Play 8-Ball Pool
When someone mentions the word billiards I get goose bumps, my mind enters a fantasy world where I enter a billiard club, all of a sudden I feel like playing, has it ever happened to you?
In America when we tell our friends, let’s play pool we mean 8-ball.
It is a game that consists of 16 billiard balls.
- From 1 to 7 are the solid
- From 9 to 15 are the stripes
- The 8-ball is the black ball
- The cue ball or mingo
In a billiard game or tournament, you must decide who will make the break, in many places they call it playing the break.
You place two balls (your opponent’s #1 and yours #4) on the break line and at the same time you shoot the ball that hits the rail and when it returns the one that is closest to the other parallel rail is the one that starts the game (you won the break).
When you win the first game, it is your opponent’s turn to break, that is, the serve is alternated, if you are in a billiard tournament, otherwise, you can define how you want to do it.
How do you start playing 8-ball?
How to play, pool cues, types of cues, cue maintenance, billiard table sizes, cloths, number of pockets, famous brands, how to build a pool table, etc.
Playing 9-Ball
When you want new challenges, take the leap to start playing 9-ball pool and you will see how your game changes drastically, because you will learn to control the cue ball at will.
- The balls are placed in the shape of a diamond.
- The 9-ball goes in the middle
- You must pocket each ball in numerical order
- You can make combinations with other balls and also with the 9-ball (to win the game).
- If you pocket the cue ball, your opponent has ball in hand, he can place the cue ball where he wishes.
- If you commit three consecutive fouls, you lose the game.
- It doesn’t matter if your opponent pockets all 8 balls in a row, if you pocket the 9-ball, you win.
- It is a modality to learn how to place the cue ball to the next ball.
That is why playing 9-ball is so much fun.
The games are fast.
You learn to place the cue ball in the position you want and if there is an endless queue of people at the pub waiting to play, this is the solution.
How to play 10-Ball?
10-ball is similar to 9-ball, only now you must choose where you are going to pocket each ball.
You have to say for example, 1 ball in the right corner pocket or by pointing with your hand or cue.
In case you pocket the ball in another pocket that you did not choose, it is your opponent’s turn.
It has several rules and as in 9-ball, one of the most important rules is the push.
What is the Push?
The “Push” is a rule of the 9-ball and 10-ball game that is mentioned aloud to your opponent and the referee (if any), when after the break it becomes difficult or impossible to hit the corresponding initial ball.
You must hit the cue ball, but it is not necessary for the cue ball to touch another ball or a rail.
The shooting player must say “Push” or else the shot will be considered a normal shot, if so and you do not hit the corresponding ball, your opponent would have ball in hand.
Any ball you pocket on a “Push” stays in, except the 9-ball or 10-ball, which would be placed at the center spot (where the balls are placed), after the “Push”.
After a legal push shot, the incoming player has the option of shooting from the new position or passing the shot back to the player who made the push.
Regardless of who shoots next, on the shot immediately following the push, play continues as normal.
In the continuation of play, the player who touches must touch the corresponding ball (always the one with the lowest number on the table), or else it would be a foul.
The corresponding player continues to shoot until he misses, fouls or wins the game.
What are billiard balls made of?
Some time ago billiard balls were made of ivory, but nowadays they are made of phenol resins because of their advantages over natural ones:
- Low soiling
- Easy to clean without discoloration of the balls
- Allows a better molding and a perfect spherical shape is achieved.
- They weigh 165 grams and measure 57 mm in diameter.
- Trade in elephant tusks avoided
- They are cheaper
- And they last a long time
Go to the Mega Post about Billiard Balls.
A little about billiard tables
Billiards used to be played on tables made of different materials such as marble, iron, but nowadays wooden tables are used, the surface is covered by a cloth, generally blue (the blue ones are for competition).
The surface of the billiard table must be rectangular and the table top must not be uneven, otherwise it would be a mess to play like this.
The table is surrounded by rails, about 5 cm high, usually the rails are made of rubber.
The table has 6 pockets, on the outside of the table that is not covered by the cloth is called handrail and has some marks called diamonds, they serve to guide us in the shots with band.
More about billiard tables in this complete article.
Billiard Rules
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