How to Play 8-Ball in Pool

Playing 8-ball is one of the most common games of pool. Two players compete to make their group of balls in before they can have a shot at the 8 ball. There are fifteen balls played in the game, 1 through 7 are solids and 9 through 15 are stripes with the 8 ball being black. Here's how to play.

Things You'll Need

• Pool table
• Cue stick
• Pool cue
• Pool balls
• Pool triangle
• Cue stick chalk

Instructions

1. Rack the balls using a pool triangle. Start with the solid 1 ball at the top of the triangle. Place the balls around the perimeter of the triangle in the order of solid, stripe, solid, stripe. The 8 ball will be in the middle directly behind the 1 ball.

2. Center the rack with the front ball on top of the dot marked on the pool table. If the table doesn't have a dot, position the racked balls in the center of the pool table with the front ball parallel to the dots on the railing between the side pockets and the corner pockets. Keep the rack tight and remove the pool triangle.

3. Place the cue ball anywhere on the table behind the opposite set of railing dots between the pockets, and break the rack. If a ball is sunk on the break, the ball sunk determines your group and you can shoot again for that set of balls. Otherwise the table is open.

4. Continue making your set of balls in until the 8 ball remains. When you miss a shot it is the other person's turn.

5. Call what pocket you want to put the 8 ball in and take the shot. If you make it in the correct pocket, you win the game. If you don't make it you get another shot after your component. If you sink the 8 ball in the wrong pocket or scratch, you lose the game.

Tips & Warnings

• Chalking the tip of your pool stick will help maximize the friction when striking the cue.

• Obvious shots don't need to be called but bank and combination shots do.