- Players
- 2
- Time
- 30 s shot clock
- Stakes
- $1 – $1,000
- Fee
- 12% of the pot
In Nairobi, each player puts in $1. The winner takes $1.76 from a pot of $2. A draw refunds both stakes.
Where to play Eight-Ball
All cities
How to play Eight-Ball
Cue sport on a six-pocket table. A match is best of three frames, with the break alternating.
Fifteen object balls — solids 1 to 7, stripes 9 to 15 and the black 8 — racked in a triangle, plus the cue ball.
- The breaker opens by hitting the rack.
- After the break the table is open: the first player to legally pot a ball takes that group.
- Keep shooting while you legally pot your own balls. A miss or a foul passes the turn.
Rules summary
- Fouls — potting the cue ball, hitting the wrong group first, or hitting nothing — give the opponent ball-in-hand.
- After clearing your group, call a pocket and pot the 8-ball. Potting it early, or with the cue ball, loses the frame. If it drops on the break, the balls are re-racked.
- Win a frame by legally potting the 8-ball. Take the majority of frames to win the match.
Fair play and verification
Guarded by timing and engine checks
The server runs the table physics with the same engine build every player's browser loads. It records each stroke's exact inputs (aim, power, spin, cue-ball placement) and a hash of the table after it. Every finished frame has a verify page that replays the whole frame in your own browser from the same rack and compares the hash after every shot, so a result cannot be altered after the fact without the replay showing it.
- The server runs the physics: your phone sends only aim, power, spin and cue-ball position, so both players see exactly the same shot.
- A shot clock stops stalling, and unnaturally perfect accuracy is flagged.
- A disconnected player has 60 seconds to return before forfeiting.
Eight-Ball: questions and answers
What is Eight-Ball?
Cue sport on a six-pocket table. A match is best of three frames, with the break alternating. On Ariplex it is played online by 2 players in a web browser, on a phone or a computer.
Is Eight-Ball free to play?
Practice is free and needs no account. Staked matches need an Ariplex account and a wallet balance; the stake, the pot and the fee are shown before you sit down.
How do you win at Eight-Ball?
Win a frame by legally potting the 8-ball. Take the majority of frames to win the match.
How long does a game of Eight-Ball take?
Time control on Ariplex: 30 s shot clock. A player who disconnects has 60 seconds to come back before forfeiting.
Will I play against a bot in Eight-Ball?
Not in a staked match. Staked matches pair real people by a hidden skill rating. Computer opponents appear only in free practice.
How do I know a Eight-Ball result is fair?
The server runs the table physics with the same engine build every player's browser loads. It records each stroke's exact inputs (aim, power, spin, cue-ball placement) and a hash of the table after it. Every finished frame has a verify page that replays the whole frame in your own browser from the same rack and compares the hash after every shot, so a result cannot be altered after the fact without the replay showing it.
Can I play eight-ball on a computer?
Yes. The table plays with a mouse and keyboard on a computer and with touch on a phone or tablet, in the browser, with no download.
Can I buy anything that helps me win?
No. The shop sells cosmetics only, such as cue designs and table cloths. Every cue plays identically.
Top players
Open the Eight-Ball leaderboardRatings move only in real matches against real people, and no place on the board can be bought.