In the video, two players take turns potting the colored balls, similar to standard 9-ball. However, they must first hit the cue ball with the colored ball before sinking it. This effectively reverses the roles, with the colored balls acting as the cue ball and the white ball becoming the object ball.

This variation demands precise cue ball control to pocket the colored balls. Players must also strategically position the white ball near corner pockets to set up subsequent shots. In two videos, the players cleared the table in just over two minutes. The video, posted on Facebook, attracted over 1.1 million views in two days.

This variation of pool has several names, including "loop pool" and "reverse pool." The reversed nature of the game, where the colored balls act as the cue ball and the white ball becomes the object ball, explains the name.

The video also gained traction on international social media platforms like Reddit, accumulating over 10,000 views in just two hours. Commenters referred to the game by various names, including "Philadelphia," "carom pool," "Polish pool," "Russian pool," and "Irish pool," indicating its global presence.

A common theme among comments was the intrigue surrounding this variation. Many expressed interest in trying it out. "I've watched many videos of Efren Reyes playing this. I tried it myself and really enjoyed it," commented user jlaz_83 on Reddit.

Traditional 9-ball pool is a popular billiard game where players pocket balls numbered 1 through 9 in sequence. Skillful cue ball control is crucial for setting up the next shot. According to the Vietnam Billiards & Snooker Federation, Vietnam has approximately 200,000 regular billiards players annually.

Xuan Binh