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Is Pool The Same As 8 Ball?

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Is Pool The Same As 8 Ball?

Have you ever been playing pool and someone asked if you were playing 8 ball? Maybe you always thought that they were the same, but now you are not sure. Well, in this article we will go over everything you need to know about pool and 8 ball. 

So is pool the same as 8 ball?

Although some people do believe that pool and 8 ball are the same, they are only partially right. 8 ball is one of the many pool games that you can play on a pool table, but all pool games are not necessarily 8 ball. 

If you want to know more about pool and 8 ball, you will want to keep reading this article. You can also check out this video to learn the difference between pool, 8 ball and billiards. 

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Why do some people think they are the same?

The approach to whether Pool is the same as 8-ball differs from whether you want to get into the specifics and professional details. In a general context, Pool is the same as 8-ball since the 8-ball cue game is essentially the most popular variation of Pool. The game also has some other names such as solids and stripes or spots and stripes in the United Kingdom, or called highs and lows in japan. Most beginners to the cue sports know that pool refers to the 8-ball. Technically though, pool is a set of all the pocket table cue games, this is including but not limited to, the 9-ball, one pocket Pool, three-ball, and bank Pool.

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8 ball pool

It is recorded that eight ball Pool was derived from an earlier game invented around 1908 in the United States, the initial popular name was B.B.C. Co. Pool by the Brunswick Balke Collender Company. The original balls used in this forerunner Pool game were seven yellow seven red balls, a black ball, and the white cue ball. You might see the same color codes used on some sets where 8-ball gameplay rules apply.

The World Pool Billiard Association keeps track and sets all the rules of all types of variations of Pool games. The rules of the 8 ball are popular and most likely to be the easiest to learn among beginners. This game of 8 ball Pool is well popular and one might say it represents well Pool as a cue sport. Whether you enjoy the game online or in dedicated clubs with Pool tables, Pool, in general, deviates more towards 8-ball among the masses. This is why many people simply call 8 ball and pool the same thing.

The 8-ball basics

There are basic rules to the gameplay of 8-ball that are common all around the world no matter the variation locally played. To kick start a part of 8-ball, the balls are set into a triangular rack on the Pool table. The balls are placed in a way that the apex ball is on the footnote and the rack is parallel to the end rail. By various methods, one player is chosen to take the first shoot. In the scenario where the first player doesn’t break the balls properly on the first shot, that is if 4 or more balls hit the cushions, the opponent decides to re-rack or continue with the current position. Also, the 8 ball can’t be potted on the first shot. If this happens the breaker either places the 8 black ball somewhere on the table and continues the play or re-racks.

The player keeps on playing until committing a foul or in the case of not legally pocketing an object ball. Once this happens, it is the turn of the opposing player. There are a number of fouls according to the place you will find the 8 ball in pool. Most are standard but some are applied only among the local variations. Following a foul, the opponent can place the cue ball anywhere on the table as a standard rule, unless the foul occurred on the break shot.

Standard 8 ball equipment 

This cue game is played indoors on a respective pool table with six holes along the sides. This is where 8 ball gets the name of pocket billiards. The tabletop is traditionally clothed in green with a felt. The size of a pool table measures 2.75 meters by 1.37 meters, but the sizes vary depending on the maker and gameplay purposes. The game of 8 ball involves 16 balls. The size of the balls is roughly 2.5 inches in diameter. These count a traditional white cue ball, and two sets of 7 striped numbered balls and 7 solid colored numbered balls. They come in different colors from yellow, brown, purple, green, orange, blue and red.

The game of 8 ball uses a triangle rack for the balls to be placed in the proper starting triangle formation at the beginning of the game. The player uses a cue stick to hit the white ball around, the average length being 58 inches with a tip of around 0.5 inches in diameter. You will spot 8 ball pool players using chalk to smooth the ferrule of their cue stick. This is done before every shot to increase the friction between the cue and the white ball, hence improving the efficiency of the player’s hit. For more efficiency, some players use a mechanical bridge while taking shots that are too far away for the hand to act as a bridge. Just as the chalk, a bridge is optional.

How to win when you play the 8 ball variation of Pool

There are a number of scenarios that result in a player winning the 8-ball game. For instance, when the player legally pockets the 8th numbered ball into a designated pocket after pocketing all their object balls, then that is a win. The opposing player can illegally pocket the 8 ball. This is before clearing all of that player’s object balls; they pocket the 8 black ball or in another instance, they knock the 8 ball of the table. Both these scenarios will result in a win for the player who did not commit the foul.

Conclusion

It’s definitely no doubt that when most people talk about Pool, that they refer to the popular variation called 8 ball. In many pubs and bars across the world, you will probably find that if they offer pool tables, and most of the time it is the 8 ball game that is being played. The game rules are quite understandable and easy to grasp, far much easier than other variations of pool such as the 9 ball or 14.1. 14.1 is also known as straight pool. 

Pool is quite popular among all types of societies today. It goes without saying that you are most likely going to enjoy yourself with fancy entertainment around the green indoors tables of this game, and most likely the 8 ball game. There are other forms of enjoying this game like online games, computers, and mobile applications that offer the 8 ball variations. When it comes to pool online games, this to illustrate the way 8 ball is the most common and widely known pool variation. The most televised professional pool is also the 8 ball variant of this cue game. This adds to the ways you can enjoy this game being a player or just seeking good entertainment.