Play 8 ball pool online, free
This is a free 8 ball pool game that runs in your browser: no download, no sign-in and nothing to buy. The balls roll, skid and knock into each other the way they do on a real table, and the page opens straight into a rack so you can break at once. Play pool against the computer at three levels, hand the device back and forth for 2 player pool, or take a practice rack on your own.
How to play
Everything is done with the cue itself. There are no power bars or buttons to find.
- Aim. On a computer, move the mouse: you are holding the back end of the cue, and it points through the white ball. On a phone, press anywhere and slide sideways to swing the cue round, then lift your finger.
- Shoot. Press and pull back along the cue, as far as you want the shot to be hard, then let go. Push forward again before you let go to cancel.
- Read the lines. The white line shows where the cue ball goes and the circle shows where it will be when it hits. The yellow line is the path of the ball you hit and the dotted line is where the cue ball goes afterwards. They get longer as you pull back. A red circle with a cross means that ball is not one you may hit first.
- Ball in hand. On the break, and after your opponent fouls, drag the white ball to where you want it.
The aim is locked while you pull, so the line you chose cannot slip as you draw the cue back. For fine aiming on a phone, start the sideways slide far from the white ball: the further away your finger is, the more slowly the cue turns. On a computer the arrow keys and the mouse wheel also nudge the aim.
8 ball pool rules
8 ball is played with a white cue ball and fifteen object balls: seven solids (1 to 7), seven stripes (9 to 15) and the black 8 ball. These are the rules this game uses. They follow the standard tournament rules, without calling shots.
- The break. The breaker places the cue ball behind the head string (the line a quarter of the way down the table) and hits the rack. Whatever drops, the table stays open: nobody has a group yet. If you pot a ball on the break you shoot again.
- Choosing groups. On an open table you may hit any ball first except the 8. The first ball a player pots after the break decides it: pot a solid and you are solids for the rest of the game, and your opponent is stripes.
- Your turn. Hit one of your own balls first. Pot one of your own and you shoot again; miss and the turn passes. A ball of your opponent's that goes in stays down, which only helps them.
- The 8 ball. When all seven of your balls are gone, the 8 is your ball. Pot it in any pocket to win.
- Losing on the 8. You lose if you pot the 8 before your group is cleared, or if you foul on the shot that pots it (for example the cue ball goes in as well).
Fouls
After any foul your opponent gets ball in hand: they may put the cue ball anywhere on the table. A foul is any of these:
| Foul | What happened |
|---|---|
| Scratch | The cue ball went into a pocket. |
| No hit | The cue ball did not touch any ball. |
| Wrong ball first | The first ball the cue ball touched was not one of yours (or was the 8 while you still had balls left, or on an open table). |
| No cushion | After the hit, no ball was potted and no ball reached a cushion. This stops players from just rolling up to a ball. |
If the 8 ball drops on the break it is put back on the foot spot and play goes on.
How to rack 8 ball
- Put all fifteen balls in the triangle with the front ball on the foot spot, the dot three quarters of the way down the table.
- Put the 8 ball in the middle of the third row.
- Put a solid in one back corner and a stripe in the other. The remaining balls can go anywhere; mixing them is fairer than grouping them.
- Push the balls forward so they all touch, keep the back row parallel to the foot rail, and lift the triangle off. A tight rack breaks much better than a loose one.
The game racks the balls this way for you, with the loose balls shuffled each time.
Tips for beginners
- Aim at the ghost ball. To send a ball to a pocket, picture a ball touching it on the side directly away from the pocket. Shoot the cue ball to that spot. The circle on the aim line is exactly that ghost ball, so line the yellow line up with the pocket.
- Softer is better. A ball rolled gently drops in pockets that would spit it out at speed, and the cue ball stays where you can find it. Save the hard hit for the break.
- Look at the dotted line. It shows where the cue ball is heading after the hit. If it points at a pocket, change the shot or you will scratch.
- Pick your group with care. On an open table, look for the group with fewer balls stuck on cushions or blocked by others before you pot the first one.
- Deal with problem balls early. A ball you cannot pot will still be there at the end. Use an easy shot to knock it loose while you still have other balls to carry on with.
- Think about the 8 from the start. Leave yourself an easy last ball near where the 8 is sitting.
The computer players
- Pip (Easy) sees the simple pots but shoots a little crooked, so long shots and thin cuts often miss. A good first opponent.
- Hank (Medium) shoots straighter and tries every pot at a couple of speeds before choosing one.
- Vera (Hard) rarely misses, picks the shot that leaves her another one, and when nothing is on she plays safe and leaves you a hard table.
All three play by the same rules as you and with the same physics: before shooting, the computer plays each candidate shot out on a copy of the table and keeps the best. Its only handicap is how steady its aim is.
Like table games? Try Backgammon, dominoes or Dots and Boxes against the computer, or wind down with Water Sort.
FAQ
Is this 8 ball pool game free?
Yes. It runs in your browser for free, with no download and no account, on a computer, tablet or phone.
How do you play 8 ball pool?
One player pots the solid balls (1 to 7) and the other the striped balls (9 to 15). Whoever pots a ball first after the break gets that group. Clear your seven balls, then pot the black 8 ball to win. You keep shooting for as long as you pot one of your own balls without a foul.
Can I play 8 ball pool against the computer?
Yes. There are three computer players: Pip is still learning and misses the long ones, Hank pots what is on, and Vera plays for position and leaves you very little. Pick one under New game; it starts on Medium.
Can two people play?
Yes. Choose 2 players under New game and take turns on the same phone, tablet or computer. There is no online multiplayer.
What is the proper rack for 8 ball?
Fifteen balls in a tight triangle with the front ball on the foot spot, the 8 ball in the middle of the third row, and a solid in one back corner and a stripe in the other. The other balls can go anywhere.
Does the 8 ball go on the dot when racking?
No. The front (apex) ball goes on the dot, which is called the foot spot. The 8 ball sits two rows behind it, in the centre of the triangle.
What happens if you pot the 8 ball on the break?
Here the 8 ball is put back on the foot spot and the game goes on, which is the standard tournament rule. In many bars it counts as an instant win or loss instead, so agree on it before you play on a real table.
What happens if you scratch on the 8 ball?
If the cue ball goes in while you are shooting at the 8 and the 8 stays on the table, it is only a foul: your opponent gets ball in hand. If the 8 drops and the cue ball goes in too, you lose the game.
Do you have to call your shots?
Not here. Any of your balls in any pocket counts, and the 8 may go in any pocket once your group is cleared. Leagues often make you call the ball and the pocket.
Is this the Miniclip 8 Ball Pool game?
No. This is an independent free pool game on Comfy Toys and is not connected with Miniclip or its 8 Ball Pool app. It has no coins, no cues to buy and no sign-in.
Comfy Toys is an independent site. "8 Ball Pool" here names the game of eight-ball; this page is not affiliated with Miniclip or any other publisher.