What do Mary, Queen of Scots; Napoleon; Abraham Lincoln; Mark Twain; and Fast Eddie from the 1961 film 'The Hustler' all have in common? They all played forms of pool. The game, defined by the practice of using a cue to hit a striker ball into other balls, originated in 15th-century Europe, and exists in many different variations. While top players practice for hours every day and can earn six-figure salaries, you can enjoy a casual game at home or in a pool hall even if you aren't an expert.
Unless otherwise noted, all games are played on a pool table with 6 pockets with a rack of 15 balls, numbered 1 - 15, 7 solid colored (1-7), 7 striped colors (9-15) and one black (8) ball and are played by two opponents (though each opponent may be made up of more than one player (partners)) and initial racks are made with the apex ball placed on. Billiards games are considered to be in the classification of cue sports, or pool games. Some types of billiards games are: cut throat, eight ball, nine ball, pocket billiards or straight pool, and English billiards. English billiards was the main billiard game played in Britain from 1770 until 1920. Snooker became more popular in Britain after.
The following is a list of games drawn from a book entitled 'International Tournament Pool', publisher and author unknown, and are not in any particular order, in addition I have listed a couple of popular games that I have also seen that are not. In fact, playing our billiards games is like having an entire billiards hall at your fingertips! Go from playing a round of traditional 8-ball to glowing, lightning arcade Biiliards in seconds! For advanced sharks, we even have 9-ball games available in varying difficulty levels, from beginner to expert. A billiard, a type of shot in cue sports (see below) Billiards: cue sports in general, including pool, carom billiards, snooker, English billiard etc.; the term 'billiards' by itself is also sometimes used to refer to any of the following more specifically: Carom billiards (also known as French billiards), games in general (a chiefly non. There are actually many different games you can play on a billiards table. Below you'll find 10 different types of games you may not have heard of along with instructions on how to play.
When Pool Is -- And Isn't -- Pool
When elegantly dressed gentlemen in British television series such as 'Downton Abbey' retire after dinner to play a game that looks somewhat like pool, it's not actually pool; it's billiards, a game that does not involve sinking balls in pockets but rather striking them against railings and other balls. Another cue sport, snooker, was invented by British soldiers in India, and is played on a slightly larger table than pool, using more balls. Genuine pool, sometimes called 'pocket billiards,' uses a distinctive 9-by-4.5-foot table with pockets in the four corners and a side pocket at the middle of each of the two long sides.
Types Of Billiards Games Skittles
Behind the Eight Ball
The vernacular phrase 'behind the eight ball,' meaning in a bad position, originates from the classic pool game of 'eight ball.' This game is played with 15 numbered balls, seven solid and seven striped, and a black eight ball, initially assembled in a triangular rack. The object of the game is to sink all seven balls of your type, then the eight ball. If you accidentally sink the eight ball while one of your other balls is still out on the table, you lose. All shots must be called; in other words, you need to say which ball you are shooting into which pocket for the shot to count. Eight ball is featured in most pool tournaments due to the high skill required in making called shots.
Black Ball
Black ball is eight ball made easy. The main difference is that you do not need to call your shots in black ball. You can send your target ball careening wildly around the table, and if it lands in any random pocket it still counts. This variant on eight ball is popular for casual or friendly pool, or family gatherings.
Straight Pool for Straight Shooters
Straight pool uses 15 balls, starting in a triangular rack. To score, you can choose to sink any ball in any pocket, but you must call your shot, by specifying, for example, 12 ball in the corner pocket. You are awarded one point for each ball you sink. The player who has the highest score when the table is cleared wins. For a longer game, when only one ball remains on the table, you can re-rack all the balls and keep on playing until an agreed-upon score, such as 150 points, is reached.
Types Of Billiard Games Descriptions
Nine Ball and Numerical Order
Free Billiards Games
The game of nine ball uses nine sequentially numbered balls starting in a diamond-shaped rack. The balls must be pocketed in order, using called shots. The player who successfully pockets the nine ball wins.