The break

Players turn order is decided at random at the beginning of the game or match, as in other several player pool games. The cue ball is placed anywhere behind the head string (in the kitchen) and a typical hard break (as in nine ball or eight ball) is performed. The break is the first stroke of a players game, and thus counts toward his or her score.Any balls pocketed on the break are considered to be legally pocketed and the player now only has to sink the remaining balls.

Very good players can sink all three object balls on the break with surprising frequency, resulting in the perfect (but still tieable) score of one point, especially if the balls are triangle racked; this feat is achieved using an adaptation of the instant win break technique from eight ball and nine ball; the straight rack was introduced to make this more difficult, as it does not provide the contact point and angles that the well known technique requires.