Eight Ball Pool
Shortcuts: Ctrl+P pause · Ctrl+M sound · Enter play again
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Resets every Monday (UTC).
About Eight Ball Pool
Eight Ball Pool is a top-down pool table where you pot either the solid balls or the striped balls, then finish by sinking the black eight. You pull back from the white cue ball like a slingshot, a dashed guide line shows where the cue ball will hit first, and realistic collisions do the rest. The table starts open, so your first clean pot decides which group you own.
It suits players who enjoy thinking a shot or two ahead. A full game takes five to ten minutes. By default you play against the computer, but a button above the table switches to a second human on the same device, passing it back and forth. A good game is a clean break into one group with few fouls.
How to play Eight Ball Pool
- Pick your opponent with the button under the table: the computer or a second player sharing the device.
- Drag back from the cue ball, line up the dashed guide with an object ball and release.
- The first ball you pot after the break decides if you are solids (1 to 7) or stripes (9 to 15).
- Keep shooting while you pot your own balls. A miss or a foul passes the turn.
- Once your group is cleared, pot the eight ball to win. Potting it early loses the game.
Controls
| Keyboard and mouse | Press on the table and drag away from the cue ball, then release to shoot. The farther you drag, the harder the shot. You can also use arrow keys or A and D to turn (hold Shift for fine turns), Up and Down to set power, and Space or Enter to fire. |
|---|---|
| Phone and tablet | Touch the table, pull your finger back from the cue ball and let go. When you get ball in hand, tap a free spot on the felt to place the cue ball there. |
Scoring
Winning gives a score of 700 minus 6 per shot you took, plus 30 for each ball you potted, with a floor of 200. Losing leaves you with just 30 per pot. Finishing in fewer shots is the way to a high result.
Tips and strategy
- Use the dashed line and the small yellow tick on the target ball. The tick shows the direction that ball will travel after contact.
- Hit your own group first every time. Touching the opposite group or the eight first is a foul and hands the other side ball in hand.
- Use gentle power for shots near a pocket. Hard hits bounce balls off the cushions and often send the cue ball into a pocket.
- Scratching, which means pocketing the white, gives the opponent ball in hand. Avoid shots where the cue ball could follow the target in.
- Do not pot the eight until every ball of your group is gone, or you lose on the spot, even if it was a lucky shot.
Eight Ball Pool FAQ
▸Can I play against a friend?
Yes. Tap the opponent button to change from CPU to Player 2, and then take turns on the same screen or keyboard. There is no online play.
▸What is ball in hand?
After a foul, the next player places the cue ball anywhere free on the table before shooting. Tap or click the spot, or move with the arrow keys and press Space.
▸What happens if I pot the eight ball at the wrong time?
The game is decided at once. Sinking it early, or sinking the white together with it, gives the win to your opponent.
