Pool games can easily be a distraction to those surfing the Internet. I remember a long time ago, working at my desk at work job during the Holiday season, on a completely dead Sunday. I mean, so dead that people were literally falling asleep in the break room. I distracted myself by finding this cool billiards game on a website, playing for hours on end while I was setting up trick shots. Well, you're bound to have a lot of fun as well when you discover Bankshot Billiards, one of the latest offerings from MSN Games.

The game's just like it should be, emulating the casual game of pool in a beautiful environment. You can choose from a number of different games, and either play solo against the computer or against a friend. The games include: 8-ball, 9-ball, cutthroat, Euro 8-ball, 14.1 continuous, 3 ball, trick shots, time trial, and golf. Each one has their particular set of rules but nothing baffling, as it is easily explained in the game's very compatible menu system.

MSN has done some great work putting together this package. The look of the game is absolutely smooth, complete with shadows on the balls and perfect synchronicity in terms of physics and speed. The gameplay is easy enough to figure out, complete with meters to adjust for power, spin, and English, if you're up for putting a little finesse on your game. And the music, while not my favored type of tunes, can be customized so you can make your listening experience a little better. As far as gameplay, it mostly works, although some may be annoyed by the arrows that appear on the screen, directing you to the ball's path into the pocket. This may make the game too easy for some.

Bankshot Billiards also attempts to make the pool experience a bit personal for its player, by giving you the opportunity to customize a few things. You can change the design of your stick, which is easily noticeable as you take your shots. You can also change the table color, giving a flair to the look of it. It's touches like these that make you feel more at home, and the number of options you can mess with in each game are wonderful as well.

Bottom line, Bankshot Billiards is a great game of online billiards and it's bound to be quite a distraction for you and your friends if you just don't feel like going to a smoky bar to get your game on. Grab your stick and cue up for it. Bankshot Billiards is available for free trial and download at MSN Games.

Helpful Tip: If you are new to the game of pool, or if you find it all a bit tricky, use the arrows provided to help line up the most successful shots!