Piratenbillard Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Game Components
• Game Idea
• Setup
• Gameplay
• End of Game

Game Components

• 1 wooden game board
• 4 wooden legs
• 32 wooden balls, 8 each in the 4 player colors
• 4 wooden pirate cues
• 1 rulebook

Game Idea

The playing field of Piratenbillard is divided into 96 spaces. On each of the 4 sides of the playing field there is a starting row with 8 spaces. The bottom of the board consists of a linen cloth. The balls are struck from below with the pirate cues and should hop their way as quickly as possible to the target row on the opposite side. Whoever reaches 7 or more points first wins this extraordinary game of skill.

Setup

First, the 4 wooden legs must be screwed into the holes provided under the game board. Then each player chooses a player color and takes the 8 wooden balls of that color, as well as 1 pirate cue. Each player then chooses a side of the playing field and places one of their balls in each of the 8 spaces of the corresponding starting row. If fewer than 4 players are playing, the remaining material is not needed and goes back in the box. In a 3-player game, one starting row remains empty. In a 2-player game, 2 opposite sides of the playing field must be chosen.

Gameplay

The youngest player begins. The other players follow in clockwise order. On their turn, a player strikes any wooden ball of their color still on the playing field from below with their pirate cue. The pirate cue may only be maneuvered between the wooden legs adjoining the player's own starting row. The ball must leave the space it is lying in and may not land back in the same space. If the player does not manage this on the first attempt, they repeat the strike until it succeeds. Then it is the next player's turn.

The following additional rules apply:

• If a ball lands outside the playing field, it is out of the game, is put back in the box, and earns no points.
• If a player's ball lands in a space of the playing field where a ball of a different color is lying, they capture that ball. They take the opponent's ball off the playing field and set it aside as their treasure. Captured balls are worth 1 point.
• However, if a player's ball lands in a space of a neighboring player's starting row, to the left or right, then that neighboring player captures the ball, regardless of whether one of their own balls is in that space or not. They add it to their treasure, and it is worth 1 point.
• If a player's ball reaches a space in the starting row on the opposite side, it is secured. They take the ball off the playing field and add it to their treasure. Secured balls are worth 3 points.
• Important: In this case, no ball is captured, regardless of whether there is also a ball of a different color in that space.

Caution: If a player's ball lands in a space where one of their own balls already is, both balls remain there. If another player then plays one of their balls into that space, both same-colored balls are captured by that player. If it is that player's turn again and their two balls are still in that space, they must play that space, and at least one of the balls must leave the space.

End of Game

The game ends as soon as a player has balls worth at least 7 points in their treasure. This player has won and becomes the new captain. If there are no more balls on the game board and no player has reached 7 points by then, the player with the most points wins. In case of a tie, the players involved share the victory.

Of course, players may also agree to play to a point total other than 7 in order to determine the winner.