Pool Tutorial, Tricks, and Theory Version 1.0
By Ryan Lin and Special Guest: Connie "C."
POOL RULES
Basics
------
Yahoo! Pool strives to be a fun and realistic pool game. There are various types of billiard games played around the world. Yahoo! Games' current billiard game focuses around arguably the most popular pool game: 8-ball. A standard game of 8-ball is played with 15 object balls and a cue ball. The player who legally pockets the 8-ball wins the game. Other popular types of billiards games that are not yet included on Yahoo! Games include 9-ball, One Pocket, and Cutthroat just to name a few.
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GAMEPLAY
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8-Ball Rules
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Yahoo! Games has based the rules for this game on the current World Standardized 8-ball Rules, although some rules have been slightly modified to accommodate the online environment. However, the basic rule set is enforced.
Object
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The object of the game is for one player to pocket their set of object balls, 1-7 (solids) or 9-15 (stripes), and then to legally pocket the 8-ball.
The Break
---------
The player who breaks the rack to start a game is determined randomly. The break will then rotate between players in future games at the same table, regardless of who won that last game. For a break to be considered legal, the player who breaks must strike the rack with the cue ball. If the player makes an illegal break, the turn rotates to his/her opponent. If the cue ball is pocketed on the break, the player who pocketed it loses the game. Any balls pocketed on the break remain pocketed. If the player that breaks pockets a ball, other than the 8-ball or cue ball, his/her turn continues. If no balls are pocketed on the break, the turn rotates to the next player. Regardless of whether a ball is pocketed or not on the break, the table is still considered "open" (i.e., the choice of playing solids or stripes is still up for grabs).
Choice of Solids or Stripes
---------------------------
The choice of stripes or solids is not determined on the break. The choice is determined only when a player legally pockets the first ball after a break. If the player pockets both a solid and a stripe in the same shot, he/she must choose which group of balls they wish to play. If the table is open and a player strikes the 8-ball first, this is considered a foul and the turn rotates to the next player who gets ball in hand. If any balls were pocketed on this foul, they remain pocketed and the table is still considered "open." As always, if the 8-ball is pocketed when it is not a legal shot the game ends and the player who illegally pocketed the 8-ball loses the game.
Once solids and stripes have been assigned, it's considered a foul to strike the other player's ball before your own. If this happens, the player's turn is over and any balls pocketed remain pocketed. The next player also gains ball in hand.
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LEGAL AND ILLEGAL SHOTS
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In these rules we have talked a lot about legal and illegal shots. What exactly constitutes a legal or illegal shot?
The following are the rules for what is a legal vs. an illegal shot.
Legal:
------
A shooter must hit a ball that belongs to his group of balls before the 8-ball is struck or a ball in their opponent's group is struck (unless the table is open or the 8-ball is the only legal shot).
It is legal to have the cue ball make contact with a rail before striking a ball in your group.
Illegal:
--------
Pocketing the cue ball - this is a scratch.
The cue ball strikes the 8-ball first (unless it is the only legal shot).
The cue ball strikes one of your opponent's object balls first.
The cue ball does not strike a rail or a legal object ball.
Ball In Hand, Fouls, and Illegally Pocketed Balls
What happens when a player commits an illegal shot? Most of the time, it is a foul and the opposing player would get ball in hand. (Ball in hand means the player can place the cue ball anywhere on the table and shoot in any direction.) When a player is granted ball in hand after an illegal break, the ball may only be placed behind the head string and only shot forward.
Remember, if an object ball is illegally pocketed the ball remains in the pocket.
Playing the 8-Ball
------------------
When the 8-ball is the legal shot for a player, a scratch or foul does NOT result in a loss of game if the 8-ball is not pocketed. However, the next player would have ball in hand. Remember, when playing the 8-ball you must designate a pocket.
Turns
-----
A player's turn can span one or many shots. A player's turn continues as long as he/she legally pockets legal object balls. A player's turn ends when he/she takes a shot that is illegal and deemed a foul, fails to pocket a legal object ball, or pockets a ball of his/her opponent's group. If a player pockets a ball from his/her opponent's group, the player's opponent would only gain ball in hand if the ball had been pocketed illegally. It is not illegal or considered a foul to pocket his/her ball on your turn if the cue ball strikes a legal object ball first. It just ends the turn.
Loss of Game
------------
A player loses the game by committing any of the following:
Foul when pocketing the 8-Ball.
Pocketing the 8-ball in a pocket other than the one he/she designated.
Pocketing the 8-Ball when it is not the legal object ball.
Pocketing the 8-ball on the same shot as the last of his/her group of balls.
Note: It is not a loss of game if you scratch or foul when playing the 8-ball as long as the 8-ball is not pocketed.
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TIPS/TRICKS/CONCEPTS
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Steering
--------
Hit a ball on the left or right side of its surface to make that
ball steer the other way. More angle = more steer.
Power
-----
If lots of energy is needed, move back right hand (if you are a righty,
vise versa if you are lefty) to more of the end of the pool cue. If not
very much energy is needed, do the opposite. However, you do not want
to move it too much back or you might lose leverage or control.
Chalking
--------
When chalking the pool cue, make chalk go in middle of cue.
Winning
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When winning and it's your turn to hit the 8 ball, when possible, no
wild bouncing, or "flashy shots" unless you know what you're doing or
have no other choice.
Position
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When your opponent scratches, do not concentrate on putting the white ball
somewhere where you would hit one of your balls that is the one closest to
a pocket. Concentrate on hitting the ball at either a ball that you are
not sure is going to go in the pocket eventually or a ball that when you
hit into a pocket, will leave the white ball set up in another good
position.
