Pocket billiard games, also known as pool
games, are the most common type of billiards. Pocket billiard games are played on a table that has
six pockets, with a cue stick and a changing number of billiard balls.
Here you will be introduced to the most popular billiard games and learn
about the differences between them.
8-ball is the most popular pocket billiard game in the US and
other parts of the world. Therefore, 8-ball is often a synonym of pool. It is played by professional players as well
as amateurs in local pool halls. 8-ball pool is played with 15
billiard balls on a table with 6 pockets. The 8-ball players goal is to sink
one of the groups of balls into the pockets according to the strict
rules set by the Billiard Congress of America (BCA) and then to sink
the 8-ball to a certain pocket.
In the US, 9-ball pool is played mostly by
professional pool players. Local and regional 9-ball leagues are very
common statewide. US Open and the World 9-Ball Championship are the
most prestigious 9-ball pool tournaments in North America. 9-ball pool
is played with only nine balls marked with numbers 1 through 9. During
the game, each player is required to shoot the balls sorted from the
lowest ranked ball to the highest. The object of the game is to shoot
the 9-ball into a pocket only after lower ranked balls are pocketed.
Straight pool, also known as 14.1 continous, used to be the most popular billiard
game around but its popularity among the professional pool seen has
been captured by pool games such as 9-ball and 8-ball for a long time
now. In straight pool, each player aims to shoot any of the 15 balls
into any of the 6 pockets on the table. The winner in this pool game
is the first player who scores a predetermined number of points,
usually 100.