Illustration of a three ball pocket billiards game in early 19th century Tübingen, Germany, using a table much longer than the modern type.

Cue sports (sometimes spelled cuesports) are a wide variety of games of skill generally played with a cue stick which is used to strike billiard balls, moving them around a cloth-covered billiards table bounded by rubber cushions. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (2590x1799, 2096 KB) Tuebingen Students playing billiards - Tübinger Studenten beim Billardspiel, frühes 19. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (2590x1799, 2096 KB) Tuebingen Students playing billiards - Tübinger Studenten beim Billardspiel, frühes 19. ... Pocket billiards at a pub in Groningen, Netherlands Pocket billiards, or pool is the general term for a family of games played on a specific class of billiards table, having 6 receptacles called pockets (or holes) along the rails, in which balls are deposited as the main goal of play. ... Tübingen, Neckar front. ... A game of skill is a game where the outcome is determined mainly by mental and/or physical skill, rather than by pure chance. ... A cue stick or simply cue, is an item of sporting equipment essential to the games of billiards, pool and snooker. ... A close-up picture of pool balls // US Billiard balls In the US, Billiard balls are balls used to play the game of US billiards. ... Baize is a coarse woollen or cotton cloth, often coloured red or green. ... Larger tables may require multiple lamps to properly light the playing surface. ... The following is a glossary of traditional terms used in the three main cue sport disciplines: pocket billiards (pool), which denotes a host of games played on a table with six pockets such as straight pool, eight-ball, nine-ball, one-pocket and bank pool; carom billiards referring to the...

Historically, the umbrella term was billiards. While that familiar name is still employed by some as a generic label for all such games, the word's usage has splintered into more exclusive competing meanings among certain groups and geographic regions. For example, in the United Kingdom, "billiards" refers exclusively to a specific game, while in the United States it is sometimes used to refer to a particular game or class of games, or to all cue games in general, depending upon dialect and context.

There are three major subdivisions of games within cue sports: 1) carom billiards, referring to games played on tables without pockets, including among others balkline and straight rail, cushion caroms, three-cushion billiards and artistic billiards; 2) pocket billiards (or "pool") generally played on a table with six pockets, including among others 8-ball (the world's most widely played cue sport), nine-ball, straight pool, one-pocket and bank pool; and 3) snooker, which while technically a pocket billiards game, is generally classified separately based on its historic divergence from other games, as well as a separate culture and terminology that characterize its play. More obscurely, there are games that make use of obstacles and targets, and table-top games played with disks instead of balls. Carambole billiards (or carom) is a billiards game possibly developed in the 18th century in France, though the exact date of invention is not clear. ... The following is a glossary of traditional terms used in the three main cue sport disciplines: pocket billiards (pool), which denotes a host of games played on a table with six pockets such as straight pool, eight-ball, nine-ball, one-pocket and bank pool; carom billiards referring to the... Inset from School of Recreation, 1710. ... Jacob Schaefer, Sr. ... Carambole billiards (or carom) is a billiards game possibly developed in the 18th century in France, though the exact date of invention is not clear. ... Paul Gauguins Night Café at Arles (1888) Artistic billiards, sometimes called fantasy billiards or fantaisie classique, is a carom billiards discipline in which players compete at performing 76 preset shots of varying difficulty. ... Pocket billiards at a pub in Groningen, Netherlands Pocket billiards, or pool is the general term for a family of games played on a specific class of billiards table, having 6 receptacles called pockets (or holes) along the rails, in which balls are deposited as the main goal of play. ... A correct nine ball rack Nine ball is a contemporary variation of pocket billiards, with historical beginnings rooted in the United States and traceable to the 1920s. ... A straight pool rack, right before the opening break. ... Please wikify (format) this article as suggested in the Guide to layout and the Manual of Style. ... Bank pool has been gaining popularity in recent years. ... Snooker is a cue sport that is played on a large baize-covered table with pockets in each of the four corners and in the middle of each of the long side cushions. ...

