Pool

Pool is Playandwin's brand new own version of 8-Ball Pool - a game with 15 balls and a cue ball, which is used to shoot the balls into the holes. The goal is to shoot all of your balls into the so-called "pockets" positioned around the pool table, followed by the black ball to be pocketed last. The player who manages to do this first, wins the game!

Pool Rules and Game Play

The game starts with a coin toss to decide the player who will be performing the opening break.

The winner of the coin toss is then allowed to start the game by placing the cue ball behind or on the headstring (he can also choose to leave it where it is) and then use his cue to shoot it towards the numbered, coloured balls that are racked in a triangle. This starting shot is called the "break".

If the starting player is lucky or skillful enough to shoot one or more balls into a pocket during the break, the type of ball to be aimed for throughout the game is already determined here. Thus, the first ball you pocket is the type of ball you get assigned and the player has the task of shooting those into the pockets to win the game.

The two types of balls are called "solids" and "striped". The "solid" balls have one colour and are numbered 1 through 7, and the "striped" balls have a colored stripe in the middle and are numbered 9 through 15.

If no ball is pocketed during the break, the table is "open". On an open table, players can shoot at any type of ball first to pocket a ball and thus be awarded that type. However, you must NOT shoot the black ball 8, as this will result in a foul. The table is open until the ball types have been assigned to each player. After that, you must always hit your own type of ball first, otherwise you will be penalized.

Every time you pocket one of your own balls, you are allowed to shoot again. If you hit your own ball without pocketing it, the turn passes to the other player. If you make an actual mistake, the turn passes to the other player, regardless of whether you have pocketed one of your own balls or not. If you make a mistake, your opponent will be able to place the cue ball anywhere on the table, which can give you a big advantage, so it's a good idea to avoid making mistakes.

Fouls that result in losing your turn and giving your opponent the advantage:

• You hit the black ball first
• You hit the other player's ball first
• You hit no other balls
• You pocket the cue ball
• You pocket the opponent's ball

The fouls also apply even if you pocket one of your own balls.

You lose the game,

• if you pocket the black ball before you have pocketed all your other balls.
• if you pocket the cue ball after you pocket the black ball at the end after your own balls to finish the game.
• if you pocket opponent ball along with the black ball at the end, after having pocket your own balls

You win the game,

• if you pocket all your own balls and then pocket the black ball at the end (without pocketing the cue ball as well).
• if the opponent pockets the black ball before he has pocketed all of his balls.
• if the opponent pockets the cue ball at the end after the black ball.

Controls

There are two different types of controls in pool PC and touch. The types of controls can be changed in the settings menu during the game. For pc controls you aim the cue by moving the mouse around and the aimline will follow the mouse. When you are ready to shoot click and hold the left mouse button to drag the cue back. The power of the shot depends on how far the cue is dragged back. When the cue is dragged sufficiently back you shoot by releasing the left mouse button. For touch controls you aim the cue by pressing on the screen and holding it. Then you can drag the cue around. You then shoot by dragging the cue in the box at the left down and then releasing it. Just as with pc controls the power of the shot depends on how far you drag the cue down.

Game types

There are three game types in the game right now:

• City Challenge
• Friendly Match
• Training

City Challenge

In City Challenge you can play against random opponents in different cities to win prizes and increase your rating. You will be matched in the best possible way with online players who have the same rating as you.

The cities vary in table appearance, prizes and entry fee, which is paid in chips. If you win a game, the prize in most cases is double the amount of chips you have paid in entry fees. In addition, you also win silver stars for the Pool Pass, random chalk for your cues, as well as four leaf clovers that can be used to unlock several cities, but also must be collected to unlock a special city cue, which you can only get by winning many times in the same city.

VIP cities are only available to VIPs and generally have slightly larger prizes compared to the entry fee. Once you have unlocked the city cue in a VIP city, you have it forever, even if you are no longer a VIP. However, the city will be unavailable as a game location.

Friendly matches
In friendly matches, you play against friends that you invite to a match. If your friends are online, you will be notified directly about the challenge and they can choose to accept it in the game menu. If they are offline, they will receive a notification telling them about the challenge so they can come online and play a game with you. In friendly matches there is no rating play.

Training
In training you play against the computer and lose neither rating nor chips if you lose. Here you can practice your shots and try out new cues.

Prize types

The game contains a variety of different prizes that can be won by winning games, completing daily tasks or by buying and unlocking them in the shop and Pool Pass.

The following prize types can be found in the game:

• Clovers
• Chips
• Gold Balls
• Silver Stars
• Cues
• Chalk

Clovers

Clovers can be earned by winning games in the City Challenge. However, you can lose them again by losing games. It can vary in the cities how many clovers you can win and how many you can lose. You use them to unlock new cities and special cues associated with each city. Once you've reached the maximum number of clovers for the city, you can't earn any more until you unlock a new city.

Chips and Gold Balls
Chips and Gold Balls are our two main in-game currencies. Chips can be earned by winning games and completing daily tasks, plus you get a free number of chips per day in the shop. You can use chips to buy and upgrade cues and to pay entry fees in the different cities. Gold balls can only be bought in the shop or earned via the Pool Pass. They can be exchanged for chips or they can be used to buy exclusive cues, get new daily tasks or jump forward in the Pool Pass.

Silver Stars
Silver Stars can be earned by winning games and completing daily tasks. They must be collected to unlock the prizes in the Pool Pass.

Cues and Chalk

Cues can be obtained in three different ways in the game: by earning four leaf clovers and unlocking them in the cities, by earning them via the Pool Pass and by buying them directly from the shop.

There are four different types of rarity levels for the cues, which can be seen both in their appearance and in their stats. The rarity levels are called: Basic, Rare, Epic and Legendary.

In addition, the cues have three different stats:

• Strength - how hard you can shoot
• Aim - how long the aim-line is
• Time - how much time you have on your turn

The starting and maximum values of the cues' stats vary depending on the cue and its rarity level. So for example, a legendary cue will always have better starting and max values than a basic or rare cue, but it will also be more expensive and harder to upgrade to its max.

The cues can be upgraded by using chips and chalk. Chalk can be collected in the different cities and via the Pool Pass and, like the cues, have different rarity levels. Thus, to upgrade a basic cue you need basic chalk, to upgrade a rare cue you need rare chalk, etc. It varies how many chalk you need per level you upgrade depending on the rarity of the cue.

Daily Tasks and Pool Pass

You have the option to complete daily tasks to earn chips and silver stars. The daily tasks vary in difficulty and thus also in prize size. You have three tasks from the start and have the possibility to have 6 tasks at once. You can buy new tasks with gold balls if you want to solve more.

The silver stars you collect are used in the Pool Pass, which contains a number of prizes you can unlock. There are free prizes, but if you want access to even better prizes, you can buy super prizes. You still need to earn silver stars to unlock them, but you will get far more and better prizes.

Note that the super prizes in the Pool Pass must be purchased every month if you want the best prizes. When a new month starts, the silver stars will reset and new prizes will be added to the Pool Pass, so be sure to claim all prizes before they reset!

Rating

When you win a match, you are awarded a rating based on the difference between your own and your opponents' rating. If you beat a high-rated opponent, you get more than if you beat a low-rated opponent. Your opponents will lose a similar rating, and vice versa if you lose. The game will try as much as possible to match you with opponents of similar rating.

You cannot remain on a high rating for long. If you have not played for 14 days, your rating will automatically start to drop.

Tokens

You get tokens for playing games and especially for winning matches. You get 5,000 tokens for winning a rated game. In friendly matches you get 4,000 for winning. In training matches you get 3,000 for winning.