How to play · 15 balls
8-Ball
The most popular pool game in the world. Clear your group, solids or stripes, then sink the 8.
- Balls
- All 15 plus the cue ball
- Rack
- Triangle. 8-ball in the center of the third row, one solid and one stripe in the back corners.
- Goal
- Pocket all of your group, then legally pocket the 8
- At Amazin
- 8-Ball leagues and weekly tournaments
The break
Break from behind the head string. A legal break pockets a ball or drives at least four balls to a cushion. Making the 8 on the break is not a loss: most rules let the breaker re-rack or spot the 8 and continue.
Choosing groups
The table is "open" after the break. Whoever first legally pockets a called ball takes that group: solids (1–7) or stripes (9–15).
Playing
- Hit one of your own balls first on every shot.
- Call your shots: ball and pocket. Obvious shots don't need calling.
- Keep shooting as long as you legally pocket your balls.
Fouls
- Scratching (cue ball in a pocket or off the table).
- Hitting the wrong group first, or no ball at all.
- No ball reaching a cushion after contact, when nothing is pocketed.
After a foul, your opponent gets ball in hand anywhere on the table.
Winning and losing
Once your group is gone, call a pocket and sink the 8 to win. You lose if you pocket the 8 early, put it in the wrong pocket, knock it off the table, or scratch while making it.
← All games