Billiards has a long and rich history stretching from its inception in the 15th century; to the wrapping of the body of Mary, Queen of Scots in her billiard table cover in 1586; through its many mentions in the works of Shakespeare, including the famous line "let us to billiards" in Antony and Cleopatra (1606-07); to the dome on Thomas Jefferson's home Monticello, which conceals a billiard room he hid, as billiards was illegal in Virginia at that time; and through the many famous enthusiasts of the sport including, Mozart, King Louis XIV of France, Marie Antoinette, Napoleon, Abraham Lincoln, Mark Twain, George Washington, Charles Dickens, George Custer, Theodore Roosevelt, Lewis Carroll, W.C. Fields, Babe Ruth, Bob Hope, Jackie Gleason, and many others. Mary, Queen of Scots is the name of: Mary I of Scotland, the former queen of France and Scotland executed by her cousin Elizabeth I of England Mary, Queen of Scots (movie), a 1971 film about that queen starring Vanessa Redgrave Mary, Queen of Scots (1969 book), a 1969 book... Shakespeare redirects here. ... Anthony and Cleopatra, by Lawrence Alma-Tadema. ... Monticello, located near Charlottesville, Virginia, was the estate of Thomas Jefferson, the principal author of the United States Declaration of Independence, the third President of the United States, and founder of the University of Virginia. ... “Mozart” redirects here. ... Louis XIV King of France and Navarre By Hyacinthe Rigaud (1701) Louis XIV (Louis-Dieudonné) (September 5, 1638–September 1, 1715) reigned as King of France and King of Navarre from May 14, 1643 until his death. ... Marie-Antoinette, Queen of France and Archduchess of Austria (born November 1755 – executed 16 October 1793) Daughter of Maria Theresa of Austria, wife of Louis XVI and mother of Louis XVII. She was guillotined at the height of the French Revolution. ... Napoléon I, Emperor of the French (born Napoleone di Buonaparte, changed his name to Napoléon Bonaparte)[1] (15 August 1769; Ajaccio, Corsica – 5 May 1821; Saint Helena) was a general during the French Revolution, the ruler of France as First Consul (Premier Consul) of the French Republic from... For other uses, see Abraham Lincoln (disambiguation). ... Samuel Langhorne Clemens (November 30, 1835 – April 21, 1910),[1] better known by the pen name Mark Twain, was an American humorist, satirist, lecturer and writer. ... George Washington (February 22, 1732 – December 14, 1799)[1] led Americas Continental Army to victory over Britain in the American Revolutionary War (1775–1783), and in 1789 was elected the first President of the United States of America. ... “Dickens” redirects here. ... George Armstrong Custer George Armstrong Custer (December 5, 1839 - June 25, 1876) was an American cavalry commander in the Civil War and the Indian Wars who is best remembered for his defeat and death at the Battle of the Little Bighorn against a coalition of Native American tribes, led by... Theodore Roosevelt, Jr. ... Charles Lutwidge Dodgson (Lewis Carroll) – believed to be a self-portrait Charles Lutwidge Dodgson (IPA: ) (January 27, 1832 – January 14, 1898), better known by the pen name Lewis Carroll, was an English author, mathematician, logician, Anglican clergyman and photographer. ... W. C. Fields (January 29, 1880 - December 25, 1946) was an American comedian and actor. ... George Herman Ruth, Jr. ... Bob Hope, KBE (May 29, 1903 – July 27, 2003), born Leslie Townes Hope, was an English-Born American entertainer who appeared in vaudeville, on Broadway, on radio and television, in movies, and in performing tours for U.S. Military personnel, well known for his good natured humor and career longevity. ... Herbert John Jackie Gleason (February 26, 1916 - June 24, 1987) was an American comedian and actor. ...

