If you follow our updates on Facebook, you’ll know that there are some changes coming to 8 Ball Multiplayer Pool. We’re really excited about these features and we think you will be too! On Facebook there’s only so much room available for us to tell you about the changes, so here we’ll do a complete run-through of all the new stuff coming and answer any questions you may have.

The first thing you need to know is that we’re not removing anything. The update is going to add some amazing new features, but we won’t be taking any of your favourite features away.

The new look

The first, most obvious change is the graphical overhaul the game is getting. This is the new interface, and we think you’ll agree, it’s looking good:

8 Ball Multiplayer Pool’s new look!

In addition to refreshing the look of the game itself, we are also updating other parts of the menu system so that everything fits in.

The new levels

One of the other big changes is that we’re adapting a ranking system, introducing levels, new ranks and experience points. This is how it’s going to work:

With every game you play (and whether you win or lose), you’re going to gain experience points. These experience points determine what your level is. The levels go from 1 to 100, with 100 being the highest possible. As you gain experience points and level up, you’re also going to see your rank increase, in the same way it does at the moment.

The important thing to know here is that you are not going to lose your current rank with the update. If you’re a GrandMaster now, you’ll be a GrandMaster in the new system; we’ll make sure your rank transfers. With the transfer you’ll be awarded experience points and a level, depending on your rank.

As well as transferring your rank over directly in the new update, we’re introducing a number of new ranks into the scale to help better distinguish between players. The full list of ranks under the new system is:

• Trainee
• Beginner
• Student – NEW
• Amateur
• Skilled – NEW
• Semi-Pro
• Professional
• Virtuoso – NEW
• Expert
• Veteran – NEW
• Master
• GrandMaster
• VIP – NEW

The new currency

We’re also introducing a new 8 Ball Multiplayer Pool currency, called Pool Coins. As before, you’ll be able to use these to purchase new cues and tables, but the currency will be exclusive to 8 Ball Multiplayer Pool, and not all Miniclip games (as it is currently), so we’ll be able to do a lot more with Pool Coins.

For starters, we’re expanding the Pool Shop and introducing a lot more cues for you to buy. Here’s a sneaky peak at two of the new cues:

Just two of the many new cues that will be available!

You will need these Pool Coins to enter tournaments, as we’re about to explain below, so we’re going to make it much easier for you to acquire Pool Coins. We’re going to be giving out Pool Coins when we launch the update, and the amount you’ll get will depend on your rank in the old system.

You will now get a 30 minute bonus for playing over half an hour at a time, and we’ll be giving out a daily bonus which you receive for playing each day, so there’s a big incentive for you to check in for a quick game of Pool every day.

The new tournaments

You asked us for this one, so here it is: we’re introducing brand new tournaments where you’ll be able to play for Pool Coins and cues. You’ll be able to play against people of a similar rank in one of three locations, with another two being unlocked after launch.

London: one of the new tournament locations.

You’ll be able to enter tournaments using Pool Coins and if you win the tournament you’ll be awarded all the Coins in the prize pot — so in the London tournament it costs 100 Coins to enter, and if you win you get 500 Coins. You can then use the Coins you win just like any other Coins, so you’re free to use them to enter more tournaments, purchase new cues or purchase new tables.

We hope this will create some real challenges and competition for you, with the best players playing against each other in the most exclusive tournaments, a place where everyone aspires to be.

To make sure you know when the update is out, make sure you keep tabs on the 8 Ball Multiplayer Pool Facebook page!

We know you love your Pool, so whilst 8 Ball Pool Multiplayer is offline for maintenance, we’ve got a challenge for you!

Our game 9 Ball Quick Fire Pool is still online, where you pot as many balls as possible before the timer runs out. It’s similar to 8 Ball Multiplayer Pool, but here you’re playing against the clock for a high score, rather than other players.

As an incentive to compete in this challenge, we’ll be giving three players a free 8 Ball Multiplayer Pool cue of their choice. Here’s how it works:

• Play 9 Ball Quick Fire Pool and try and get the highest score you can.
• At the end of your game, take a screenshot of the score you’ve got, like the one below.
• Upload the screenshot of your score using an image uploader such as Imgur.
• Leave a comment on this post with a link to your screenshot and your player name.

Take a screenshot like this one!

You’ve got until 12 noon GMT to enter, after that we’ll find the three highest scores and give them a free 8 Ball Multiplayer Pool cue of their choice.

Please make sure you follow the instructions carefully, if you don’t enter properly, we won’t be able to include your entry. We will be checking for cheating, so don’t even attempt it!

Good luck! If you have any questions, please send us on a message on Facebook

Update 1, 11:12 GMT: Thank you to everyone who’s entered so far! If you’ve not submitted a score yet, you’ve still got just under 50 minutes to get your scores in!

If you’ve already submitted a score and think you can do better, then we’re not putting a limit on the number of entries you can have, so enter again!

Update 2, 12:00 GMT: Entries are closed! Thank you for your entries We’re going to verify the winning entries are honest and then we’ll announce the winners here!

Update 3: 12.25 GMT: We have three winners! We weren’t able to verify everyone’s score, so congratulations to the three highest scorers we were able to confirm: Calimba, drini555 and Vuurtoren! We’ll be in touch via the email address you left your comment with with details how to claim your prize. If you didn’t win, keep practicing

Click the Play button to start playing a 1-on-1 match.

Welcome to the Miniclip Blog! Becoming the best at 8 Ball Pool by Miniclip is not easy and requires time, skill and dedication.

However, you also need to understand how the game works, which is why in this blog post we’re going to show you everything you need to know about Miniclip’s 8 Ball Pool.

If you’re ready to start your journey to becoming the best in the game, an 8 Ball Pool VIP, then we can get started. Let’s go!

Playing matches and entering tournaments

To get started on your Pool career, you need to start playing Pool! There are two different types of game you can play: 1-on-1 matches, where you can play against another player, and tournaments, where you play in a knockout competition against 7 other players.

To play a 1-on-1 match, you just need to click the “Play” button. This takes you to a screen where you can choose what venue you want to play in: one of the six locations or the practice mode. You’ll find you need to unlock some of the locations and you’ll need Pool Coins to enter, but we’ll explain those in more detail later.

London is one of the locations you can play 1-on-1 matches and tournaments.

If you’re after more of a challenge than a 1-on-1 match, then you can enter a tournament. From the main screen, click on the “Tournaments” button. Here you’ll see the same locations, but you’ll be playing against more players.

As with the 1-on-1 matches, you’ll need to unlock the different locations and you’ll need Pool Coins to enter, but we’ll explain Pool Coins and levels shortly.

Pool Coins

As we’ve mentioned, 8 Ball Pool has its own currency, called Pool Coins. You’ll need Pool Coins to enter 1-on-1 matches and tournaments, and you can also use them to purchase new cues and tables for your game from the Pool Shop.

You can earn Pool Coins in a variety of ways:

• Playing Pool every day! You’ll earn a Daily Bonus for playing Pool.
• 30 minute timer: you can earn 25 free Pool Coins every 30 minutes  by just clicking the button on the main screen. There’s no limit to how many times you can claim these coins.

Play Pool every day to earn a daily bonus.

• Winning 1-on-1 matches and tournaments. The highest ranked tournament, Las Vegas, has a prize pot of 60,000 Pool Coins! Play higher level 1-on-1 matches and tournaments for the chance to win bigger prize pots. Winning tournaments also awards you a bonus cue.
• Purchasing Pool Coins: to get more Pool Coins, purchase them from the Pool Shop. Prices for bundles of Coins start at $1.99.
• Converting Miniclip Credits: you can convert Miniclip Credits you’ve bought, earned or won in other Miniclip games to Pool Coins in the Pool Shop. Just click on the “Coins” tab and enter how many Coins you’d like to convert.
• Earn Pool Coins: you can earn free Pool Coins here.

