The Complete Guide to Chinese 8-Ball

Chinese 8-ball is a popular cue sport that combines elements of standard American 8-ball, snooker, and pool. Originally developed in China, Chinese 8-ball has grown rapidly in popularity across the world, especially in cue sport hotbeds like the UK.

With huge prize money, massive television audiences, and star players from across cue sports competing, Chinese 8-ball is on track to become a major televised cue sport. This guide will teach you everything you need to know about Chinese 8-ball, from basic rules and strategy to its origins and growth.

What is Chinese 8-Ball?

Chinese 8-ball is based on the standard game of American 8-ball pool. It’s played on a 9 foot pool table with 2 1⁄4” American-style pool balls and six pockets.

However, Chinese 8-ball incorporates elements from other cue sports:

  • The table size and balls match American pool
  • The pocket openings are tighter, similar to snooker tables
  • Specialized rule variations make the game faster-paced

This fusion makes Chinese 8-ball an exciting new game. Top players from pool, snooker, and other cue sports can compete on a level playing field.

The mixture of different skills required gives Chinese 8-ball incredibly wide appeal for both players and viewers. The game has caught on quickly, especially in China.

Origins and Growth of Chinese 8-Ball

Chinese 8-ball has its origins in exhibition matches held in China in the mid-2000s. Pool and snooker stars like Ronnie O’Sullivan, Shane Van Boening, and others competed in specially-designed events that combined elements of different cue sports.

The fusion format proved popular with fans and soon became a phenomenon in China. By 2015, professional Chinese 8-ball tournaments were being organized and televised nationally.

2015: First Chinese 8-Ball Masters

The first Chinese 8-Ball Masters in 2015 cemented it as a major competitive sport. The tournament offered a $150,000 top prize and attracted top talents like Mark Selby, Darren Appleton, and Kelly Fisher.

Viewership exceeded 100 million in China alone, demonstrating Chinese 8-ball’s potential as a televised spectator sport.

2017: Global Growth

Chinese 8-ball continued growing rapidly, with the 2017 Masters increasing the first prize to $160,000.

The sport also continued spreading globally, with events held across Europe. Top players from around the world were now competing in Chinese 8-ball events.

2019: Over $300,000 in Prizes

2019 marked a milestone for Chinese 8-ball, with the Masters tournament offering over $300,000 in total prizes.

With its huge purses and global superstars, Chinese 8-ball solidified its place alongside pool, snooker, and carom billiards as a major international cue sport. It seems poised for massive continued growth in the 2020s.

Chinese 8-Ball Rules and Gameplay

Chinese 8-ball uses standard American 8-ball rules, with some tweaks and variations to make games faster-paced and optimized for televised matches. Here are the key rules that make Chinese 8-ball unique:

Table and Equipment

  • Played on a 9 foot pool table
  • Uses regulation American 2 1⁄4” pool balls
  • Pocket openings are slightly tighter than pool tables
  • Specialized cues optimized for Chinese 8-ball gameplay

Break Shot Requirements

  • Minimum 4 balls must cross the head string for men
  • Minimum 3 balls must cross for women/juniors
  • Soft breaks are prohibited – at least 4 balls must reach rails

Normal Shots

  • Players cannot directly shoot the cue ball – must hit object ball first
  • Called shots not required
  • Cue ball or object ball must touch rail after shot

Skill Shots

  • Players can legally pocket opponent’s ball by first hitting their own group
  • Used strategically to open the table or get good position

Fouls

  • Standard fouls like scratches and pushes
  • Opponent gets ball in hand anywhere for fouls
  • Special “loss of rack” fouls for illegally pocketing 8-ball

Combined, these variations make for dynamic, attacking play. There are big rewards for difficult skill shots, and frequent ball-in-hand penalties encourage risky shots.

The focus is firmly on entertainment, showmanship and high-pressure situations – perfect for televised matches with big money on the line.

Chinese 8-Ball Tournaments and Events

Here are some of the biggest tournaments in the world for professional and amateur Chinese 8-ball players:

Chinese 8-Ball World Masters

The biggest event in Chinese 8-ball, attracting over 100 top professionals. One of the most lucrative tournaments in cue sports, with over $300,000 in total prizes.

Chinese 8-Ball World Championship

A hugely popular amateur Chinese 8-ball tournament, with separate men’s and women’s divisions. Winners become world champions of Chinese 8-ball.

Chinese 8-Ball Cues

Initially, Chinese 8-ball players simply used standard pool cues or snooker cues. But the fusion nature of the game encouraged designers to create cues specifically tailored for Chinese 8-ball.

The most popular in the UK is the specialized Potts Cue, named after champion player Gareth Potts who helped design it.

