Is playing pool or snooker haram?
No, playing pool or snooker is not haram in itself. Both are skill games of angles and control, with no dice or luck deciding the result. They become a problem when money is staked on frames, when you play in places built around alcohol, or when the game keeps you from prayer.
Skill, not dice
The Prophet ﷺ strongly warned against the dice game nardashir (an early form of backgammon), saying whoever plays it is like someone who dips his hand in pork and pig's blood (Sahih Muslim 2260). Scholars linked that warning mainly to dice, where chance decides the outcome. Pool and snooker have no dice. Your cue, your eye and your practice decide who wins, which is why most scholars treat them like other skill games. See Is it haram to play chess?
Where you play matters
Many pool tables sit in pubs and bars, and snooker halls often have a bar too. The Quran explains why alcohol and gambling are dangerous together:
A family games room, a sports centre, a student union area or a table at home are easier places to enjoy the game. See Can I go to a bar with friends if I only drink soda?
"Money games"
Pool halls are known for playing "for a tenner a rack". If both players stake money and the winner takes it, that's gambling, even between friends. Playing for fun, for a trophy, or in a tournament where the prize comes from a sponsor rather than the players' stakes is fine for most scholars. See Is sports betting haram?
The same principle applies to card games: no stakes, no problem with the money side. See Can I still play poker with friends as a Muslim if we don't bet money?
Keep it a hobby
Snooker frames can run long and a night at the pool hall can disappear fast. Pray before you start, take a break when the next prayer comes in, and don't let the table become a place where you spend hours you'd later regret. Used well, it's a relaxing game that's good for focus and friendship.
- Pool and snooker are permissible skill games.
- The hadith against nardashir concerns dice and chance.
- Avoid bars and money games.
- Don't let long sessions push prayers out of their time.
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