Eight ball is a pool game popular in much of the world, and the subject of international professional and amateur competition.
Played on a pool table with six pockets, the game is so universally known in some countries that beginners are often unaware of other pool games and believe the word "pool" itself refers to eight-ball. The game has numerous variations, including Alabama eight ball, crazy eight, last pocket, misery, Missouri, 1 and 15 in the sides, rotation eight ball, soft eight, and others.
Standard eight ball is the second most competitive professional pool game, after nine ball and for the last several decades ahead of straight pool.
