Cue sports may not be as popular as most of us would want them to be, but at least the games that come from those sports are quite popular all around the world. While games such as snooker are played professionally, other variations of cue sports are played locally and casually. Of course, the most popular variation is played at bars, at home, and even in arcades. One of the more regularly played games is the 8-ball pool. The rules are easy to learn and it is easy to play.
However, constantly playing this kind of pool will get boring. Put the seven strip or seven solid-colored balls into holes and then pocket the 8-ball in the right hole. It’s simple fun, but it’s easy to get bored from it.
Fortunately, there are so many different games that you could play at the pool table. A lot of them may be much more interesting than the regular 8-ball you would play at your local bar.
To reinvigorate people’s interest in cue sports, I decided to write this article and talk about all the different types of related games and how to play them.
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One-pocket Pool
This one is not very much different than what you would regularly play, but it makes things a little bit more challenging and interesting for everyone.
You get to play with the same 16 billiard balls, but the difference is that only two holes are active. Each one is dedicated to just one player.
This means that you are not allowed to put a ball in the wrong pocket. If you do, you get a foul. If you get three consecutive files, the other player automatically wins the game.
The rules are simple. You can hit any ball you want. It does not matter if it is solid colored or striped. The numbers do not matter either.
To win, you need to put any eight balls in the hole that’s designated to you.
9-ball
Since most people are familiar with 8-ball, getting familiar with this new type of cue sports is not going to prove difficult at all. The rules might be a bit different, but I assume that you will easily catch on.
So, what is the deal with 9-ball? Well, it is played on a billiard table with six pockets and 10 balls. Your objective as a player is to put in the lowest numbered ball on the table into a pocket. After that, you need to consecutively pocket all the other balls in ascending numerical order. Once you go through 1-8, all that is left is the ninth ball and then the game is over.
To play this type of cue sport, you will need to have the right table. Fortunately, finding the right option will be that difficult because any kind of bumper pool table will do the job.
10-ball
If you find 9-ball to be fun, but too easy for you and your friends, you may need to find something a little bit more challenging. Of course, I am talking about the modern pool game called 10-ball.
It is very similar, but adding one more objective to the game makes it more complicated and challenging. When taking the break shot, it is almost impossible to successfully pocket multiple balls. And that is not all. To make it even more challenging, the rules require you to call all of your shots.
But, if you are not skilled enough in calling your shots, you can forget about that rule.
Keep in mind, the rounds in 10-ball usually last a bit longer. So, before you start the match, make sure you have enough time.
Snooker
Snooker is the most popular professional cue sport in the world. It has also been recognized by the Olympics.
Playing snooker on any regular pool table is not recommended. Mostly because the snooker table is much larger and even the snooker balls are actually different in size. However, it will not hurt to try.
These are the rules. There are 21 balls on the table, and the player’s objective is to pocket all of them in the right order. A missed shot or a pocketed cue ball means that the opponent gets a turn. Every single ball on the table has a unique set of points. After everything has been pocketed, the player that has accumulated the highest number of points wins.
Four-ball
This one is a little bit more different than you are used to. And, to play this one, there should not be any pockets on the billiard table. I know, it sounds weird, but it is actually quite fun and very difficult.
To play this, you only need four balls. Two are red into our white. Although, the colors are not that important. They are colored this way to make them more distinctive and to make things a little bit easier for the players.
How to play it? Well, the whites are cue balls, the same as in any regular pool. The player’s objective is to strike any two balls that are currently on the table. It does not matter which ones, it just has to hit two balls with one strike. This is how you get a point.
If you fail to rebound your shot from any other two balls, you do not get a point and you give the stick to your opponent.
The first player that reaches 10 points wins. But, you could always alter the rules if you want.
There are probably hundreds, if not thousands of other variations of billiard or pool sports. Some of those games are very easy to learn and play, while others are difficult to understand or even impossible to finish.
Based on your skill and experience, you should be able to figure out exactly which game you should play. If you do not have a lot of previous experience, I suggest sticking with 8-ball and then progressing to 9-ball and 10-ball. After you gain a bit of experience in billiard, you should try snooker.
