Billiards

Introducing Billiards

Want to try a fun game that also helps you improve your aim? Billiards – especially the 8 Ball Pool version – is a great choice. It’s a cue sport where you use a stick to hit balls into pockets, and it takes both accuracy and planning to win. Even better, you can play online against other people from around the world. Are you ready?

How to Play

The controls are easy. Move your mouse to aim the cue stick, click and drag to choose your shot power, then release the mouse to shoot. If you see arrows around the cue ball, that means you can move it to another position. This usually happens at the start of the game or when your opponent makes a foul.

A key part of playing well in 8 Ball Pool is learning how to use spin. Spin lets you control how the cue ball moves after it hits another ball. For example, you can make the cue ball stop, roll forward, or bounce back. To do this, click the cue ball icon at the top of the screen and move the dot in the direction you want. If you want backspin, move the dot to the bottom of the ball. Then take your shot and see how the cue ball reacts. It’s a great way to prepare for your next move.

The main goal in 8 Ball Pool is to pocket all of your assigned balls—either stripes or solids. After that, you need to sink the 8 Ball to win. Be careful though—if you hit the 8 Ball in too early, you lose the game immediately.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the rules of Billiards?

At the beginning of the game, players are assigned either stripes or solids, based on the first ball they pocket. From then on, each player must only sink their group of balls. Once all those balls are in, they must sink the 8 Ball to win. If someone sinks the 8 Ball too early, they lose right away.

What’s the difference between Pool and Billiards?

“Billiards” is a general name for all cue sports. Pool is one type of Billiards and includes games like 8 Ball, 9 Ball, Snooker, and more. So yes, Pool is part of the Billiards family.

What is a scratch in Billiards?

A scratch happens when the cue ball goes into a pocket, doesn’t hit any ball, or hits the wrong ball first. In the online version, if you scratch, the other player gets to place the cue ball anywhere on the table. In some other rules, the ball must be placed behind a certain line, or one of your pocketed balls might be returned to the table as a penalty.

What if I scratch on the break?

You don’t lose the game for scratching on the break. Instead, your opponent gets to break. Still, it’s best to avoid scratching since breaking gives a big advantage.

What happens if I scratch on the 8 Ball?

You only lose if both the cue ball and the 8 Ball go into pockets in the same shot. If you scratch but don’t sink the 8 Ball, the game goes on—but it’s still a risky move.