The table below shows you how many Pool Coins are needed to enter each 1-on-1 match and tournament, at each location, as well as how many Pool Coins you can win.

Location	Entry Fee (Pool Coins)	Prize (Pool Coins)
1-on-1 matches
London: 1-on-1 Winning the Sydney tournament will win you 600 Pool Coins!	25	50
Sydney: 1-on-1	100	200
Cairo: 1-on-1	250	500
Moscow: 1-on-1	500	1,000
Tokyo: 1-on-1	2,500	5,000
Las Vegas: 1-on-1	10,000	20,000
Jakarta: 1-on-1	50,000	100,000
Tournaments
London: tournament	25	150
Sydney: tournament	100	600
Cairo: tournament	250	1,500
Moscow: tournament	500	3,000
Tokyo: tournament	2,500	15,000
Las Vegas: tournament	10,000	60,000
Jakarta: tournament	50,000	250,000

You’ll need Miniclip Credits rather than Pool Coins to purchase Powers.

If you have Miniclip Credits and want to exchange these for Pool Coins, you can transfer these by going to the Pool Shop and clicking on the Coins tab. Miniclip Credits are still needed to purchase Powers and some cues from the Pool Shop; look out for the M icon instead of the P icon.

Experience points, levels and ranks

In 8 Ball Pool we use three ways to rank players: experience points, levels and ranks. Here’s some detail on how those are calculated:

1. Experience points (XP): you earn XP for every match you play both 1-on-1 and in Tournaments. You earn XP whether you win or lose, but winning earns you more XP than losing.
2. Level: your level is determined by the number of XP you have and is the number shown in the star in the top left of the screen. Levels go from 1 to 150, with 150 being the highest possible.
3. Rank: your level determines your rank; you’ll need the following levels to achieve the following ranks:

The Moscow tournament is only available to players Level 10 and above!

Rank	Level Required
Trainee	1 – 2
Beginner	3 – 5
Student	6 – 9
Amateur	10 – 14
Skilled	15 – 20
Semi-Pro	21 – 27
Professional	28 – 35
Virtuoso	36 – 44
Expert	45 – 54
Veteran	55 – 65
Master	66 – 77
GrandMaster	78 – 90
VIP	91 – 100
Play to find out	100+

View your stats by clicking on your profile image.

As you level up, you’ll unlock new tournaments and 1-on-1 matches which will only be available to higher-ranked players. In these tournaments the stakes are higher: a higher entry fee, larger prize pot and better competition.

You can view all your Pool stats: your XP, level and rank, as well as some other statistics about your playing, including the number of games you’ve played and won by clicking on your profile image in the top left corner if you’re on one of the menu screens.

If you’re in a game, you can click on either your or your opponent’s profile images to bring up your or their stats whilst playing to find out about your opponent!

Using the Pool Shop

As you work your way through the levels in 8 Ball Pool and earn Pool Coins from playing 1-on-1 matches and tournaments, you might want to customise your game by purchasing new cues and tables.

You can do this by entering the Pool Shop, which is accessible from the main menu.

Purchasing a new cue gives you access to a new phrase!

In the Pool Shop we’ve got over 45 available for you to purchase and use, with new ones added frequently. These range from the simple Classic Cue to the extravagant Millionaire Cue.

Purchasing and using a new cue in a game not only gives you a visual edge over your opponent, but also gives you access to an extra unique phrase to use in the in-game chat! Just click on the “…” speech bubble icon on your profile picture whilst playing to drop-down the list of phrases you can use to communicate with your opponent.

As well as new cues in the Pool Shop, you can also purchase designs for your table, with frames, cloths and patterns available.

Challenging your friends

Playing Pool on a real-life table is a social experience, and it’s the same social experience playing Pool on Miniclip.

If you’re playing on Miniclip.com, you can click the “Play Friends” button to search for players who are online using their usernames, and then challenge them to a game.

Challenge any of your Facebook friends with one click!

If you’re playing Pool on Facebook, you can challenge your Facebook friends using the buttons along the bottom of the main menu. The game will automatically find all your friends who play Pool on Facebook, and to challenge any of them, just scroll along until you find them and click “Challenge”.

If you want to play with any friends on Facebook who don’t play Pool already, just click “Add” and you can search through all your friends and challenge them to a game.

Refine your game: power-ups and spin

Now you’re well on your way to becoming the best at 8 Ball Pool, it’s time to refine your game by using power-ups and spin.

To enhance your game, there are three power-ups available:

1. Extended guideline: extends the guidelines of your next shot.
   
2. Increase maximum spin: increases the maximum spin you can put on a shot.
3. Increase maximum power: increases the amount of power you can put on a shot.

Add spin to your shot using the arrow keys or by clicking the ball in the bottom right of the screen!

You can use power-ups for one shot, and you can purchase them one-at-a-time or in bulk from the Pool Shop using Miniclip Credits.

As well as power-ups, you can also put spin on your shots. Unlike power-ups, you can use these on as many shots as you like and you don’t need to purchase spin to use it.

You can put spin on your shots either by using the arrow keys whilst you’re playing, or by clicking on the ball in the bottom right corner of the game to add spin. Experiment with putting spin in different places to see how it affects your shots!

Go mobile!

At the end of February 2013 Miniclip released the much-anticipated version of 8 Ball Pool on iOS and Android, allowing players to take 8 Ball Pool on the move.

The mobile version — available from both the iOS App Store and the Android Google Play Store – links seamlessly with the web version of Pool you’re familiar with.

Take 8 Ball Pool with you wherever you go!

This means you can connect with the same account you use on either Miniclip.com or Facebook and once you’re logged in you’ll have all of the Pool Coins you’ve earned and all of the cues you’ve purchased instantly available.

You can download 8 Ball Pool on mobile by going to PoolByMiniclip.com on your iOS or Android device, or by using the links below:

Download 8 Ball Pool from the App Store | Download 8 Ball Pool on Google Play

Take on the world

That’s all you need to know about 8 Ball Pool by Miniclip. Make sure you like the 8 Ball Pool Facebook Page so that you’re kept up-to-date with news and updates to Pool. You can also follow Miniclip on our social networks.

All that’s left to do now is play the game on Minclip.com or Facebook. Good luck!

Earn free Pool Coins!

Earn free Miniclip Credits!

Miniclip Credits are our virtual currency which allow you to maximise your gaming experience in a safe and secure way. Miniclip also uses game-specific virtual currencies such as Pool Coins in 8 Ball Pool. To use these currencies you just need to sign up for a Miniclip account if you don’t already have one, or sign in if you do.

You can get hold of Credits by purchasing them by credit card, PayPal or a number of other different payment methods.

However, these aren’t the only ways to get Miniclip Credits. You can also earn free Credits by completing simple tasks such as watching a video advertisement or participating in a survey.

In this post I’ll walk you through how to earn free Miniclip Credits, which you can then either use in Credits games such as Bullfrog Poker or Dogfight, or convert to Pool Coins for use in 8 Ball Pool, getting you free Pool Coins.

Choose your offer to start earning.

Earn free Credits

To start earning free Credits, you just need to go to the Credits Offers, by clicking here (you will need to be logged in to your Miniclip account). Here you’ll see a list of all the offers you can complete, and how many Miniclip Credits you’ll earn from completing the offer.

