Pool

Pool or Eight-Ball is a sport in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas and Grand Theft Auto IV.

Pool is a two-player game. The aim is to get all the colored balls within the designated colors into the pockets in the table and then pocket the black 8-ball to win. Green pool tables were first seen in Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, however, it could not be played by the player. It was not until GTA San Andreas that pool could be played by the player as a mini-game. In GTA San Andreas, the pool table's design is based on a 1980s Valley-Dynamo coin-operated pool table, while its appearance in GTA IV is likely based on a Diamond brand pool table. It is a 7-foot table in both games. Pool tables reappears in Grand Theft Auto V, but is no longer accessible.

In GTA San Andreas, CJ can challenge a person near a pool table and holding a pool cue to a game of pool. A wager can be placed, ranging from a minimum of $50 to a maximum of $1000. Once the wager is confirmed, the game begins.

If CJ wins the game, he wins whatever he wagered at the beginning of the game. If he loses or quits, he loses the money he wagered. Either way, CJ gets a pool cue, which replaces whatever melee weapon he had in his inventory.

It is possible to retrieve the wagered money by killing the challenger.

The player can have a two-player game of pool using a second controller, but no money can be wagered.

• Ten Green Bottles on Grove Street in Ganton, Los Santos
• Misty's in Garcia, San Fierro
• Lil' Probe'Inn in Bone County
• Casino Floor in Las Venturas
• The Craw Bar in Old Venturas Strip, Las Venturas

In each game, CJ always breaks. Whoever pockets a ball first gets the pattern of the pocketed ball (stripes or solids), while the other player gets the other pattern. These are known as object balls.

The turn is lost on the following occasions, called fouls:

• A player pockets the wrong type of ball.
• A player scratches (pockets the white cue ball).
• A player misses all of the balls (i.e. the white cue ball did not hit any balls).
• A player hits a ball, but it doesn't hit the rail.
• A player hits the wrong type of ball first.

Whenever any of the above happens, the opponent can place the cue ball anywhere on the table before shooting.

The game is won by pocketing all of the player's object balls (stripes or solids), then pocketing the 8-ball.

The game is lost under the following conditions:

• The player pockets the 8-ball before all of their object balls have been pocketed.
• The player pockets both the 8-ball and the white cue ball in a single shot after pocketing all of their object balls.

• Go to any location where pool can be played. Shoot the pool player in the head and kill him, he will lift his hands up as if he is surrendering, but he will remain standing, as if he were still alive. However, after about 4-5 seconds, he will fall over and die.
• Take satchel charges (at least 15 are required) and go to a bar that has a pool player. Throw them one-by-one onto him. His health can be seen decreasing. After throwing all the satchels, his health bar will be black (indicating that he is meant to be dead), but he will still be active, like nothing happened. If the charges are detonated, or the player tries to kill him in any other way, he will not die.
• The player is not able to kill the pool player with a stealth kill.

In the beta, the pool tables were originally going to be painted green, not blue, and there was going to be a pool table in Madd Dogg's Crib.

Niko Bellic can play a game of pool against his friends or girlfriends. Otherwise, a random person will fill in as his opponent. Unlike in San Andreas however, he cannot wager for money.

Similarly to Niko, in The Lost and Damned and The Ballad of Gay Tony respectively, Johnny Klebitz and Luis Fernando Lopez can also play pool with their respective friends. Also in The Lost and Damned, Johnny can keep the Pool Cue he was using as a weapon after completing a game of pool, as in San Andreas.

Winning a game of pool in GTA IV will grant the player the achievement "Pool Shark". Michelle is the easiest player to beat, while Little Jacob and Packie are both good players and therefore harder to beat.

• Homebrew Café
• Playboy X's Penthouse
• The Lost MC Clubhouse (only in Episodes from Liberty City)
• Comrades Bar (non-playable)

The rules are the same as in GTA San Andreas. However, there are a few new rules:

• If a ball jumps off the table, the offending player loses a turn.
• If the 8-ball jumps off the table at any point, the offending player loses the game.
• If the 8-ball is pocketed on the break (the first shot of the game), the breaking player wins the game.

There are two different types of pool table in GTA IV:

• The green pool table, used in Homebrew Café and The Lost MC Clubhouse. This pool table has a ragged surface, making the balls roll with a strange path sometimes.
• The pink pool table, used in Playboy X's Penthouse. This pool table has a better surface quality than the green table, but if the player shoots too hard, the balls may jump off the table. This makes it somewhat more realistic. This pool table is only accessible during a friendship outing or date; Niko cannot play a casual game by himself. Also, some graphical glitches may occur when playing a game at the safehouse, though this does not appear to impact the player's ability to complete the game.

• There is a glitch when playing the game on the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. If a shot is missed, press / before the opponent's turn. Then press / to get back into the game (pressing or again will forfeit the game). The opponent will hit either the players or their own ball and will foul for hitting the wrong color ball, even if it is their own, and the fouled shot rule will be applied, allowing the player to take their next turn.

• Eight-ball