8-ball pool rules, and five shots that win more racks
· 3 min read
The rules of 8-Ball in plain English, the fouls that give away ball in hand, how 9-Ball differs, and the shots worth practising in Blibzz Pool.
8-Ball is the pool game you'll find in nearly every pub and bar, and it's the main game in Blibzz Pool. The rules fit on a beer mat, but a few of them catch everyone out.
The rules in short
- One player takes the solids (1 to 7), the other the stripes (9 to 15).
- Pot a ball of your group and you shoot again; miss and it's your opponent's turn.
- Once all of your group is down, call a pocket for the 8 and sink it there to win.
- Sink the 8 too early, in the wrong pocket, or on a foul, and you lose the game on the spot.
Fouls
A foul hands your opponent ball in hand: they can place the cue ball anywhere on the table. In Blibzz Pool, these are fouls:
- The cue ball goes in a pocket.
- The cue ball hits nothing, or hits the wrong ball first (one from your opponent's group, or the 8 before your group is cleared).
- No ball touches a cushion after the cue ball makes contact, and nothing is potted.
- The shot clock runs out.
Ball in hand is the biggest advantage in pool. When you get it, don't just take the easiest pot: put the cue ball where the pot also sets up your next shot.
How 9-Ball is different
In 9-Ball you must always hit the lowest-numbered ball on the table first, but anything that goes in after that counts. Whoever sinks the 9 on a legal shot wins, even on the break. It's faster and luckier than 8-Ball, and combination shots onto the 9 are the big moment.
Five shots worth practising
1. The stop shot. Hit the cue ball in the centre, firmly, on a straight shot: it stops dead where the object ball was. It's the foundation of position play.
2. Draw. Hit below centre and the cue ball comes back towards you after contact. Use it when your next ball is behind you.
3. Follow. Hit above centre and the cue ball rolls on after the object ball. Use it when the next ball is ahead.
4. The bank. Play the object ball off a cushion into a pocket. The angle in roughly equals the angle out; side spin bends it.
5. The safety. Sometimes the best shot is no pot at all: leave the cue ball somewhere your opponent has nothing easy. It's legal as long as you hit your own group first and something touches a cushion.
Playing it on Blibzz
Aim with the mouse, or on a phone with your finger behind the cue ball; pull back to shoot, or drag the cue down the power bar. Tap the cue ball to add draw, follow or side spin. Play a friend with a code, take on a Blibzz house player in a quick match, or play a free game with no coins at all.