Game Guide

Lucky Pool Guide Book

Introduction
LuckyPool simulates the game of Pool between 2 players, with some interesting twists to make it more unpredictable and fun.
Player Inputs
To take a shot, you first specify its direction, speed and spin:
Direction
  • you can click or touch anywhere on the pool table, and cue ball will be hit towards that point. To fine tune the direction, you can continuously press the one of the 2 buttons to adjust the direction clockwise or counterclockwise;
Speed
  • you can touch any point on the speed bar to specify a strength to use;
Spin
  • you can touch any point on the spin bar to specify a vertical spin, which can be forward spin or backward spin depending on you hitting above or below the middle mark;
Instead of the cue stick, we show trajectory of how each ball would move, and the end point of the trajectory is where the ball will stop. You can use this information to review and adjust your inputs in real time. Note that this trajectory is only a baseline forecast, since we add a random adjustment to your inputs (see “Randomized Simulation”).
Randomized Simulation [Patent Pending]
  • In real-world games, there are always random errors when you carry out a shot, so the cue ball wouldn’t be going exactly where you are aiming at, especially when you are hitting the cue ball with faster speed and more spin. To simulate this effect, our game engine will add a random adjustment to your inputs. The faster the shot, and the more spin applied, the more random is the shot.
  • As illustrated, the random adjustment may skew the direction clockwise or counterclockwise. However, the adjustment will follow a Normal (Gaussian) distribution so the mean is 0. It is possible that you take a more uncertain shot (like aimingat a faraway target ball with full speed) but end up being lucky.
  • To help you gauge how much randomness will affect your shot, we tell you how likely a ball would be pocketed whenever a target ball is projected to fall into a pocket in the baseline trajectory.
Rules of Play
We apply a simplified version of the rules from WPA
(link to http://upatour.com/official-billiard-rules/u-s-8-ball-rules/)
Break Shot
  • i.
    A randomly chosen player (the Breaker) starts the game with a break shot, with the cue ball placed at anywhere behind the head string;
  • ii.
    If the cue ball is pocketed, the opponent takes the break shot with the table reset;
  • iii.
    Otherwise, if the black ball is pocketed, the breaker wins the game;
  • iv.
    Otherwise, if a non-black ball is pocketed without any foul, the breaker continues to take a called shot (he/she is still free to call any color);
  • v.
    Otherwise, If less than 4 balls are driven to the rails, the table is reset for the opponent player to take the break shot;
  • vi.
    Otherwise, the break shot is valid, and the opponent player proceeds to take a called shot
Called Shot
  • i.
    The player has to adjust the shot parameters (direction/strength/spin) until the baseline trajectory shows that one of the balls will be pocketed in a specific pocket. The game system assumes that ball is the “called ball” and that pocket is the “called pocket”;
  • ii.
    If the table is open (i.e. the player hasn’t chosen a color suite), the player can call on any ball; after a player has pocketed a called ball, that becomes his chosen color, and the opponent will assume the other color; only after all balls of a player’s chosen color are pocketed can a player call the black ball;
  • iii.
    A called shot is successful if the called ball is pocketed into the called pocket. If the black ball is called and pocketed, the player wins the game. If a non-black ball is called and pocketed, the player continues to next called shot;
  • iv.
    If the black ball is pocketed without being called, or not into the called pocket, then the opponent player wins the game immediately;
  • v.
    If a ball is pocketed, but it is not the called ball, or the pocket is not the called pocket, then it is the opponent’s turn to take called shot next;
  • vi.
    “Scratch” foul: If the cue ball is pocketed, then the opponent takes a called shot by placing the cue ball anywhere on the table;
  • vii.
    “Bad Hit” foul: if the cue ball first touches a ball not of his chosen color (or first touch is black ball in case balls of his chosen color are all pocketed), then the opponent takes a called shot by placing the cue ball anywhere on the table;
  • viii.
    “No Rail” foul: if after the cue ball hits a target ball, neither ball hits the rail or gets pocketed, then the opponent takes a called shot by placing the cue ball anywhere on the table.
  • ix.
    A summary table is below for quick reference
Which ball is pocketed
Which pocket
Rule
Called ball (black)
Called pocket
Player wins game
Called ball (black)
Not called pocket
Opponent wins game
Called ball (nonblack)
Called pocket
Player takes called shot next
Called ball (nonblack)
Not called pocket
Opponent takes called shot next
Not called ball (black)
Any Pocket
Opponent wins game
Not called ball (nonblack)
Any Pocket
Opponent takes called shot next
No pocket
No pocket
Opponent takes called shot next
Game Levels
Three difficulty levels are available to cater for players with different level of skills and experiences.
Beginner
  • The pockets are bigger than normal but the ball size is kept the same as normal size;
Intermediate
  • The ball size, table size and pocket size are all proportional to standard pool table in real sports;
Advanced
  • We increase the number of balls from 15 to 27 balls (7 rows instead of 5 rows), and increased the range of speed meter to allow for more powerful shots;
In addition, special power badges sometimes show up on randomly chosen pockets, and if a player manages to make a legal called shot into that pocket, he/she will be rewarded a special power for the next shot. The special powers include:
  • i.
    No Scratch Foul: even if your cue ball is pocketed in the next shot, you can continue to play another shot if you have pocketed the called ball;
  • ii.
    No Bad Hit Foul: ignore this rule for the next shot;
  • iii.
    Super Lucky: no random adjustment is added to the next shot;
  • iv.
    Double Power: the maximum speed you can apply to the next shot is doubled;
  • v.
    Back In Time: you can choose to rewind the game and retry the next shot for 3 times if you don’t like the outcome;
  • vi.
    Ball In Hand: you can place the cue ball anywhere on the table before taking the next shot;
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