Play 9 Ball Pool Online: Free Nine-Ball Game vs Computer or a Friend

9 ball pool, also written nine-ball or 9-ball, is the quick rotation game played on an American pool table. The balls do not have to go in in order: strike the lowest ball first and whatever drops keeps you at the table, and the 9 can end the rack on any shot. Play 9 ball free online in your browser against the computer or with a friend on one device, with no download and no account.

Why play 9 Ball Pool here?

Four computer levels play on the same table, physics and rules as you, from a beginner that misses often to a master that can run a rack. A row of balls beside the table shows what is left and rings the ball you must hit first, and that ball glows on the cloth. Aim with a guide line, add spin, and replay the last shot; Master Hint suggests a shot when you are stuck. Two people can share one device, and free practice has no referee.

How You WinLegally pocket the 9. A shot is legal when the cue ball strikes the lowest-numbered ball on the table first and no foul follows.

Balls: Cue ball and balls 1–9, racked in a diamond
Table: American pool table, six pockets
Players: Two: you and the computer, or two people on one device

How to play 9 Ball Pool in one minute

You break. The cue ball starts behind the head line; drag it if you want another spot. Aim at the 1 at the front of the diamond, pull the cue on the right down and let go.
On every shot the cue ball must hit the lowest-numbered ball on the table first. That ball glows on the table and is ringed in the row of balls beside it.
After that first hit, any ball that drops keeps you shooting. The balls do not have to go in in order.
Pocket the 9 on a legal shot and the rack is yours: off the lowest ball, as the last ball, or on the break.
A foul hands the cue ball to your opponent to place anywhere: pocketing the cue ball, hitting nothing, hitting another ball first, or potting nothing with no ball reaching a cushion.
Tap the table to aim and drag farther from the cue ball for finer control. The white ball button sets spin.

A new rack opens against the Skilled computer. Mode in the sidebar switches to two players or free practice; Variant switches to American or Chinese eight-ball.

Playing 9 Ball Pool here: common questions

Is 9 ball pool free here? Do I need to download or sign up?

It is free, with nothing to download and no account. The computer opponent runs in your browser, so a rack starts at once.

Do I have to pot the balls in order?

No. Only the first ball the cue ball touches is fixed: it must be the lowest number on the table. After that any ball may go in, and the 9 wins the rack whenever it drops on a legal shot, even with other balls still on the table.

What is the difference between 9 ball and 8 ball?

8 ball uses fifteen balls split into solids and stripes: you clear your group, then pocket the 8. 9 ball uses nine balls that both players shoot at: the lowest number must be hit first, and whoever pockets the 9 wins. Racks are shorter, and the 9 can win early. Both are on this page; Variant in the sidebar switches between them.

Can I play other people online?

No. There is no matchmaking, room or lobby here. To play a person, choose Two players and take turns on one device.

How strong is the computer?

There are four levels: Beginner, Skilled, Expert and Master. Every level plays on the same table with the same physics and rules as you. The lower levels aim less exactly and look at fewer shots; the top level plans the next ball as well.

Is there a push-out or a three-foul rule?

No. This is nine-ball without the push-out, without loss of rack for three fouls in a row, and without the three-ball break requirement. A foul always means ball in hand for the other player, nothing more.

Does the 9 on the break win?

Yes. If the break is legal and the 9 goes in, the breaker wins the rack. If the cue ball also goes in, it is a foul: the 9 comes back to its spot and the other player has ball in hand.

Does it work on a phone?

Yes. On an upright phone the table stands upright too, with the remaining balls, the cue you pull to shoot and the spin button in a column beside it. It plays the same on a tablet or computer.

Can I come back to a rack later, or switch to eight-ball?

Racks save automatically in this browser on this device. Variant in the sidebar switches to American or Chinese eight-ball; 9 ball and eight-ball each keep their own saved rack, so switching does not end either one.

Complete Rules

The nine balls are racked in a diamond. The 1 is at the front, facing the breaker; the 9 is in the middle, on the foot spot; the other seven are placed at random.
The break is played with the cue ball anywhere behind the head line, and it must hit the 1 first. If no ball is pocketed, at least four object balls must reach a cushion, or the break is a foul.
On every shot the first ball the cue ball strikes must be the lowest-numbered ball on the table.
After a legal first hit, any object ball pocketed keeps the shooter at the table. No ball and no pocket is ever called.
Pocketing the 9 on a legal shot wins the rack: on the break, by a combination, or as the last ball.
Fouls: the cue ball is pocketed; the cue ball hits no ball; a ball other than the lowest is hit first; or nothing is pocketed and no ball reaches a cushion after the hit. The other player places the cue ball anywhere on the table.
Balls pocketed on a foul stay down. Only the 9 comes back: it is put on the foot spot, or as near to it as it fits towards the foot rail.
Players take turns to break from one rack to the next.

Your First Game

Before each shot find the lowest ball: it glows on the table and is ringed in the row beside it. Hitting any other ball first is a foul, however easy that ball looks.
With ball in hand, put the cue ball where the lowest ball is a short, straight shot into a pocket.
Break firmly and squarely on the 1. A soft break that sends fewer than four balls to a cushion, with nothing pocketed, is a foul.
Pot the lowest ball first and watch where the cue ball stops: the next lowest ball is the one you will need to see.
Leave the 9 alone until it is the lowest ball, unless it sits right by a pocket with the lowest ball lined up behind it.

Practical Strategy

Think three balls ahead: the ball you are potting, the next lowest, and the one after. Choose the angle that leaves the cue ball on the right side of the next ball.
A combination on the 9 is worth taking when the lowest ball, the 9 and a pocket are close to one line. Missing it usually leaves the 9 by the pocket for your opponent.
With no pot on, play safe: clip the lowest ball and send the cue ball behind another ball, so the lowest ball cannot be seen. A ball must still reach a cushion.
Centre-ball hits are the most reliable. Low on the cue ball pulls it back after the hit, high lets it follow; side spin changes the angle off a cushion.
The last two or three balls decide most racks. Take the surer pot, even when another shot would leave a better angle on the 9.

Winning and Special Rules

The 9 pocketed on a legal break wins the rack.
The 9 pocketed on a foul is put back on the foot spot. If another ball is in the way, it goes as near as it fits on the line towards the foot rail.
If the cue ball hits the lowest ball and another ball at the same instant, the hit counts as legal.
After a foul on the break the next player may place the cue ball anywhere, not only behind the head line.
A ball resting against a cushion counts as reaching it only if it leaves the cushion and comes back, or reaches another one.
Three rules of tournament nine-ball are not used here: the push-out, loss of rack for three fouls in a row, and the three-ball break requirement.

Common Mistakes

Believing the balls must be potted in order. Only the first hit follows the numbers.
Shooting at an easier, higher ball first. It is a foul, and the other player gets ball in hand.
A soft safety after which no ball reaches a cushion. That is a foul too.
Pocketing the cue ball while the 9 sits near a pocket. Ball in hand there usually costs the rack.
Leaving the lowest ball lined up with the 9. Your opponent may win from there without clearing the table.

9 Ball Pool FAQ

Do you have to hit the balls in order in 9 ball?

You have to hit them in order, not pot them in order. The cue ball must strike the lowest-numbered ball first on every shot; which ball then goes into a pocket does not matter.

What happens if you sink the 9 early?

If the shot was legal, you win the rack at once. If it was a foul, the 9 goes back on the foot spot and your opponent has ball in hand.

What is a foul in 9 ball?

Pocketing the cue ball, hitting no ball, hitting a ball other than the lowest first, or pocketing nothing with no ball reaching a cushion after the hit. The other player then places the cue ball anywhere.