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If you’re trying to play a round of 8-ball with your friends, racking the pool balls is the first step to starting any game. While there aren’t many rules for racking 8-ball, it’s important to do it properly so the game is fair. Keep reading, and we’ll walk you through the right way to set up 8-ball with a rack so you can quickly start playing.
How to Rack 8 Ball
Set the triangle rack on the foot spot on one end of the table. Place any ball except for the 8-ball in the top corner, and place 1 striped and 1 solid ball in the remaining corners. Fill the spaces randomly with the other balls and put the 8-ball in the center of the rack.
Steps
Community Q&A
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QuestionIf I shoot at a numbered ball and scratch, where does the cue ball go for the next shot?Community AnswerSome people do ball in hand, which is where you can basically place it anywhere. Others make you place it anywhere behind the break line.
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QuestionWhere do I rack if there is no foot spot on the table?Glen A. JacksonCommunity AnswerIn that case, hopefully there are diamond markers on the head, foot, and side rails; most but not all tables have them. Try to line yourself up, with the center of the rack right at the center foot rail diamond. Put all the balls in the rack, and then move it forward so the top ball is at the intersection of the center foot rail diamond and the 2nd diamond on the closest side rails. Without the diamonds, the concept is still the same, it just requires more guesswork. Lots of people will mark this with a simple black spot using a permanent marker. On old, felt-worn tables, the felt may be bare in that spot, possibly even have a small dimple where the top ball would be.
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QuestionMost of the time my hand trembles when I take a shot, which sometimes makes me miss the cue ball. How can I improve on this?Community AnswerPress the heel of your hand tighter to the table. Use an open bridge instead of a closed bridge. If shooting from the rail, place the palm of your hand against the outside of the rail.
Video
Tips
- If you’re playing with red and yellow pool balls, place 2 different colors in the back 2 corners. Then, place 2 balls of the opposite color next to the corner balls. On the right side of the rack, make a stripe of 3 balls that are the same color as the 2 on the left side. Fill in the remaining balls, and place the 8-ball so it’s in the center so it’s on the foot spot. [7] X Research sourceThanks
- Let the player who will break first rack the balls. In a recreational game, toss a coin or do a “lag” test to determine who will break and rack. In a professional game, the player with the lowest official standing in the league always breaks first.Thanks
References
- ↑ https://www.colorado.edu/umc/sites/default/files/attached-files/8-ball_rules_bca.pdf
- ↑ https://wpapool.com/rules-of-play/#eight-ball
- ↑ https://wpapool.com/rules-of-play/#eight-ball
- ↑ https://www.colorado.edu/umc/sites/default/files/attached-files/8-ball_rules_bca.pdf
- ↑ https://www.colorado.edu/umc/sites/default/files/attached-files/8-ball_rules_bca.pdf
- ↑ https://www.uwyo.edu/rec/intramural-sports/_files/docs/rules/8-ball.pdf
- ↑ https://westmeathpoolassociation.weebly.com/uploads/2/2/3/1/22318408/ipa-blackball-rules.pdf
About This Article
To rack in 8-ball, locate the foot spot on the pool table and place the triangle rack over it. Next, place any ball other than the 8-ball inside the triangle at its apex, then place a solid ball at one of the far corners and a striped ball at the other far corner. Fill in the space between the rack corners with the other solid and striped balls in any order you like. Then, place the 8-ball at the apex of the inner triangle of balls. For more tips on positioning the rack, read on!
Reader Success Stories
- "Good pictures of ball position that we'll copy and post in our pool room. We use house rules, and this simply stops arguments. The whole article is great at explaining the pool process to beginners. Thank you!" ..." more