You can choose between our two sponsor providers, SupersonicAds and SponsorPay by clicking on the tabs; just take your pick between them.

In the example on the right, I can earn 1,012 Miniclip Credits by registering for the chance to win a Mini Cooper on SupersonicAds. I just need to complete the offer and make sure I follow its steps right to the end.

Click view status to check you’ve completed the offers successfully.

After I’ve completed one offer, I can do another straight away, so I also earned another 33 Miniclip Credits by clicking on the “video” tab, selecting an offer and watching a short video.

With the offers completed, I can see if I’ve successfully earned the Credits by clicking “View status”. On SupersonicAds, this link is at the top of the page, whereas on SponsorPay, the link is at the bottom of the page. This screen shows me which offers I’ve completed and which offers are pending. All I need to do now is wait for the “earned credits” to be added to my Miniclip account.

On most offers this only takes a maximum of 15 minutes, but for some offers it may take longer. You can see when the Credits have been added to your account by refreshing any page on the main site and checking your total in the top right hand corner.

Wait for the Credits to be added to your account!

I can now see I have 1365 Credits in total, so the offer has been successful and I’ve earned my free credits! I can then spend these Credits in any games which support Miniclip Credits.

Convert Miniclip Credits to Pool Coins

Convert your earned Credits to Pool Coins!

If you play 8 Ball Pool, you’ll know the game uses Pool Coins as well as Miniclip Credits for entering tournaments and purchasing cues and tables. You might, then, want to convert some of the Credits you’ve earned to Pool Coins. Luckily, this is really easy to do!

Load up 8 Ball Pool, and from the main screen click on “Pool Shop”, and then the “Coins” tab. Below the option to purchase Pool Coins, you’ll see a Miniclip Credits to Pool Coins converter. To transfer your Credits to Pool Coins, you just need to enter how many Credits you’d like to convert and click the “Convert” button.

The exchange rate works out so that you get the same value whether you purchase Coins or Credits, so one Pool Coin is worth approximately three Miniclip Credits.

Totally free!

That’s all there is to it! Earning free Miniclip Credits and free Pool Coins is really easy, so get earning

Make sure you follow us on Twitter and join us on Facebook so you don’t miss out on the latest Miniclip news! If you have any problems with the free Credits system, please use the support links below.

Download 8 Ball Pool from the App Store | Download 8 Ball Pool on Google Play

Do you step away from your computer wishing you could take your game of 8 Ball Pool with you?

If so, you’re now in luck! Miniclip has released a version of its hit online multiplayer game, 8 Ball Pool for iOS devices including iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch, as well as for Android phones and tablets, meaning you can now play the world’s best Pool game wherever you go.

The mobile version of the game connects with the web version, meaning once you’re logged in you’ll find all your hard earned Pool Coins, your rank and purchased cues as you left them in the web version. If you’ve leveled up on the web version, you’ll find the locations you’ve unlocked are available for you to play immediately, so you can jump right into the the Downtown London Pub or Tokyo Warrior Hall.

Play with friends! Play with Legends. Play the huge online hit 8 Ball Pool by Miniclip wherever you go. Compete 1 on 1 and in tournaments as you strive to become a Pool God!

You can download the game using the links below or by going to PoolByMiniclip.com on your device.

Download 8 Ball Pool from the App Store | Download 8 Ball Pool on Google Play

Have you downloaded Pool onto your device? What do you think of it? Let us know by leaving a comment below! You can also keep up with all of the latest Pool news by liking the 8 Ball Pool Facebook Page or following Miniclip on Twitter. See you at the table!

Earlier today, 18th March, we released an update to 8 Ball Pool by Miniclip. As well as introducing a new tier and some fixes, we also briefly tested something we’d like your feedback on. More information on that later, though. First off, these are the changes:

Let’s go Cairo!

One of the first things you’ll notice in the update is a new location is now available for both 1-on-1 matches and eight-player-tournaments: Cairo Kasbah.

Over the last couple of weeks we’ve had a lot of requests to introduce a new tier to the game which has a lower entry fee, and the Cairo Kasbah fits this description: with an entry fee of 250 Pool Coins for both 1-on-1 matches and tournaments, the Cairo tier slots in between the Sydney and Moscow locations. As with all other tournaments, if you win the Cairo tournament, you’ll unlock a unique new cue.

“Freeze hack” progress

A number of Pool players have been reporting issues with Pool where, especially in higher-tiered matches, the game “freezes” and their opponent is able to take advantage of this. We’ve been looking into this over the last couple of weeks and today’s update includes a fix for this “freeze hack”.

We’ll be continuing to monitor reports from players of the game freezing, so if you experience this, please let us know in the comments.

Guidelines change: what do you think?

We’re looking at changing the guidelines in 8 Ball Pool in order to add an extra layer of challenge to the game, and we’d like to hear your thoughts on doing this. A small number of players may have seen this change live on 8 Ball Pool earlier today, but currently there are no changes to the guidelines.

We’d like to change the guidelines for two reasons:

• In order to address another “hack” we’ve seen reports of, where players are able to extend the guidelines permanently.
• In order to address the problem of a high number of Denials at high-level play.

Changing the guidelines is potentially a huge change to the game so before we send out any changes, we’d like your feedback!

We’ve set up a survey, so tell us what you think here. We’ll take all feedback into account when deciding how to proceed with these changes, if at all.

Thank you for playing Pool, and make sure you follow us on Facebook and Twitter to be kept up-to-date with all the details.

In order to keep you better informed about what we’re doing with 8 Ball Pool, we’re going to be giving you regular updates on what we are working on and what’s coming soon. They are going to be published every month, or even more frequently if we’ve got lots of news!

In this, update number one, we are going to tell you what’s been going on behind the scenes at Miniclip HQ: read on!

Introducing the Daily Spin

The new Daily Spin, soon to be introduced to 8 Ball Pool! The design is subject to change

We’ll kick off with the next big feature we’re going to be bringing to Pool: we’re going to be replacing the Daily Bonus with the “Daily Spin”.

As you can see from this draft design of the Daily Spin, instead of getting a standard 125 Pool Coins every day, you’ll get a spin of the wheel and have the chance to win a huge range of prizes, ranging from Pool Coins to power-ups to the “Lucky 8 Cue”, which will be exclusive to the Daily Spin.

And — don’t worry — you’ll always walk away from the Daily Spin with something

Everyone is going to get one free spin per day, but you’ll also be able to purchase additional spins from the Pool Shop.

We’re hoping the Daily Spin is going to mix things up a bit and add a bit of fun to the game. You can expect to see it coming to 8 Ball Pool in around the next month or so.

Offline mode coming to mobile

You’ll be able to play Pool literally anywhere with the new offline mode.

One of the most — if not the most requested features for 8 Ball Pool on iOS and Android is the ability to play offline — both in single-player mode and with two people sharing one device.

We’ve listened to your feedback, and now I’m very pleased to be able to announce both of these features are coming to the iOS and Android versions of 8 Ball Pool.

The offline “Quick Fire” single player mode will let you play solo in a similar style to 8 Ball Quick Fire Pool, allowing you to play Pool wherever you’ve got an iOS or Android device. This will be available as an in-app purchase for a small fee.

The “Pass ‘n’ Play” offline two-player mode will let you play against a friend, on the same device. As this is an extension of the multiplayer game, this game-mode will be available as a free update to 8 Ball Pool.

Offline mode is going to be the next big feature we release to 8 Ball Pool on mobile, so you should expect to see this available in a couple of weeks.

Additional updates

The Cairo Kasbah tournament will shortly be available on mobile!

