Updated: October 12, 2021
Eight-Ball is a pool game played on a pool table with six pockets, signals, and sixteen pool balls: a pool and fifteen goal balls. Read this 8 Ball Pool Review.
Set the Game
Find the Head Spot
Find a tiny dot in the center of the blanket, about a quarter of the length of the table. It is where the queue is placed to start the game. The line that passes through this point is called the “main chain.”
Rack the Balls
Locate the triangular pool support and place 1 to 15 balls inside. Place the stand at the opposite end of the table from the vertex. One corner of the triangle is facing the rest. When ready to play, remove the frame from the shelf so that only the balls remain.
Place the tip of the triangle with three-quarters of the table length at the “base point.” The point on the tabletop corresponds to the head. The “main chord” marks are 1/4 of the point from the head to the table to the foot. The “foot chord” is an imaginary line marking 3/4 of the path from head to toe. The “food point” is right in the middle of the footing.
Place the 8-ball in the center of the triangle. Place the ball 1 instead of the triangle against the crack. Place a ribbon ball in one corner of the stand and a solid ball in the other.
Learn Lingo
The group is rich in unique terms that can be difficult for new players to understand. Check the terms and conditions while playing. If you are unsure what something means, you can ask an experienced player for clarification.
- Goal Balls: The striped balls numbered 1 to 15. The “target balls” are the balls you try to hit in your pockets.
- Bag: Baskets on the edge of the pool table. There are six pockets: one in each corner and one in the middle of each long side. “Connection” is the process of dropping one or more numbered “object” bullets into a pocket.
- Rail: The bench along the side of the pool plate.
- Scratch: When a player accidentally hits the ball in a pocket. When you scratch, please take one of the sunken balls out of your pocket and put it back in the middle of the table. Your opponent now has the opportunity to shoot from the selected location at the top of the table.
- Open Table: The table is “open” if the group selection (bands or solids) has not yet been defined. When the table is open, it is legal to hit a body first to create a stripe or solid.
- Penalty for foul: The opponent receives the ball in hand. It means that the player can place the queue anywhere on the table to make his next turn.
At the beginning of the Game
Break the Shelf
A player places the queue behind the title and points to the shelf. Beat the ball with power and precision in the ball triangle. To take a legal break, the wrestler must get a ball or push at least four numbered balls down the rail. An error has occurred if the power switch does not turn off properly.
Know What to do in Case of Scratches or Mistakes
The game has only partially started if the player who interrupts scratches the shot. In the event of a foul, the incoming player has two options:
- Accept the table as it is.
- Take the next stroke.
- Roll the reel again to repeat the first break.
The incoming player can cancel in person or let the original switch try again.
When a Player Scrapes a Legal Break
- All balls in the bag remain in bags.
- The shot is a foul, which means it is now the other player’s turn to shoot.
- The table is open, which means that the first player to lower a ball without scratches selects that type of ball (stripe or body) as the target for the game.
- It is a foul if a player dribbles a numbered ball on the table during a break. The incoming player has two options:
- Turn on the table. Take the next step and continue the game.
- Select the ball behind the head. Pull or tear again as needed.
- If the 8-ball is in the pocket during the break, the switch can request new support or detect the 8-ball and continue firing. If the switch scratches when you insert all eight balls during the break, the incoming player has the option to move all eight balls or reveal all eight balls and shoot behind the title with the ball in hand.
Select Groups
Before selecting groups, the table is “open.” The first player to insert a numbered ball aims to target this group of balls for the remainder of the game. For example, if you are the player who breaks and pockets all 13 striped balls, you are “streaked.” Look for other striped balls that are easy to hit. Your goal is to get all the striped balls before the opponent hits all the fixed balls and the 8-balls.
If you are the first player to get a numbered ball in his pocket but keep a stripe and a solid immediately, you can choose between the two groups. Choose the group that works best for you right away.
Follow the Game
Keep Shooting Until You Cannot Get More Balls
If he shoots “stripes” and makes all 12 striped balls. Try to get a new striped ball. You can shoot again if you manage to get a scratched ball on the next shot. The opponent’s turn is immediate as soon as you scratch or drop your pocket.
There is no rule against combination shots where you immediately insert two numbered balls from your group. However, ball 8 cannot be used as the first ball in the combination unless the shooter’s only legal object ball is left on the table. Otherwise, it’s a mistake.
Pack All the Balls in Your Group
If you shoot “solids,” try to make all the balls numbered 1 to 7 so that you can hit eight balls. If you shoot “ribbons,” make all balls numbered 9 to 15. If you hit the opponent’s ball, your turn ends with a scratch.
Call Your Recordings
In many official pool games, players must notify every hit they make for that hit to be legal. It means: Enter which ball you want to hit in which pocket before each shot. You can say “4 balls, corner pocket” and use the pool queue to indicate which hole you are talking about. If you sometimes play pool with friends, you do not need to shoot.
Bake All Eight Balls
You can only legally shoot bullet eight once you have created all the other numbered balls in your group (stripes or bodies). Remember to call your bag. Look over the table and decide which 8-ball pocket is easy to sink. Then announce where you are going to pocket the 8-balls before you shoot. If you are the first to hole the 8-ball, you win the game.
- For example: say eight balls, coin pocket, and indicate which corner pocket you are talking about.
- If you call your shot but do not put the 8-ball in your pocket, it is the opponent’s turn to shoot. You do not win or lose if you do not itch or 8-ball while trying 8-ball.
End The Game
A mini clip 8 ball pool ends when a player legally drops all eight balls after placing all numbered balls in the group. However, a player may also lose the game if he commits certain violations.
A player loses if: he hits the 8-ball at any time after the break; puts the 8-ball in the same stroke as the last in his ball group; jumps the 8-ball from the table after the break.
Frequently Asked Questions
How to Play 8-Ball Pool?
The 8-ball pool plays with a “cue ball” and 15 numbered balls, including a black “8-ball”. One player tries to insert the colored balls (“solid” with the numbers 1 to 7), while the other player tries to insert the striped balls (“stripes” with the numbers 9 to 15). A player cannot get all eight balls until he has placed all the appropriate balls (stripes or solid). The first player to get all eight balls in his pocket wins the game.