History

Inset from School of Recreation, 1710. "We perceive from the engraving of the Billiards of the seventtenth [sic] century, that the game was altogether different from what it is now."^[1]

All cue sports are generally regarded to have evolved into indoor games from outdoor stick-and-ball lawn games^[2], and as such to be related to croquet and golf, and more distantly to the stickless bocce and bowling. The word "billiard" may have evolved from the French word billart, meaning "mace", an implement similar to a golf club, which was the forerunner to the modern cue. The term "cue sports" can be used to encompass the ancestral mace games, and even the modern cueless variants, such as finger pool, for historical reasons.. Image File history File links Size of this preview: 713 × 600 pixel Image in higher resolution (1426 × 1200 pixel, file size: 533 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Cue sport Balkline... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 713 × 600 pixel Image in higher resolution (1426 × 1200 pixel, file size: 533 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Cue sport Balkline... Winslow Homer: Croquet, 1864 Croquet is a recreational game and, latterly, a competitive sport that involves hitting wooden or plastic balls with a mallet through hoops embedded into the grass playing arena. ... This article is about the sport. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Vince R. releases the ball. ... Golf club can mean several things: For the piece of sports equipment, see golf club (equipment) For an organization (whether non-profit or for profit) enrolling members and maintaining a golf course for their use, see country club. ...

Accordingly, in addition to the three general subdivisions listed earlier, a now rare obstacle category was prevalent in early times. The obstacle games (see illustration to the right, featuring a croquet-like variant), appear to have been the earliest,^{[citation needed]} and include the obsolete bagatelle and pin pool among many other variations, some with elaborate structures (likely inspirational of miniature golf), and yet others on a sloped table (the ancestors of pinball), up to the relatively recent bumper pool (popular in the 1970s in home game rooms). Bagatelle (from French by way of the Italian bagattella, a trifle) is a game, the object of which is to get a number of balls past pins (which act as obstacles) into holes. ... Putt-Putt redirects here. ... Bumper pool is a casual billiards game played on an octagonal or rectangular table with one pocket centered on each end. ... A recreation room (also known as a rec room) is a room used for a variety of purposes, such as parties, games and other everyday or casual use. ...

The object of obstacle games varies from avoiding obstructions and traps, to hitting or passing through or into them on purpose to score, to using them strategically to score in some other way, such as by rebounding off them to reach a hole in the table or trapping opponents' balls.^{[citation needed]}

The early croquet-like games eventually led to the development of the carom or carambole billiards category — what most non-US and non-UK speakers mean by the word "billiards". These games, which once completely dominated the cue sports world but have declined markedly in most areas over the last few generations, are games played with three or sometimes four balls, on a table without holes (or obstructions in most cases, five-pins being an exception), in which the goal is generally to strike one object (target) ball with a cue ball, then have the cue ball rebound off of one or more of the cushions and strike a second ball. Variations include three-cushion, straight rail, balkline variants, cushion caroms, Italian five-pins, and four-ball, among others. Carambole billiards (or carom) is a billiards game possibly developed in the 18th century in France, though the exact date of invention is not clear. ... Five-pins (Italian cinque birilli), also known as five-pin billiards or Italian billiards (It. ... The following is a glossary of traditional terms used in the three main cue sport disciplines: pocket billiards (pool), which denotes a host of games played on a table with six pockets such as straight pool, eight-ball, nine-ball, one-pocket and bank pool; carom billiards referring to the... The following is a glossary of traditional terms used in the three main cue sport disciplines: pocket billiards (pool), which denotes a host of games played on a table with six pockets such as straight pool, eight-ball, nine-ball, one-pocket and bank pool; carom billiards referring to the... Concern has been expressed that this article or section is missing information about: . The specific information has been noted on the talk page where it may be discussed whether to include it. ... Carambole billiards (or carom) is a billiards game developed in the 18th century in France. ... Concern has been expressed that this article or section is missing information about: . The specific information has been noted on the talk page where it may be discussed whether to include it. ... Jacob Schaefer, Sr. ... Five-pins (Italian cinque birilli), also known as five-pin billiards or Italian billiards (It. ... There are two similar yet distinct carom billiard games known as 4-ball. ...

