QUICK START
VerifiedFILE #016 // FRANCE // ~1770s
Launch balls up the sloped table and land them in numbered scoring pockets to earn the highest total score.
Use the spring-loaded plunger to shoot a ball up the right side of the sloped board. The ball rolls upward, deflects off pins and pegs, and falls into one of the numbered scoring cups. Each player launches 5 balls per round.
After 3 rounds (15 balls total), the player with the highest cumulative score wins. Pocket values range from 100 to 500 points.
FULL RULES
VerifiedThe Table
Bagatelle is played on a long, narrow table (typically 6-10 feet) with a sloped playing surface. The upper end is rounded and contains numbered scoring cups (pockets) sunk into the surface. Metal pins are arranged between the cups to deflect balls unpredictably. A channel along the right side guides the ball from the plunger to the top of the board.
The Plunger
A spring-loaded plunger (cue stick in early versions) is used to launch the ball up the right-side channel. The player controls the force of the shot by pulling back the plunger and releasing it. The ball travels up and around the curved top of the table before descending through the field of pins.
Scoring Cups
The board contains 9 numbered cups arranged in the upper portion of the table. Cup values typically range from 100 to 500 points, with the highest-value cup (500) placed in the most difficult position at the top center. Cups closer to the sides and bottom score lower values. A ball must come to rest inside a cup to score.
Ball Play
Each player receives 5 balls per round. Balls are launched one at a time. After each shot, the ball either lands in a scoring cup (earning those points) or rolls back down the table without scoring. Balls that miss all cups are 'dead' and score zero. Players alternate turns, each launching all 5 balls before the next player shoots.
Rounds and Scoring
A standard game consists of 3 rounds. Each player's score for a round is the sum of all pocket values their balls landed in. The cumulative score across all 3 rounds determines the winner. A perfect round (all 5 balls in the 500-point cup) would score 2,500 points, though this is extremely rare.
Pin Deflection
The metal pins (also called nails or pegs) are the heart of Bagatelle's unpredictability. Arranged in patterns between the cups, they cause the ball to bounce and ricochet in unexpected ways. Skilled players learn to use specific plunger strengths to navigate the pin field, but chance always plays a significant role.
Fouls and Dead Balls
A ball that jumps off the table is dead and scores zero. A ball that rolls back down past the foul line without entering a cup scores zero. If a ball rests against a pin without entering a cup, it is removed and scores zero. Players may not touch or interfere with a ball once launched.
VARIANTS
DramatizationSans Egal (Without Equal)
CLASSIC FRENCH VARIANT
The most traditional form. Nine numbered cups on the board, with the highest value at the top center. Players compete for the highest cumulative score over multiple rounds. Popular in 18th-century French salons and gaming houses.
Mississippi
AMERICAN ADAPTATION
A simplified version popular in 19th-century American bars. Fewer cups with higher point values and wider spacing. Players bet on individual shots rather than cumulative rounds, making it faster-paced and more gambling-oriented.
Trou Madame
EARLIER ANCESTOR
An earlier table game where balls are rolled (not launched) through numbered arches at the far end of a flat table. Considered a direct ancestor of Bagatelle, popular in France from the 17th century. The transition from arches to cups on a sloped board marks the evolution to true Bagatelle.