Eight-ball: Rules and How to Play
Clear your group, then pocket the 8 in your called pocket.
Setup
- Rack balls 1–15 in a triangle and break.
How to play
- Tap the table to aim, then pull the left power gauge down and release to shoot. Move sideways to cancel.
- The break leaves groups unassigned. Your group is the type pocketed more often on the next legal scoring shot: solids 1–7 or stripes 9–15. Equal counts leave the table open.
- Hit your group first. Continue after pocketing your ball. Pocketing any opponent ball is a foul, even with your own ball. Object balls stay down and the opponent gets ball in hand.
- After clearing your group, call a pocket for the 8.
- Pocketing the 8 before clearing your group, in the wrong pocket, or with a foul loses. An 8 on the break also loses by default. The settings offer respotting instead.
- Scratching, no object-ball contact, no rail or pocket after contact, a ball off the table, or timeout is a foul. The opponent places the cue ball.
Winning and scoring
- Clear your group, then pocket the 8 in your called pocket.
Defaults on this site
| Item | Default on this site |
|---|---|
| Players | 2 players (set automatically by the party size) |
| Turn time limit | None by default (the host can set 30 or 60 seconds) |
| If someone drops mid-game | Reopening on the same device returns you to your seat. If you do not return, the CPU plays in your place. |
| Draws | In ranked play, a draw counts as halfway between a win and a loss for your rating. |
| Source of the rules | Based on the standard reference rules |
Rules supervised by Qdan, Inc. (based on the standard reference rules)
House rules
Defaults follow the standard reference rules. The party can change these.
| Name | Description | Default | Changeable |
|---|---|---|---|
| Time per turn | Running out of time gives the opponent ball in hand. | 30 seconds | Can be changed |
| Alternate the first player | Alternate who breaks in the next game. | On | Can be changed |
| 8 pocketed on the break | By default, the shooter loses. You can choose to respot the 8 instead. | Loss | Can be changed |
Terms
- Cue ball
- The white ball struck with the cue.
- Ball in hand
- Placing the cue ball after an opponent’s foul.
FAQ
How do I win?
Clear your group, then pocket the 8 in your called pocket.
What if both groups are pocketed together?
While groups are unassigned, a legal shot after the break assigns the type pocketed more often on that shot. Equal counts leave groups unassigned and play continues.
What if I hit my group first but pocket an opponent ball?
That is a foul, even if you also pocket your own ball. Object balls stay down and the opponent places the cue ball.
What if the 8 goes in on the break?
By default, the shooter loses. With Respot selected, the 8 returns and play continues. If the cue ball also goes in, the opponent gets ball in hand.
Play now with these rules
Last updated 2026-10-26 · Run by Qdan, Inc.