Over time, a type of obstacle returned, originally as a hazard and later as a target, in the form of pockets, or holes partly cut into the table bed and partly into the cushions, leading to the rise of pocket billiards, especially "pool" games, popular around the world in forms such as eight-ball, nine-ball, straight pool and one-pocket amongst numerous others. The terms "pool" and "pocket billiards" are now virtually interchangeable, especially in the US. English billiards (what UK speakers almost invariably mean by the word "billiards") is a hybrid carom/pocket game, and as such is likely fairly close to the ancestral original pocket billiards outgrowth from eighteenth- to early nineteenth-century carom games. Larger tables may require multiple lamps to properly light the playing surface. ... Pocket billiards at a pub in Groningen, Netherlands Pocket billiards, or pool is the general term for a family of games played on a specific class of billiards table, having 6 receptacles called pockets (or holes) along the rails, in which balls are deposited as the main goal of play. ... Eight ball players Eight ball is a billiards game played with a cue ball and 15 billiard balls on a pool table with 6 pockets. ... A correct nine ball rack Nine ball is a contemporary variation of pocket billiards, with historical beginnings rooted in the United States and traceable to the 1920s. ... A straight pool rack, right before the opening break. ... Please wikify (format) this article as suggested in the Guide to layout and the Manual of Style. ... A snooker table English Billiards is a form of billiards played on a 6 × 12 rectangular table with pockets in the four corners and in the middle of the long sides (see Snooker for markings and a diagram). ... (17th century - 18th century - 19th century - more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 18th century refers to the century that lasted from 1701 through 1800. ... Alternative meaning: Nineteenth Century (periodical) (18th century — 19th century — 20th century — more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 19th century was that century which lasted from 1801-1900 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar. ...

As a sport

At least the games with regulated international professional competition have been referred to as "sports" or "sporting" events, not simply "games", since 1893 at the latest.^[3] Quite a variety of particular games (i.e. sets of rules and equipment) are the subject of present-day competition, including many of those already mentioned, with competition being especially broad in nine-ball, snooker, three-cushion and eight-ball...

Snooker, though technically a pocket billiards variant and closely related in its equipment and origin to the game of English billiards, is a professional sport organized at the international level, and its rules bear little resemblance to those of pool games. Snooker is a cue sport that is played on a large baize-covered table with pockets in each of the four corners and in the middle of each of the long side cushions. ...

A "Billiards" category encompassing pool, snooker and carom was featured in the 2005 World Games, held in Duisburg, Germany, and the 2006 Asian Games also saw the introduction of a "Cue sports" category. Efforts have also been underway for many years to have cue sports become Olympic competitions.^{[citation needed]} IWGA logo The World Games, first held in 1981, are an international multi-sport event, meant for sports that are not contested in the Olympic Games. ... Duisburg is a German city and port in the western part of the Ruhr Area (Ruhrgebiet) in North Rhine-Westphalia. ... Asian Games Logo The Asian Games, also called the Asiad, is a multi-sport event held every four years among athletes from all over Asia. ... The cue sports of snooker, English billiards, carom three cushion for men as well as Eight-ball pool and Nine-ball pool for both men and women were contested at the 2006 Asian Games in Doha, Qatar from December 4 to December 11. ... Olympic Games Summer Olympic Games Medal count Winter Olympic Games Medal count Olympic sports Medal counts Participating NOCs Olympic symbols Olympics WikiProject Olympics Portal Athens 2004 • Beijing 2008 Torino 2006 • Vancouver 2010 ...

