Howdy All! Welcome to the new "Play89 Blog", the official blog of Play89 online pool room and a pool-billiards-snooker resource center. (Soon, very soon) you will find here:

• Latest info on Play89 pool tournaments, bonuses, promotions and special events
• Behind the scenes news straight from Play89 software designers
• Beginners’ guide to pool and billiards: glossary, games rules and tips
• News and games results of the most important tournaments in cue sports
• Profiles of the world’s top pool/snooker/billiard players

Hmm… What else would you like to read in Play89 Blog? If you have any idea, comment, complaint or compliment regarding Play89 pool room or Play89 blog, please let us know about it!

9ball pool is less favored by amateur players than its fellow 8ball. But when it comes to TV broadcasts, professional tournaments and online games, 9ball rules! While an average 8ball game can drag on and on until either player reaches to the point where he can play the 8-ball and hopefully win the game, in 9ball, victory can be claimed even on the opening break shot.

Object of the Game
Opening Break Shot
Push Out
Fouls
Three Consecutive Fouls
End of the 9Ball Pool Game

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Object of 9Ball Pool

9ball pool is played with 9 object balls numbered 1 through 9. It is a rotation game, in which each player on his turn has to hit the lowest numbered ball on the table. The object of the game is pocket the 9-ball.

Opening Break Shot

On the opening break shot, the breaker (who is named randomly by play89 system) has to first hit the 1-ball with the cue ball and then either pocket any numbered ball or send four balls (or more) to the table’s rails. If a player pockets the 9-ball on the break, he wins the game (unless a foul was involved in the same shot).

Push Out

“Push Out” is a unique 9ball rule. It allows the player who shoots right after a legal break shot (and only then) to relocate the cue ball and by that improve its position for the next shot. A player must announce his intentions to play a “Push Out” prior to making the shot.

Fouls

In 9ball as in 8ball, the offending player has to give up his turn at the table and the incoming player gets the cue ball in hand. If any object balls have been pocketed during a foul, they will remain pocketed except the 9-ball, which will be re-spotted.

Three Consecutive Fouls

In 9ball, if a player makes three consecutive fouls on three different shots, he loses the game. To execute this rule, the incoming player must bring the subject to the offending player’s attention sometime between the second and the third fouls.

End of the 9Ball Pool Game

The 9ball pool game ends as soon as either player pockets the 9-ball legally. Alternatively, the pool game can come to its end with the loss of a player.

8-ball pool is a 2-players game played with 15 colored and numbered balls, also known as object balls. The balls numbered 1-7 are the solid balls and the balls numbered 9-15 are the striped balls. The 8-ball is the black ball (and vice versa). Each player is assigned one group of balls.

Object of 8-Ball Pool

Opening Break

Solid or Striped?

Legal Shots

Fouls

Shooting the 8-Ball

End of the 8-Ball Pool Game

Object of the Game

The object of the 8-ball pool game is to shoot the 8-ball into a called pocket only after shooting the entire group of object balls.

Opening Break Shot

Play89 random system determines which one of you players will make the first shot of the game, the opening break shot. To perform a legal break shot, the breaker must either pocket a ball or drive 4 balls (or more) to the rails of the table. In a legal break shot, the breaker turn’s continues. If the opening shot break fails, the turn is taken by the breaker’s opponent.

Solid or Striped?

The choice between the group of solid and striped object ball is made only after the first legal shot made after the break shot. Once the choice has been made, a player can only shoot either the striped or the solid balls.

Legal Shots

In a legal shot in 8-ball, an object ball must fall into a pocket or any of the balls has to hit the rails of the table.

Fouls

When it is an illegal shot, a scratch, the cue ball hits the 8-ball, or when the player shoots the opponent’s object balls, it is a foul. A foul leads to the end of the offending player’s turn and his opponent is rewarded with a cue ball in hand.

Shooting the 8-Ball

Once a player had finished pocketing his group of object ball, he may try to shoot the 8-ball. Before making the shot, a player must call a certain pocket into which the 8-ball will be pocketed.

End of the 8-Ball Pool Game

The player who legally pockets the 8-ball into a called pocket is the winner of the 8-ball pool game. A player who commits one of these following acts, automatically loses the game:

• Fouls when shooting the 8-ball
• Pockets the 8-ball into a different pocket that the called pocket
• Pockets the 8-ball prior to pocketing the rest of the object balls
• Pockets the 8-ball along with his last group of object balls

New to pool? Don’t know when to break and how to scratch? Especially for you, a pool-billiards glossary with definitions of the most essentials terms used in pool games.

