Bank 8 Rules

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Bank 8 is a variation of regular 8-ball in which the 8 ball must be sunk with a bank shot (1 rail) or a kick shot (2 rails).  This modification tends to level the playing field between players of different skill levels, so it can make the game more interesting and challenging.

Before beginning a rack, everyone will agree on a set of rules to follow.  Different variations include APA, Straight 8, Missouri 8, and others.  Those rules are in effect throughout the rack, until one of the players legally pockets the last ball before the 8 ball.

Please note that if a player scratches on their last ball before the 8 ball, the incoming player relies on the regular rules to determine where to play the cue ball from (kitchen, ball in hand, etc.).  Even though the player who scratched is technically "on the 8 ball", they didn't get there legally, so Bank 8 rules don't apply yet.

Once a player is shooting on the 8 ball, the rules change to Bank 8, which introduces several considerations that are different than any standard set of rules.

First, the player must call the destination pocket for the 8 ball.  There is no need to call caroms, other balls, extra rails, etc. - As long as the remaining rules are followed, all that matters is that the 8 ball ends up in the called pocket.

The 8 ball can be legally pocketed one of two ways:

1. BANK SHOT:  A player can strike the cue ball directly into the 8 ball (i.e., without striking another ball first) and drive the 8 ball off of an opposite rail, sinking the 8 ball in a pocket and not scratching the cue ball or sending it off of the table.
   
   Please note that the rule requires an OPPOSITE rail, meaning if the 8 ball is very near a rail, it is not sufficient to send the 8 ball into that rail and then into a pocket connected to that rail (i.e., a shallow-angle shot).  This would violate the spirit of the game and eliminate the strategy / skill aspect of Bank 8.
   
   Of course, if you bank the 8 off of multiple rails into your called pocket without scratching, it's a legal shot.
   
2. KICK SHOT:  An alternative to a regular bank shot is a kick shot, where the cue ball strikes a rail before striking the 8 ball.  With such a shot, there must be another rail involved, so either the cue ball strikes a second rail before striking the 8 ball, or the 8 ball strikes another rail before falling in the called pocket.
   
   Again, the shallow-angle rule applies as in a bank shot, meaning that the 8 ball cannot be sunk in a pocket connected to the rail it just hit.
   
   This variation of making the 8 ball is called "Kick 2", since 2 rails are involved, so it's commont to hear this game called "Bank 8, Kick 2" to emphasize that a kick shot requires 2 rails.

Unlike most 8 ball variations, when you scratch on the 8 ball in Bank 8, it is not an automatic loss.  Rather, the incoming player plays the cue ball from the kitchen.  If the 8 ball is also in the kitchen, the cue ball must be sent out of the kitchen and come back into the kitchen, making contact with the 8 ball to send it in the called pocket.

Please note that by definition, a shot from the kitchen with the 8 ball also in the kitchen will be a kick shot, so kick shot rules apply, meaning there must be a combination of at least 2 rails between the cue ball and the 8 ball before the 8 ball is pocketed.

There are other ways to scratch apart from pocketing the cue ball.

1. The cue ball strikes nothing, including a rail:  If the cue ball is struck but it does not hit a rail or the 8 ball, the incoming player gets ball in hand, meaning they can play the cue ball from anywhere on the table.  This rule prevents the shooter from playing safe by parking the cue ball in a position that blocks the incoming player from shooting.
2. No ball hits a rail:  If the shooting player strikes cue ball and it strikes only the 8 ball, but no ball is subsequently driven off a rail, it is a foul and the incoming player has ball in hand.  Again, this prevents the shooter from positioning the 8 ball and/or cue ball in a way that blocks the incoming player from shooting.