Pool Tournament Guides
Plain-English guides for players and tournament directors: game rules, brackets, payouts, handicaps, practice and more. 58 guides, all free.
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Game rules
- 8-Ball Rules: The Basics Every Tournament Player Should Know
A plain-English guide to 8-Ball as played in tournaments: the break, open table, fouls, ball in hand and how to win. - 9-Ball Rules: How the Game Is Played in Tournaments
9-Ball basics: hitting the lowest ball first, the push out, three-foul rule, and how games are won. - 10-Ball Rules: The Call-Shot Rotation Game
10-Ball explained: the rack, call-shot rules, what happens to the 10 on the break, and the push out. - Scotch Doubles: How Pool's Team Game Works
Scotch Doubles explained: alternating shots, who breaks, common fouls, combined rating caps and tips for playing with a partner. - One Pocket: The Basics of Pool's Chess Game
One Pocket explained: choosing pockets, scoring to eight balls, why defense matters, and what to expect at a One Pocket tournament. - Straight Pool (14.1 Continuous) Rules and Scoring
How straight pool works: calling every shot, scoring a point per ball, the 14-ball rerack, the opening break rule and the three-foul penalty. - How to Rack Pool Balls: 8-Ball, 9-Ball and 10-Ball (With Diagrams)
How to rack for 8-Ball, 9-Ball and 10-Ball: where each ball goes, how to get a tight rack, and the racking rules used in most tournaments. - Cutthroat Pool Rules: The Best Game for Three Players
How to play cutthroat pool with three players: choosing groups, the goal of sinking your opponents' balls, fouls, and how to win. - Bar Rules vs. Tournament Rules: What Changes in 8-Ball
The most common differences between bar (house) 8-Ball rules and tournament rules: scratches, calling shots, the 8 on the break, slop and more. - Bank Pool Rules: How 9-Ball Banks and 15-Ball Banks Are Played
How bank pool works: what counts as a bank, calling shots, kisses and crossovers, fouls, and the race in 9-ball banks and 15-ball banks. - Pool Rules Q&A: Scratches, Breaks, the 8-Ball and More
Quick answers to the pool rules questions players argue about: scratching on the 8, making the 8 on the break, calling shots, ball in hand, jump shots, push outs and more. - 14 Pool Games to Play: With Friends, Alone or at a Party
The best pool games beyond 8-Ball: 9-Ball, 10-Ball, cutthroat for three players, rotation, 3-Ball, Kelly pool for groups, one pocket, bank pool, straight pool and more, with how each one works.
For players
- Your First Pool Tournament: What to Expect and What to Bring
Never played in a pool tournament? How sign-up works, what the bracket means, how races and handicaps work, and what to bring on the night. - FargoRate and Pool Handicaps: How Ratings and Races Work
What a Fargo rating means, how a 100-point gap translates to winning chances, and how directors use ratings to set handicapped races and rating caps. - Pool Tournament Etiquette: The Unwritten Rules
How to behave at a pool tournament: before your match, at the table, calling fouls, sharking, conceding and dealing with disputes. - Pool Table Sizes: 7-Foot, 8-Foot and 9-Foot Tables Compared
Playing-surface sizes for 7, 8 and 9-foot pool tables, how much room you need for each, and which size tournaments are played on. - How to Find Pool Tournaments Near You (Weekly, Monthly and Big Events)
Where pool tournaments are posted, how to find weekly bar and pool-room events near you, and how to hear about new ones first. - How to Read a Pool Tournament Flyer: Every Term Explained
Decode a pool tournament flyer: added money, entry and greens fees, races, double elimination, the hot seat, true double, player caps, Fargo limits, Calcuttas and more. - Pool Leagues Explained: APA, USA Pool League (BCA) and VNEA
How pool leagues work: teams, weekly matches, handicaps and skill levels, sessions, and the road to the national championships in Las Vegas. Plus how to join one. - 15 Pool Tips That Improve Your Game Fast
