The goal in one minute
8-ball is played with a white cue ball and fifteen numbered balls. One player must pot the solid balls (1 to 7), the other the stripes (9 to 15). Once you have potted all seven of your group, you pot the black 8 ball to win. The full detail, including fouls, is on the rules page; this guide is about how to operate the game.
Starting a game
- Open Play. The table loads in a few seconds.
- Choose a mode: play the computer, or open the practice table.
- If you play the computer, pick a level (Easy, Medium, Hard or Expert). You can change this in Settings.
- The breaker places the cue ball behind the head string (the line a quarter of the way up the table), then breaks the rack.
Multiplayer works the same way once the match starts. You find an opponent in the lobby and the game opens when both players are seated.
Controls
Mouse or pen
- Aim: move the pointer around the table. The cue rotates around the cue ball to point where you are looking.
- Shoot: press and hold the left button to start charging power, then release to hit the ball. The longer you hold, the harder the shot.
- Cancel: press the right button while holding, or press Esc, to abandon the shot without playing it.
Touch (phone and tablet)
- Aim: touch the table and drag. The cue follows your finger, and you can keep adjusting for as long as you like.
- Shoot: press and hold the on-screen fire button to charge power, then let go to shoot. If you slide your finger away from the button before letting go, the shot is cancelled.
- Spin: drag the dot on the cue-ball widget (see below).
Keyboard
| Key | What it does |
|---|---|
| ← → | Turn the aim slowly, left or right |
| Shift (held) | Precision mode: the arrow keys turn the aim by much smaller steps |
| Space | Hold to charge power, release to shoot |
| Esc | Cancel the shot you are charging |
| W A S D | Nudge the spin: W for follow, S for draw, A for left, D for right |
| 0 | Reset the spin to the centre of the ball |
| R | Re-rack the balls (practice mode only) |
Aiming
Good aim is the most important skill in pool. In 8Baller the aim guide draws a line from the cue ball to the point of contact and, depending on your guide setting, shows where the object ball and the cue ball will travel afterwards.
The key idea is the ghost ball: to send an object ball toward a pocket, the cue ball must arrive at the spot just behind the object ball, on the line from the pocket through the object ball. Picture the cue ball sitting in that spot and aim at its centre. For a straight shot the ghost ball is directly behind the object ball. For a thin cut it sits well off to one side, and the line to it is very different from the line to the object ball itself.
Use Shift with the arrow keys for fine adjustments. A tiny change in angle is worth several centimetres at the far end of the table, so on long shots, fine aiming matters.
You can choose how much help the guide gives in Settings: a beginner guide with the full path, or lighter guides that leave more of the reading to you. Switching to a lighter guide as you improve is a good way to train your eye.
Power
The power bar fills while you hold the shoot control. Power is a matter of judgement rather than strength:
- Soft shots keep the cue ball under control and are best when the pocket is close or you need exact position.
- Medium shots suit most pots. They are firm enough to reach the pocket without sending the cue ball flying.
- Hard shots are for the break, for long bank shots and for moving the cue ball a long way. Extra pace magnifies any error in your aim, so use it only when you need it.
Whatever you choose, remember that the cue ball keeps moving after contact. Think about where you want it to stop before you decide how hard to hit.
Spin and the cue-ball widget
Where the cue tip strikes the cue ball changes how the ball behaves. The small cue-ball widget on screen shows the face of the ball with a dot for the tip position. Drag the dot with the mouse or your finger, or nudge it with W, A, S and D. Double-click the widget, or press 0, to return to the centre. A label beside it names the current spin, for example "Follow + Left 40%".
| Tip position | Name | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Above centre | Top spin (follow) | After hitting the object ball the cue ball keeps rolling forward. Use it to follow the ball through and move up the table. |
| Below centre | Back spin (draw) | After contact the cue ball pulls back toward you. Use it to stop dead, or to draw back for position. |
| Left or right of centre | Side spin (English) | Changes the angle the cue ball takes off a cushion, and can nudge the object ball slightly (throw). Useful, but harder to control. |
| Centre | No spin | The most predictable shot. Start here until you are comfortable. |
The further the dot is from the centre, the stronger the effect. The dot cannot leave the circle of the ball. The effect is largest on firm shots with a clear run to the object ball.
Practice tools and drills
The practice table is an open table with no opponent and no score. It is the quickest way to improve. The practice bar gives you:
- Shoot and Edit table modes. In Edit mode you can drag balls from a tray onto the table, move them, or drop them in the trash to remove them. Build the exact position you keep getting wrong.
- Rack. Racks all fifteen balls for break practice.
- Empty. Clears the table, leaving only the cue ball.
- Drills. One-click set-ups: a side-pocket bank, a corner bank, a thin cut drill and a long pot drill.
- Replay shot. Plays the same positions with the same strike again, so you can compare a miss with the line you intended.
- Undo shot. Puts the balls back to where they were before your last shot.
- Full aim guide. A switch that turns the complete guide on or off.
A simple routine: set up a drill, play it ten times, and count how many you pot. When you manage eight or more, switch the guide to a lighter setting and try again.
The computer levels
- Easy
- A relaxed opponent. It aims with noticeable error, plays simple direct pots and does not think about where the cue ball ends up. A good place to learn the controls.
- Medium
- Aims more accurately and starts to think about cue ball position, so it leaves itself easier next shots. Still misses regularly.
- Hard
- Plans bank shots and safety shots, simulates several options before choosing and rarely misses a straightforward pot. Expect to be punished for loose play.
- Expert
- The strongest level. It aims very precisely, looks ahead to the shot after next and uses safeties well. Beating Expert takes good position play, not just good potting.
All levels play by the same rules as you, and all of them can make mistakes. Your settings and statistics (win record, streaks, pot rate and achievements) are stored in your browser. See the tips and tactics page for ideas on how to beat the higher levels.
Settings, sound and screen
The Settings button lets you change your display name, felt colour, cue style, aim guide, sound volume and music. The Sound button mutes everything at once, and Full screen gives the table the whole display, which is especially helpful on phones. On a phone, turn the device sideways for a wider table, or hold it upright for the portrait layout.