14 Pool Table Games, 8-Ball to Speed Pool (With Rules for Each)

All you need is a decent all-around cue (our guide to cues for every budget has picks that handle all of these) and a standard table.

Quick Comparison

Games run from 1-2 minutes for 3-ball to 45-90 minutes for straight pool, and most of these games are built for two players.

Pick a Game by Player Count

The right game depends first on how many people are holding a cue. For a group of three, cutthroat is the classic, and our 3-player pool games rundown adds Kelly pool.

Four players is the awkward number, since 15 balls don’t split evenly four ways for cutthroat. Teams solve it, with partners either alternating turns or, in scotch doubles, alternating shots.

1. 8-Ball

8-ball is the most-played pool game on the planet, a two-player game using all 15 object balls. After the break, the first ball legally pocketed determines whether you’re solids (1-7) or stripes (9-15). Balls that drop on the break don’t decide it under WPA rules; the table stays open.

Clear all your group, then pocket the 8-ball in a called pocket to win. Scratch on the 8 on the same shot that sinks it and you lose.

Rack: All 15 balls in a triangle, apex ball on the foot spot. 8-ball in the center of the third row, one solid and one stripe in the back corners. WPA rules leave the apex ball to chance, though many players put the 1 there out of habit. (how to rack properly)

Break: From behind the head string. Pocket a ball or drive at least 4 object balls to a rail. (how to break)

Win condition: Pocket all your group balls, then legally sink the 8-ball.

Sinking your opponent’s ball is a classic 8-ball argument, and what happens when you hit your opponent’s ball in settles it.

2. 9-Ball

9-ball is the fastest of the major professional formats, with most racks over in 5-10 minutes, and it uses nine balls racked in a diamond with the 1 at the front and the 9 in the center. You must always hit the lowest-numbered ball first. Any ball can drop on any shot, though, and sinking the 9 at any point (as long as you hit the lowest ball first) wins.

Rack: 9 balls in a diamond. 1-ball at the front, 9-ball in the center. The WPA’s current rulebook (effective September 2025) puts the 9 on the foot spot; CSI (BCAPL) league rules and many bars still put the 1 on the spot.

Break: Must strike the 1-ball first. At least 4 balls must hit a cushion or a ball must be pocketed.

Win condition: Legally pocket the 9-ball.

Combos make 9-ball swingy. If the 3-ball is the lowest on the table and you hit it into the 9-ball, pocketing the 9, you win.

Pattern play decides 9-ball more than any other short-rack game. Because you must hit balls in order, your cue ball position after each shot determines whether you can continue running. Strong 9-ball players plan 3-4 balls ahead and use the “key ball” concept, which means identifying the ball that gives you the best angle on the 9.

Safety play is huge too. If you can’t run out, push the cue ball to a spot where your opponent has no clean shot on the lowest ball. On the shot right after the break you can push out instead of hitting the lowest ball, and your opponent then picks who shoots next.

Tournament 9-ball is played on 9-foot tables with tournament pocket cuts and cushions.

3. 10-Ball

10-ball plays like 9-ball with one more ball, except you call the ball and the pocket on every shot, so slop never counts. You still hit the lowest-numbered ball first.

If a ball goes in some other way, WPA rules let your opponent choose who shoots next. That takes most of the luck out of the game, the same luck that makes 9-ball controversial at the professional level.

Rack: 10 balls in a triangle. 1-ball at the apex on the foot spot, 10-ball in the middle of the third row, everything else at random.

Break: Must strike the 1-ball first.

Win condition: Legally pocket the 10-ball on a called shot. Under the WPA’s current rules the 10 only wins as the last ball on the table; CSI league rules let a called 10 win early. A 10 made on the break gets spotted under both.

10-ball is gaining popularity in international competition, and I rate it the truer test of skill between the two.

4. 3-Ball

3-ball uses just three object balls, and most racks are over in under 2 minutes. Only 3 object balls are racked in a small triangle on the foot spot. Each player shoots a complete rack in turn, trying to pocket all 3 balls in as few shots as possible. Every shot counts as one point (including the break), and the lowest score after an agreed number of rounds wins.

Rack: 3 balls in a mini triangle on the foot spot.

Break: Standard break from behind the head string.

Win condition: Pocket all 3 balls in the fewest total shots.

