8-Ball Pool

A guide to the game of 8-Ball pool.

Every shot in 8-ball pool starts with the players striking the cue ball with their cue stick and driving the cue ball into another ball.

If a player pockets the cue ball, it is called a “scratch” and the opposing player places the cue ball anywhere in the “kitchen”, or the first two diamonds on the table that separate the cue ball from the rack. Balls that are within the “kitchen” cannot be hit off a scratch unless you hit a rail that is not within the “kitchen”.

Once a player has pocketed a ball, that player now owns that type of ball. Whether it be stripes or solids. The opposing player cannot hit the cue ball and have it collide with an opposing type of ball before striking their own type of ball.

Illegally pocketed balls, such as a ball being pocketed off of a cue ball striking an opponents ball first or if the player scratches, stay pocketed.

Legally pocketed balls grant the player who pocketed it another turn.

At any time, the players may ask each other where they intend to pocket the ball they are aiming at. If the player pockets a ball in an unintended pocket, another turn is not granted.

The “8” ball is always an opponent ball until all of the players type of ball has been pocketed, then special rules apply

To start playing 8-ball pool, you must first rack all the balls together excluding the cue ball, or the only ball that is all white. The “1” ball must be at the top, the “8” ball in the middle, with a solid color and striped color in the other corners. The rest does not matter.

Choose the player to break by whichever means you would like. (the act of breaking means the player who gets to go first.)

To break, the player can place the cue ball anywhere in the “kitchen”. which is between the two diamond shapes on the sides of the table.

When breaking, the player hits the cue ball into the rack and must drive at least 3 different balls into the rails of the table or pocket a ball. If those conditions are not met, the opposing player can choose to re-rack and break themselves or allow the game to continue.

At this stage of the game any player may attempt to pocket any ball, regardless if any balls were pocketed during the break. The first person to pocket a ball now owns that type of ball (solids or stripes).

Each player tries to pocket their own set of balls until none are left but the “8” ball.

When a player makes a shot on the “8” ball, they must call the pocket they intend to pocket the “8” ball in. If the player makes it in the correct pocket they called, they win the game. If the player pockets the ball into the wrong pocket, scratches, or pockets the ball and scratches, that player loses the game.