in cutthroat?

Not in the usual game. The BCA rules leave call shot to be agreed before play, and most casual versions don't call shots at all. Decide before the break.

Who breaks the next game of cutthroat?

Under the BCA rules, the first player eliminated breaks the next game and the winner shoots last. Many bars let the winner break instead. Either is fine if everyone agrees first.

Does the player with the most balls left win?

No. The winner is simply the last player with any ball on the table. The number of balls left only matters if you're keeping a running score across several games.

Is cutthroat the same as elimination or three-man?

Yes. The BCA rule book called it Cut-Throat, also known as Elimination, and some players call it three-man. The rules are the same game.

Related guides

• How to Break in Pool: Best Way, Rules and Scratch Fixes
• Pool vs Billiards vs Snooker: The Real Differences
• Pool Etiquette: Pool Table Rules Every Player Should Know
• Bank Pool Rules: Calling Banks, Fouls and Scoring

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