An 8-ball can refer to two different things, depending on the context.
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In the game of pool, eight-ball (also spelled 8-ball or eightball) is a discipline of pool played on a billiard table with six pockets, cue sticks, and sixteen billiard balls. The object balls include seven solid-colored balls numbered 1 through 7, seven striped balls numbered 9 through 15, and the black 8 ball.
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In drug culture, an 8-ball is a slang term for approximately an eighth of an ounce (ranging from 3 to 3.5 grams) of an illegal drug, most often cocaine. An 8 ball of cocaine looks like a small, round ball or pellet of white powder, and it is usually sold in plastic bags, but can also be found wrapped in tin foil or cellophane. The color and texture of an 8 ball depend on how it was manufactured. Most are snow white with a powdery texture. This powder is then cut with other substances, such as baking soda or procaine (an injectable local anesthetic), before being sold.
