There are generally three things you'll be using: a cue stick, table, and pool balls. You can probably guess which is what.


Pick a cue stick appropriate for your size. Most are 58 inches (147 cm) in length, but shorter and longer ones are available. The tip is the most important part of a cue (it's on the narrow end you'll be hitting with). Tips vary from soft to hard, though inexperienced pool players are best served with a medium to medium-soft tip.
There are three standard sizes to a pool table: 7, 8, and 9 feet (2.7 m). The Billiard Congress of America defines a "regulation" pool table as any table that is twice as long as it is wide. For example, a 7-foot table is 7 feet (2.1 m) long and 3.5 feet (1.1 m) wide. If you are playing on a smaller table, you may want a shorter cue.
As for the pool balls, there are evens and odds, solids and stripes, and, most importantly, the 8 ball and the cue ball. The cue ball is solid white, a bit heavier, and should be the only ball directly hit during the game.;
, In order to play the game, you have to be able to understand the terminology and rules. Familiarizing yourself with the vocabulary of the game will make it easier and quicker to learn.


The "break" happens at the beginning of the game when a player breaks up the fifteen pool balls. It is the first shot. Some players break straight on while others break at an angle.
A scratch occurs when the cue ball jumps off the table or rolls into a pocket. Determine the scratch rules before you start any game.

It is common for the player who did not receive the scratch to be allowed to place the cue ball anywhere in the "kitchen" upon their subsequent turn. This is the area between the head rail and the head string; or, more simply put, the area between the edge and the second set of diamonds.
 For now, let's stick to standard 8-ball. Quite clearly, knowing the rules is the only way to win.


Use the triangle to "rack up" the 15 pool balls. Different people have different preferences for the set up, but make sure the 8-ball is in the middle.
A player breaks. If he or she makes a ball into a pocket, he or she claims that type (solid or stripes) for the duration of the game and shoots again. The other player receives the variation they did not claim.

If the player makes a ball of each variation, they may choose which one they prefer.


Both players sink all their pool balls into the pockets until just the 8 ball is left. The first player to sink the 8 ball is the winner.

If a player inadvertently sinks a ball of the other player's, it counts to the other player's benefit.
If a player inadvertently sinks the 8 ball before all their other balls are in, they lose.
If a player scratches on the 8 ball, they automatically lose as well.
Familiarize yourself with the equipment.
Learn the language.
Get the rules down.
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