The Daily Spin and offline mode are the next two big features you will notice when you’re playing Pool, but there are lots of other tweaks we’re introducing to the game which will improve your Pool experience that are worth mentioning:

• The Cairo Kasbah tournament which is currently only available on the web, will be available on mobile shortly.
• The friends-matching on mobile is undergoing serious improvements, allowing for a significantly better experience when playing with friends on mobile.
• We’ll be looking at the results of the survey we ran recently and taking your comments into account when considering what changes, if any, to make to the guidelines in Pool on the web. Currently, no changes are imminent.
• We’re looking into how playing friends for Pool Coins can be introduced in a way which ensures players are not able to take advantage of the system.

Keep updated!

This concludes our first 8 Ball Pool Community Update. We, of course, would love to hear your feedback on the new features, so let us know what you think in the comments below.

Until the next update, make sure you like 8 Ball Pool on Facebook and follow us on Twitter! Don’t stop Poolin’

We love seeing the things 8 Ball Pool players create when playing, whether it’s an awesome trickshot or artwork created with Pool balls, and we love sharing those creations on the 8 Ball Pool Facebook page!

A creation Pool player Ina recently sent us!

We’ve had some awesome stuff sent to us recently, and we share as much as we can, but we want to open up the process and give everyone the opportunity to create something worthy of being shared with the 5+ million fans of the 8 Ball Pool Facebook page!

What you need to do

We want you to play with a friend by either using the “Play Friends” mode on Miniclip.com or “Challenge Friends” on Facebook, and then work together to arrange the balls so that they create a figure-of-eight.

Once you’ve created your figure-of-eight, take a screenshot and send it to us using the form below! We’ll then take the best four creations and ask 8 Ball Pool fans to vote for which one they think is the best. The creators of the winning image will both receive 100,000 Pool Coins and a real life Pool cue each.

The shortlist of the four best creations will be judged on difficulty of set up, artistic flair and overall merit.

Rules

• All images must be created by playing against a friend using the “Play Friends”/”Challenge Friends” modes, not in for-Coins 1-on-1 or tournament play.
• The use of “alt” accounts is permitted, but this may negatively affect “difficulty of set up”, and only one prize will be awarded should an image created by one person win.
• Creations may not be manipulated or edited.
• The decision of the Miniclip Team is final.

Send us your entries!

Submit your screenshots using this form! You’ve got until 23rd April to send us entries, so be quick! Please also note the rules above; all entries and entrants must adhere to the rules.

Reminder: your entries must be creating a figure of eight with the Pool balls!

Good luck! Keep an eye on the 8 Ball Pool Facebook page to see if you make it onto the shortlist

Welcome to the second of your monthly updates for what’s going on in 8 Ball Pool! Update number 1 was a huge success, and it was great to get some feedback on some of the stuff we’re working on, so we’ll get straight into the details of what we’ve been working on over the last month and what’s coming next.

Nominating pockets now live

You now have to “call” which pocket you’re going to pot the 8 Ball in.

Last week we launched “calling”/”nominating” of pockets on the 8 Ball in the Cairo tier and above, for both tournaments and 1-on-1 matches. “Calling” which pocket you’re going to pot the 8 Ball in is a common rule in real-life Pool, and thus adds an extra layer of realism to the game, as well as making the game slightly more difficult; no longer will you be able to “fluke” and pot the 8 Ball somewhere you didn’t intend to!

Those of you who follow the 8 Ball Pool Facebook page will know we ran a survey to gauge feedback on this feature before introducing it. 88.1% of respondents were in favour of introducing calling pockets, and of those in favour three quarters wanted calling pockets in both tournaments and 1-on-1 matches. Votes were split on which shots should be called, with 55.1% wanting calling shots on the 8 Ball only, and the remaining 44.9% requesting calling all shots.

On new features designed to improve the game experience, it’s great being able to get feedback before a feature is introduced, and with calling pockets we’ve been able to use that feedback to ensure the feature works as best it can. We’ve had some comments about the notification being too distracting; the current implementation has been designed to ensure colour blind players are able to use the feature, but we’ll be experimenting with some more subtle options over the next couple of weeks.

Spin & Win on mobile

Update on “Spin & Win”

Last month we introduced to you the new “Daily Spin”, which is now called “Spin & Win”. We had hoped to have the Spin & Win launched by the end of April, but the release has been pushed back to make sure the feature works as best it can.

Spin & Win is first going to be introduced to mobile, after which it’ll make its way to the web version of the game. We’re currently finishing up work on the mobile version, and it’ll be submitted to Apple and Google for review once it’s complete. As soon as it’s approved, you’ll be able to download and play!

Once the mobile version is available, we’ll start implementing Spin & Win on the web version of 8 Ball Pool.

Mobile improvements

We’re working non-stop on improving Pool on mobile!

As well as working on the Spin & Win feature, our mobile team have also been working on a series of bug fixes and improvements to the game. Bugs such as not being able to move the cue ball before break are being fixed, the stability of the servers is being improved and work is being done to make the matching of opponents more effective.

In addition, a series of anti-hack measures for the mobile game are being rolled out over the next couple of weeks. These will fix all current instances of players abusing the game and will go a long way to ensure future exploits cannot be abused.

There are a lot of behind-the-scenes changes being made, but the main noticeable difference will be if you play against someone who we detect is cheating, the player’s session will be terminated (meaning they get disconnected from the game) and you will automatically win the match.

Additional updates

We’ve been redoubling our efforts to eliminate hacking from 8 Ball Pool and continue to take the issue extremely seriously. Our banning system was recently overhauled, and work is going to ensure it works as effectively as possible across both web and mobile.

Congratulations to Kilkiju, who won our first Pool Community Challenge!

Today we released a minor update to the game which adds players’ IDs to the stats page. This will allow us to more easily identify players who have been abusing the game. We are also working on some fundamental-level changes to the game which will stop any Cheat Engine hacks from working. At this time there is no ETA of this project, but we will keep everyone updated as much as possible.

In Pool Shop news, we’re continuing to add new cues! New cues are being released every Friday, so look out for those. As requested by many, many players, we’re also going to be introducing country cues for all countries in the next couple of months.

Since the last update we held our first Community Chalenge! We invited Pool players to send in their creations, and were overwhelmed with the quantity and quality of responses. Congratulations again to Kilkiju, who was voted the winner.

And finally

To finish up this month’s update… 8 Ball Pool is now on Twitter! To keep absolutely up-to-date with the latest Pool news, updates and content, make sure you’re following @poolbyminiclip!

Let us know what you’re looking forward to in the comments! Thanks for playing

Today we’re very excited to announce the release of a long-awaited update to 8 Ball Pool on iOS and Android, which brings the mobile versions of Pool up to versions 1.1 on iOS and 1.2 on Android. The update is the latest in a series of updates we’ve introduced since the game launched at the end of February.

We’ve got details on what’s in the update, as well as what you can look forward to in the future. Let’s get to it!

Spin & Win

The big new feature you’re going to notice is the introduction of “Spin & Win”, which replaces the Daily Bonus. You’ll get one free spin every day, and as the name suggests, you’re guaranteed to win something. Prizes range from varying amounts of Pool Coins (the highest number you can win is 50,000!) to an exclusive Lucky 8 Cue (which can’t be purchased) to powerups.

Should you wish to, you’re able to purchase extra spins of the Spin & Win wheel as in-app purchases.

Also introducing…

The update also has some other new features and bug fixes. As well as introducing Spin & Win, we’ve also added Twitter integration, so you’ll be able to share your Pool achievements with your followers.

