Billiards 8-Ball

Goal

8-ball pool is played on a six-pocket table with 15 numbered balls and a white cue ball. One side takes the solids (1–7), the other the stripes (9–15). Pot all the balls of your group, then pot the black 8-ball first to win. Play against the computer on Easy, Medium or Hard, or with a friend on the same device.

Controls

• Computer: move the mouse around the cue ball to aim. The white line and the "ghost ball" show which ball the cue ball will hit and where that ball will go. Hold the mouse button and drag back, away from the aim, to set the power (the bar on the rail fills up), then release to shoot. Drag back to where you started to cancel.
• Keyboard: ← → rotate the aim (hold Shift for very fine aiming), ↑ ↓ change the power, Space shoots. P or Esc pauses.
• Phone: touch and drag on the table to aim — the cue ball is shot towards your finger. The small ◀ ▶ buttons below fine-tune the angle. Then pull the Power bar next to the table down (further down = harder) and let go to shoot. Slide back to the top before letting go to cancel.
• Ball in hand: after your opponent fouls you may drag the cue ball to any free spot (on the break only behind the faint head line). The cue ball can’t overlap another ball.

Simplified rules

• The game starts with a break. The table stays "open" until someone legally pots a ball: the first ball potted decides that player’s group.
• Pot a ball of your group and you shoot again; otherwise it’s your opponent’s turn.
• Fouls (opponent gets ball in hand): potting the cue ball; hitting no ball; hitting a ball outside your group first (on an open table, the 8 may not be hit first); no ball potted and no ball touching a cushion after contact.
• Pot the 8-ball after clearing your group to win. Potting it early, or scratching the cue ball together with it, loses at once. If the 8 drops on the break it is re-spotted.

Score and tips

• Beat the computer quickly, with few fouls and few shots, for a higher score; Medium doubles and Hard triples the points. Best scores are kept per level.
• A full, straight hit stops the cue ball almost dead; a thin cut sends it off to the side. Watch the short cue-ball line so it doesn’t roll into a pocket.
• Don’t hit harder than needed: slower balls drop more easily and leave the cue ball in a better spot.