Top Billiard Games: 15 Games to Play on Your Pool Table

By: Emily Breakston    18 Aug 2023

If you’re just starting to learn about billiards, you might be surprised by how many different games there are to play. While 8-Ball and 9-Ball are the most popular games in the United States, there are many other fun billiard games to explore.

Most of the games played on a pool table are somewhat similar, but they have different rules, ways to count the balls, and techniques you use. For example, there’s a game called Bank Pool, where you have to make shots that bounce off the sides of the table before going into pockets. Learning different pool games can help you get better at playing and have a lot of fun too.

If you’re looking to try new billiard games, you’re in for a treat. In this article, we’ll introduce you to 14 different billiard games that you should give a shot. After reading this, you’ll know more about pool games than your friends who hang out at the pool hall!

• 8 Ball Pool
• 9 Ball Pool
• 10 Ball Pool
• 7 Ball Pool
• 3 Ball Pool
• 15 Ball Pool
• Straight Pool
• Cut Throat Pool
• Chicago Pool
• Bank Pool
• One Pocket Pool
• Kelly Pool
• Speedball (Speed Pool)
• Baseball Pocket Billiards
• Bowlliards

8 Ball Pool

8 ball is a famous game played on a special pool table with six holes. The table can be either 4 feet by 8 feet or 3.5 feet by 7 feet. Two people play this game, and while it’s quite simple, there are different rules people use.

Starting 8 Ball Pool

To start, you can flip a coin to decide who goes first. One person will play with the solid-colored balls (numbered 1 to 7), and the other person will play with the striped balls (numbered 9 to 15). After the balls are set up, if a player puts a ball of their own type into a pocket, they get to take another turn.

How to Win 8 Ball Pool

The goal of 8-ball is to make all your balls go into the pockets and then sink the 8-ball before your opponent does. You don’t earn points for each ball you put in; instead, you try to win matches. Sometimes, people play a series of matches, and the person who wins the most matches overall is the winner.

When you’ve put all your balls into the pockets, you can try to sink the 8-ball. But there’s a rule: before you hit the 8-ball, you need to say which pocket you’re aiming for. If you get the 8-ball into the right pocket without making the white ball (cue ball) fall into a pocket, you win!

9 Ball

Let’s talk about 9 Ball, a game that’s pretty popular, kind of like 8 Ball. In 9 Ball, you play with 9 balls numbered from 1 to 9 and a special ball called the cue ball.

Starting 9 Ball Pool

The balls are set up in a shape like a diamond, with the number 1 ball at the front and the number 9 ball in the middle. To start the game, you hit the balls with the cue ball. It’s a good hit if at least four balls touch the sides of the pool table, or if you make one or more balls go into pockets. But here’s the catch: you have to hit the number 1 ball first. If you accidentally put the cue ball into a pocket, the other player gets to put the cue ball anywhere on the table and take their turn.

How to Win 9 Ball Pool

After the break, you can hit the balls in any order, but the first ball you touch with the cue ball has to be the one with the lowest number. The goal is to pocket the number 9 ball before anyone else does. You can do this either right after hitting the lowest-numbered ball or by making the 9-ball the last one left on the table.

Just like in 8 Ball, if you legally put a ball into a pocket, you get to keep shooting until you make a mistake, like missing the ball, doing something against the rules, or winning the game. Since 9 Ball is a quick game, some people choose a certain number of points to play to, like a score or points for each ball. Either way, it’s all good!

10 Ball

10 Ball is a game like 9 Ball, but it has some differences that make it harder. In this game, you use 10 balls with numbers from 1 to 10. They’re set up in a triangle shape, not a diamond like in 9 Ball.

Starting 10 Ball Pool

When setting up, the 1 ball goes at the front tip of the triangle, and the 10 ball goes in the middle. The 2 and 3 balls are put at the corners. Just like in 9 Ball, whenever you hit the cue ball (the white ball) at any time, it must first touch the ball with the lowest number on the table.

How to Win 10 Ball Pool

To make the game tougher, players need to say which pocket they want to put a ball into and which ball they plan to put in. To win, you need to put the 10 ball into a pocket. But there’s a catch: before the 10 ball goes in, the cue ball has to first hit the ball with the lowest number on the table. And you have to call your shot correctly.

If you accidentally put a ball into a pocket or if you hit the wrong called ball into a pocket, the other player can decide what to do next. They can play from where the balls are or make you keep playing.

Balls that go into pockets stay there, except for the 10 ball. If you put both a wrong ball and a called ball into the same pocket, you can still keep playing. Usually, there aren’t points given for the balls. In tournaments, players decide how many games they need to win to decide who’s the best.

7 Ball

When it comes to billiard games, 7 Ball stands out as one of the best and fastest games you can play. It’s a bit like 9 Ball, but there are some important differences you should know about.