I use 3-ball as a warmup drill all the time. It teaches shot selection and position play without the complexity of a full rack. It works for any group size since rounds are so fast.

5. 7-Ball

7-ball is a short rotation game where the 7 has to drop in a pocket on your side of the table. Seven balls are racked in a hexagonal shape (or circle), 1-ball at the front, 7-ball in the center. As in 9-ball you hit the lowest ball first, and the 1 through 6 can drop in any pocket.

After the break, the breaker’s opponent picks one long rail and takes its three pockets, and the breaker gets the three on the other side. You win by sinking the 7 in one of your pockets, and you lose if it drops in one of your opponent’s.

Rack: 7 balls in a hexagon/circle. 1-ball at front, 7-ball in center.

Break: Must strike the 1-ball first.

Win condition: Legally pocket the 7-ball in one of your three pockets.

William D. Clayton is credited with inventing 7-ball in the early 1980s, and ESPN aired a pro version, Sudden Death Seven-ball, from 2000 to 2005. With only six balls ahead of the 7, there’s little to hide behind, so one sloppy leave usually hands your opponent the rack.

6. Cutthroat (3 or 5 Players)

Cutthroat is the best pool game for three or five players. In a three-player game, each player is assigned a group of 5 balls (1-5, 6-10, or 11-15). Your job is to pocket your opponents’ balls while yours stay on the table. When all of a player’s balls are pocketed, they’re eliminated, and the last player standing wins.

Rack: All 15 balls in a triangle. BCA rules put the 1 on the foot spot and the 6 and 11 on the back corners; the rest go in at random.

Break: Standard. Groups are assigned by claiming them in order or by agreement before the break.

Win condition: Be the last player with at least one ball remaining on the table.

When someone fouls, every opponent gets one of their pocketed balls back on the table, eliminated players included. One scratch can drag a knocked-out player back into the game.

You can assign groups before the break (1-5, 6-10, 11-15). In “claim” style, each player instead picks a group after the break, based on which balls sit in the best positions. Claim style adds a layer of strategy to the opening. With 5 players, each takes 3 balls (1-3, 4-6, 7-9, 10-12, 13-15), which makes every shot count.

The leader is whoever has the most balls left, since they’re furthest from elimination. Knocking out the weakest player first is tempting, but it leaves you heads-up against that leader, so chipping away at the leader usually pays better. If you’re behind, play safe instead of taking risky shots that might foul and let an eliminated player back in.

7. One Pocket

One Pocket gives each player a single foot-rail corner pocket, and the first to put 8 balls in theirs wins. Players call it the chess of pool, and most of the game is spent moving balls into position for later. A ball that drops in your opponent’s pocket counts for them; one that drops in a side or head pocket gets spotted.

Rack: All 15 balls in triangle on the foot spot.

Break: From behind the head string. Strategic: most players break softly to control where balls end up.

Win condition: Pocket 8 balls in your assigned corner pocket.

One Pocket games are long. At high levels, a single rack can take 30-60 minutes. You’ll play defensive shots constantly, trying to move balls near your pocket while keeping them away from your opponent’s.

A one-pocket break is built for control, so most players send 2-3 balls toward their own pocket and leave the rest of the pack tight. The next few shots are about pushing balls into your half of the table and out of your opponent’s.

Efren Reyes won the Derby City Classic one-pocket title six times, and the game rewards the patience and creativity he was known for. If you enjoy planning several shots ahead and don’t mind long games, try it once 9-ball feels comfortable.

8. Bank Pool

Every shot in bank pool must be a bank, meaning the object ball has to contact at least one rail before it drops, so direct shots don’t count. Fifteen balls are racked normally, and the first player to bank in 8 wins. A short-rack version uses 9 balls in a diamond, first to 5. If you pocket a ball without banking it, it gets spotted back on the table.

Rack: All 15 balls in triangle on the foot spot.

Break: Standard break from behind the head string.

Win condition: Be the first to legally bank 8 balls into pockets.

Bank pool is brutally difficult for casual players. You need a real feel for angles and speed. The payoff shows up in 9-ball, where a confident bank can turn a safety battle into a runout.

Start with one-rail banks off the long rail: the cross-corner (into a corner pocket) and the cross-side (into the opposite side pocket). They come up constantly and they’re the most predictable banks on the table. Speed matters as much as angle. Hit a bank harder and it comes off the rail shorter, and hit it softer and it runs longer.

