There are several traditional table shuffleboard games that are played. The most common table shuffleboard game played in major tournaments is called 'Knock Off'. Other commonly played table shuffleboard games are 'Crazy Eight' and 'Horse Collar'. 'Target' & 'Tap & Draw' and 'Baseball (a Horse Collar variation)' are less commonly played games.
Crazy Eight - Overview
Crazy Eight is a singles game played with 2 or more players and is played in frames allowing all players to have an equal chance. Players alternate ends of the board between frames, each player using all eight weights/pucks [red and blue]. The Game is played until one player scores some agreed upon number of points (e.g., 1-point, 15-points, 21-points, etc.). You continue frames until a winner is determined. Scoring the agreed upon points first does not necessarily make that player the winner. Every player gets to finish that frame and the highest score that is equal to or greater than the agreed upon game point (e.g., 1-points, 15-points, 21-points, etc.) is declared the winner. If the player that scores equal to or greater than the agreed minimum required points has the hammer (the last player to play), then he/she is declared the winner. If the last player ties with a prior player, then another round must be played to determine the winner. Before a player can score, the first 4 weights (same color) must be thrown simultaneously with one hand and all 4 weights must stay on the board and be past the long foul line (the foul line furthest from the shooter). If all 4 weights do not stay on the board, then that player gets no points for that round and the next player is up to play. If all 4 weights do stay on the board past the long foul line, then the player must shoot all 4 weights/pucks (in four shots) of the opposite color and must knock off those first four weights thrown past the foul line before any points can be scored for that frame. After all 4 original weights are knocked off, the remaining weights left on the table are scored. For instance, if a player does not get all four of their first 4 weights past the long foul line, no points are scored; if a player does get all 4 weights past the foul on first throw, but does not knock them off and keep at least one of the final 4 weights on the board, no points are scored; if a player gets all 4 first weights past the foul line, knocks them all off and has at least one of the final 4 weights left on the board, points are added and count.
OPTIONAL: Sometimes players will also have a 'Hickey' count which means every time a player does not score, it constitutes a 'Hickey', and each player that does not score in a round puts an agreed upon amount of money into a 'Hickey Jar' (e.g., $.25, $1, $5, etc.) and the final winner of the game gets the contents of the Hickey Jar. This is just something that can be done to make the game more interesting, but may or may not be part of your agreed upon Crazy Eight tournament rules.
How To Play
Take 4 weights [of same color], group them together, and throw them with one hand.
If all 4 weights do not pass the long foul line and stay on the board, no points are scored for that round [and player gets a 'Hickey' if your tournament includes a 'Hickey Jar'], and next player is up on the opposite end of the board for their turn.
If all 4 weights of the same color group did pass the long foul line and stay on the board, then player shoots the remaining 4 weights [of opposite color] one at a time and attempts to knock off the 1st 4 weights and keep at least one of the last four weights of the opposite color on the board to score points (this is great practice for knock off, making combination shots to remove more than one of the 4 weights with one shot, and to be able to either stick a final shot or lag with the weights you have left after you've knocked off all 4 weights of the original color group). If all of the first color group weights are knocked off and you still have at least one of the second color on the board and past the long foul line, this is your score; otherwise, no point is scored [and player gets a 'Hickey' if your tournament includes a 'Hickey Jar']. In either case, the next player is up on the opposite end of the board for their turn.
How To Count Player's Scores
Scoring (e.g., 1-point, 2-points, 3-points, or 4-points) is similar to 'knock off' with the exceptions noted above where first 4 weights of the same color must remain on the board and past the long foul line, and then they must all be knocked off with the remaining 4 weights of the opposite color while keeping one or more of these weights on the board.
A weight scores 1-point if it is located between the long foul line and the '2' line.
Weights completely across the '2' line count 2-points; weights across the '3' line count 3-points, a weight hanging over the end of the board (a.k.a. hanger) counts 4-points, etc.
To judge if a weight is completely over a line it should be viewed from above (i.e., look down over the top of the weight, positioning your nose approximately to the center of the weight --do not lean over too far or you get an inaccurate view-- the entire weight must be over the line for it to count as the next higher point value--you should be able to see some wood between the line and the weight for it to count as the next higher point.)
If any portion of the weight is hanging over the end of the board (not the side) it is called a 'hanger' and counts 4-points. Close calls can be checked by holding a weight so the top of a weight is along the back end of the board. The weight is then slid along the back end of the board. If it hits the 'disputed' hanger the weight is indeed hanging and is worth 4-points.
Miscellaneous Rules (Re:Board Talk Open Rules/Guidelines)
Before a player shoots, the player can dust the board if dry spots are showing. Note: In tournaments this may be restricted to the edge of the board or left to the discretion of the Tournament Director(s).
Shooters must have one foot behind the playing surface while they are shooting.
Hitting or shaking the table is never allowed.
