There are many variations of Billiards, which is commonly referred to as Pool. The information below will provide you with the basics for the two most popular games of Pool that are played throughout the country.
8 Ball... is one of the most popular and well-known billiard games. It was previous known as "stripes and solids". The game of 8-Ball is played with 15 balls. The balls 1-7 are a solid color, the balls 9-15 have stripes and the 8 ball is black. The game is usually played with two players, but can be played with four... referred to as "Doubles". If four, there will be two on each team and each player will alternate playing when it is their teams turn. Please
click here to see the video "How to Play 8 Ball" for complete instructions.
9 Ball... unlike 8 Ball which is played with 15 balls, 9 Ball is only played with 9 balls... using the 1-9 balls. This game was first played in the United States in 1920. As with 8 Ball, this game can be played with two players or with four. If four, the players with be completing alternate shots. Please
click here to see the video "How to Play 9 Ball" for complete instructions.
Please note, that one of the following racks will be used for each game mentioned above. The triangle-shaped rack holds 15 balls and is used when playing 8 Ball. The diamond-shaped rack holds 9 balls and is used when playing 9 Ball. Who would have guessed! As you can see, 8 balls and 9 balls are always placed in the center of their respective racks. The racks that are displayed below are constructed of wood... but plastic is also in the manufacturing of racks.
