SponsorBridgeMatesBridge heads, cue holders & rail tools
Shop now →
Twelve quick questions drawn from a bank of 25 on 8-Ball, 9-Ball, 10-Ball, straight pool, one pocket and more. New questions every time. See your score and share it.
Each quiz picks 12 of our 25 questions at random.
1. In 9-Ball, which ball must the cue ball hit first?
C. The lowest-numbered ball on the table. You must always hit the lowest-numbered ball first. After that, any ball can go in, including the 9.
2. In 9-Ball, you hit the 1-ball into the 9-ball and the 9 goes in. What happens?
A. You win the game. A legal shot that pockets the 9 wins, even on a combination. That is what makes 9-Ball so fast.
3. After the cue ball hits a ball and nothing goes in, what has to happen for the shot to be legal?
B. Some ball has to touch a rail. If no ball is pocketed, the cue ball or any object ball must hit a cushion after contact. Otherwise it is a foul.
4. You scratch in a tournament run on standard rules. Where does your opponent place the cue ball?
B. Anywhere on the table. Most tournaments play ball in hand anywhere after any foul. Some leagues and bar rules use behind the head string after a scratch, so ask.
5. When can a player "push out" in 9-Ball?
B. On the shot right after the break. The push out is only allowed on the first shot after the break. The opponent then chooses who shoots next.
6. In 9-Ball, what happens after three fouls in a row by the same player?
C. That player loses the game. Three successive fouls lose the game, but only if the player was warned after the second one.
7. In 10-Ball under standard rules, the 10 goes in on the break. What happens?
B. The 10 is spotted and play continues. Unlike 9-Ball, the 10 on the break does not win in standard 10-Ball rules. It is spotted.
8. In 8-Ball, you pocket the 8-ball before clearing your group. What happens?
A. You lose the game. Pocketing the 8 early, or scratching on the 8, loses the game.
9. In straight pool (14.1), when are the balls re-racked?
B. When one object ball is left on the table. When one ball is left, the other 14 are re-racked and the player keeps shooting, usually breaking the new rack with the last ball.
10. How many balls do you need to win a game of One Pocket?
C. 8. The first player to get eight balls in their pocket wins.
11. In a 16-player double-elimination bracket, how many matches are played (not counting an "if needed" match)?
C. 30. A double-elimination bracket with N players takes 2N − 2 matches, plus one more if the final goes to a second set.
12. In FargoRate, what does a 100-point rating gap mean?
B. The stronger player wins about 2 games for every 1. A 100-point gap means about a 2-to-1 game ratio, so the stronger player wins about two out of three games.
13. In 8-Ball, what does it mean when the table is "open"?
B. Groups (solids or stripes) are not decided yet. Right after the break the table is open: you may hit a solid or a stripe first, and your group is set by the first ball you legally pocket on a called shot.
14. When racking 8-Ball, where does the 8-ball go?
B. In the middle of the third row. The 8 goes in the center of the third row, with a solid and a stripe in the two back corners.
15. When racking 9-Ball, where does the 9-ball go?
B. In the middle of the diamond. The 1 goes in front on the foot spot and the 9 goes in the middle of the diamond.
16. What is a "scratch"?
B. The cue ball going in a pocket or off the table. A scratch is when the cue ball is pocketed or leaves the table. It is a foul.
17. Making the cue ball jump by scooping under it with the tip is…
B. A foul. A legal jump comes from hitting down on the cue ball. Scooping under it is a foul in nearly every rule set.
18. The cue tip touches the cue ball twice on one stroke. That is…
B. A foul (double hit). A double hit is a foul. It is most common when the cue ball is very close to the object ball.
19. In 9-Ball Banks, how many balls do you need to win a game?
B. 5. In 9-Ball Banks you need five banked balls, more than half of the nine.
20. In a lag for the break, who wins?
B. The ball that stops closest to the head rail. Both players shoot to the foot rail and back; closest to the head rail wins and chooses who breaks.
21. "Ball in hand" under standard rules means…
B. Place the cue ball anywhere on the table. With ball in hand you may place the cue ball anywhere on the table. Some leagues limit it to behind the head string after a scratch on the break.
22. In scotch doubles, how do partners shoot?
B. They take turns, alternating shots. Partners alternate shots, so you have to play position for your partner, not for yourself.
23. In three-player cutthroat, how many balls are in each player's group?
B. 5. Three groups of five: 1–5, 6–10 and 11–15. You try to sink your opponents' balls.
24. What is the "head string"?
A. The line two diamonds from the head rail; the cue ball starts behind it for the break. The head string runs two diamonds from the head rail. On the break, the cue ball is placed behind it.
25. In 10-Ball under standard rules, do you have to call your shots?
B. Yes, call ball and pocket. 10-Ball is a call-shot game. A ball made in the wrong pocket does not count, which removes most of the luck.
Answer all 12 questions to see your score.
Answers follow the standardized rules most pool tournaments use. Leagues and bars often have their own house rules, especially for scratches, the 8-ball on the break and calling shots, so always ask before your match.
Brush up with our guides: 8-Ball rules, 9-Ball rules, 10-Ball rules, straight pool, One Pocket and the pool glossary.
All tools · Guides · Post your tournament free
One short email a week: the big events this weekend, what's new, and tips. Free, unsubscribe any time.
Want alerts for your area only? Set up tournament alerts · This weekend's tournaments
