Rack the balls in a triangle for 8-ball
Place the 8-ball in the center of the triangle
Put one solid and one stripe in the back corners
Keep the other balls mixed randomly
Place the apex ball on the foot spot
Push the balls tightly together
Use a rack to keep the formation tight
Remove the rack carefully after setting
For 9-ball, rack the balls in a diamond
Place the 1-ball at the front
Place the 9-ball in the center
Put the other balls in random order
Align the front ball on the foot spot
Tighten the rack before breaking