Watch the conditions too. New, slick cloth in a dry room makes banks go long, and humid, grabby conditions make them come up short.

9. Straight Pool (14.1 Continuous)

Straight pool runs longer than anything else on this list, with professional matches going to 150 points. You can shoot any ball into any pocket, and each legally pocketed ball scores 1 point. When 14 balls have been pocketed, they’re re-racked (with the 15th ball and cue ball left in position) and play continues. Games are played to a predetermined point total, typically 100 or 150.

Rack: All 15 balls in triangle. After 14 are pocketed, those 14 are re-racked with a space for the remaining ball.

Break: Opening break is defensive. Unless you pocket a called ball, the cue ball and two object balls must each reach a rail. After re-racks, play is continuous.

Win condition: First to reach the agreed point total (usually 100 or 150).

Straight Pool was the main professional game for decades, and it has been fading since the 1980s as 9-ball took over the pro tours and 8-ball took over the bars. It rewards endurance and the ability to run 50 balls in a row without losing position.

Willie Mosconi’s run of 526 consecutive balls in 1954 stood as the record for 65 years. John Schmidt ran 626 in a 2019 record attempt. Jayson Shaw now holds the mark at 832, set in a January 2025 exhibition, and AZBilliards reported that the Billiard Congress of America confirmed it from the footage.

The break ball decides most straight pool runs, and good players also pick a key ball, the shot that sets up the break ball. Plan your last 2-3 shots of each rack so the 15th ball sits near a pocket and the cue ball ends up in position to break the new rack open. Good straight pool players pick their break ball 5-6 shots in advance, and most runs end at the re-rack. If you can consistently break open the new rack and keep running, you’ll understand why old-timers call this the purest form of pool.

10. 15-Ball

15-ball, also known as sixty-one pool, is a point game where every ball scores its number, so the table holds 120 points (1+2+3…+15) and the first player past 60 wins. Order doesn’t matter, and that freedom is what separates it from rotation.

Rack: All 15 balls in triangle, with the 15-ball at the apex on the foot spot.

Break: Standard break. Balls made on a legal break count toward your score.

Win condition: Score more than 60 points.

15-ball teaches you to prioritize high-value balls. Clearing low balls while the 13 through 15 sit there for your opponent is a losing strategy, since those three are worth 42 points. You need to go after the big numbers early.

11. Rotation (Chicago)

Rotation combines sequential play with point scoring. You must hit the lowest-numbered ball first on every shot, and every legally pocketed ball scores its face value. With 120 total points available, first to 61 wins, and with three players, play continues until one player has more points than the others can still reach.

Some rooms call it Chicago, though strictly speaking Chicago is a rotation variant where the balls start out placed against the rails instead of in a rack.

Rack: All 15 balls in triangle. 1-ball at apex, 2 and 3 on back corners, 15-ball in the center, the rest at random.

Break: Must hit the 1-ball first.

Win condition: Score 61+ points.

Rotation is demanding because you must play in order (no free shots at random balls) while also prioritizing high-value targets. It’s popular in the Philippines, where it’s a favorite of advanced players.

12. Bowlliards

Bowlliards puts bowling scoring on a pool table, with 10 balls racked in a triangle and two tries per frame. On the first try, pocket as many of the 10 balls as you can, and clearing all 10 is a strike. Whatever’s left stays in place for your second try, and clearing the rest is a spare. Play 10 frames, scored exactly like bowling, where a perfect game is 300.

Rack: 10 balls in a triangle on the foot spot.

Break/Play: First shot is the break. Continue shooting until you miss or clear the rack.

Win condition: Highest bowling-style score after 10 frames.

Bowlliards works for 1-4 players, and it’s one of the best pool games you can play alone too. I’ve seen people who claim to hate pool play this for two hours straight because the bowling scoring system clicks immediately.

13. Baseball Pocket Billiards

Baseball pocket billiards runs 9 innings, and every ball you make scores its number in runs. It uses 21 numbered object balls; add-on “baseball sets” numbered 16 through 21 are sold to go with a standard 15-ball set. The 9-ball is the “pitcher” and sits in the center of the rack, with the apex ball on the foot spot (“home plate”). After 9 innings, the highest score wins.

Rack: All 21 balls in a big triangle, 9-ball in the center, apex ball on the foot spot.