While pinpointing ball you want to hit, think of where the white
would be after you hit it in, so that you would be able to hit another
ball in. Usually on light or medium power, the white ball stops at the
ball you hit.
Posture
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Make sure the end of the pool cue is pointing to the exact middle of white ball.
Some beginners may shoot below the white ball, and it jumps. They may also hold it wobbly. The correct way to hold the pool cue is to stick out you thumb, index finger, and middle finger, and set that hand on the surface. Stick the pool cue above the thumb, below the index finger, and above the middle finger. With the other hand, hold the end of the pool cue. Cock your head down when shooting for accuracy. Keep your positioning hand as still as possible and the shooting hand shooting in a linear path as possible (not a parabola).
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Pool Theory
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Trigonometry
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Geometry comes in a big part to playing pool. One very interesting aspect I shall
share is the trigonometry. Study this diagram:
|
| (W)
|
|
|
|X
|
|-----------------------------
(W) is the white ball, X is the target your are trying to hit, and the lines are
the pool table boundaries. So what angle should you hit the white ball to hit x?
This is where trigonometry goes into play. Step one is to draw out your right
triangle:
|
| ___(W)
| __/ |
| __/ | 1ft
| / |
|X------------
| 2 ft
|-----------------------------
Just pretend that the hypotenuse is straight. We measured the length of the
adjacent side and the opposite side. it is a 1 by 2 triangle. Now, to figure
out the angle at which you hit the white ball to hit your target, you use this
trigonomic formula:
Tangent theta = Opposite / Adjacent
Plug in your numbers and it turns out to be:
Tan -O- = 2 / 1
Tan -O- = 2
-O- = 63.4349 degrees
Now, how did I move from step 2 to step 3? I used the function tan-5 (arctangent) on my calculator to get the degree of theta. So hit the white ball at 63 degrees and go hit your target!
Physics
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Physics has a big role in pool and also in our daily lives. First, I would like to point out how light reflects. Below are the diagrams of light being reflected
on a surface. Notice the angles.
\ / \ /
\ / \ /
60 \/ 60 40 \ / 40
---------------- ----------------
So now we see that whatever angle light comes in, it comes out with the same angle apply this concept to pool. Whatever angle you hit a ball onto an edge, it comes out with the same angle. Study this diagram and I will show how to apply physics to score a point.
|----------------------
|/
| (W)
|
|
|
| (T)
|
|\ (S)
|------------------------
The s ball is your opponent's ball. The T ball is your own ball. You can score easily if your opponent's ball wasn't in the way of the pocket. But we see that the above, more hard, pocket is open. So this is what you need to do:
|----------------------
|/ _
| /\ (W)
| \ /
| \ /
| \ /
| \ (T)
| \ /
|\ (S) A \/ A
|------------------------
Hit the white ball to hit the T ball at angle A, just so that you can deflect it into the above pocket. And you have a point!
More Physics ------------
I would like to address Isaac Newton's second and third law.
2.) Force = Mass * Acceleration
Force is in Newtons, Mass is in Kilograms, and Acceleration is in meters per second squared. This equation states that more force is needed to accelerate more massive objects and less force is needed to move lower mass objects. To apply this into playing pool, think of force as the pool cue in motion, mass as the mass of each pool ball, and acceleration as the acceleration of the pool balls. How may you apply this to getting a shot in? Well, in pool, the objective of expert players is to sink a shot in with the least acceleration, so that the ball and the white ball don't bounce around the pockets. Some beginners hit as hard as possible and sink their opponent’s balls in on accident or even bounce the black ball in. Use this equation to further accel yourself in pool.
/
----------------- (B) <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
\
Acceleration Mass of Force of
of Ball ball Cue
An extension of this equation is
Force = Mass [(Vf-Vi)/t]
What this equates to is the longer time you apply a force to an object, the higher the velocity of that object will be. So if you want to hit a ball a long distance, follow through a little more with the cue; vise versa for short shots.
A skill using the above two paragraphs’ theories, is the conservation of momentum. Newton stated that momentum before a collision is the same after a collision. Look at these diagrams to help on how hard you should hit a ball.
Perfect Shot (W stops as B goes)
------------
(W)--- (B)---
Before After
------ -----
m = 4 kg m = 4 kg m = 4 kg m = 4 kg
V = 1 m/s V = 0 m/s V = 0 m/s V = ? P/M = 1 m/s
P = 4 kg m/s P = 0 kg m/s P = o kg m/s P = 4 – 0 = 4 kg m/s
Pt = 4 kg m/s ----------- Pt = 4 kg m/s
Rebound Shot (Both bounce in different directions)
------------
----(W)(B)---
Before After
------ -----
m = 4 kg m = 4 kg m = 4 kg m = 4 kg
V = 1 m/s V = 0 m/s V = -1 m/s V = ? P/M = 2 m/s
P = 4 kg m/s P = 0 kg m/s P = -4 kg m/s P = 4 – (-4) = 8 kg m/s
Pt = 4 kg m/s ----------- Pt = 4 kg m/s
Scratch Shot (Both move in the same direction)
------------
----
(W)(B)
Before After
------ -----
m = 4 kg m = 4 kg mt = 8 kg
V = 1 m/s V = 0 m/s v = ? P/M = .5 m/s
P = 4 kg m/s P = 0 kg m/s
Pt = 4 kg m/s ----------- Pt = 4kg m/s
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Conclusion
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Credits
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Mr. Helberg (My physics teacher)
Connie “C.” (For the tips section and a pool table to play at.)
Yahoo Pool (For Rules Section and their wonderful virtual pool.)
Ryan Lin (For the Theories section.)
Copyright
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This Pool Tutorial, Tricks, & Theory paper was compiled by Ryan Lin on November 13, 2001. All rights reserved to me and you better not steal nothin’.