Starting 7 Ball Pool

To play 7 Ball, you arrange balls numbered from 1 to 7 in a circle shape. You can do this by using a special rack called a diamond rack turned sideways on a certain spot on the table. The 1 ball goes at the front, and the other balls go around it in a circle. The 7 ball sits in the middle.

To start the game, one player hits the white cue ball to hit the 1 ball first. If they manage to make any ball go into a pocket, they keep shooting until they make a mistake.

How to Win 7 Ball Pool

After the first shot, the player who didn’t break gets to pick a long side of the table where they will try to sink the 7 ball. The player who broke gets the other side. The balls with numbers 1 to 6 can be pocketed anywhere on the table, as long as the lowest numbered ball is hit first.

The player who legally sinks the 7 ball on their chosen side of the table wins the game. If someone sinks the 7 ball on the other side, they lose. Remember, you have to follow the usual rules, like not scratching, not pushing the balls, and hitting the right balls.

People like to play 7 Ball to practice planning and coming up with strategies. Plus, it’s a lot of fun!

3 Ball

3 Ball is a special game in the world of pool. As the name suggests, you play it with just three balls and a cue ball. What makes this game different is that one player plays a whole game by themselves. They try to sink all the balls and count how many times they hit the cue ball. After that, it’s the other player’s turn.

Starting 3 Ball Pool

You can actually play 3 Ball with more than two people, but the more players there are, the longer the game will take. This means everyone will have to wait longer for their turn. However, if the players are really good, they can finish one game quickly.

Setting up the game is called “racking and breaking.” To set up, put the three balls in a triangle rack at the front of the table, just like in 8 or 9 Ball. Put ball number 1 at the front of the triangle, and balls 2 and 3 behind it. Then, hit the balls with the cue ball from behind a line.

How to Win 3 Ball Pool

The goal of 3 Ball is to use the fewest shots possible. Imagine you and a friend play 3 rounds of the game. The player with the least number of shots in 2 out of the 3 rounds wins. If two players are equally good and keep tying, they can play more rounds until someone wins.

15 Ball Pool

A simple game of billiards that’s easy to play is called 15 Ball. To play this game, you’ll need 15 colorful balls and a special ball called the cue ball.

Starting 15 Ball Pool

To start the game, the balls are arranged in a triangle shape called the “rack.” The special 15 ball is placed at the front of the triangle, and the other balls are put in random order. To decide who goes first, you can either flip a coin or decide together.

How to Win 15 Ball Pool

The goal of the game is to be the first player to get 61 points. Each ball has a number on it, and that number tells you how many points you get when you hit that ball into the pockets. The total of all the points on the balls is more than 100, so 61 is a bit more than half of all the points.

It’s a good idea to aim for the balls with the highest numbers first, because they give you more points. Unlike some other pool games, 15 Ball has its own special rules. Each player takes just one turn to shoot. It doesn’t matter if you hit a ball or miss, your turn ends, and it’s the other player’s turn. Unlike some games where one player keeps shooting until they miss, that doesn’t happen in 15 Ball.

If someone breaks a rule, the other player gets a special advantage. They can place the cue ball anywhere they want behind a certain line, and the player who broke the rule loses 3 points. If a ball goes into a pocket along with the cue ball, no points are given, and that ball is put back on the table where it was before.

Straight Pool

Straight Pool is a kind of billiard game that became well-known because of the movie The Hustler. It’s still quite liked in the US today, and it’s a fun and tricky game to play.

Starting Straight Pool

For the beginning of the game, you put all 15 balls in a triangle shape. It doesn’t matter how they’re arranged inside the triangle. One ball is put at the front, and the ball you hit with the stick (called the cue ball) is put behind a line. To start, you hit the cue ball, and if it hits other balls and goes to the sides, it’s a good start.

How to Win Straight Pool

The aim of the game is to get a certain number of points, usually 100, but you can choose a different number at the beginning. You earn one point each time you hit a ball into the pockets. If you do something against the rules (called a foul), you lose one point. But if you break the rules when starting, you lose two points.

If you break the rules three times in a row, you lose 15 points. The balls can go into the pockets in any order. Each player keeps taking turns until they break a rule, make a bad shot, or win. When 14 balls are pocketed, they’re put back in a triangle and the game continues. The last ball and the cue ball stay where they are.

When the 14 balls are put back, they’re arranged like before but without one ball at the front. The player shooting tries to hit the last ball and make the other balls move in just one shot. This makes it easier to keep playing.

The first player who gets to the set number of points wins. Breaking the rules in Straight Pool is similar to other pool games. To make the game tougher, you can say which ball you’ll hit before you hit it. No matter how you play, Straight Pool is a lot of fun!

