8 Ball Slot Machine
Grab your cue and get ready to showcase your billiards brilliance as 8 Ball by Digital Gaming Solutions (DGS) takes you to a pool hall where you’ll be hoping to rack up big wins by sending solid and striped balls along the knife-edged rails and into the heart of the pockets before sealing victory by sinking the black eight ball.
Fans of DGS will notice that the graphics of 8 Ball have been revamped in recent years as the flat 2D view of table has been replaced by a more eye-catching background that showcases a free table with a cue resting on it. The graphics still aren’t anywhere near as impressive as the latest slots that have been released, but they represent a significant improvement – it’s just a shame the ghastly sound effects weren’t improved at the same time!
How Much to Hustle?
The simple structure of 3 reels and a single payline probably isn’t going to attract the pool sharks amongst you, but it’s perfect for casual fans of the game and those of you with small bankrolls. That’s because the value of coins can be adjusted from a low limit of 0.25 up to a maximum of just 2.00 credits, while those of you who prefer to up the stakes can play with two coins active, meaning your stake will range between 0.50 and 4.00 credits every spin.
Despite the low limits, there is a top prize of 800 or 2,000 coins up for grabs, dependant on whether you play with one or two coins active, however, there are no bonus features to help you rack up wins which is rather disappointing.
Solids or Stripes?
While you normally wouldn’t care whether you get solids or stripes at a real table, it’s stripes you’ll be crossing your fingers for while playing this free 8 Ball slots game as the balls have been grouped on the pay table – solids are the least valuable, stripes are worth considerably more, while the flaming black eight ball is the highest-paying symbol and worth most of all.
How much you win will depend on whether you’ve staked one or two coins with rewards of 30 or 60 coins on offer for lining up a trio of yellow one or blue two balls, a trio of red three or purple four balls will earn you 40 or 80 coins, sink a trio of orange fives or green sixes and you’ll collect 50 or 100 coins, while brown sevens are worth 60 or 120 coins.
The same amount is on offer for a trio of nine balls, potting tens or elevens adds 70 or 140 coins to your balance, twelves or thirteens disappearing in the pockets is a sight worth 80 or 160 coins, while making sets of fourteen or fifteen balls vanish from the table will earn you 100 or 200 coins.
As all avid pool players know, it’s the black ball that is most important as you can sink all your group of balls only to come unstuck on the eight ball, hence why it can be found at the top of the pay table here. Designed as if it’s been engulfed in flames, things really heat up whenever you line up three of them as you collect either 800 or 2,000 coins.
There are also some interesting combinations that can be made to keep the wins flowing as you strive for three-of-a-kind combinations with 2 or 4 coins on offer for lining up any combination of solids, while any combination of striped balls is worth 5 or 10 coins.
Rack up Even More Excitement
It’s always great fun playing pool whenever you’re gliding around the table effortlessly sinking balls in the heart of the pockets, but frustration quickly sets in whenever you’re slumped in your chair watching your opponent break and dish rack after rack. Unfortunately, you’ll be experiencing similar feelings while playing the 8 Ball video slot as the basic gameplay and lack of bonus features wear thin after a few spins, however, you’ll be chuffed to hear that there are a couple of very exciting alternatives which will have you eagerly chalking your cue.
You better dress to impress if you decide to put your potting skills to the test in Cool Pool as you’ll be facing waistcoat-wearing opponents who take as much pride in their appearance as they do in beating fellow hustlers. Powered using software by Nuworks, it’s a 5-reeled slot with 25 adjustable paylines that focuses on 9 ball pool and offers players the chance to secure up to 9 free games with a 9x multiplier, there is a Win-Win feature for frustrating features that culminate in a prize worth 10x your stake or less, plus there are three jackpots that can be won completely at random – scoop the Major and you’ll feel like you’ve just potted your way to a tournament victory!
To prove you’re a master cueist, you’ll have to make a splash in the ocean to pay the Pool Shark a visit. Developed by Habanero, this billiards-themed slot sees you put real cash on the line as you take on a skilful hammerhead and shark in an underwater battle of the balls while air bubbles rise to the surface and lobsters serve up refreshments. The shark’s razor-sharp teeth might make you feel anxious about clearing the table and declaring victory, but he’s not a sore loser and you’ll find him helping you to big wins as he appears on the second, third and fourth reels as a Wild symbol that double while substituting, plus there are big Scatter wins worth up to 200x your stake on offer for lining up those 8 balls.
Pot Your Way to Riches
You’re not going to amass the kind of riches that Efren Reyes, a legendary pool player who many considered to be the greatest of all time, has during illustrious career at the table, but the payouts on offer in 8 Ball offer ample opportunity to fill your pockets despite the exclusion of bonus features.