Equipment

Billiard balls

Main article: Billiard balls

Pool balls

Billiard balls vary from game to game, in size, design and number. Carom billiards balls are larger than pool balls, and come as a set of two cue balls (one colored or marked) and an object ball (or two object balls in the case of the game four-ball also known as yotsudama). American-style pool balls, used in any pool game and found throughout the world, come in sets of two suits of object balls, seven solids and seven stripes, an 8 ball and a cue ball; the balls are racked differently for different games (some of which do not use the entire ball set). Blackball (English-style eight-ball) sets are similar, but have unmarked groups of red (or blue) and yellow balls instead of solids and stripes, and are smaller than the American-style; they are used principally in Britain, Ireland, and some Commonwealth countries, though not exclusively, since they are unsuited for playing nine-ball. Snooker balls are also smaller than American-style pool balls, and come in sets of 22 (fifteen reds, 6 "colours", and a cue ball). Other games also have custom ball sets, such as Russian pyramid and bumper pool. A close-up picture of pool balls // US Billiard balls In the US, Billiard balls are balls used to play the game of US billiards. ... Download high resolution version (1024x768, 147 KB) Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Download high resolution version (1024x768, 147 KB) Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... There are two similar yet distinct carom billiard games known as 4-ball. ... The following is a glossary of traditional terms used in the three main cue sport disciplines: pocket billiards (pool), which denotes a host of games played on a table with six pockets such as straight pool, eight-ball, nine-ball, one-pocket and bank pool; carom billiards referring to the... The following is a glossary of traditional terms used in the three main cue sport disciplines: pocket billiards (pool), which denotes a host of games played on a table with six pockets such as straight pool, eight-ball, nine-ball, one-pocket and bank pool; carom billiards referring to the... The following is a glossary of traditional terms used in the three main cue sport disciplines: pocket billiards (pool), which denotes a host of games played on a table with six pockets such as straight pool, eight-ball, nine-ball, one-pocket and bank pool; carom billiards referring to the... The following is a glossary of traditional terms used in the three main cue sport disciplines: pocket billiards (pool), which denotes a host of games played on a table with six pockets such as straight pool, eight-ball, nine-ball, one-pocket and bank pool; carom billiards referring to the... The following is a glossary of traditional terms used in the three main cue sport disciplines: pocket billiards (pool), which denotes a host of games played on a table with six pockets such as straight pool, eight-ball, nine-ball, one-pocket and bank pool; carom billiards referring to the... The following is a glossary of traditional terms used in the three main cue sport disciplines: pocket billiards (pool), which denotes a host of games played on a table with six pockets such as straight pool, eight-ball, nine-ball, one-pocket and bank pool; carom billiards referring to the... The following is a glossary of traditional terms used in the three main cue sport disciplines: pocket billiards (pool), which denotes a host of games played on a table with six pockets such as straight pool, eight-ball, nine-ball, one-pocket and bank pool; carom billiards referring to the... The following is a glossary of traditional terms used in the three main cue sport disciplines: pocket billiards (pool), which denotes a host of games played on a table with six pockets such as straight pool, eight-ball, nine-ball, one-pocket and bank pool; carom billiards referring to the... The following is a glossary of traditional terms used in the three main cue sport disciplines: pocket billiards (pool), which denotes a host of games played on a table with six pockets such as straight pool, eight-ball, nine-ball, one-pocket and bank pool; carom billiards referring to the... This article needs additional references or sources for verification. ... The following is a glossary of traditional terms used in the three main cue sport disciplines: pocket billiards (pool), which denotes a host of games played on a table with six pockets such as straight pool, eight-ball, nine-ball, one-pocket and bank pool; carom billiards referring to the... Russian Billiards pyramid. ... Bumper pool is a casual billiards game played on an octagonal or rectangular table with one pocket centered on each end. ...

Billiard balls have been made from many different materials since the start of the game, including clay, bakelite, celluloid, crystalite, ivory, plastic, steel and wood. The dominant material from 1627 until the early to mid 1900s was ivory. The search for a substitute for ivory use was not for environmental concerns but based on economic motivation and fear of danger for elephant hunters. It was in part spurred on by a New York billiard table manufacturer who announced a prize of $10,000 for a substitute material. The first viable substitute was celluloid, invented by John Wesley Hyatt in 1868, but the material was volatile, sometimes exploding during manufacture and was highly flammable.^[4][5] Celluloid is the name of a class of compounds created from nitrocellulose and camphor, plus dyes and other agents, generally regarded to be the first thermoplastic. ... John Wesley Hyatt (November 28, 1837 – 1920) was a U.S. inventor. ...

Pool table with equipment

I took this picture May 8, 2004--only modification is cropping. ... I took this picture May 8, 2004--only modification is cropping. ...

