Pool vs snooker vs billiards

Snooker, English pool, American pool and English billiards are all cue sports played on cloth-covered tables with six pockets, but the tables, balls and aims are quite different.

	Snooker	English pool	American pool	English billiards
Usual table	12ft × 6ft	7ft (6–8ft)	7–9ft	12ft × 6ft
Balls	22 (15 reds, 6 colours, white)	16 (7 reds, 7 yellows, black, white)	16 (numbered solids and stripes, black 8, white)	3 (two whites, one red)
Ball size	52.5mm	2in (≈51mm); smaller cue ball	2¼in (57mm)	52.5mm
Aim	Score more points than your opponent	Clear your group, then pot the black	Clear your group, then pot the 8	Reach a points target by pots, in-offs and cannons

Snooker

Snooker is played on the big table with narrow pockets, and it's all about points and safety. Players alternate reds and colours to build breaks, and leave their opponent in difficult positions ("snookers"). See the snooker rules guide.

English pool (8-ball)

This is the pub game in the UK. Each player takes one colour group (reds or yellows) and must pot all of theirs before legally potting the black. The tables are small and the games are quick. Rules vary between pubs and leagues, so check out our English pool rules guide.

American pool

American 8-ball uses numbered balls, solids (1–7) and stripes (9–15), on a slightly larger table with bigger balls. 9-ball, where you must always hit the lowest-numbered ball first, is popular in competitive play.

English billiards

The older game, played on a full-size snooker table with just three balls. Points come from potting the other balls, "in-offs" (going in-off another ball) and "cannons" (hitting both other balls). Many snooker clubs still have players who enjoy it.

Which should you play?

Pool is quicker to pick up and easy to find in pubs. Snooker takes longer to learn but rewards practice, and most snooker clubs also have pool tables. Find a club near you to try both.