Bar Games 101 is an online resource where you can learn how to play and get better at pool, including games like 8-ball, 9-ball, straight pool, cutthroat, and other types of billiards games, along with technique and practice advice and the best equipment to use.
For a complete overview of how to play pool, check out this guide.
Snooker, pool, and billiards are just different names for the same game, right? Although many people believe all three of these games are the same, or at least just slight variations, of the same game, they are not. Snooker, pool, and billiards are distinctive onto themselves. This means that they not only have their own … Read more
In 1955 Valley Manufacturing introduced a new game to the world of coin-operated amusements. This game was played on a smaller table with two holes, one on each end of the table. There were eight bumpers placed in a cross-like pattern in the middle of the table. You would put a dime in to start … Read more
Racking the balls before a game of pool is not something we usually give much thought to. Yet, the quality of the rack should not be overlooked. If you have a bad or loose rack, the break will suffer, and so will the overall game. For example, a loose rack with the wrong ball placement … Read more
“Control of the cue ball depends more on the ability to draw or follow than any other factor, with the exception of speed of stroke.” – Willie Mosconi on Pocket Billiards What is Cue Ball Control? If you’ve played against a good pool player at the bar, you’ll notice how they set … Read more
If you own a pool table, you want to create the best playing experience possible for you and your guests. That’s why choosing the best pool table lights is so important. If you’re struggling to figure out how to find the right lighting setup for your pool table, this post is for you. What will … Read more
In his book “The New Illustrated Encyclopedia of Billiards“, Mike Shamos wrote that many believe straight pool (also known as 14.1 Continuous) to be the purest form of pocket billiards. Straight pool was adopted as America’s first official tournament game in 1912, experienced a huge resurgence with the release of the movie “The Hustler”, and … Read more
An Overview of Pool Table Parts and Layout In many of our posts about how to play popular pool table games – including 8-Ball, 9-Ball, Cutthroat Pool and other fun billiard games – we mention different parts of the table in order to explain the basic rules of each game. So, in order to understand … Read more