Tables

Main article: Billiards table

Carom billiards table in a Parisian café.

There are many sizes and styles of pool and billiard tables. Generally, tables are rectangles twice as long as they are wide. Most pool tables are known as 7-, 8-, or 9-footers, referring to the length of the table's long side. Full-size snooker and English billiard tables are 12 feet (3.7 m) long on the longest side. Pool halls tend to have 9 foot (2.7 m) tables and cater to the serious pool player. Pubs will typically use 7 foot (2.1 m) tables which are often coin-operated. Formerly, 10 foot (3 m) tables were common, but such tables are now considered antique collectors items; a few, usually from the late 1800s, can be found in pool halls from time to time. Ten-foot tables remain the standard size for carom billiard games. The slates on modern carom tables are usually heated to stave off moisture and provide a consistent playing surface. Larger tables may require multiple lamps to properly light the playing surface. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixel Image in higher resolution (2560 × 1920 pixel, file size: 1. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixel Image in higher resolution (2560 × 1920 pixel, file size: 1. ... City flag City coat of arms Motto: Fluctuat nec mergitur (Latin: Tossed by the waves, she does not sink) The Eiffel Tower in Paris, as seen from the esplanade du Trocadéro. ... Larger tables may require multiple lamps to properly light the playing surface. ... In geometry, a rectangle is a defined as a quadrilateral polygon in which all four angles are right angles. ... A pool halll is a place where people get together for playing pool, snooker or billiards. ...

The length of the pool table will typically be a function of space, with many homeowners purchasing an 8 foot (2.4 m) table as a compromise. High quality tables are mostly 4.5 by 9 ft (2.7 m). (interior dimensions), with a bed made of three pieces of thick slate to prevent warping and changes due to humidity. Smaller bar tables are most commonly made with a single piece of slate. Pocket billiards tables normally have six pockets, three on each side (four corner pockets, and two side pockets).

Cloth

Women playing on an elaborately decorated green-covered table in an early 1880s advertising poster

All types of tables are covered with billiard cloth (often called "felt", but actually a woven wool or wool/nylon blend called baize). Cloth has been used to cover billiards tables since the 15th century. In fact, the predecessor company of the most famous maker of billiard cloth, Iwan Simonis, was formed in 1453. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (963x664, 402 KB) Summary Early 1880s chromolithograph poster for the J.M. Brunswick and Balke Company (printed in Chicago), depicting three ladies playing billiards while wearing the tight dress styles of ca. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (963x664, 402 KB) Summary Early 1880s chromolithograph poster for the J.M. Brunswick and Balke Company (printed in Chicago), depicting three ladies playing billiards while wearing the tight dress styles of ca. ... Baize is a coarse woollen or cotton cloth, often coloured red or green. ...

Bar or tavern tables, which get a lot of play, use "slower", more durable cloth. The cloth used in upscale billiard parlours and home billiard rooms is "faster" (i.e. provides less friction, allowing the balls to roll farther across the table bed), and competition-quality pool cloth is made from 100% worsted wool. Snooker cloth traditionally has a nap (consistent fiber directionality) and balls behave differently when rolling against versus along with the nap. The billiard room at the historic Spadina House in Toronto A billiard room (also billiards room, pool room, snooker room) is a recreation room, such as in a house or recreation center, with a billiards, pool or snooker table. ... The following is a glossary of traditional terms used in the three main cue sport disciplines: pocket billiards (pool), which denotes a host of games played on a table with six pockets such as straight pool, eight-ball, nine-ball, one-pocket and bank pool; carom billiards referring to the... Worsted is the name of both a yarn, usually made from wool, and the cloth made from this yarn. ...

