JUST YOUR BARE HAND

Hand Pool Billiards: Pool Played With Your Bare Hand

Hand pool keeps the table, the rack and the bragging rights of billiards and puts the whole game in your bare hand. You roll, flick or fling the white ball with your hand. That's the whole trick, and it changes everything about a night at the bar.

See the hand pool rules

Women playing hand pool billiards around a pool table

Hand pool in one sentence

Quick answer: Hand pool billiards is standard pool where you hit the white ball with your bare dominant hand. You need any 7-, 8- or 9-foot table, a regular set of balls and at least one opponent, and you can learn it in about five minutes.

Why people switch to hand pool

Nothing to borrow. No gear, no chalk, no excuses about the bar's equipment.
No elbow room needed. Packed bar? A hand shot doesn't need four feet of clearance behind you.
Your drink stays in your other hand. Seriously, that's allowed.
Bets get more interesting. Hand pool was made for friendly wagers and loud tables.

How to play hand pool billiards

Rack the balls. Set the 15 object balls in the standard triangle rack at the foot of any regulation pool table.
Set your hand. Lay your palm flat on the felt with fingers spread, behind the white ball. Use your dominant hand.
Strike and let go. Send the white ball toward your target and fully release it before it hits the object ball. No pushing or guiding.
Pocket your balls. Call your shots and play standard pool rules. Clear your group and sink the 8 to win.

What you need for hand pool

A bar table, a basement table or a pool hall table all count, in 7, 8 or 9 feet. Use the same 15 object balls and white ball as regular billiards, unmodified. Two players can go head-to-head, and a group of three or more can play Cutthroat.

Official hand pool rules

The official rule list at HandPool.com jokes that rule one is "there are no rules." Here are the rules as written there:

A scratch means ball-in-hand, every time. Table scratches count too. You never lose on a scratch. The one twist: a scratch on the 8-ball is a tie. But if you sank two balls in a row right before and the 8 was your final ball, you win instead.
Jump shots are fair game. Pick the white ball up and loft it over whatever's in the way. No limits.
You can get on the table. Forget the one-foot-on-the-floor rule. Climb up if the shot calls for it.
Let go before contact. The white ball has to leave your hand before it touches the target ball. No pushing, steering or holding through.

Hand pool tips from the felt

Loosen your wrist before you start, since a relaxed hand controls the white ball better than a stiff one. Plan where the white ball stops, not just where the object ball goes. Lean on bank shots, because the felt drags on your hand and a rail shot can get you out of a jam. And keep it loud: the shots people remember are the ones nobody called.

Hand pool billiards around the bar

Women laughing during a game of hand pool billiards

Women playing a casual game of hand pool on a green felt table

Group of women gathered around a hand pool billiards table

Men lining up a hand pool billiards shot in a bar

Friends playing hand pool billiards together

Hand pool billiards in an upscale lounge

Hand pool FAQ

What is hand pool billiards?

Hand pool billiards is regular pool played with your bare hand. You strike the white ball with your dominant hand, palm flat on the felt and fingers spread, and otherwise follow standard pool rules.

What do I need to play hand pool?

Any standard 7-, 8- or 9-foot pool table, a normal set of 15 object balls plus the white ball, your hand, and at least one opponent. Nothing else: no chalk, no gloves.

Are jump shots allowed in hand pool?

Yes. In hand pool you may pick up the white ball and launch it over other balls. There are no restrictions on jump shots.

What happens if I scratch in hand pool?

Any scratch, including a table scratch, gives your opponent ball-in-hand, and a scratch never loses the game. Scratching while sinking the 8-ball is a tie, unless you pocketed two balls in a row right before and the 8 was your last ball, in which case you win.

Can I climb on the table?

Yes. Hand pool has no one-foot-on-the-floor rule, so getting up on the table to reach a shot is legal.

How many people can play hand pool billiards?

Two players can go head-to-head, and three or more can play Cutthroat.

How long does hand pool take to learn?

About five minutes. If you already know pool, you already know most of hand pool.

Where do the official hand pool rules come from?

Hand pool was created by the Hand Pool Association of America. The official rules live at HandPool.com.

Play hand pool tonight

Rack 'em and go hand-first. Find a table near you on HandPool.com

The table map, the official league and the latest rules all live on HandPool.com.