logo
  • Home
  • About Me
  • My Projects
  • Blog
  • Contact
Personal Portfolio
  • Home
  • About Me
  • My Projects
  • Blog
  • Contact
find with me

How to play pool for beginners – where to start billiards for a beginner

news modal
03.11.2025

How to start playing billiards as a beginner

Billiards looks simple: table, balls, cue – hit, score, well done. But as soon as you pick up the cue, you understand: there is more technique than it seems. If you are just starting and are looking for how to play pool beginners, you are already on the right track. The main thing is not to rush, because billiards is not about strength, but about accuracy and a cool head.

What is billiards, and why is it not just “knocking balls”

In the USA, when they talk about billiards, they usually mean pool – American billiards. This is the game you will see in bars, billiard clubs, and movies. Other formats – snooker, pyramid – are a separate story.

Pool is played on 7-, 8-, or 9-foot tables. The most popular disciplines are 8-ball, 9-ball, and 10-ball. Each of them has its own nuances, but the base is the same. This is where you start if you want to learn how to play pool correctly from the very beginning.

The basics of the game are your first steps

Before you do complex tricks, you need to master the pool basics. Here’s what you should know:

  • Positioning and stance

Your body position directly affects your accuracy. Stand straight, your body is stable, your left hand is a support, and your right hand is holding the cue. It sounds simple, but it’s the basis of everything.

  • How to hold the cue

Don’t squeeze it too hard. Your hand should be flexible but controlled. The stroke should be smooth – as if you are drawing a line in the air.

  • Cue ball control

The ball that you hit on others is the cue ball. And the ability to not only hit, but also leave it in the right place is a real art. But this is also learned gradually through billiards training.

Typical mistakes of beginners

Beginners often think that the main thing is to hit hard. In fact, strength rarely helps. Main mistakes:

  • Too hard a hit without aiming.
  • Incorrect stance.
  • Lack of planning (where the cue ball will go after the hit).
  • Lack of patience — you want to “score quickly”.

If you want real progress, search for pool tips for beginners, not on TikTok, but in a real club or with players who already have experience.

Rules: how not to look strange at the table

Many people, having come to a billiard club, do not understand the elementary thing: how do you play pool — it is also about the rules, not only about the technique.

  • In 8-ball, one player plays for the “stripes”, the other for the “solids”. After pocketing all your balls, you must declare and pocket the 8. If you accidentally pocket it earlier, you lose.
  • In 9-ball, you always have to hit the smallest ball on the table, but you win by scoring a 9.
  • In 10-ball, you have to announce every shot, which adds tactics.

Knowing these things is a must. Even for a beginner.

What is billiards training, and why is it important

If you are really interested in improving your skills, you cannot do without regular billiards training. This does not mean boring classes like in school. It is about:

  • setting a shot;
  • controlling the cue ball;
  • studying combinations;
  • analyzing typical situations.

In a club like Peaky Sticks, you can often see more experienced players helping beginners. Don’t be shy to ask — most will be happy to tell you.

Where and how is it best to learn

Learning does not start with YouTube, but with a live game. The best thing is to come to a club where the atmosphere for the game is created. Feel the cue in your hand, see how others play, ask questions.

This is where real billiards tips for beginners come in — from real experience, not from the Internet.

Conclusion: everyone was a beginner

There are no “born pros” in billiards. Everyone has missed the first time, didn’t know the rules, and got confused in position. But if you’re already Googling how to play pool beginners, it means you’re interested — and that’s enough to get started.

Remember: the main thing is not strength, but accuracy. Not speed, but patience. And not winning the first game, but the pleasure of the game.

Read more about

post image
2 min read

Best Way to Practice Pool: How to Train Effectively in Pool

post image
2 min read

How to Run a Pool Tournament: A Practical Guide Without Excessive Templates

post image
2 min read

Pool tournament formats — how billiard tournaments are held in the USA

© 2025. All rights reserved by

Developed by Koala Masters