Cut Throat Pool

If you want to play a fun three-person billiard game, try out Cut Throat. You’ll need 15 balls, a cue ball, and a regular pool table. First, decide who gets which group of balls (1-5, 6-10, or 11-15) using a coin flip, rock-paper-scissors, or another way everyone agrees on.

Starting Cut Throat Pool

Arrange the balls in a triangle shape, with the 1 ball at the front, the 6 ball in one corner, and the 11 ball in the other corner. The rest can be random. The player with balls 1-5 usually goes first, followed by the others.

How to Win Cut Throat Pool

To win, be the only one with balls left on the table. Your goal is to sink your opponents’ balls. Keep shooting until you can’t pocket an opponent’s ball, make a mistake, scratch, or win. Once your last ball is out, you’re out, unless you fouled.

A foul is a mistake like scratching, knocking a ball off the table, pushing the cue ball incorrectly, or touching the balls in the wrong way. When someone fouls, the other players can take one of their balls out of a pocket and put it back on the table. This helps their chances. If someone was already out, they can come back in if they have at least one ball left.

Putting the balls back happens near the front of the table, not bothering the others. The goal is to be the last player with balls, and you might find your friends eager for a rematch!

Chicago Pool (Rotation Billiards)

Chicago Pool is a game quite like Kelly Pool, and people across the United States play different versions of it. To play, you need 15 colored balls and a white ball you hit with a stick.

Starting Chicago Pool

To start, you arrange the balls in a triangle with the 1 ball at the front, the 2 and 3 balls at the corners, and the others anywhere. Deciding who goes first can be done in ways everyone agrees on.

How to Win Chicago Pool

Each player has one turn and can try to hit any ball into the pockets. Just like in Kelly Pool, players must hit the lowest-numbered ball on the table. However, here’s the important part: some balls have money values decided before the game.

If a player pockets a money ball, they win the money for that ball. The game ends when a player earns 61 points, based on the ball numbers. Before starting, players should decide how many money balls there are and put an equal amount of money into a pot.

So, Chicago Pool is like Kelly Pool, but it has special money balls and the goal is to reach 61 points first. Players put money in a pot, and the game gets exciting as everyone tries to win!

Bank Pool

Bank Pool is a special game played on a pool table where you can only shoot and make balls by hitting them off the cushions, which are the sides of the table. Before you shoot, you have to say which ball you’re aiming for, which cushion you’ll hit, and which pocket you want the ball to go into. This makes the game more challenging and strategic.

Starting Bank Pool

At the start of the game, you arrange all 15 balls in a triangle shape using a special rack. You put the rack at one end of the table, called the foot spot. To decide who goes first, you can flip a coin or use another fair way to choose.

When you start the game by hitting the balls with the cue ball, if you manage to make a ball go into a pocket, you get to keep shooting. But the ball you made doesn’t count as a point, and you have to put it back on the table after you finish your turn.

During the game, you can keep shooting as long as you don’t miss a shot, scratch, or break the rules. Remember, you have to say which ball you’re going to hit, which cushion you’ll bounce it off, and which pocket you’re aiming for.

How to Win Bank Pool

All the balls on the table can be hit in any order. The goal is to make as many balls as possible by hitting them off the cushions and into the pockets. The first player to make 8 out of the 15 balls wins the game. But if a player accidentally makes a ball or doesn’t follow the rules, that ball needs to be put back on the table right away. This helps keep the game fair and exciting.

One Pocket Pool

In the game of One Pocket pool, players can only score by sinking balls in one specific pocket located at the foot of the table. This makes the game more challenging and exciting.

Starting One Pocket Pool

At the beginning of the game, 15 balls are arranged in a triangle shape on the table, known as “racking.” The order of the balls doesn’t matter, and players can shoot them in any order. One player gets to break, meaning they hit the balls with the cue ball to start the game. They can choose one of the two pockets at the foot of the table. The other player uses the opposite pocket.

If a ball is sunk on the break shot in the pocket that the player didn’t choose, it doesn’t count. This ball is placed back on the table. The game continues with the player trying to sink balls in their chosen pocket.

How to Win One Pocket Pool

The goal of the game is for a player to pocket 8 balls in their chosen pocket. Only balls legally pocketed in that pocket count. But if a player accidentally sinks a ball in their opponent’s pocket, the ball stays down, the opponent gets a point, and takes their turn.

Any balls that go into other pockets are also placed back on the table after the player’s turn. Players can shoot at any ball in any order. They keep shooting until they make a mistake, like scratching or missing, or until they win.

If players have different skill levels, they can make the game fair by giving the less skilled player an advantage. For example, the better player could aim to pocket 10 balls before the other player pockets 6. There are also many other ways to change the rules of One Pocket to make the game even more interesting and fun!

Kelly Pool

Kelly Pool is a game played with 15 little things like peas, beads, or pills. These things have numbers from 1 to 15, which match the numbers on the pool balls. Each player gets some of these numbered things, which are like their special numbers. The point of the game is for each player to put their own secret number(s) into the pockets to win.

