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3-ball is one of the easiest pool games. Therefore, 3-ball is often used as a practice for pool games such as 8-ball and 9-ball. Since it can be played by up to 5 players, 3-ball is one of the most sociable games you can play in a pool hall.

As the name of the pool game implies, 3-ball pool is played with only three object balls. The object of the game is to pocket the three object balls using the minimum possible number of shots.

3-ball rules are less strict than the rules of any other pool games. For example, the balls are not required to hit the rail on the opening break shot, and a shot will be considered legal even if non of the balls hit the rail afterwards.

In addition, the number of participants in one 3-ball pool game is not limited to two players and it is common that the game is played with about 5 participants. What makes 3-ball also a very sociable game.

The scoring system is pretty simple too: each stroke counts as one point regardless to the number of balls that were pocketed (if any). For every foul committed, the player would earn an extra penalty point. The player with the lowest score wins the game.

Unlike most pool games, including 8-ball and 9-ball, in 3-ball the player's turn continues even if he has committed a foul. In 3-ball pool, the player's turn at the table does not end until he had pocketed all three object balls.

The 3-ball pool game ends after all the participants have taken their turns. The player who had committed the fewer strokes, and respectively had the lowest score, is the winner of the game. Since equal scores are very common in 3-ball pool, the winner is usually determined after an extra play.