The game of English billiards is played on a relatively large table, usually 6 feet 1.5 inches by 12 feet (1.9 by 3.7 m); it is played with three balls as in carom-a plain white, a white with a spot, and a red. The game is played with 22 balls, made up of one white ball (the cue ball), 15 red balls, and six numbered coloured balls including one yellow 2, one green 3, one brown 4, one blue 5, one pink 6, and one black (valued at 7 points). There are three ways of scoring: (1) the losing hazard, or loser, is a stroke in which the striker’s cue ball is pocketed after contact with another ball; (2) the winning hazard, or pot, is a stroke in which a ball other than the striker’s cue ball is pocketed after contact with another ball; (3) the cannon, or carom, is a scoring sequence in which the striker’s cue ball contacts the two other balls successively or simultaneously. Racking should be standard: one ball at the apex position, two in the lower first corner, three at the lower other corners, and nine in the middle of the triangle.
In a variety of the game called three-cushion billiards, the cue ball must also touch a cushion or cushions three or more times to complete a carom. The cue is a tapered rod of polished wood or synthetic material, ranging in length from about 40 to 60 inches (100 to 150 cm). The break shot starts the game, where a player strikes the racked balls with the cue ball. Find your nearest location and head down to practice your shot and sink some balls. And note down the number of shots they take to do so. You must strike down on the cue ball, and the jump must be executed legally. Chalk in small cubes is applied uniformly to the cue tip permitting the players to strike the cue ball off centre on purpose in order to impart a spinning motion, called “side” in Great Britain and “English” in the United States.
The small end of the cue, with which the ball is struck, is fitted with a plastic, fibre, or ivory reinforcement to which is cemented a leather cue tip. A shot is legal if the cue ball makes contact with an object ball and a ball is potted, or if the cue ball hits an object ball directly. In most billiard games, points are assigned to the object ball, but points/scores are not assigned to object balls in the eight ball game. The cue ball is white, while object balls come in different colors and numbers, depending on the game being played. Tables come in various sizes, but regulation sizes are common for competitive play. Back in the 1800s, what is billiards there were “pool rooms” where people would come together to bet on horse races. The cues were called “billiart,” and the ball was called a “bille.” No one knows who the exact inventor of the game was, but there have been plenty of contributors to the game throughout history. Billiards and snooker share similarities but also have distinct differences in terms of table size, rules, and gameplay strategies. In this article, we’ll take you through the basic rules, techniques, and strategies to help you get started on your billiards journey.
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