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Pool guides

Plain explanations of the rules, the tables and the habits that make a night at the pool hall go well. House rules vary, so each guide points out where they usually differ.

Top-down view of a pool table with the cue ball rolling toward a full rack of balls How to play 8-ball Racking, the break, solids and stripes, calling your shots, common fouls, ball in hand and how a game is won or lost. A cue, a racked set of balls, a cube of chalk, a bridge and a bead score counter on a pool table 9-ball rules The diamond rack, hitting the lowest ball first, the push-out, fouls, ball in hand and the three-foul rule. A player chalks his cue and waits while another player lines up a shot Pool hall etiquette Waiting your turn, staying out of a shooter's line, drinks off the rail, chalk, house cues and sharing tables. A player stands among three pool tables of different sizes Pool table sizes 7-, 8- and 9-foot tables, bar boxes vs full-size tables, why tournaments favor 9-footers, and how much room a table needs. A hand pulling a cue from a wall rack of house cues, with chalk and balls nearby How to choose a house cue The roll test, checking the tip, picking a weight, how the shaft should feel, and when to get a cue of your own. A pool table racked for 8-ball beside a snooker table set up with red and colored balls Snooker vs pool Table size, balls, pockets, cues and scoring: how snooker differs from 8-ball and 9-ball. A new player shakes hands with a team captain beside a pool table on league night How to join a pool league How handicapped leagues work, the national league names you'll hear, finding a team and what a league night looks like.

City guides

The cities with the most verified pool halls in the directory. Each guide lists the city's pool halls, its bars with pool tables (with the proof for each), the leagues, table counts and features that reviews or websites back up, and the nearby towns with places to play.

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