White with a blue stripe, the ten is the striped counterpart of the solid blue two ball. Its design is orderly and balanced: blue around the middle, white at either end, and the first two-digit number that quietly announces the arrival of the higher-numbered half of the set.

The Ten is dependable and relatively free of drama. It has never needed a superstition, a starring role in another game, or a famous expression built around it. It shows up, gets hit, travels where physics dictates, and waits for the next rack. Ten out of ten.