9 Ball Pool

9-ball is part of the pocket billiard games along with 8-ball, straight pool, 6-ball, one pocket and other pool games. Playing 9-ball pool successfully requires more experience and technique than playing 8-ball pool, for example. Nevertheless, if you know how to play 8-ball, learning to play 9-ball will not be difficult for you.

In order to play 9-ball pool you'll need a standard pool equipment: pool table, cue stick, cue ball plus 9 colored balls numbered 1 through 9. The object of the game is to sink the 9-ball into any pocket. During the pool game, each player on his turn has to cause the cue ball to first touch the lowest value ball on the table.

The 9-ball pool game begins with an opening break shot. In order to commit a legal break shot, the cue ball must first contact the 1-ball and then either pocket an object ball or make at least 4 balls to touch the rail.

When the player fails in completing a legal break shot, it is a foul and his opponent will get cue ball in hand, which means that he is entitled to position the cue ball anywhere on the table. If the breaker has completed a legal break shot, he may continue shooting until committing a foul or failing in pocketing a ball (or pocketing the 9-ball and winning the game).

In the 9-ball pool game, the player who shoots after a legal opening break shot has the option of playing a push out. Playing the push out means that the player can place the cue ball anywhere on the table in order to improve his shot. The push out is allowed only after a legal break shot and only when the player had declared in advance on its intention to play push out.

According to 9-ball pool rules, each player is allowed to commit a maximum of three fouls in a row, when more than a foul on the same shot will be counted as one. Except when the 9-ball is being pocketed on a foul, any other pocketed balls are not being spotted as a result of a foul. However, each time a player commits a foul, he ends his turn at the table. In addition, his opponent receives a cue ball in hand.

In order to commit a foul, a 9-ball player has to either cause the cue ball to first contact a ball that is not the lowest value ball on the table (also known as bad hit) or fails in completing a legal shot (neither pocketing a ball nor causing a ball to touch a rail).