Billiards Games Online: Pool, Snooker and Trick Shot Games
Updated
Billiards games online cover several cue games: pool, with numbered balls on a six-pocket table, as in 8-ball and 9-ball; snooker, with 15 reds and six colours; and Russian billiards, with white balls and very tight pockets. Then there are arcade versions that drop the rules and give you levels, timers and trick shots. Below is which game is which, how cue controls work in a browser, and what to play from the billiards games collection.
The full rules of 8-ball, from the break to the black ball, are in 8 ball pool rules.
Which cue game is which
Wikipedia's article on cue sports sorts them into carom billiards on tables without pockets, pool on six-pocket tables, and snooker and Russian pyramid on large six-pocket tables.
| Game | Balls | How you win | Play it in |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8-ball | Solids 1–7, stripes 9–15, the black 8 | Pocket your group, then the 8 | Pool 8 Ball HD, Billards HD |
| 9-ball | Balls 1 to 9 | Hit the lowest-numbered ball first; legally pocket the 9 | 9 Ball Pool 3D |
| Snooker | 15 reds and six colours | Score the most points in the frame | Prime Snooker Showdown |
| Russian billiards | 15 numbered balls, usually white, and a coloured cue ball | Be first to pocket 8 balls | The Best Russian Billiards |
Snooker scoring in short
In snooker, a red is worth 1 point and the colours are worth more: yellow 2, green 3, brown 4, blue 5, pink 6 and black 7. While reds are on the table, you pot a red, then a colour, then a red again; a potted colour goes back on its spot. When the reds are gone, the colours are potted in order from yellow to black. Points also come from the other player's fouls, and the higher score wins the frame. Wikipedia's snooker article has the full rules.
Russian billiards in short
Russian billiards, also called Russian pyramid, uses fifteen numbered object balls, usually white, and a coloured cue ball, with pockets barely wider than a ball. You may pocket any ball, and the first to pocket eight wins. The Best Russian Billiards follows that goal: be the first to pocket 8 balls, against a virtual rival or online.
How the cue works in a browser
Every browser billiards game splits a shot into two parts, aim and power, but each one does it differently.
| Game | Aim | Power |
|---|---|---|
| 9 Ball Pool 3D | Move the mouse; click once to lock the aim | The power meter rises; click again to shoot |
| The Best Russian Billiards | Hold the mouse button and move the pointer | Move the cue on the right of the screen |
| Billiards 888 | Mouse wheel for the angle | Right mouse button for the power |
| 8 Ball Pooling - Billiards Pro | Drag to set the angle, fine-tuning button for small changes | Drag the energy slot and let go |
| TRZ Pool | Tap to aim and release | Tap again when the force bar is right |
| Ball 8 Pool | Choose your target ball | The indicator at the bottom left |
On a phone, 9 Ball Pool 3D works the same way: drag to aim, tap once to lock, tap again to shoot.
Habits for cleaner shots
- Line up the contact point, not the ball's center. To send a ball toward a pocket at an angle, the cue ball has to hit it on the side away from that pocket.
- Use less power than you think. A soft shot keeps the cue ball on the table and closer to the next ball.
- Think one ball ahead. Choose the shot that leaves the cue ball near your next target. In 9-ball this matters most, because the next ball is set for you.
- Never lose the cue ball. In Red Ball Pool, sinking the white ball ends the game; in TRZ Pool it breaks your run of consecutive balls.
- Fine-tune before you shoot. Use the fine-tuning button in 8 Ball Pooling, or the locked aim in 9 Ball Pool 3D, so the power click does not move your line.
Solo billiards: levels and timers
These games are played alone, against a target, a clock or a limit.
- Billiard Challenge gives each level a set of balls to pot within a number of attempts, on different tables. There is no multiplayer; your progress depends only on your shots.
- Mini Pool 3D has Classic free play, 20 Arcade levels and a Time Attack mode.
- Billiard Diamond Challenge asks you to sink every ball except the white one, in a level mode or a time mode. Blue diamonds you collect buy new cues.
- Pops Billiards HD is a race: 15 balls, and your record is the number of seconds it takes to pocket them all.
- TRZ Pool and Pool 3D give you 10 balls, and consecutive pots add to your score.
- Billiard Hustlers sets a clock in a neon 80s pool hall, with spin control and curve shots to keep the game going.
- Red Ball Pool has you put all the red balls in the black hole within a time limit; the white ball going in ends the game.
Billiards for two players
- Pool 8 Ball HD plays alone on a timer, or together on one device with 8-ball rules.
- Billards HD plays alone against the clock, or against a friend: clear your group, then pocket the 8.
- Underwater Aim is 8-ball on ocean-themed tables, solo, against friends or in tournaments.
- Pops Billiards pits you against an online opponent or a friend.
- CueSoccer mixes billiards aiming with football rules; aim, control the angles and outplay your opponent.
- The Best Russian Billiards plays against a virtual rival or online.
Trick shot and mash-up games
- Billiard and Golf puts a golf hole on a snooker table. Over 30+ levels you get the ball into the hole, and successful shots in a row score best.
- 2048 Billiards 3D asks you to find the right angle to merge balls with the same number, aiming for the 2048 ball; number merging is explained in how to play 2048.
- Tiny Billiard is quick mini pool with one-touch controls, trick shots and a range of cues to win.
- Ultimate Billiard 3D Game lists classic 8 Ball, 9 Ball and a Snooker mode in one game.
Carrom is a flicking game, not a cue game, but it shares the strike-and-pocket idea; its rules are in how to play carrom.
Billiards games FAQ
What is the difference between pool, billiards and snooker?
Billiards is the umbrella name for cue sports. Pool is the six-pocket family with numbered balls, such as 8-ball and 9-ball. Snooker is played with 15 reds and six colours on a larger table and is scored in points.
Can I play 9-ball online?
Yes. 9 Ball Pool 3D follows 9-ball rules: hit the lowest-numbered ball first and legally pocket the 9 to win. It has computer opponents, a three-round championship, a timed mode and a practice room.
Can two people play billiards on one device?
Yes. Pool 8 Ball HD and Billards HD both have a mode for two players.
Do billiards games work on a phone?
Yes. Most of the games above aim with a drag or a tap, and the site works in the browser of a phone, a tablet and a computer.
More tables, cues and racks are in the billiards games collection.
