![]() A valid ten-ball rack; the 1 is at the apex on the foot spot, and the 10 (the money ball) is in the center. The remaining balls can be in any position. | |
Highest governing body | World Pool-Billiard Association |
---|---|
First played | 1960s |
Characteristics | |
Contact | No |
Team members | single competitors or doubles |
Mixed-sex | Yes |
Equipment | Cue sports equipment |
Glossary | glossary of cue sports terms |
Presence | |
Country or region | Worldwide |
Ten-ball is a rotation pool game similar to nine-ball, but using ten balls instead of nine, and with the 10 ball instead of the 9 as the "money ball".
Although the game has existed since the early 1960s, its popularity has risen since the early 2000s as a result of concerns that nine-ball has suffered as a result of flaws in its fundamental structure, particularly the ease with which players can often make balls from the break. The World Pool-Billiard Association (WPA) standardized rules for ten-ball are very similar to those for nine-ball, but with key changes to increase the difficulty of the game. In contrast to nine-ball, it is slightly harder to pocket any balls on the break shot with the more crowded rack, the initial shooter cannot instantly win the game by pocketing the 10 on the break, all shots must be called, and performing a string of break-and-runs on successive racks is statistically more difficult to achieve.[citation needed]
Ten-ball is preferred over nine-ball by some professionals[1] as a more challenging discipline than nine-ball.[2]