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. 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. 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.

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.