What is the difference between American and British pool?
POOL is a popular game to while away your times when you pop down to your local.
However, American and British pool have their differences. Here's all you need to know.
What is American pool?
American pool is a popular cue sport, played across the world.
The American game has many different formats, such as 8-ball, 9-ball and 10-ball.
8-ball pool consists of seven spotted balls, numbered 1-7, and seven striped balls, numbered 9-15.
The 8-ball is known as the black ball.
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The aim of the game is to first pot your numbers before potting the black to win.
9-ball is on the same type of table, but there are just nine balls on the table.
The key to this is to try and pot all the balls on the table before the opponent.
Combination shots can also be used, meaning that at any point during the game, if the 9-ball goes in after the player has made contact with their object ball, they will win the frame.
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Popular tournaments in 9-ball include the Mosconi Cup, which pits Europe against America.
10-ball is similar to 9-ball, but there are 10 balls on the table.
The aim is to pot all the balls and the 10-ball before the opponent.
However, the players must nominate the ball they intend to pot and the pocket they are going for.
Famous players to have played the American style of pool include Efren Reyes, Francisco Bustmante and Earl Strickland.
What is British pool?
British pool, or English 8-ball to some, is more commonly played in the UK and is a popular pub game.
The game consists of seven reds, seven yellows and a black, and the aim is to pot your colours and the black before your opponent.
The first legally potted ball decides the colour - and the player must pot all seven of their colour before attempting the black.
If you pot all seven colours, followed by the black before your opponent, you win.
The game is lost if you pot the black before clearing your colours.
Pubgoers playing for fun often implement the player stays on rule.
There are varying rulesets in this sport, such as International, World, and Blackball rules.
International rules is an attacking ruleset which allows combination and skill shots in order to win the frame.
A foul gives the opponent cue ball in hand anywhere on the table, with one visit.
World rules is a commonly played ruleset in the UK.
World rules gives you two shots when a foul is played, however, the shot in most cases will have to be taken form the position the cue ball was left in.
Blackball rules are seen as an attacking ruleset which gives a player two shots after a foul.
However, the two shots don't carry and the first of these is usually used as a setup shot.
Ultimate pool is one of the most popular pool tours at the moment, with matches shown on TV and online.
The IPA tour is another well regarded tour, where they play blackball rules.
Famous players who have played British pool include four-time World Snooker Champion Mark Selby, Gareth Potts, and Chris Melling.
What is the difference between American and British pool?
The most obvious difference is the tables that the sports are played on.
American pool tables have far bigger pockets, while British pool tables have smaller, tighter pockets.
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American pool is played with bigger balls, including a cue ball which is the same size as that used in a game of snooker.
British pool is played with a cue ball which is smaller than the object balls you would play with during the game.