For me, the 1 ball at the top, 8 ball in the middle, and solids alternating with stripes as best as possible and make the rack as tight as possible.
These are just house rules that I picked up in college. What say you?
8 ball center, first ball doesn’t matter, left and right corner are one striped and one solid (so not the same).
As far as I know, these are “the” rules, not “my” rules.
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1 at the top, 8 in the middle, and everything else random.
going in diagonal lines: yellow in bottom left, then a line of reds then a line of yellows then a line going red black red red and finally a last line of yellow yellow red yellow red. (Or vice versa).
Apparently, there’s an “official” method - working from the head spot:
Solid
Solid, Stripe
Stripe, Eight Ball, Solid
Solid, Stripe, Solid, Stripe
Stripe, Solid, Stripe, Stripe, Solid
Redding mine. These need to be switched.
You’re looking at it from behind the rack, which makes sense as I did list them in that order. I am looking at it from in front of the rack.
Also, the head spot is usually the 1 ball, which is solid.
I think we can agree on this: (head spot at the bottom)
Stripe - Solid - Stripe - Stripe - Solid
___ Solid - Stripe - Solid - Stripe ___
______ Stripe - Eight - Solid ______
_________ Solid - Stripe _________
____________ Solid ____________
Those are “the” rules, according to both the WPA and the UPA.
World Pool-Billiard Association (WPA):
The United States Professional Poolplayers Association (UPA):
(bolding mine in both quotations)
However, most casual players in the USA (IME, that is) don’t know this, and will insist upon a strict-alternation scheme such as those mentioned herein.
Also IME, trying to tell them that “the rules” don’t require strict alternation is a lose-lose situation; one will either be taken for an idiot, or taken for a hustler.
The lower corners are opposite groups, the 8 ball goes in the middle, but the 1 ball should lead for a very particular reason - if it leads every time, it’ll be beaten up the most, and it keeps all the chips and cracks on one ball, which can then be replaced. The other balls will thus remain in mint condition, as the break is really the only shot that’s with any velocity.
It’s got nothing to do with the game itself, and thus isn’t and shouldn’t be in a rulebook, but I consider it polite and respectful to the owner of the table.
There’s no rule that says I can’t prop my feet on the table, but I don’t do that either.
My layout comes from the 8-ball rules of the Billiards Congress of America…which, er, points to the WPA rules, which, while it includes a layout, does mention that there’s no pattern.
I play 8 ball pool with my friends when am on summer vacations and kids are away playing. I usually follow How to rack pool balls as am an amateur and needs some guide to follow. I prefer playing board games with my kids as its engaging and takes less effort 
Interesting. First time I’ve heard this. That implies that billiard ball manufacturers must produce far more ‘1’ balls than the others. And cue balls as well since they presumably take even more abuse than the ‘1’ ball.
I worked at a bar for a while and I definitely know we definitely ordered extra cue balls.
It definitely makes sense with cue balls, since they seem to disappear more frequently, and also have a much higher chance of flying off the table, causing damage. But I’d love to see the stats on the ‘1’ ball.
Plus there’s assholes who will steal the cue ball if they win.