If you love playing pool, but hate wasting time playing against the computer, then this article is for you. We’ll teach you how to play online betting on billiards’ games. Bettors of all skill levels can enjoy this game, as long as they are aware of some of the basics of playing pool.
The Basics Of Pool
To begin with, let’s discuss some general rules of playing pool. Just like any other game, there are some strategies and methods that perform better than others. Following are the basic guidelines:
- When playing against the computer, use a timer to determine how long you’ll keep playing.
- The object is to score more points than your opponent.
- Use a smooth, continuous action, instead of jumping shots.
- Don’t leave your feet when playing. It makes you move slower and lose your momentum.
- Shooting underwater is usually a bad idea, as it can severely damage your pool cue
- The only valid excuse for missing the cue ball is if it bounces off one of your own balls
Now that you’re equipped with the basics, let’s move on to the next point. If you’re a beginner, it’s recommended that you go through our other guide, titled How to Play Online Bingo first. There you’ll learn how to play the classic card game, and familiarize yourself with all the different winning combinations. Once you’ve mastered that, move on to this article. It’ll take you step by step through the process of playing online billiards.
Where Can I Play Pool?
As mentioned before, playing pool is a great way to pass the time. If you want to play against humans, the best option is through online venues. There you’ll find a large pool of players, all waiting to play against you. If that’s not your cup of tea, you can always play against the computer, which is faster and more consistent.
Some of the most popular online billiard sites are:
- Pokerstars – The original online poker room, which is still one of the biggest and most popular games rooms online. You’ll find multiple games including Texas hold’em, Omaha hi/lo, and several varieties of Stud poker (also known as Draw poker).
- Full Tilt – One of the first online poker rooms, which was launched in 2002 and is still going strong. The site offers multiple games including Texas hold’em, Omaha hi/lo, and several varieties of Stud poker. In 2012, Full Tilt Poker was acquired by Pokerstars. The two poker rooms combined have millions of players around the world.
- GamersEdge – One of the first online poker rooms and one of the few that accept players from South Africa. The site is run by the same company that owns Full Tilt Poker, and offers the same games as that site. Like Full Tilt, it’s a great place to play poker.
- 888 Poker – One of the largest and most popular poker sites globally, with over 125 million players registered around the world. The site offers the same games as its counterparts, including Texas hold’em, Omaha hi/lo, and several varieties of Stud poker. Most people know this site as the place to play online poker, but it also has a sizable number of pool players. Thanks to its popularity, the site often hosts live tournaments, where you can win big money.
- Intertops Poker – One of the biggest and most popular poker sites globally, with over 125 million players registered around the world. The site offers the same games as its counterparts, including Texas hold’em, Omaha hi/lo, and several varieties of Stud poker. Unlike its counterparts, it accepts South African players too. So if you live in Africa, or plan on traveling there soon, this is the site for you. Registration is easy and the competitions are often very exciting.
- Veinot – Probably the most famous of all the online poker sites. It’s one of the first sites to implement a freeroll tournament, which is a type of virtual poker tournament where no registration is necessary and there are no fees associated with playing. Anyone can play for free. You just need to have a working webcam and an active internet connection to participate in these tournaments. This site is still going strong, after all these years and being one of the first to implement this type of feature. These days, however, it’s more common to see Veinot tournaments offered as part of a poker sites’ sign up bonus.
- Blackberry – This Canadian company makes and sells smartphones, and as you might expect, they also have a hand in the creation of the gadgets we use to play online poker. That being said, the company has also created special software, which is exclusively available for Blackberry devices. This software allows users to connect to the biggest and most popular poker sites, and play from their phones. It’s compatible with all Blackberry models and it’s free. All you need is a working internet connection and a Blackberry device.
As you can see, there are several options for playing pool. If you want to play against humans, the best option is through online venues. If you’re looking for a game that’s easy to learn and doesn’t require advanced mathematics, then go with Texas hold’em or Omaha hi/lo. If you’re a fan of playing against the computer, then go with one of the large poker rooms that already has millions of players registered. Just make sure you’re consistent and don’t leave your feet when playing.
How Do I Play Pool?
If you’re reading this, I assume you’re already familiar with the concept of playing online. If not, don’t worry, it’ll all make sense soon. To play online billiards, you need to navigate to one of the reputable sites mentioned above, which have large pools of players, waiting to engage you in a game. Once you’re on the site, you’ll see a big green button that says: Play Now! Click it and you’ll be taken to the game lobby. Here you can choose how many players you want to play with and what size of the pot you’re willing to wager. Usually, the smaller the pot, the quicker and more exciting the game will be. However, keep in mind that the fewer players you have, the better your odds of winning. This is because there’ll only be one person left to call the tip when the last ball is pocketed by the player. In case you’re curious, a pot of one dollar buys you in game chips, which you can use to play with. The more you wager, the bigger the prize.
Now that you’re in the game lobby, it’s time to enter the action. On the left side of the screen, you’ll see several tables available for playing. Choose the one that you like and click on it.
The next screen will be populated with players. Unless you’ve entered the game at one of the higher levels already, there shouldn’t be more than four or five players. If you notice, the top players at each table are displayed at the top of each screen. These are the high rollers. Bets are placed at the center of the table, and the player to the left of the dealer is shown the button. The object is to score more points than your opponent by making legal shots. Just like in other types of poker, there are several betting options. You can either: