How to Play Pool with Jaden Dupree

Special Guest Appearance By Matthew Webber

 

8-Ball Pool Basics

• The object of the game is to get either 7 stripes or 7 solids in no particular order plus the 8-ball (last) in the pocket to win. If you scratch on the 8-ball or pocket the 8-ball before the last shot, you lose the game.

• * This game is easier than 9-ball or 10-ball and usually played in bars or on bar tables.

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How to Chalk your Cue Stick

• Use two fingers to grip the cue and two to grip the chalk. Gently brush across the tip. Do not swirl the chalk on the end of the tip. This will remove chalk from the tip, causing you to use it up much faster.

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How to Stand

• Place your right foot inline with where your cue ball needs to contact your ball you are trying to make in a pocket. Place your left foot a shoulder width apart and about a foot in front of your other foot.

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How to Pocket a Ball

• Place another ball next to the ball you are trying to pocket as a guide to help you figure out your stance and so you are able to line up your shot. Remove the extra ball once you feel comfortable. (This should only be done while practicing as this is not allowed in games. This tip is just to help find the contact point.) Place the same foot forward that you are dominate with, along with that same arm.  Follow through on your shot EVERY TIME. A common mistake is to “jerk” your cue back after a shot.

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How to Hold your Cue Stick/ Make a Bridge

• Open Bridge: Use for “on the rail” and less difficult shots. Lift your thumb up, and it creates naturally a line between your thumb and index finger.

• Closed Bridge: Additionally, wrap your index finger tighter around the cue. This shot gives you more power once you wrap your index finger tightly around the cue.  

• Grip the cue on the backside with two fingers and your thumb. You do not need a tight grip— relax to have better shots.

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How to Contact the Ball and Aim

• It's important to know where the “center ball” is on the cue ball.

• If done properly, the cue ball should stop right where it is. Most people do not know what “center ball” is because it is hard to see. If your cue ball is rolling a lot, you are not hitting center ball.  This is an important piece in pool as you want to stop your cue ball or learn to place where your cue ball goes after pocketing a ball so your shots are more accurate.

• Top English and Back Spin will allow you to line yourself up for your next shot. Running English will lengthen the angle of the rail.

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How to Bank

• Same angle in, same angle out. One exception to this is when you have a steep angle and a slow speed. However, this always works with a fast speed. If you have the right spin on the cue ball when banking, the object ball will have the opposite spin.

• How to Kick- Same angle in, same angle out. Running English will lengthen the angle and opposite English will come back towards you. Knowing this means kicking a lot easier.

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How to Rack and Break 8-Ball

• Welcome special guest, Matthew “The Stinger” Webber!

• When racking 8-ball, place all 15-balls in the rack; typically you do a stripe/solid pattern with the 1 in the top and the 8 in the middle. You can even go numerical!

• Use the center alignment marks on your Delta-13 rack to line them up with the center diamond and the center point to make sure your rack is completely center. Use your fingers to tighten the balls.

• FUN FACT: If you are racking with the Delta-13 Rack, tighten your rack and slide the rack/balls back and forth a few times. If you see any spinning balls, exchange those out and move those to the bottom side of the rack. Continue this method until you see minimal ball movement. This will give you the tightest rack, more ball spread and more balls in the pockets.

• Now, looking through the top of the rack, line up your rack to the center point. As you are sliding the rack forward to remove it, make sure you are not touching any of the balls.

• Breaking in 8-ball. You can break from the right or left, but Matthew recently changed his ways after watching a tutorial of Florian “Venom” Kohler’s and now he breaks one ball's width away from the center ball.  Make sure you chalk your cue, as this break is going to be a hard hit!  You want to hit a tip above center, so aim towards the center. Have a nice straight, firm stroke and away you go!

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9-Ball Pool Basics

• Racking 9-Ball: 1 yellow ball always at the top, two random balls next, 9 ball is always in the middle, two random balls next to it, two random at the bottom and then the 2-ball is always at the bottom of the rack depending on your league rules. You push the rack up to where the 1 is on the spot (second diamond line), tighten the balls inside the rack and then slide the rack forward and remove it from the table. Make sure every ball is touching each other to create the tightest rack.

• There are lots of ways to break. Some people place the ball on the second diamond, straight on the rack, others place it on the second diamond, but to the center right or center left.

• Jaden is going to demonstrate yet another way, by placing the cue ball 1 balls width from the end rail on that second diamond and use a little bit of topspin. This is Jaden’s preferred break style.  

• 9-Ball rules: Hit the lowest number ball first (usually the yellow 1 ball unless you made this in on the break) and pocket your way to 9. Whoever pockets the 9-ball first wins! To make the game even quicker, if you use the lowest ball to knock the 9-ball in the pocket on the same shot, you win!  When breaking, if you hit the 1 ball on the break and the 9-ball goes in a pocket, you win the game! Depending on the rules, sometimes you place the 9 back on the table and keep playing, so make sure you know the rules before starting!

• Important: if you do not contact the lowest ball first, your opponent gets “ball in hand” because it is a foul and they get to place the cue ball wherever they want on the table.

 

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