Object

The object of the game is to sink all of the object balls in as few strokes as possible, with points being added to the players score for each stroke and for specific fouls.Unlike in eight ball and nine ball, the player at turn remains at turn until all object balls are pocketed,or the player concedes or reaches the maximum point limit (see below). All strokes count as one point each, whether they pocketed no balls, one ball or more than one ball.(Fouls incur additional penalty points; see below.)

There is a predetermined cut off score of a certain number of points, after which the player must turn the table over to the next player (or conclude the game round if the player was the last in the lineup). Among casual players this is typically five or six points, while among skilled players it is most commonly four, and sometimes even as low as three. It is also considered sportsmanlike to simply concede defeat before reaching this number if victory or a tie is clearly impossible; when conceding, one is scored at the cut off number, not the number one conceded at (e.g. if one is playing a game where the cut off is five, there is already a tie for three, and one cannot get out in under four, one would concede and take a five.)