Fifteen practical pool tips for beginners and league players: stroke, aim, speed, position, safeties, the mental game and how to practice. - Playing Pool at a Bar: Quarters, the Chalkboard and Winner Stays
How to get a game on a bar pool table: putting quarters up, writing your name on the board, winner stays, and the unwritten rules regulars expect. - 9-Ball Strategy: Runouts, Push Outs and When to Play Safe
How to win more 9-Ball games: plan three balls ahead, use the push out well, take combinations on the 9, and play safe when the run isn't there. - Pool Cue Care: Tips, Chalk, Shafts and Cases
Keep your cue playing like new: shaping and scuffing the tip, chalking the right way, cleaning the shaft, avoiding warps, and when to replace a tip. - Spots in Pool Money Games: The Breaks, the 8, Games on the Wire
How handicaps work in pool money games: giving the breaks, the 8-ball or the 7, games on the wire, races and sets, and how to make a fair game. - Pool for Beginners: Stance, Bridge, Grip and Stroke
Start playing pool the right way: how to stand, how to make a bridge, how to hold the cue, and how to make a smooth, straight stroke. Plus a simple first practice plan. - How to Aim in Pool: Ghost Ball, Contact Points and Cut Angles
Learn to aim pool shots: the ghost ball method, fractional aiming (full, 3/4, 1/2, 1/4 ball), why thin cuts are hard, and how to fix missing thick or thin. - English in Pool Explained: Follow, Draw, Stun and Side Spin
How cue ball spin works: follow, draw and stun, side spin off the rails, and why English makes the cue ball squirt and swerve. Plus when not to use it. - Safety Play in Pool: How to Win Without Making a Ball
Pool safety basics: when to play safe, the main types of safeties, two-way shots, the rules every safety must follow, and simple safeties anyone can learn. - 8-Ball Strategy: How to Plan a Runout
How to run out in 8-Ball: read the table first, pick the right group, find your key ball, break up clusters early and keep insurance balls near pockets. - Beating Tournament Nerves: The Mental Game of Pool
Why you play worse in tournaments than in practice, and what to do about it: a pre-shot routine, breathing, staying in the present, and handling a bad rack. - Fargo Rating Chart: Win Odds by Rating Difference
How often does a higher-rated player win? A chart of game and match win chances by Fargo rating difference, plus fair handicap races and what ratings mean. - Major Pool Events 2026–2027: The Big Tournaments Every Player Should Know
The biggest pool events of the 2026–27 season: Mosconi Cup, Derby City Classic, league national championships in Las Vegas, Super Billiards Expo, US Open and more, with dates and who can play. - Pool Terms Glossary: 74 Billiards Words Explained
A plain-English glossary of pool and billiards terms: from action, bar box and break and run to throw, true double and wing ball. - 7 Pool Practice Drills That Actually Make You Better (With Diagrams)
Seven pool practice drills with table diagrams: stop shots, the line-up drill, the circle drill, position ladders, kicking and playing the ghost. - How to Choose a Pool Cue: Weight, Tip, Shaft and Price
A practical guide to buying your first or next pool cue: weight, tip size, shaft taper, low-deflection shafts, wraps, break and jump cues, and what to spend. - How to Break in Pool: 8-Ball, 9-Ball and 10-Ball Breaks
How to break better in pool: stance, speed and cue ball control, plus where to place the cue ball and what to hit for 8-Ball, 9-Ball and 10-Ball. - How to Draw the Cue Ball: Backspin Made Simple
How to draw the cue ball in pool: where to hit, how to stroke through, why draw dies on long shots, and four drills to build a reliable draw shot. - How to Kick in Pool: Escape Any Snooker with One Rail
How to aim kick shots in pool: the mirror method, the half-ball-width rule, speed and spin, plus the rules on legal hits and fouls when you are snookered. - Pool vs Billiards vs Snooker: What's the Difference?
