How to Pack Pool Balls in a Triangle

"Racking" the billiard balls is the term used to denote placing the balls in a triangle on the pool table. Although there is no official method to placing the balls in the rack, a few guidelines are generally accepted by players worldwide. Proper placement of the billiard balls not only helps to avoid sinking the eight-ball on the break, but can also make sure that there is an even chance of sinking a solid or a striped ball on the initial break.

Things You'll Need

  • Billiards rack
  • Billiards balls
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Instructions

    • 1

      Orient the triangular rack on the pool table so one of the corners is aligned directly over the foot position of the table. That corner is the apex of the rack.

    • 2

      Place the number one ball at the apex of the triangle. This will correspond to the top row. Put a solid ball and a striped ball directly beneath the apex, in what would be the second row.

    • 3

      Randomly drop the remainder of the billiard balls into the triangular rack. The only rule you need to remember is that the black eight-ball goes in the center of the third row and that the two bottom corners should contain one solid ball and one striped ball, though it doesn't matter which ball goes in which corner.

    • 4

      Tighten up the balls in the rack. This maximizes the amount of contact that the balls have with surrounding balls. Use your fingers to apply pressure and press the back row of balls together in the direction of the apex. At the same time, orient the triangle so the apex lies directly over the foot position and the corresponding dot in the table.

    • 5

      Gently lift the triangle rack up and off of the balls. Take care to avoid touching the balls because you may accidentally knock one or more of them out of place.