Cutthroat Pool Rules (3-Player)
Cutthroat is the game for three people when nobody wants to sit out. Each player gets a group of five balls, and the goal is refreshingly ruthless: keep at least one of your own balls alive while you knock everybody else off the table. Fast, social, full of shifting alliances. That is why it is a favorite for casual nights at the pool hall.
Setting Up the Groups
Rack all fifteen balls in a standard triangle. The three groups are low balls 1 through 5, middle balls 6 through 10, and high balls 11 through 15. Groups usually are not assigned until after the break, or they get decided by which group a player first legally pockets from. Plenty of house rules just assign them by turn order once a ball drops. Either way, your group is the set you protect. You win by outlasting the others, not by clearing your own numbers.
How Elimination Works
Your job is to pocket the balls belonging to your two opponents while leaving your own group on the table. When every ball in a player group is gone, that player is out and steps away from the table for the rest of the game. The remaining two keep going until only one still has balls left. That survivor wins. And since sinking your own ball never helps you, going after whoever is ahead becomes the natural strategy.
Turns, Continuation, and Fouls
You keep shooting as long as each stroke legally pockets an opponents ball. Miss, or drop one of your own, and the turn passes to the next player. Fouls in cutthroat include scratching the cue ball and failing to hit any ball. The penalty: the fouling player spots one ball for each opponent still in the game, handing those players a ball back on the table. That is how somebody knocked down to zero balls climbs back into it.
Alliances and Strategy
The best part of cutthroat is the unspoken teamwork. Two trailing players will quietly gang up on the leader, dropping that persons balls to level things out. Good players also avoid clearing one opponent too quickly, because eliminating somebody turns the game into a straight duel you might lose. Manage the balance instead. Stay off the radar, save a hard safety for the right moment, and you are playing cutthroat to win rather than just playing it.
Our picks
Links open the current selection and price on Amazon so you can compare real reviews before buying.
Aramith Standard Billiard Ball Set
Three-player group gamesCutthroat uses all fifteen numbered balls, so a durable set with clear numbers lets three players see at a glance which group belongs to whom.
Check price on AmazonWooden Triangle Rack
Quick standard racksA true triangle racks the full fifteen-ball pack cleanly every time, which matters when three players are cycling through fast, social rounds.
Check price on AmazonTabletop Score Marker Set
Tracking eliminated playersWith balls getting spotted back after fouls and players dropping out, a small score marker set helps everybody remember who is still alive and how many balls are left.
Check price on AmazonFrequently asked questions
How many players do you need for cutthroat?
Cutthroat is built for exactly three players, each protecting a group of five balls. Variations exist for other counts, but the classic three-player version is the standard.
Do you pocket your own balls or your opponents balls?
You pocket your opponents balls. Sinking one of your own group does not help you and ends your turn, since you win by keeping at least one of your balls on the table.
What happens when a player runs out of balls?
That player is eliminated and leaves the table. Some house rules bring players back when opponents foul and have to spot balls, so a player at zero can sometimes return to the game.
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