Breakshot Pool is the perfect and best game app for those who love playing pool but are not always able to be online at the same time or meet up with their friends in person. With its turn-based, asynchronous (async) gameplay, you can challenge your friends to a game of pool anytime, anywhere, without needing to be online at the same time.
How to play and the rules of eight ball (8 ball) pool:
The Break
The person starting the match is the one that gets to break (shoot the first shot of the game). The break must have at least four balls hit a cushion or at least one object ball being pocketed, otherwise the shot is a foul. If the break is a foul, the cue ball is placed back in the break area and the opponent has ball-in-hand and can place the cue ball anywhere in that area for their shot. If the 8 ball is pocketed on the break, then it will be put back on the table for the next shot. If the other conditions for a legal break are met (as just explained about), the break is not considered a foul.
Turn-taking
A player continues to shoot until committing a foul or failing to legally pocket an object ball, at which the turn goes to that of the opposing player.
👉 In Breakshot Pool (iOS/ Android) you do not to be online at the same time as your friend to play together, a notification will be sent to the player whose turn it is when the opposing player completes their turn. This is one of the great things about Breakshot Pool!
Selection of the target group
The table is ‘open’ at the start of the game, meaning that either player may shoot at any ball. It remains open until one player legally pockets any ball other than the 8 after the break. That player is assigned the group, or suit, of the pocketed ball - 1 to 7 (solids), or 9 to 15 (stripes) - and the other suit is assigned to the opponent. Balls pocketed on the break, or as the result of a foul while the table is still open, are not used to assign the suits.
Once the suits are assigned, they remain fixed throughout the game. If any balls from a player's suit are on the table, the player must hit one of them first on every shot (cushion hits then the player’s suit are allowed); otherwise a foul is called and the turn ends. After all balls from the suit have been pocketed, the player's target becomes the 8 for the remainder of the game.
👉 In Breakshot Pool, your aiming line will have a red ‘no entry’ sign next to the ball you aim at if hitting it first it will cause a foul.
Pocketing the 8 ball
Once all of a player's group of object balls are pocketed, the player attempts to sink the 8 ball. In order to win the game, the player needs to pocket the 8 ball without committing a foul. If a foul is committed but the 8 ball remains on the table, the player simply loses their turn.
If the 8 ball is pocketed either before the player’s entire suit has been pocketed or while committing a foul (like pocketing the cue ball too), then the player loses the game.
Winning
A player wins the game if that player legally pockets the 8 ball after all of their object balls have been pocketed. Because of this, it is possible for a game to end with only one of the players having shot, which is known as "running the table" or a "denial"; conversely, it's also possible to win a game without taking a shot; such a scenario may occur if the opposing player illegally pockets the 8 ball on any shot other than the break (such as sinking the 8 ball in an uncalled pocket, knocking the 8 ball off the table, sinking the 8 ball when a player is not yet on the black ball, or sinking both the 8 ball and the cue ball off a single shot).
Fouls
If a player fouls their turn ends and the opposing player starts their turn with ‘ball-in-hand’ where they can place the cue ball anywhere on the table without touching the other balls. If the foul is made during the break, the cue ball placement is limited to the break area.
The following are considered fouls:
• Pocketing of the cue ball at any point in the game
• The shooter fails to strike one of their own object balls (or the 8 ball when it is the legal ball) with the cue ball, before other balls are contacted by the cue ball.
• If an attempt is made to pocket a ball, and the ball hits the pocket, bounces out and lands on the ground, the ball is placed in the pocket and the game continues.
• The shooter pockets the opponent's balls before the 8 ball, while shooting for the 8 ball.
• On the break, if no balls are pocketed and fewer than four balls reach the cushions
Download Breakshot Pool at start playing with friends!
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