Place the rack at the foot of the table
Put the 1-ball at the front of the rack
Put the 8-ball in the center of the rack
Place one striped ball and one solid ball in the two back corners
Fill the remaining spots with the other balls in any order
Push the balls tightly together so they form a compact triangle
Align the apex ball on the foot spot
Remove the rack straight up after the balls are set
For 9-ball, place the 1-ball at the front
For 9-ball, place the 9-ball in the center
For 9-ball, fill the remaining balls in random order
For straight pool, rack all 15 balls tightly in a triangle
For straight pool, place the 1-ball at the front and the 5-ball in the center if required by house rules