Play: Your inning continues until you miss or foul. A foul ends the inning and wipes out the runs on that shot plus the ball you made just before it. Clear all 21 and they’re re-racked so you can keep going.

Win condition: Most runs after 9 innings.

With a standard 15-ball set, you can play a house version: rack all 15 and shoot until you miss, which counts as one inning, then play 9 innings per side.

14. Speed Pool

Speed pool is a race against the clock. You break on “go” and run all 15 balls, and the clock stops when the last one drops. Every foul, a scratch included, adds a time penalty, usually 10 seconds, and the lowest time wins.

Rack: Standard 15-ball triangle.

Break: Timed from the moment of the break shot.

Win condition: Clear the table in the fastest time.

Run a few timed racks and you’ll notice how much time you normally spend walking around the table deciding. The Guinness world record for potting all 15 balls is 26.5 seconds, set by Dave Pearson in 1997. That’s less time than it takes most people to rack them.

Billiard Games That Need Different Equipment

Snooker, carom billiards, bumper pool and British blackball are billiard games too, but each one needs its own table or ball set.

Snooker uses 22 balls on a 12-by-6-foot table with tight pockets. You alternate potting a red (1 point) and a color (2 to 7 points), and the standard maximum break is 147 (a free ball at the start of a frame can push it as high as 155). Plenty of players rate it harder than pool because of the bigger table and tighter pockets.

Carom billiards has no pockets at all. You get two cue balls and a red, and you score by making your cue ball hit both of the others. In three-cushion, the cue ball also has to touch at least three cushions before it reaches the second ball. It’s big in Europe and Asia and rare in the US.

Bumper pool runs on a small two-pocket table with a cross of bumpers in the middle. Each player has five balls and has to sink a marked ball before the other four.

British blackball (English 8-ball) is played on an English-style pub table with smaller red and yellow balls and tight, rounded pockets cut for those balls, so an American table won’t play the same. Under traditional pub rules a foul gives your opponent two visits to the table, which is where the bar argument about two shots on the 8-ball comes from.

Which Game Should You Play?

9-ball is the best default for two players, and cutthroat is the best pick for three or five.

Gear Up for Game Night

Baseball is the only game here that needs extra balls, the six add-ons numbered 16 to 21. A hexagon rack speeds up 7-ball, and a diamond rack does the same for 9-ball and short-rack bank pool. If your set is chipped or faded, our pool ball sets roundup prices phenolic and polyester replacements. For the table itself, the Brunswick vs Olhausen verdict compares the two makers for home and tournament use.

FAQ

What are the most popular pool games?

8-ball and 9-ball are the most popular in the US. 8-ball is the standard bar game where you pocket solids or stripes then the 8-ball, while 9-ball is the most common professional format, played in numerical order with just 9 balls.

What’s the difference between 9-ball and 10-ball?

Both are played in numerical order, but 10-ball uses 10 balls instead of 9 and requires you to call every shot, so you can’t slop in a game-winning ball. Under the WPA’s current rulebook (effective September 2025) the 10 also has to be the last ball on the table to win. It’s the harder, more strategic version.

What pool games can 3 or more people play?

Cutthroat is the classic group game: three players take five balls each, or five players take three each, and the last player with a ball on the table wins. 3-ball works for any number because everyone shoots their own rack. Bowlliards and baseball pocket billiards also handle groups, and four players can split into two teams for 8-ball or 9-ball. Rotation also works for three.

Can I play different pool games on a standard table?

Yes. All 14 games in this article are played on a standard 7, 8, or 9-foot pool table with 6 pockets. For exact dimensions and room requirements, see our standard pool table sizes guide. What changes from game to game is the rack and the rules, and full baseball pocket billiards adds six balls numbered 16 to 21.

Which pool games are best for beginners?

8-ball is the best first game because the rules are simple and widely known. 3-ball and cutthroat are easy to pick up, and bowlliards is easy for anyone who knows bowling scoring. 3-ball also makes a perfect quick practice session.

What pool game do professionals play?

9-ball and 10-ball are the main professional formats, and the Mosconi Cup and most US pro tours use 9-ball. 10-ball is growing in international competition because it requires called shots, reducing the luck factor.

Related Articles

Related reading: how to play pool, 8-ball rules, 9-ball rules, 10-ball rules, cutthroat pool rules, bank pool rules, how to break in pool, and pool games you can play alone.