On the bug fixes front, the issue where the cue ball could not be moved before breaking has been fixed (sorry about that!), and we’ve also made some general performance improvements which improve the efficiency with which the game runs on your device.

Tournaments coming next

Behind the scenes we’ve been working away on some improvements to our servers to ensure they’ll be able to handle running more matches, and with that work nearing completion, we can now confirm that the next big update to 8 Ball Pool on mobile is going to introduce tournaments to the game.

We’re still going to need some time to work out the technical side of this, so there’s no ETA yet, but if you like the 8 Ball Pool Facebook page or follow @poolbyminiclip on Twitter we’ll make sure you’re kept up to date.

Thanks for playing 8 Ball Pool — just a reminder that the game is available to play on Miniclip.com, Facebook, iOS and Android. Happy playing, and take to the comments if you have any questions!

Welcome! This is the third edition of your monthly 8 Ball Pool update, and as always we’ve got all the details about what has been added to the game in the last month, as well as insight into what’s coming up in the future.

The Lucky 8 Cue is the rarest in the game!

There’s lots to tell you about this month, so let’s get to it!

Improvements coming to Spin & Win

The much anticipated Spin & Win feature debuted at the start of this month, first on mobile and then on web versions of 8 Ball Pool. In place of the Daily Bonus, you now get one free spin of the wheel every day, with prizes ranging from 1 to 50,000 Pool Coins to an exclusive cue and powerups.

The Spin & Win has thus far been well received and adds a bit of excitement the first time you load up the game every day. There’s room for improvement, though: in order to make sure a larger variety of prizes are given out, we’ll be adding some extra values of Pool Coins to the prize pot, and we’re also working on some new cues which will be exclusive to the Spin & Win.

We’d love to get your feedback on the Spin & Win and how we can improve it further; let us know your thoughts in the comments below!

Share your achievements!

Server-side fixes

As mentioned last month, putting a stop to exploits which allow players to unfairly advantage themselves has been a huge priority for us recently. We’re very pleased to announce this week a number of changes have been introduced which will go a long way to ensuring honest players are able to enjoy a fair playing environment.

We’ve tightened security of the game both server side and client side; the measures we’ve taken are going to either eliminate current hacks or make them vastly harder to carry out. We’ll be continuing to monitor the situation, and further action will be taken as and when necessary.

Share the Pool love… get Pool Coins!

If you play 8 Ball Pool on Facebook you’ll have noticed you’re offered the opportunity to share your achievements with your friends after reaching certain milestones (such as reaching 50,000 Pool Coins or leveling up), buying something in the Pool Shop or winning something on the Spin & Win.

Share your achievements and your friends can get free Pool Coins!

This feature is a great way for you to share the best 8 Ball Pool game around with your friends, and to add a little extra incentive for them to play, we’re soon going to be offering Pool Coins to the first five of your friends who click on the link and start playing.

You get to impress your friends with your Pool achievements, and they get some free Pool Coins! Everybody wins with this one

Also in the works

• Work is continuing on bringing tournaments to the mobile version of 8 Ball Pool! We’re close to finishing up development and now need to test everything thoroughly, so look out for an update to the mobile game in around a month.
• With Facebook Credits being discontinued, we’re going to be replacing the use of both Miniclip Credits and Facebook Credits with a new currency, Pool Cash. You should see the new currency in the near future.
• A frequent request has been to add “free chat” to Pool. This isn’t currently on the roadmap; it’d be extremely challenging to ensure the game offered a safe playing environment, and we feel we can improve the game better elsewhere. We are exploring other options, however, including adding additional sayings to the current chat. We’ll keep you updated.

That’s it for this month’s update! For up-to-the-minute Pool news, make sure you’re following @poolbyminiclip on Twitter and like our Facebook page. Thanks for playing

Be careful with how much power you apply!

A common question we get asked on Facebook and Twitter is: “how can I get better at 8 Ball Pool?” To answer that question, we’ve put together some tips which will transform you from a beginner to professional potter in no time at all.

Watch your power

The amount of power you use on your shots is almost as important as how accurately you aim them. This is especially true if the object ball is a long way from the pocket. The harder you hit a shot, the more likely it is that it will stay out.

In many cases a soft touch will give the ball a better chance of dropping into the hole. This is particularly vital information when trying to pot in those tricky middle pockets.

Be careful not to use too little power, though! You don’t want to miss a straightforward shot because you hit it too gently. Don’t “hit and hope”; judge how much power is needed for each shot and adjust as appropriate.

Use spin

Use of back-spin will ensure there are no mis-haps with the cueball here.

The world’s finest 8 Ball players have learned to master the art of putting spin on the cueball. Clever use of spin can avoid those dreaded “oops, I sank the cueball” moments, or, better yet, get you in a good position for the next pot.

You put spin on your shots using the arrow keys or by clicking on the cueball in the corner and dragging the dot into position. The dot represents where the cue will strike the ball: if you want backspin, move the dot to the bottom of the cueball and for topspin, move the dot to the top of the cueball.

Pay attention to the guidelines when lining up your shot – as well as showing where the object ball will go, it also gives you an indication of where the white will end up. Is it heading straight towards a pocket? Add some backspin to the cueball and it should stop in its tracks. Need to get a better angle for your next shot? Think about adding side spin to the cueball and forcing it into an easier position.

The harder you hit your shot, the more spin will be added to the cueball. But be careful, as too much power and spin can send it out of control and into a pocket!

Plan ahead

Top-spin can line up the shot after this!

The pros don’t just think about the shot that they’re lining up – they’re thinking one, two, or even three shots ahead. This means that they already know which ball they’d like to pot next, after the one they’re about to pot.

With that in mind, you can start to think about what kind of spin or how much power you need to put on your shot. If you need to get all the way down the table to make your next shot easier, try and leave a good angle and use plenty of spin and power to get the white into position. Don’t leave yourself a longer, tougher shot than necessary!

Know the rules

There are a few basic rules that all 8 Ball players should know if they want to succeed – make sure you’re not making it harder for yourself!

• If you pot a ball with your break-off shot, you can still choose whether you want to be stripes or solids! You might think “great, that’s a solid already potted”, but then realise that the stripes are in a much better position. The choice is still yours, until the next ball is potted.
• If a ball doesn’t hit the rail around the table, that shot is a foul. Lots of players make this mistake: it lets your opponent move the cueball to wherever they want on the table.
• If you pot the black but the cueball also goes down, you lose the game. Don’t forget about the cueball’s guideline when you’re lining up that last shot!
• If you’re playing in the Cairo tier or above, you need to “call” which pocket you’re going to pot the eight ball in. If you call a pocket and then pot the eight ball in a different pocket, you’ll lose the game.

Practice makes perfect!

Play lots!

Our final tip is the most important one: make sure you play lots!

The very top players, who have levels in the hundreds and countless tournament wins have become the best because they’ve simply played a lot of 8 Ball Pool and refined their skills. They know how much power to put on their shots, which spin to use and how to plan series of shots.

The best way to join them is to keep playing, practicing and learning! Remember, you can practice 8 Ball Pool offline on your mobile. That way you can be prepared before taking on the rest of the world.

Got some tips to share? Share them with the world in the comments down below.

Welcome to the fourth of edition of your monthly 8 Ball Pool updates! As with the previous three updates, we’ve got everything you’re going to need to get up to speed with the latest news and updates from the game. This month we’ve got a ton of 8 Ball Pool news to tell you about, so we’ll get straight into the update.

Introducing Pool Cash

Earn Pool Cash as you play, or top up in the Shop.

