Solids are full color ball. Stripes have a white stripe through the middle of the ball. There solids and 6 stripes. There is 7 solids and 6 stripes for a reason. The 8 ball is a solid if it was a stripe it would be 6 solids and 7 stripes. You hit the 8 ball in last even though you hit only stripes in. There is a thing called brake in the beginning of the game and what ball you hit in that's what you are.