The complete reference for everything on the cloth
Billiards Pool, snooker and carom, from the break to the history books.
How to play and how the rules really work, technique from your stance to position play, the story of the table, the people who mastered it, and honest guidance on the tables, cues and accessories worth owning.
Everything, in one place
browse A–Z →Learn the Game
How to play pool, the parts of the table, the general rules, etiquette and the mistakes every beginner makes.
Fundamentals 02The Games
Eight-ball, nine-ball, ten-ball, straight pool, one-pocket, bank pool, snooker and three-cushion, rule by rule.
Rules 03Technique
Stance, bridge and stroke, aiming, draw and follow, side spin and squirt, banks, kicks, safeties and the break.
Skill 04Equipment
Tables and slate, cloth, balls, cues, shafts, tips and chalk, and how much room a table really needs.
Gear 05Gear Guides
Buying guides organized by the decision you are making: your first table, your first cue, a break cue, a game room.
Buy smart 06History
From a lawn game brought indoors to the modern pro tours, and the players and films that shaped the game.
HeritagePlanning a game room? Check what table fits your room → · Want to compete? Leagues, ratings and tournaments →
Beyond the pool table
all the games →Snooker
Twenty-two balls, a twelve-foot table and a scoring game built on reds and colors.
Cue sport CaromThree-Cushion
No pockets at all: three balls, and a point only when the cue ball hits at least three rails before reaching the second object ball.
Cue sport PoolOne-Pocket
Each player owns one corner pocket, and strategy matters as much as shotmaking.
Pool game