Pool is one of the easiest games to start playing and one of the hardest to master. You can learn the basic rules in five minutes and play a full game in ten. Then you spend the next decade trying to figure out why you keep missing the same shots. That’s what makes it fun.
Nobody ever sat me down and explained how to play pool. I picked it up over years at bars and pool halls, and the thing I wish someone had told me on day one is this: the rules are simple and the gear is basic. Ninety percent of getting better comes down to practice and learning how the cue ball moves. Everything else follows from that.
The Equipment
The table. Regulation size is 9 feet long (100 by 50 inches), covered in felt, with 6 pockets. Four pockets sit in the corners and two are centered on the long sides. Bar tables are usually 7 feet, and home tables come in 7, 8, or 9 foot sizes.
The playing surface on quality tables is made of slate, which stays flat and rolls true. If you’re thinking about putting one in the house, our home pool table picks sort the slate models from the MDF ones.
The balls. You get 15 numbered object balls and 1 white cue ball in a full set. Balls 1 through 7 are solid colors and balls 9 through 15 are striped. The 8-ball is solid black.
All object balls are 2.25 inches in diameter and made from phenolic resin, an extremely hard and dense plastic. Cheap sets chip and go out of round, which is why our best pool balls guide leans on phenolic over polyester.
The cue. Tapered wooden stick, usually 57 to 59 inches long, with a leather tip at the narrow end. The tip is what contacts the cue ball. Cues come in a huge range of prices and styles, but for beginners, any standard house cue at a bar or pool hall works fine. You can learn more about choosing a cue in our beginner cue guide.
Chalk. The small blue cube you rub on the cue tip before each shot. Chalk improves the grip between the tip and the cue ball, which reduces miscues (embarrassing whiffs where the tip slides off the ball). Get in the habit of chalking before every single shot. Any cube works when you’re starting out, though some chalks grip noticeably better than others.
When you’re ready to invest in your own cue instead of using house cues, our guide to the best cues for the money breaks down what’s worth buying from $30 on up.
How to Rack
Racking is setting up the balls at the start of a game. For 8-ball (the most common game), all 15 balls go into a triangle rack. The front ball sits on the foot spot, which is the dot near the far end of the table.
The 8-ball goes in the center of the third row. The two back corner balls should be one solid and one stripe. Everything else is random.
Push the balls tight together inside the rack so there are no gaps, then lift the rack straight up without disturbing the formation. A tight rack is critical for a good break. For a deeper guide, check out how to rack pool balls.
How to Break
The break is the first shot of the game. Place the cue ball anywhere behind the head string (the imaginary line between the second diamonds at the near end of the table). Most players put it slightly off-center for a better angle at the front ball.
Hit the cue ball into the racked balls with enough power to spread them around the table. A legal break requires either pocketing a ball or driving at least 4 balls to the rails. If you pocket a ball on the break, you keep shooting. If you don’t pocket anything but the break is legal, your opponent shoots next.
Don’t try to hit the break as hard as physically possible. Controlled power with a level cue produces much better results than swinging with everything you’ve got. I’ve spent a lot of time working on my break, and accuracy matters more than raw speed. For more detail, see our how to break in pool guide.
The Rules of 8-Ball
8-ball splits the 15 object balls between two players, one on solids and one on stripes, with the 8 pocketed last to win. It’s the game you’ll see most often at bars and in casual settings.
After the break, the table is “open.” The first player to legally pocket a ball claims that group. If you sink a solid, you shoot solids for the rest of the game and your opponent gets stripes. Or vice versa.
Balls pocketed on the break don’t count for group assignment. On every shot, you must hit one of your own balls first. If you pocket one, you keep shooting. If you miss, or commit a foul, your opponent takes over.
After you clear all 7 of your group balls, you shoot the 8-ball last. Legally pocket the 8 and you win.
Fouls include pocketing the cue ball (a scratch) and hitting an opponent’s ball first. Failing to drive any ball to a rail after contact is also a foul. The penalty for a foul under BCA rules is ball-in-hand for your opponent, meaning they place the cue ball anywhere on the table.
For the full 8-ball rulebook, see 8-ball pool rules.
Shooting Fundamentals
Your stance and your bridge hold everything steady. The stroke is what you build on top of them.
Stance. Stand with your front foot forward and your back foot angled slightly out. Your body should feel stable and balanced. Most of your weight sits on your front foot. Line your dominant eye up with the cue so you’re looking straight down the shaft.
Bridge. Your bridge hand (the hand on the table) holds the cue steady while you stroke. The simplest bridge is an open bridge: lay your hand flat with your fingers spread, then rest the cue in the groove between your thumb and index finger. For more control, use a closed bridge by looping your index finger over the cue.
Stroke. Keep your grip hand relaxed and let only your forearm move, with your upper arm staying still like a hinge. Pull the cue back smoothly, pause, then push forward through the cue ball. Follow through, meaning let the cue keep moving after contact instead of stopping short.
The biggest mistake beginners make is gripping the cue too tight and jerking the stroke. Smooth and straight beats hard and fast every time.
Aiming
The basic concept of aiming in pool: you need to hit the cue ball into the object ball at the exact point that sends the object ball toward the pocket. That contact point is called the “ghost ball” position. Imagine where the cue ball needs to be at the moment of contact so that a line drawn through both ball centers points directly at the pocket.
For straight-on shots, this is easy. For angled shots, you need to aim at a spot on the object ball that’s offset from center, and the thinner the cut angle, the more offset you need.
It sounds complicated on paper and becomes intuitive with practice. I’ve played thousands of shots and still use the ghost ball method on tricky cuts.
For a more detailed breakdown, see our guide on how to aim in pool.
Other Pool Games
8-ball is the most popular format, but there are plenty of others worth trying once you’re comfortable with the basics.
9-ball uses only balls 1 through 9, racked in a diamond shape. You must hit the lowest-numbered ball first on every shot, and whoever pockets the 9-ball wins. It’s faster and more aggressive than 8-ball. Full rules: how to play 9-ball.
Cutthroat works with 3 players. Each person is assigned a group (1-5, 6-10, or 11-15) and tries to pocket the other players’ balls while keeping their own on the table. It’s great for odd-numbered groups. Full rules: cutthroat pool rules.
Straight pool (14.1) is the old-school format. Every ball is worth one point and you can shoot any ball on the table at any time. First player to reach a set number of points wins.
For a full list of pool game types, check out billiard games.
Worth checking out: If you want the rules straight from the source, the Official BCA Rules Book is on Amazon for a few dollars.
FAQ
What size is a standard pool table?
A regulation pool table is 9 feet long (100 by 50 inches). Bar tables are usually 7 feet. Home tables come in 7, 8, or 9 foot sizes.
How many balls are used in pool?
15 object balls plus 1 cue ball. Balls 1-7 are solid colors and 9-15 are striped. The 8-ball is black.
Why do pool players chalk their cue?
Chalk adds grip between the cue tip and the cue ball, helping you make solid contact and reducing miscues. Chalk before every shot.
What’s the difference between solids and stripes?
In 8-ball, one player shoots solids (balls 1-7) and the other shoots stripes (balls 9-15). The first ball legally pocketed after the break determines your group.
How many pockets does a pool table have?
A standard pool table has 6 pockets: one in each corner and one in the middle of each long side rail.
Related Articles
For more on this topic, check out 8-ball rules, 9-ball rules, 10-ball rules, cutthroat pool rules, how to rack pool balls, and how to break in pool.
Browse our full Rules hub for tested picks, buying guides, and head-to-heads.