# A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V X Y Z

0-9

8-Ball
A popular pocket billiard game (pool game) played with 15 balls divided into two groups of object balls – solid and striped balls. The object of the game is to pocket the 8-ball after pocketing the player’s group of object balls.

9-Ball
Another popular pool game played with 9 object balls. The object of the game is to pocket the 9-ball while shooting the lowest number ball on the table.

B

Break

The first shot in the game; see opening break shot

C

Call Shot

A pool game in which the players are required to designate a certain pocket/ball before making the shot; 8-ball pool is an example of a call shot pool game. The designated pocket is named a Called Pocket and the ball a Called Ball.

Cue Stick/Cue

The stick used to shoot the balls in billiards

Cue Ball

The white ball struck by the cue ball in pool and billiard games

Cue Ball in Hand

When a player is allowed to place the cue ball on the table (usually as a reaction to the opponent’s foul)

E

English

A side spin applied on the cue ball in order to change the natural roll of the ball

F

Foul

A violation of the pool game rules; the definition of foul can change from one pool game to another

I

Inning

The player’s turn

O

Object Balls

The colored, numbered balls hit by the cue ball in pool games

Opening Break Shot

The first shot in the game meant to break open the rack

P

Pocket

The act of sinking an object ball into the table holes

Position

The location of the cue ball in relation with the object ball at the end of the shot

R

Rack

The triangle that groups the ball together at the start of the game

S

Safety

When the position of the balls is arranged so the scoring chances of the opponent are decreased to minimum

Scratch

When the cue ball falls unintentionally into one of the table pockets

Shot

The act that begins with the hitting the cue ball with the cue sticks and ends when all balls stop motionless on the table

Spotting Balls

When the pocketed balls are being brought back to the table

Stroke

The movement of the cue stick when shooting the balls

Play89 pool software is available for free download. The online pool site features two of the most popular pool games in the world: 8ball and 9ball. Play89 pool games rules are based on official BCA rules with some inevitable modifications.

Play89 software developers tried to imitate real-life pool physics as much as possible. Still, some billiards fundamentals, (such as the stance, for example) had to give due to the transformation to the virtual world.

Play89 Software Download
Joining/Opening a game table
Play89 Pool Controls

How to Download Play89 Pool Software

1. First, download play89 pool software; choose a language (from a variety of more than 15 different languages) and install the software in your computer
2. Choose a unique username and password, open a new player account and claim your first $2 bonus!
3. Now that you are a member of Play89 pool room, you can play online pool 24/7, for fun money or for cash.
4. You can always choose between joining a game table and opening a new one:

To join a game table:

• When you enter the lobby, you’ll see on your left a list of active pool games; click “join” on a chosen game
• Click “v” in the negotiation window and settle the terms of the game (stake, length) with your partner
• Start playing!

To open a game table:

• Enter the lobby and click on “create a new match”
• Choose your preferred pool game (8ball or 9ball) and fill in the terms of the game
• When a player chooses to join your table, a negotiation window will be opened
• Once you’ve agreed on the terms, the game can begin

Play89 Pool Controls

In online pool, the mouse replaces your hand. Learning how to aim, control the cue ball and manage the speed and power of your stroke may take some adjustment, especially if you are not used to play pool online. Nevertheless, you’ll find play89 pool controls very easy to use.

• To rotate the cue around the cue ball, hold down the left mouse button
• To pull back the cue stick, hold down the right mouse button
• To shoot, release your hold on the right mouse button
• To increase the power of your shot, pull back the cue stick as far as you can
• To apply English (side spin) onto the cue ball, click on the cue ball on the left side of the screen. An enlarged image of the cue will appear and you will be able to calculate exactly where to strike the cue ball.

Play89 blog is the official blog of the online pool website play89.com. Everything about play89 and pool games in general can be found in here: pool game rules, news updates, tournaments, bonuses and more…

Play89 blog aim is to keep you updated with all the recent updates in the online pool room play89. Additionally, play89 intends to provide coverage of the amateur and professional pool-billiards world including tournament results, places to play pool, reviews on billiards equipment and accessories, and so on.

Play89 blog invites you to comment on our posts and share your ideas, thoughts personal experiences with us and become part of our growing online pool community.