Baize Pool

The back room of a pool hall, one lamp over one table. Milo plays for fun, Greta plays the percentages, and Viktor has not missed a straight shot all week.

Top-down 8 ball pool, three-cushion and four-ball carom against three computer players or a friend. Real spin, bank angles and breaks.

Grab the cue behind the cue ball to aim: it turns with your finger or mouse around the ball. Draw it back and push forward to shoot; the further you draw it, the harder the shot, and letting go without the push puts the cue down. Tapping ahead of the ball points the cue there, and the power bar is a second way to set power and shoot. The guide shows where the cue ball meets the first ball and a short mark for the direction that ball takes; the mark is shorter against stronger opponents. Tap the spin ball low for draw, high for follow, left or right for side spin; the fine aim wheel nudges the angle. On a keyboard the left and right arrows aim (hold Shift for small steps), up and down set spin and holding Space builds power. 8 ball: you break the first frame and the break alternates after that; place the cue ball behind the line and shoot. An 8 potted on the break goes back on its spot and the breaker shoots on. A break that pots nothing and sends fewer than four balls to a cushion is racked again, and the other player breaks. The first ball potted after the break decides who plays solids and who plays stripes. Hitting nothing, hitting the other group or an early 8 first, potting the cue ball, or potting nothing with no ball reaching a rail after contact is a foul and gives the other player ball in hand anywhere on the table. Clear your seven balls, tap a pocket to call it and pot the 8 there. Potting the 8 early, in another pocket, or on any foul loses the frame. The match goes to the first player with two frames. 3 balls: each player has a ball, white or yellow, and the red is the third. Pick the rules: in three-cushion your ball has to touch both other balls and, before the second one, three cushions or more; in the free game touching both balls is enough. A point lets you shoot again, a miss ends your inning, and the opening shot must hit the red first. First to the target wins (five points of three-cushion, ten of the free game against the computer); if the player who opened gets there first, the other has one last inning to equal it. 4 balls: two reds, your ball and the other player's, with two rule sets. Turkish, the default: the other player's ball and a red score 1, both reds 5, all three 25, and a cushion before your ball's first contact doubles it; any score lets you shoot again and a shot that scores nothing ends your turn; first to 100 against the computer. Korean: both reds score a point, touching the other player's ball or missing both reds costs a point, and the deciding point needs three cushions; first to 10. The Rules button next to the table shows the rules of the game you are playing, and every shot tells you why it scored or not. Every point or pot of your own scores and each further one in the same visit scores more, a won match adds a bonus, and the score is multiplied by x1 against Milo, x2 against Greta and x3 against Viktor. Pick the game and Milo, Greta or Viktor above the Play button; Play with a friend puts the two of you at one table in any of the three games. The daily challenge is an 8 ball match against Greta on the same rack for everyone. Beating Viktor at 8 ball opens hard mode: first to three frames, and the aim guide stops at the first ball.