As you may know (and we mentioned last month), Facebook is discontinuing its Facebook Credits this September. In anticipation of this we’re shortly going to be removing Facebook Credits from 8 Ball Pool on Facebook. This offers us the opportunity to unify currencies in Pool on different platforms, and in order to achieve this we’re also going to be phasing out Miniclip Credits in 8 Ball Pool on Miniclip.com. Coinciding with Miniclip and Facebook Credits making their exit, we’re also going to be introducing a new currency: Pool Cash. Pool Cash will be available alongside Pool Coins across all platforms: Miniclip.com, Facebook and Mobile, giving you one “wallet” across all versions of the game. Pool Cash will be available initially on the web, and we’ll then be bringing it to mobile. We’re going to be giving everyone some Pool Cash to get them started, and you’ll also be able to earn Cash whilst playing; you’ll be given Cash when you level up, for example. If you’ve got Miniclip Credits you want to convert to Pool Coins, please do so as soon as possible. Once Pool Cash has been introduced, converting Credits to Coins will no longer be available. Some items currently available for purchase with Pool Coins and Credits may in future only be available with Pool Cash.

Updates keep on coming to mobile

Tournaments are out now on mobile!

As you’ll have seen if you play 8 Ball Pool on iOS or Android, at the start of the month we (finally) launched tournaments on mobile. Three tiers are currently available: London, Sydney and Moscow, with prizes of 1,000, 18,000 and 30,000 Coins in each tier. Enjoyed playing tournaments? Click to tweet the good news! We’re continuing to work on updates for 8 Ball Pool on mobile at a rapid rate, and the next major update to Pool on mobile is going to introduce calling pockets on the 8 Ball in certain tiers, a feature currently only found in the web version of 8 Ball Pool. Look out for this in the next couple of weeks. After the success of Spin & Win, the next mobile update will be introducing “Scratch & Win”, a scratch-card style minigame, where — as with Spin & Win — you’ll have the chance to win some awesome Coin prizes. Finally on mobile, 8 Ball Pool is very shortly going to be making its way to Amazon’s Appstore! Kindle Fire owners are going to be able to download Pool onto their tablets when the game hits the Amazon App Store. Follow @poolbyminiclip on Twitter to be the first to find out when the game is available.

We’re on Twitter! Are you?

Also of note

• The 8 Ball Pool Facebook page passed the huge milestone of seven million likes! Thank you to everyone who takes part in our community on Facebook
• We’re pleased to report the server-side security improvements mentioned in last month’s update are continuing to work effectively. We’re continuing to improve security to combat new exploits.
• The Pool Twitter community is continuing to grow, with our @poolbyminiclip account passing 10,000 followers recently. Make sure you’re following us for the latest Pool news, updates and awesome content from the Pool community.

That’s all your info for this month. For queries and discussion, head to the comments below — we love to hear your thoughts and feedback.

The new Insane frame and pattern, with Elven Blue cloth.

Welcome to your fifth 8 Ball Pool Community Update! We’re here to bring you all the latest news from the game.

As usual, there’s lots to tell you about this month – here we go!

New tables and cues

We’ve just released some brand new tables and cues for you to customize your game even further! Check out the Elven and Insane frames, cloths and patterns in the Pool Shop, and take a good look at the brand new Amber and Silver cues! We’re looking forward to seeing some of these shiny new items in action

We’ve also been listening to your feedback and cue suggestions – and we have a few more cues coming to the Shop very very soon…

Big discounts in the Pool Shop

The Digitized cue is one of 18 cues that are now much cheaper!

To mark the release of Pool Cash, we’ve made some big discounts on many items in the Pool Shop. A whopping eighteen cues are now cheaper than they were, with our current faves, the Camouflage and Digitized cues, getting a 70% discount! The Royal Blue, Test Tube, Blue Hope and Pharaoh cues are also around half-price. It’s the perfect time to upgrade your 8 Ball gear!

Got yourself a new cue or table thanks to this update? Tweet your friends to let them know!

Talking of Pool Cash…

As you will have seen, the new currency – Pool Cash – is now live on the web. We’ve started everyone off with 5 Pool Cash, and you’ll soon have the opportunity to earn more Cash when you level up in the game. Look out for more news on that feature in the next Community Update!

For more information on Pool Cash, check out last month’s update.

Mobile news

Enjoying Tournaments on mobile, in the sunshine.

Following the success of tournaments on mobile, we’ve got another mobile update coming out in the next few weeks. Features will include calling pockets, the new mini-game Scratch & Win, and a few minor fixes to improve the game.

Other news

• We’ve streamlined 8 Ball’s loading process – your game should now load even faster than before
• More security improvements have been implemented into the game, and we’re continuing to work on combating new exploits

Cool stuff from the 8 Ball Pool Community

Players have been sending us all sorts of cool and funny images on our 8 Ball Pool Facebook page and on Twitter - here’s a few of our favourites from this month, including an awesome Indirect Clearance video from RON-O-SULLIVAN!

Got something to share? Message us the link on Facebook, or tweet us and YOUR pic could appear on next month’s Community Update!

That’s all for this month – if you’ve got anything to ask or discuss, hit the Comments below – we’d love to hear your feedback.

__MAzen__ sent us this brilliant image. Top dollar.

Hi and welcome to your monthly update from the 8 Ball Pool team! We’ve got a huge amount of news for you, plus a ton of player-created 8 Ball artwork that we’ve received this month from the community – check out some of our favourites down the side and in the gallery below.

Let’s get started!

8 Ball Pool – FREE on mobile

You’ve always been able to play 8 Ball for free on Miniclip.com and on Facebook – but we’re very pleased to announce that as of now, you can now download it onto your iPhone, iPad, or Android device, absolutely free! This means that your friends have no excuse not to take up the challenge and give you a game of 8 Ball - tweet the good news now and get them involved!

Bigger prizes

Amazing Elf image from hot5treak… scary eyes though!

In the next few weeks, we’ll also be increasing the prizes for each Tournament winner on web and Facebook, to bring it into line with the prizes available on mobile.

So you’ll be able to win 1,000 Pool Coins in London, 18,000 in Sydney, and 30,000 in Moscow. The entry fees have been adjusted as a result, but we’re sure you’ll agree that the potential prizes are worth it… if you’re good enough

Please note that the number of available tournaments will be temporarily reduced to 3 (London, Sydney and Moscow) while we roll out some new security fixes. Soon, the others will be re-opened.

Earn Cash when you level up

That’s right, when the new 8 Ball Pool web update goes out in the next week or two, you’ll start earning Pool Cash every time you level up.

P is for Pool.

You get 1 Pool Cash for every level you progress in the game – so good luck out there on the table!

Bear in mind that this feature isn’t out yet – it’ll come with the next update to the game client. Keep an eye on our Facebook and Twitter accounts for further announcements of when the update goes out!

Call pocket on all shots in elite matches

We’ve listened to your feedback, and a lot of players have asked for a feature where players have to call pocket on all shots in higher tiers. So, we will be introducing this for elite players in top tier Tournament and 1v1 matches on web and Facebook soon! This will reward the most skilled players, and make you less likely to lose to a hit-and-hope in high-stakes matches It’ll take effect in the Moscow and Las Vegas Tournaments, and Toronto and Jakarta in the 1vs1 matches.

Other news

Kunal908 made this to celebrate us passing 8 million Facebook fans!

Other things we’ve been working on this month include:

• New security fixes in the game, which we hope will greatly reduce any exploits and make for an even fairer playing environment for all our players
• Pool Cash will soon feature on mobile, as well as web
• Did we mention that 8 Ball Pool is now free?