Starting Kelly Pool

First, you put all 15 balls in a triangle shape. The ball with the number 1 goes at the top, the number 2 goes in one corner, and the number 3 goes in the other corner. The rest of the balls can be in any order. To decide who starts the game, players can draw straws, flip a coin, or agree on some other way.

How to Win Kelly Pool

Every player has to hit the ball with the lowest number first using the white ball. This is what makes the game fun! If you’re able to put your secret number(s) into the pockets before others and you hit the lowest numbered ball first, you win.

Sometimes, players get points for putting their secret balls into the pockets. In this version, the first person to get a certain number of points is the winner. In most types of Kelly Pool, if you do something against the rules, you just lose your turn. There’s no taking away points like in some other pool games.

Kelly Pool can be played in lots of interesting ways! You can play to earn points and even play with up to 15 people!

Speedball (Speed Pool)

Speedball, also known as speed pool, is a type of pool game that you can play by yourself. The goal of the game is to put all the pool balls into the pockets on the table as fast as you can. Some people play this game as a competition and use a stopwatch to time themselves.

Here are the rules for speedball:

1. When you shoot the cue ball, it should not be moving.
2. The other balls on the table can still be rolling when you shoot.
3. Before you shoot, you need to say which ball you’re aiming to put into which pocket. You can’t just accidentally knock them in.
4. You have to make legal shots. If you do something against the rules, you get a 10-second penalty.
5. A legal shot means you hit an object ball with the cue ball and make the object ball hit a cushion, or the cue ball hits a cushion after hitting an object ball, or you put an object ball into a pocket.
6. You can put any ball into a pocket, except the 8 ball, which you have to leave for last.

There aren’t many tournaments just for speedball because it’s a newer kind of pool game. But there was a big event called the International Speed Pool Challenge that was even shown on ESPN (a sports TV channel). In this event, players played different types of speedball games. Some were based on a game called straight pool, and others were like the version of speedball we talked about earlier. The goal was to finish all the games in less time than the other players. A player named Luc Salvas won the first time this event happened, and he got a big prize of $50,000.

Baseball Pocket Billiards

Baseball Pocket Billiards is a game with 9 “innings,” kind of like in baseball, before the game ends. You need 21 balls and a special ball called a cue ball to play.

Starting Baseball Pocket Billiards

You can buy sets of 21 balls and big triangle racks to play Baseball Billiards. The first ball, called the 1 ball, goes at the top of the triangle rack. The 2 and 3 balls go at the two bottom corners. The 9 ball sits in the middle, just like the 8 ball in 8-ball pool.

To decide who starts, you can flip a coin or do something called a “lag.” Each player gets their own turn to start an inning. If they pocket any balls during the start, they get points based on the ball numbers.

How to Win Baseball Pocket Billiards

Once the game begins, players have to call their shots. If they don’t hit the ball they said they would, or if they break the pool rules, their inning ends. Any balls they pocket during that inning count as their score. If they scratch, which means the cue ball goes into a pocket, they lose that inning and don’t get any points for it.

Every player has nine innings to play. The player with the most points when all innings are done wins the game. If you’re a fan of baseball and pool, you’ll probably enjoy this game!

Bowlliards

The game called Bowlliards might seem a bit strange at first, but it’s actually a lot of fun, especially if you’re playing by yourself. It’s like playing bowling, but instead of using a bowling alley, you use a pool table.

Starting Bowlliards

You need ten balls for this game, and you set them up in a triangle shape at one end of the pool table. The ball at the front of the triangle is placed on a spot called the “foot spot.” Each player takes turns, and they each get to play ten rounds, which are called “frames.” When it’s their turn to start, they get a special break where they can hit the balls however they want. There are no rules about how the balls bounce off the sides or go into pockets during this break.

How to Win Bowlliards

After the break, the player’s goal is to try and pocket all ten balls into the pockets on the pool table. Just like in regular bowling, they have two chances to knock down all the balls without making mistakes. But there’s a catch: they have to say which pocket they’re aiming for before they shoot. If they manage to pocket all ten balls on their first try, it’s called a “strike.” If it takes them two turns to pocket all the balls, it’s called a “spare.” If there are still some balls left on the table after their two turns, they get one point for each ball they manage to pocket.

The game goes on for ten rounds, and the player with the most points at the end is the winner.

Conclusion

There are many types of billiard games available, each offering a lot of fun and enjoyment to play with friends. The next time you’re at a pool hall, consider trying out some of these different games.

Trying out various games on the pool table can add excitement. It can get a bit dull to play 8-Ball or 9-Ball repeatedly. Instead of sticking to the same games, you can explore new ones. It’s a good idea to share these game options with your friends. They will likely have a good time playing them, just like I do. Thanks for reading!