Features of these custom Chinese 8-ball cues include:

  • Tapered ash shaft for better power transfer
  • Carbon fiber ferrules that reduce deflection
  • Optimized weight balance for heavier balls
  • Lower, tighter profiles aids cueing over balls

For amateurs, the low-deflection Predator 314-Chinese shaft is an affordable option designed for Chinese 8-ball’s mix of shots.

The three top UK players at Chinese 8-Ball

I’ve gone with the British players as looking at the results the English players seemed to have transitioned the best to playing Chinese pool.

Darren Appleton

The English star won the first Chinese 8-Ball Masters in 2015. Even though Appleton plays a lot more American pool back in the day he was a master of English 8 ball. Even though he never won a world title he made multiple finals and was one of the most feared players on the UK circuit.

Gareth Potts

The Stoke cueist is the most successful Western player to have transitioned to the Chinese pool. A 4 times world English pool champion he is now also a 3 times Joy winner. In order to learn how to play Chinese pool Gareth would get American pool balls and put them on half a snooker table. He would only use that half to practice. Here is a link to Gareths World recorld of 8 rack in a row playing 9 ball on a Chinese pool table.

Mick Hill

Another English icon, Hill’s composed style and break building got him all the way to the 2016 final. He was actually winning that match and it wasn’t until near the end that he suffered a couple of dry breaks that cost him victory. Hills pattern play for 8 ball pool is the best in the world. It’s common knowledge he rarely practices snooker or Chinese pool so to even make that final was a major achievement.

These 3 have collectively won almost every major Chinese 8-ball title. You’ll find all of their matches on Youtube. Just type in their name and then Chinese pool and it’ll come up.

Chinese 8-Ball Strategy and Tips

You know by now that Chinese 8-ball rewards different skills than American pool or even snooker. Here are the two top tips for improving your game. Everyone assumed snooker players would be able to play Chinese pool quite easily but there are so many aspects of the game that you need to learn.

Pattern Play

This is the one that snooker players struggle with. In snooker players look ahead, this shot then that shot then the 3rd shot. In 8 ball pool you work backwards. What is the key ball to get on to the 8, then how do i get on to that ball, etc. The ball you hit first is the ball you pick last.

Master the Break

A solid break is critical in Chinese 8-ball. You must get position on the 1 ball without being overly aggressive. Smooth control yields multi-ball breaks. The top players aim to pot a ball in either middle bag on the break and to keep the white ball in the middle of the table.

The Future of Chinese 8-Ball

In just 15 years, Chinese 8-ball has risen from an obscure origin to a major international cue sport. The exciting fusion of pool, snooker and American 8-ball has captured fans and players’ imaginations worldwide.

All signs point to Chinese 8-ball’s popularity and prestige continuing to grow rapidly.

Bigger sponsorship deals, more tournaments and bigger prizes will attract more top pros from across cue sports. This injection of talent and attention will propel Chinese 8-ball into the upper echelon of televised cue sports.

For aspiring players, competitive amateurs and armchair fans alike, now is the perfect time to get into Chinese 8-ball as it continues its meteoric rise to stardom.

Chinese 8 Ball Tournaments

Chinese 8 Ball has quickly gained recognition on the global cue sports stage. The most prestigious of these competitions is the Chinese 8 Ball World Championship, which draws the best players from various countries to compete for the title and substantial prize money.

Other regional and international events, such as the Joy Billiards Chinese 8 Ball Masters and the Asian Chinese 8 Ball Championship, further highlight this hybrid cue sport’s growing popularity and competitiveness.

Below is a list of winners before Covid hit.

YearLocationFinal3rd place
WinnerScoreRunner-up
2015 Yushan Darren Appleton21-19[2] Mark Selby Liu Haitao
2016 Shi Hanqing21-20[3] Mick Hill Darren Appleton
2017 Yang Fan21-19[4] Chu Bingjie Jayson Shaw
2018 Zheng Yubo21-19 Chris Melling
2019 Zheng Yubo (2)21-15 Zhao Ruliang

Chinese 8 Ball Equipment: Gearing Up for the Game

To venture into the Chinese 8 Ball, the right equipment is crucial. Due to the size of the balls a lot of American players just use their normal pool cues however you’ll find a snooker cue would ideally be more beneficial. However, unless you plan to play the game regularly I wouldn’t worry too much about switching cues. A normal pool cue will be good enough to a certain level.

If you want to watch Gareth Potts, who’s probably the most successful Chinese 8-ball player ever discuss the rules then watch the video below.

The Rules of the Game: Chinese 8-Ball Basics

About the author

Hey there, I’m Vincent Lauria, and welcome to my cue sports blog! For those of you who don’t know me, I’m the prodigious pool player from the movie “The Color of Money,” played by the one and only Tom Cruise.

Now, I know what you’re thinking – “Vincent, you’re just a fictional character!” But let me tell you, I’m more real than you think. Sure, my story may have been written for the screen, but my passion for the game of pool is as real as it gets.

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