Pool

games · strategy · cue sports

Colorful numbered balls. A standard pool game uses 15 colored balls plus one white ball called the cue ball. You hit the white ball with a wooden stick called a cue to make it strike the other balls.

Six pockets to aim for. The billiard table has six pockets along the edges, rails, and corners where the balls fall when you hit them in the right direction.

Eight-ball is king. Eight-ball is the most popular version of pool that people play. In this game, players try to sink either all solid or all striped balls, then finish by sinking the black eight-ball.

Games need strategy. Pool is more than just hitting balls randomly. You have to plan your shots carefully, think about where the white ball will end up, and decide which ball to hit next.

Many different games. Beyond eight-ball, people also play nine-ball, ten-ball, straight pool, and bank pool, each with its own rules and challenges.