Billiards

Sports · 1-2 players

How to play

Low lights fall on green felt; the cue is in your hands and the rack is waiting. Realistic physics make every collision, cushion bounce and spin feel right. Take on the computer at three difficulty levels, play a friend on the same device, or clear the 9-ball and daily tables in as few shots as you can.

1. 1Tap or drag on the table to turn the cue. The dotted line shows the cue ball's path, the ghost ball where it will hit, and the short line where the object ball will go.
2. 2Pull the power bar on the right down and let go: the further you pull, the harder you hit.
3. 3Hit a ball from your own group first (solids 1-7 or stripes 9-15). The first ball you pot sets your group; keep potting your own balls to keep your turn.
4. 4Clear your group, then pot the 8 to win. Potting the 8 early loses the game; potting the cue ball gives your opponent ball in hand.
5. 5Use the fine-tune strip for tiny aim tweaks, and tap the small ball on the left to add spin: top spin follows through, back spin draws the cue ball back.

About Billiards

Billiards is a game of touch: you strike the white cue ball with the cue and send coloured balls into the pockets of a green cloth table. Two games live here side by side, 8-ball against an opponent and solo 9-ball. Balls transfer speed when they collide, rebound off the cushions, and the spin you put on the cue ball changes its path after contact, so every shot is about both aiming and setting up the next one.

In 8-ball the table is open after the break, and the first ball you pocket decides your group, solids or stripes. The rules follow familiar pool hall conventions: you must hit one of your own balls first, and after contact either pocket a ball or drive one to a cushion. A foul hands your opponent ball in hand anywhere on the table. In 9-ball you must always strike the lowest numbered ball first, and the goal is to clear the table in as few shots as possible.

The computer comes in three levels, and Hard rarely forgives a miss. Ten achievements, a win record for every difficulty and the Daily Table, which deals the same layout to everyone each day, give solo sessions a clear purpose.

Strategy and tips

• Before each shot, think about where the cue ball will stop; leaving an easy angle on the next ball matters as much as potting this one.
• When the object ball sits close to a pocket, hit softly. Hard shots can rattle the ball out of the jaws and send the cue ball wandering.
• Use top spin to let the cue ball follow the object ball and back spin to draw it back; with a centre hit it slows down and stays close to the contact point.
• If there is no easy pot, play safe: touch your own ball and park the cue ball far from your opponent's group. Sending a ball to a cushion after contact keeps the shot legal.
• In 8-ball, clear any of your balls that crowd the 8 before you finish your group; a ball blocking the 8 late in the game drags things out.
• In 9-ball, map out the order of the next two or three balls after the break; the lowest-ball rule makes positional play the heart of the game.
• The fine-tune strip, or F on the keyboard, rotates your aim in tiny steps, which is decisive on long, thin cuts.

Frequently asked questions

How are stars awarded in 9-ball?

Shots and penalties are added up: in 9-ball practice a total of 10 or less earns three stars and 15 or less two. The Daily Table starts without a break, so its thresholds are 9 and 13. Each foul adds one penalty.

What if I pot the 8 too early?

Pocketing the 8 before your group is cleared, or fouling while it drops, loses the game.

Can I play against a friend?

Yes. In two-player mode you take turns on the same device, and whoever legally pockets the 8 first wins.

Is aiming hard on a phone?

A dashed line shows the cue ball's path and a ghost ball marks the contact point. Drag on the table, refine with the fine-tune strip and pull the power bar on the right to shoot.