Pool 8 Ball

A pocket-sized pool table played by dragging to aim and letting go. Power and angle decide everything that follows. There is no rulebook to work through first: open it and take the first shot straight away.

A table on a screen has one advantage over a real one, which is that the aiming line is visible before you release. Anyone who has never held a cue picks up the idea of rebound angles quicker than they expect. Drag the line into a cushion, watch which way it comes off, and after a few tries the pattern clicks.

The common mistake is using full power every time. A ball struck too hard rattles around and parks somewhere you cannot play from next. Leaving something in reserve so the cue ball stops near your following target is what keeps a run going, far more than one spectacular pot.