Amazing images from our players

We get a lot of users sending in awesome pics that they’ve made, or even weird situations that they’ve found themselves in while playing 8 Ball Pool! Some of the fan-made pictures are out of this world, and must have taken a lot of time and patience to put together. You’ve probably noticed a few down the side of this post, and here’s a gallery with some of our other favourites from this month – if you’ve got anything you’d like to show us, send it to us as a message on our Facebook page, or tweet it to the official @poolbyminiclip Twitter account!

Can I axe you something?

Maybe your image will be in next month’s update!

If you have an questions, you can either head to our Facebook page, tweet us, or hit the comments below! And, if you have any problems, don’t forget that you can visit our Customer Support site to get help.

We’ve lowered the entry requirements for tournaments and 1 vs 1.

Welcome to your monthly update from the 8 Ball Pool team! Plenty to tell you about as always, with the release of new versions of 8 Ball for web, Facebook and mobile devices. If you missed the previous blog post, head here to find out about new features like calling pockets on elite tiers, and earning Pool Cash when you level up.

Here’s what we’ve got for you this month.

New entry levels for tournaments and 1 vs 1 play

We’ve made a tweak to the entry requirements for the various tiers in 8 Ball, on both web and mobile. What does this mean for you? Well, you can now enter – and win – higher-stake matches earlier in your Pool career than ever before Game on!

Security measures

We’ve also made some big changes to the security of the game, which should go a long way to ensuring a fun and fair playing environment for all players.

Yes, our new security measures are VERY serious.

Essential fixes

We’ve made a few essential fixes to bugs that have been reported by users over the last few weeks. If you spot anything else strange happening on the table, feel free to report it to our Customer Support team who are always happy to help.

8 Ball trickshot masterclass

We’ve seen some truly great trickshots on YouTube in the last few weeks. So, we thought we’d put our favourites into one awesome video for you all to enjoy! We’ve got multi-railers, big-spinners, even a four-in-one shot – which one’s your favourite?

If you’ve got a trickshot to show off, email it to social at miniclip dot com – and maybe you’ll be appearing in our next trickshot collection!

E is for Eight Ball Multiplayer Pool.

8 Ball on mobile

Elite tiers now have calling pockets on all shots, on mobile and web.

You may have seen by now that we released a new version of 8 Ball on iPhone, Android and Kindle last week. If you haven’t updated yet… what are you waiting for? New features include a re-designed shop, nominating all pockets on higher tiers, and some minor bug fixes.

10 billion games played

We’ve just gone past the incredible landmark of 10 billion games played on 8 Ball Pool! That’s 10,000,000,000 games (it looks even more awesome written out like that). Thanks to all our players for helping us past this amazing achievement, and here’s to the next 10 billion games

8 Ball artwork

It’s been another great month for 8 Ball artwork – we’ve had some crazy creations once again. Incredible amounts of creativity, effort and patience are required to make these – thanks to everyone who sent them in!

Don’t forget, if you’ve got a cool pic yourself, you can send it to us on Facebook or tweet it to us.

Hey, feet off!

Any questions?

That’s all for this month 8 Ballers – don’t forget that if you’ve got any questions, hit the comments below, or you can check out our Customer Support site.

There’s been some fantastic games on Miniclip this year, but we wanted to know… what was your favourite? What game would win our People’s Choice award?

So, we picked our top 10 games of 2013, made an awesome video, and then threw the vote open to our Facebook fans to decide which game was our number 1 for this year. From there, we whittled it down to a Final Five, and then, in a last vote, our winner was crowned. Congratulations to 8 Ball Pool, picked as Miniclip’s Game of the Year by you, the fans!

8 Ball just passed a pretty awesome milestone.

8 Ball has proved to be not only the most popular game on Miniclip this year, but also one of the most popular on all of Facebook, as well as on iPhone and Android phones. A few days ago, we went past the incredible landmark of ten billion games played. That’s a lot of wins, a lot of incredible shots, a ton of “sorry gotta run”s, and plenty of “hehe”s!

We’d like to say a huge THANK YOU to all our 8 Ball players! For every game, every pot, every trickshot, every cool bit of 8 Ball artwork that you’ve spent time making – it’s been an incredible year.  We’ve seen trickshot videos that have blown our minds with their creativity: we’ve already published one sweet collection and have another on the way. Keep emailing them in to us using the address social at miniclip.com and you could be starring in a future video too.

To commemorate the fact that you picked 8 Ball as your favourite, you’ll now see this cool People’s Choice badge next to the game page

Thanks to all our players for making 2013 such a special year! Look out for even more great games coming to Miniclip in 2014… oh, and in the rest of 2013, of course! There’s still time left for us to release some more fun stuff for you to play. Don’t forget to keep an eye on our Facebook page, Twitter feed, or our YouTube channel for the very latest Miniclip news.

8 Ball is your winner of the People’s Choice award for 2013!

What a year it’s been in 8 Ball Pool! We’ve seen new features, amazing trickshots, cool Pool art, and over ten billion games played of classic 8 Ball action. So, here we are, at the end of 2013. We’re already looking forward to plenty of exciting stuff in 2014, but here’s everything you need to know about 8 Ball Pool as we enter the holiday period!

Last week, we released an update for 8 Ball on web and Facebook, and we’ll have a new version on mobile devices in the next couple of weeks. What’s new in these updates? Read on!

Play Facebook Friends in 8 Ball

We’ve fixed a bug that was preventing some users from being able to challenge their Facebook friends to a game of Pool. You may now see the game asking you to confirm access to your Facebook Chat contacts: you’ll need to confirm this in order to challenge friends. Most of you will have done this when you installed the app, in which case you’ll already be able to play your Facebook friends!

New Christmas Cue

The new Christmas Cue is available for a short time only!

There’s only one way to play 8 Ball this festive season and it’s with the brand new Xmas cue. You may already have noticed the cue in the Pool Shop on web and Facebook – it’ll be added to mobile very soon too. Shot of the season!

Double-value Coin Packs

Look out for a special offer coming soon to 8 Ball over the Christmas period – double-value top-ups on selected Coin Packs in the Pool Shop! The offer will run from the 23rd to the 26th of December – keep an eye on our Facebook page or the @poolbyminiclip Twitter feed for the latest info!

Trickshots Masterclass – Part 2

Epic trickshot inbound.

We’ve just published our second collection of your amazing trickshots! We had an absolute ton of entries emailed in, so we’re already working on a super-size edition of shots for Part 3. Again, we’re just amazed by the incredible creativity and skill shown by some of our players. Some of these shots we had to watch again and again to try and work out how they’d been potted. Thanks so much to everyone who has sent one in so far. Remember, if you’ve got a trickshot for us, email social at miniclip dot com. And if you missed Part 1, it’s right here.

In the meantime, sit back, relax, and enjoy these awesome shots!

Localized versions coming to mobile

8 Ball on mobile is being localized into multiple languages.

We know that 8 Ball is played by gamers all around the world, so we’re taking steps to ensure that the game is even more fun for everyone. The next update to 8 Ball on mobile devices will include localized language versions of the game in French, German, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese and Brazilian Portuguese. We’re working on bringing out some other language editions soon too!

“No guideline” mode in elite mobile tiers

We’re also introducing a new feature in the top tier of 1v1 and Tournaments on mobile: a “no guideline” mode. It’s the ultimate test of skill; we’ve seen quite a few players request a gamemode like this so we hope you’ll enjoy it. If you’d rather play with guidelines, there are plenty of other tiers to choose

What next?

