Pool and cue sports are engaging hobbies that combine strategy, skill, and a bit of physics. They offer social interaction, mental stimulation, and a fun challenge. To get started, you can download a pool app, join a local club, or invest in a home table. Practice, patience, and a love for the game are key.
Billiards and Pool
as a hobby
AKA: Cue Sports
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Efren Reyes, nicknamed “The Magician” and “Bata” (Tagalog for ‘Kid’), is a Filipino professional pool player, widely regarded as the greatest pool player of all time. Efren has won over 100 international titles.
Terms
Basic lingo for orientation.
- Bank shot: A shot where the object ball is rebounded off a cushion before falling into a pocket.
- Break: The first shot of a game, where the cue ball is used to hit the racked balls and scatter them.
- Combo shot: A shot where the cue ball hits two or more object balls in succession, usually with the intention of pocketing one of them.
- Cue ball: The white ball that is struck by the cue stick to hit other balls.
- Cue stick: The wooden or fiberglass stick used to strike the cue ball.
- Draw shot: A shot where the cue ball is struck below center, causing it to spin backwards and travel in the opposite direction after hitting an object ball or a cushion.
- Follow shot: A shot where the cue ball is struck above center, causing it to spin forward and travel in the same direction as the object ball or cushion it hits.
- Foul: A violation of the rules, such as scratching the cue ball, hitting the wrong ball, or failing to hit any ball.
- Jump shot: A shot where the cue ball is made to jump over an intervening ball by striking it very hard and low.
- Massé shot: A shot where the cue ball is struck with extreme sidespin, causing it to curve sharply around an obstacle.
- Pocket: One of the six holes on the corners and sides of the table, where the balls are aimed to be sunk.
- Rack: The triangular frame used to arrange the balls in a specific pattern before the break.
- Safety shot: A shot where the cue ball is placed in a position that makes it difficult for the opponent to make a legal or effective shot.
- Scratch: A type of foul where the cue ball falls into a pocket or off the table.
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First Steps
How to break the ice and make a start. One Aha! moment is all you need.
- The easiest first step is to play the 8 Ball Pool app, either on the official website or on your phone. While it isn’t the real thing, it’s a great simulation. You play against real people, so you feel a real challenge. You can try different shots and tactics. Overall, it’s a great way to get familiar with the game and its rules and figure out if you are excited about it.
- Moreover, studies indicate that mental practice has a positive and significant effect on performance, so playing virtual pool might actually help you develop some real-world skills.
- Next, you can find a friend or a family member and book a table in a pool club near you. You don’t need any equipment, as it can be rented.
- You can also book a table for yourself and practice with YouTube tutorials.
- If there isn’t a nearby pool club, or you prefer to start at home, you can start with a small folding billiards table. Or, if you feel committed and have the space and money, you can buy a full-sized billiards table.
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Products
Essentials to have.
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How-Tos
Step-by-step tutorials.
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Books
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Articles
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Websites
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Movies & TV
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FAQS
Get a clue.
Q: What equipment do I need to start playing pool?
A: The basic equipment includes a pool table, a set of balls, a cue stick, and chalk for the cue tip. If you start by visiting a snooker and pool club near you, you won’t need any equipment, as it can be rented.
Q: What are the different types of cue sports?
A: Cue sports are divided into three main categories:
- Carom Billiards: Played on pocketless tables, typically ten feet long, including straight rail, balkline, one-cushion carom, three-cushion billiards, artistic billiards, and four-ball.
- Pocket Billiards (Pool): Played on tables with six pockets, available in lengths of seven, eight, nine, or ten feet. Popular variants include eight-ball, nine-ball, ten-ball, straight pool, one-pocket, and bank pool.
- Other Cue Sports: This includes snooker, English billiards, and Russian pyramid, all played on large tables (nearly 12 ft by 6 ft) with six pockets. These games are distinct due to their unique histories, cultures, rules, and terminology.
Q: Is pool hard to learn?
A: The basics of pool are relatively easy to pick up. You can learn the rules and how to hold the cue in a few minutes. However, mastering the game and developing advanced skills takes time and practice.
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Apps
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Community & Near You
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Tips
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Additional Information
Hobby attributes.
| Attributes | Value |
|---|---|
| Activities | |
| Fields | |
| Locations | |
| Participants | |
| Skills | Adaptability, Analytical Thinking, Attention to Detail, Concentration, Creativity, Decision-making, Empathy, Hand-eye Coordination, Memory, Mindfulness, Motor Coordination, Patience, Perseverance, Planning, Problem Solving, Risk-taking, Self-esteem, Social Skills, Spatial Ability, Strategic Thinking |
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