Eight Ball
This is arguably the most popular game of pool worldwide and it is played with all six pockets. Most people will think of pool as “Eight ball” because of how popular the game has become internationally. There are plenty of ways to play eight ball: AlabamaEight Ball, Last Pocket, Missouri, Soft Eight and many more. The regular eight ball game is the 2nd most competitive game of pool behind nine-ball, and it is the easiest billiards game for amateurs and novices to break into and excel in.
Nine Ball
Nine ball is also very popular and it actually started off in the United States in the 1920s. In its early history it had a shady stigma attached to it because it was the “money game”, or the gamblers’ pool game. However, as the Prohibition era passed so too did its reputation, and today it is one of the most popular billiards games played. The best players will be able to hit all nine balls straight with various cue sticks and it wouldn’t matter. The object of the game is to hit the balls into the pockets in numerical order. The first one to legally pocket the 9-ball wins the game.
Cutthroat
This game is popular because three players are allowed to play and it is quite exciting. Each player is assigned 5 billiard balls and they must go through the game without losing all of their designated pool balls. Once a person has pocketed all of them, they are out of the game unless another player scratches which then brings the player back. This game would require three pool cues but you can always share if you don’t have enough.
14.1 Continuous
This game is not as well known as the others but it is still played all over the world. The game is all about naming your shot and executing it perfectly. There is a predetermined point total and the first to reach that number wins. It’s fun because it’s creative and brings an element of inventiveness to the game.
One Pocket
This is a two-player game that is played with only two pockets, one per player. There is also a point system and you lose a point if you pocket a ball in the wrong pocket. This game has been very famous for the top players in the world, but is nowhere near as popular as Eight Ball or Nine Ball.