Pool, billiards and snooker explained: tables, balls, pockets and how each game is played, plus carom billiards, English billiards and which one to try first. - How to Hold a Pool Cue: Grip, Bridge and Stance
How to hold a pool cue the right way: where to grip, how loose to hold it, the open, closed and rail bridges, bridge length, and a stance that keeps your stroke straight. - Pool Cue Tips Explained: Soft vs Hard, Size, Shape and When to Replace
Everything about pool cue tips: soft, medium and hard tips, layered vs solid leather, tip sizes, the right shape, how to keep a tip in shape, and when to replace it. - How to Bank in Pool: The Mirror Method and Simple Diamond Aiming
How to make bank shots in pool: the mirror method, using the diamonds, why speed and spin change the angle, cross-side and cross-corner banks, and how to practice. - Pool Ball Colors and Numbers: Solids, Stripes and the 8
What color is each pool ball? The standard colors of balls 1 to 15, solids vs stripes, the cue ball, and how the numbers are used in 8-Ball, 9-Ball and other games. - The Best Pool Movies of All Time: From The Hustler to Poolhall Junkies
The best movies about pool and pool hustlers: The Hustler, The Color of Money, Poolhall Junkies, The Baltimore Bullet, Kiss Shot, Turn the River and Stickmen, and what each gets right about the game. - How to Clean a Pool Table: Cloth, Rails, Pockets and Balls
How to clean a pool table the right way: brushing and vacuuming the cloth, removing chalk and spills, cleaning the rails, pockets and balls, and how often to do it. - How to Level a Pool Table (and Check If It Rolls Off)
How to check if a pool table is level and how to fix it: the rolling-ball test, using a machinist level, adjusting the legs and shims, and when to call a pro for a slate table. - The History of Pool: From Lawn Game to Bar Table, and the Players Who Made It
A short history of pool and billiards: its roots in a lawn game, why the cloth is green, where the name pool came from, the leather tip and chalk, and legends from Willie Mosconi to Efren Reyes. - What Weight Pool Cue Should I Use? 18, 19, 20 or 21 Ounces
How to pick a pool cue weight: what lighter and heavier cues do, the most common weights, weights for breaking and jumping, and how to test before you buy. - How Pool Hustlers Work (and How Not to Get Hustled)
How pool hustles work: sandbagging, the slow raise, the partner setup and the ringer, plus the warning signs and simple rules that keep your money in your pocket. - Do You Need a Pool Glove? What They Do and How to Pick One
What a billiard glove does, who should wear one, which hand it goes on, three-finger vs full gloves, sizing, and how to keep it clean. - Pool Table Cloth Guide: Worsted vs Felt, Colors, and When to Replace It
How to choose pool table cloth: worsted (tournament) cloth vs woolen felt, speed, colors, how long cloth lasts, and what recovering a table involves.
For tournament directors
- How to Run a Pool Tournament: A Step-by-Step Guide for Directors
Planning a weekly or one-off pool tournament? Format, entry fees, races, brackets, payouts and promotion, step by step. - Double-Elimination Brackets Explained (With Byes and the "True Double" Final)
How double-elimination pool brackets work: the winners and losers sides, byes for uneven fields, how many matches to expect, and the true double final. - Pool Tournament Payouts: How Many Places to Pay and How to Split the Pot
A simple payout chart for pool tournaments by number of players, plus how added money, greens fees and ties are usually handled. - Calcutta Auctions in Pool Tournaments, Explained
How a pool tournament Calcutta works: the auction, buying back half of yourself, how the pot is paid out, and how to run one smoothly. - Pool Tournament Formats Explained: Double Elimination, Round Robin, Chip and More
Compare pool tournament formats: single and double elimination, modified single, round robin, chip tournaments and Swiss, with how long each takes and when to use it. - How to Start a Weekly Pool Tournament at Your Bar or Pool Room
A practical plan for bar owners and directors: picking the night, format, entry fee and greens fee, getting players to show up, and keeping them coming back. - Chip Tournaments in Pool: How They Work and How to Run One
How a pool chip tournament works: chips by skill level, single-game matches, the draw, payouts, and tips for running one at your room.
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