Pool
8-ball pool against the computer or a friend on the same device. Touch the table to aim, then drag the cue back and let go to shoot. Go full screen with the button under the table.
Last updated
Against the computer: 0 won, 0 lost
How to play pool
- Choose Vs computer (and a level) or 2 players. You break first: drag the white anywhere behind the line if you like.
- Aim by touching or clicking the table where you want the white to go; the dotted line shows where it will hit and where that ball will head. Use ↺ and ↻ (or the arrow keys) to fine-tune.
- To shoot, put your finger (or the mouse) on the cue or the white ball, drag the cue back and let go: the further you pull, the harder. Push it back to the ball to call the shot off. The power bar under the table does the same.
- The button at the end of the controls makes the table full screen; press it again (or Esc) to come back. Turn your phone sideways for a landscape table.
- For spin, touch the little white ball by the controls where you want the cue to strike: high for top spin (the white runs on after it hits), low for back spin (it comes back), left or right for side (it changes the angle off a cushion). The guide shows where the white will go; spin goes back to the centre after each shot.
- Pot all your group (solids 1–7 or stripes 9–15), then the black 8 to win.
About this game
Standard 8-ball on a seven-foot table, with real ball physics: balls slide before they roll, slow as they roll, bounce off each other almost without losing speed and lose about a quarter of it into a cushion, and a ball that clips the edge of a pocket rattles out. Spin works as on a real table: stun, follow, draw and side off the cushions. The table is open after the break; the first ball potted after it decides who has solids and who has stripes. Pot one of yours and you shoot again; miss and it’s the other player’s turn.
Fouls: potting the white, not hitting a ball, hitting one of the other player’s balls (or the 8) first, or no ball reaching a cushion after the hit. After a foul the other player has the ball in hand and can put the white anywhere. Pot the 8 after clearing your group and you win; pot it early, or foul while potting it, and you lose. If the 8 goes in on the break it comes back to its spot.
The computer finds every pot it could play, tries the best of them out on a copy of the table with the same physics, and picks the one that pots a ball and leaves it a good next shot, or plays safe when there’s nothing on. The level sets how many shots it considers and how exactly it hits them: Easy goes for the obvious pot and is often a little off; Hard and Expert also try top, back and side spin to play position, and Expert rarely misses.
Questions about pool
How do I aim more precisely?
Aim roughly by touching the table, then nudge with the ↺ and ↻ buttons (hold to turn faster) or the arrow keys (Shift for bigger steps). The guide shows the exact contact point and the object ball’s path.
What counts as a foul?
Potting the white, missing every ball, hitting the other group or the 8 first, or no ball touching a cushion after contact. The other player then has the ball in hand.
When can I pot the 8?
Only once all of your group is down. Potting it before then, or scratching while potting it, loses the game.
How does spin work?
Touch the small white ball next to the controls where the cue should strike. Below centre is back spin: hit firmly and the white stops or comes back after contact (it wears off over a long distance, as on a real table). Above centre is top spin: the white follows on. A centre hit slides at first, so close up the white stops dead. Left or right side changes the angle the white comes off a cushion. The dotted line after the contact shows the white’s path at the power you’ve pulled.
How do I set the power?
Drag the cue back from the white ball and let go: the further you pull, the harder the shot, and the bar under the table shows how hard. You can also slide the power bar itself, or use its arrow keys and Enter.
Can I play full screen?
Yes. Press the full-screen button at the end of the controls. On phones that don’t allow full-screen pages (iPhones), the table fills the browser window instead.
Can I play with my phone sideways?
Yes. Turn it and the table turns with it, breaking from the left; in full screen the players and controls move to a column beside the table. Turning back mid-game keeps the game exactly as it was.
Can I play against a friend?
Yes. Choose 2 players and pass the device between shots.
How good is the computer?
There are four levels. Easy is beatable while you learn; Expert plans its position and seldom misses a pot it takes on.