Well, that just about wraps it up for 2013… but what have we got coming in 2014? Well, there’s a ton of top-secret stuff that we’ll share with you in these updates when we have a little more detail. In the meantime, why not tell us what you’d like to see in 8 Ball next year?

That’s all from us, so all that’s left to do is wish all our players a happy holidays and a very happy New Year, and all the best for 2014.

Thanks for playing!

The 8 Ball Pool Team

Happy New Year, 8 Ballers! We’re super-excited about some of the new stuff we’re working on for 8 Ball Pool in 2014, and these updates are the first place you’ll hear about them. In the meantime, here’s what we’ve been up to since our Christmas update.

Beat The Boss

As we’re sure you’ve seen, Miniclip chief Big Rob took to the tables of 8 Ball Pool last week to play against some of the 8 Ball community. He took on as many challengers as he could squeeze in – maybe you were one of the people he played! Out of ten games, he won 4 and, er, lost the other 6. Big thanks to everyone who logged in to challenge him, and congratulations to our boss-beaters Edvinas, Loayh9, Humayun, Bo, Denizarikan12 and Chaddy111222!

Look out for details of when Big Rob is online!

Were you logged in, but didn’t manage to get a game? Don’t panic – we’re looking to make Beat The Boss a regular event. But remember that you’ve got to be quick – there’s a lot of people who want to take him down…!

So, how do you go about joining the action? Keep an eye on our Facebook page and Twitter feed for announcements of the next event, and make sure you’re logged in to the game on Miniclip or Facebook (not mobile) at the time given. Hit Play Friends and search for Big Rob’s player profile, RobertMiniclip, and add him – if you’ve not already done so. In the Play Friends page, you’ll be able to see when he’s online, and when he’s in a game – it’ll show his status as “Busy”. The moment that “Busy” disappears, hit the challenge button to send your request!

To make sure that all players have a fair chance of playing, Big Rob will accept the first challenge he receives - get ready to click that mouse button!

If you have any ideas that you think may improve our Beat the Boss event (live-streaming? exclusive awards?), please let us know either in the comments below, on Facebook, or by emailing us on social at miniclip dot com.

8 Ball on web – updated

It’s now much easier to see ALL your achievements in the game, from your Player Profile page.

We released a new version of 8 Ball on web and Facebook last week, mainly focussed on improving the game’s interface to make it cleaner and faster to navigate. We’re sure some of you have already noticed the new nav bar on 8 Ball on Facebook which gives you easier access to your friends, items and more.

We’ve also changed how your achievements are displayed in the game: in your player profile is a new button which shows all your unlocked achievements (and the ones you’ve still got to win), so all you completionists can accurately check your progress!

Finally, we’ve also put your friends list in alphabetical order to make it quicker and easier to find your friends for a game. We’re working on a way to display your friends by how often you’ve played them to make sure your favourite opponents are at the top. Less scrolling through lists, more playing 8 Ball!

No guideline, no problem

No Guideline mode is coming to elite tiers on mobile.

Looking ahead, we have new updates in store for 8 Ball Pool on mobile too. One of the bigger changes is something that we’ve had plenty of requests for – a no guideline mode. Yup, this means that in the highest tiers, 8 Ball will be played without a guideline and you’ll have to use your own skill and judgement to beat your opponent. We’re looking forward to a few games of this ourselves – it should be the ultimate test of 8 Ball skill!

We’re also continuing to roll out new language versions of 8 Ball on mobile. The next update on all platforms will contain Russian and Turkish translations, and iOS users will also now have the 6 languages included in the Android update at the end of 2013.

Cool stuff from the Community

We’re not even a month into 2014 and we’ve already been sent some great new trickshots by our players. Huge thanks to Arvind, Amruth, Kunal908, Kilkiju and plenty of others for their incredible creativity and 8 Ball skill – we’ve been loving your videos and we’ll include as many as we can in our new Trickshot Masterclass #3! It’s already looking pretty sweet – we’re putting it together at the moment.

Remember, if you want your trickshot to make it into our masterclass, email us at social at miniclip dot com. This bit of showboating from Amruth is our current favourite!

That’s all for this month’s update! As always, we love hearing your feedback and suggestions on new features and improvements to 8 Ball. We look forward to hearing what you guys make of the no guideline mode, and any ideas you have for making Beat The Boss even better!

Enjoy the game,

The 8 Ball Pool Team

You may have heard about the Beat The Boss events we’ve started running in 8 Ball Pool – you may even have been one of the people lucky enough to take him on so far. We thought we’d put together some answers to Frequently Asked Questions about Beat The Boss to bring you all right up to speed. Let’s go!

What is Beat The Boss?

Beat The Boss is a special event on 8 Ball Pool where Miniclip chief Big Rob takes time from his busy schedule to play Pool with you, the players. He’s usually online for 30 minutes to take on as many challengers as he can.

When is it? How can I find out when the next one is?

Beat the Boss events will be announced on the 8 Ball Pool Facebook page and on Twitter. Keep an eye out for details! The next event takes place on Friday 7th February at 11:00am EST.

How can I join in?

Getting set for Beat The Boss is easy. First, you need to be logged in to 8 Ball Pool on Miniclip or Facebook. Click Play Friends from the main menu, then search RobertMiniclip to find him. Remember that he’ll only turn up in search when he’s online – so try searching during one of the events. When you’ve found him, click that challenge button like your life depends on it!

Help! I can’t find Big Rob!

Are you playing on a mobile device? Because you’ll need to be logged in to 8 Ball Pool on Miniclip or Facebook. Mobile users won’t see him online, so get on the web version to make sure you don’t miss out!

Logged in on Miniclip or Facebook, but still can’t see him? That’s because he’s currently offline! Search again when one of the events is underway, and you’ll be able to find him. Plus, once you’ve added him as a friend on 8 Ball, you’ll have him saved in your friends list for future events.

Can I play Big Rob on mobile?

Just in case you haven’t read the last two questions, sorry, but you can’t play Big Rob on mobile. However, we are considering running extra-special mobile-only events in future, so stay tuned. But for the time being, you’ll need to be playing on Miniclip or Facebook.

Big Rob didn’t accept my challenge request

Big Rob receives hundreds if not thousands of challenges when he’s online – there’s a lot of 8 Ball Players out there! To keep Beat The Boss fair, he always accepts the very first challenge he receives when he returns to the game lobby. Even so, there’s only so many games he can squeeze in per event – if you don’t get to play him, try again next time! Remember, he’s not ignoring you, he’s just winning.

What do I get if I Beat The Boss?

You win a prize greater than gold, greater than the rarest gem or jewels. You win what many have tried to achieve, few have come close to and even fewer have accomplished. You become part of the special ones that can say they’ve beaten the Boss.

Hey! He only played 1 game against me and then left, what gives?

Big Rob tries to get through as many opponents as he can, so he only has time to play 1 game per challenger. It’s definitely not the case that he doesn’t want to play you any more because he’s worried he might lose.

Who is this Big Rob guy anyway? 

Big Rob is the CEO of Miniclip (so yes, you really are playing the Boss). When he’s not playing 8 Ball Pool he’s usually determining the fate of world, or playing real pool (and winning at that too).

Is he any good?

He is unlike any 8 Ball Pool player you’ve ever seen. His focus and determination have been forged in the fires of a thousand suns. His abilities were honed under pressures greater than a hundred black holes. He has been compared to a force of Nature, a constant of our universe, like gravity or Time.

Tl;dr – yeah, he’s alright.

Wait, don’t go, I have more questions!

Got another question about Beat The Boss that wasn’t answered above? Click that comment button and ask away and we’ll help you out.