Eight Ball

There are many different games pool table games, but the most popular ones are eight ball, nine ball, one pocket and 14.1 continuous pool.

Eight ball - is a call shot game played with a cue ball and fifteen object balls, numbered 1 through 15. One player must pocket the solid colored balls of the group numbered 1 through 7 and the other player tries to pocket the striped balls numbered 9 thru 15. The player who pockets their group of balls first, followed by the eight ball, is the winner. In a call shot game, obvious balls and pockets don't have to be called, however the opponent has the right to ask which ball and pocket if unsure of the shot. Bank and combination shots are not considered obvious. When calling the shot, you never have to indicate details such as the number of cushions, banks, kisses, caroms, etc. Any pocketed balls on a foul stay pocketed, regardless of whether they belong to the shooter or the opponent.

Nine ball - is played with nine object balls numbered 1 through 9 and a cue ball. On each shot you aim for the lowest-numbered ball on the table but you don't have to pocket them in order. If a player pockets any ball on a legal shot they get another shot and continue until missing, fouling, or winning the game by pocketing the 9-ball. After a miss the incoming player must shoot from the position left by the previous player, but after a foul the incoming player may start with the cue ball anywhere on the table. Players don't need to call shots and a match ends when a player has won the required number of games.

14.1 pool - is a nomination game. The player must nominate a ball and the pocket it will be sunk in. The player is awarded one point for every pocketed ball on a legal stroke, and is allowed to continue their turn until they fail to pocket a ball or commit a foul. The player can pocket the first 14 balls, but before they can shoot the 15th and last ball, the 14 pocketed balls are racked as before, except with the apex space vacant. The player then attempts to pocket the 15th ball in a manner so that the racked balls are disturbed and the player can continue their run. The first player to score the predetermined point total for the game (usually 150 in major tournament play) is the winner.

One pocket - is a form of pocket-billiards in which each opposing side has one of the foot pockets in which to sink their balls. Both players can not have the same foot pocket. The winner is the first player to score any eight balls in their pocket. The standard set of object-balls numbered 1 to 15, plus the cue-ball are used. A player scores a ball when they legally pocket a called ball in their pocket, or when their opponent shoots a ball into his pocket, whether the opponents stroke was legal or not.