The cloth of the billiard table has traditionally been green, reflecting its origin (originally the grass of ancestral lawn games), and has been so colored since the 16th century.^[6] However, the color also serves a useful function, as non-color-blind human eyes have a higher sensitivity to green than to any other color.^[7]

Rack

Main article: Rack (billiards)

A rack is the name given to a frame (usually wood or plastic) used to organize billiard balls at the beginning of a game. This is traditionally triangular in shape, but varies with the type of billiards played. There are two main types of racks; the more common triangular shape which is used for eight-ball and straight pool and the diamond shaped rack used for nine-ball. A rack is the name given to a frame (usually wood or plastic) used to organize billiard balls at the beginning of a game. ... A rack is the name given to a frame (usually wood or plastic) used to organize billiard balls at the beginning of a game. ... Trunks A tree trunk as found at the Veluwe, The Netherlands Wood is a solid material derived from woody plants, notably trees but also shrubs. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... A close-up picture of pool balls // US Billiard balls In the US, Billiard balls are balls used to play the game of US billiards. ...

Cues

Main article: Cue stick

Billiards games are mostly played with a stick known as a cue. A cue is usually either a one piece tapered stick or a two piece stick divided in the middle by a joint of metal or phenolic resin. High quality cues are generally two pieces and are made of a hardwood, generally maple for billiards and ash for snooker. A cue stick or simply cue, is an item of sporting equipment essential to the games of billiards, pool and snooker. ...

The "butt" end of the cue is of larger circumference and is intended to be gripped by a player's hand. The "shaft" of the cue is of smaller circumference, usually tapering to an 0.4 to 0.55 inch (11-14 mm) terminus called a ferrule, where a leather tip is affixed to make final contact with balls. The leather tip, in conjunction with chalk, can be used to impart spin to the cue ball when not being hit in its center.

Cheap cues are generally one piece cues made of ramin or other low quality wood with inferior tips of various materials (usually plastic). A quality cue can be expensive and may be made of exotic woods and other expensive materials which are artfully inlaid in decorative patterns. Skilled players may use more than one cue during a game, including a separate cue for the opening break shot and another, shorter cue with a special tip for jump shots.

The mechanical bridge

The mechanical bridge, sometimes called "the ladies aid", "rake", "bridge stick" or simply "bridge", and known as a "rest" in the UK, is used to extend a player's reach on a shot where the cue ball is too far away for normal hand bridging. It consists of a stick with a grooved metal or plastic head which the cue slides on. Many amateurs refuse to use the mechanical bridge based on the perception that to do so is unmanly. However, many aficionados and most professionals employ the bridge whenever the intended shot so requires. Some players, especially current or former snooker players, use a screw-on cue butt extension instead of or in addition to the mechanical bridge. Bridge head design is varied, and not all designs (especially those with cue shaft-enclosing rings, or wheels on the bottom of the head), are broadly tournament-approved. In Italy a longer, thicker cue is available for this kind of tricky shots.

Chalk

Billiard chalk

Chalk is applied to the tip of the cue stick, ideally before every shot, to increase the tip's friction coefficient so that when it impacts the cue ball on a non-center hit, no miscue (unintentional slippage between the cue tip and the struck ball) occurs. Cue tip chalk is not actually the substance typically referred to as "chalk" (generally calcium carbonate, also known as calcite or carbonate of lime), but any of several proprietary compounds, with a silicate base. "Chalk" may also refer to a cone of fine, white hand chalk; like talc (talcum powder) it can be used to reduce friction between the cue and bridge hand during shooting, for a smoother stroke. Some brands of hand chalk actually are made of compressed talc. (Tip chalk is not used for this purpose because it is abrasive, hand-staining and difficult to apply.) Many players prefer a slick pool glove over hand chalk or talc because of the messiness of these powders; buildup of particles on the cloth will affect ball behavior and necessitate more-frequent cloth cleaning. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (2272x1704, 327 KB) Description: Billiard chalk, photo taken in Sweden Source: Photo taken by Jonas Bergsten using a Canon PowerShot G3. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (2272x1704, 327 KB) Description: Billiard chalk, photo taken in Sweden Source: Photo taken by Jonas Bergsten using a Canon PowerShot G3. ... The following is a glossary of traditional terms used in the three main cue sport disciplines: pocket billiards (pool), which denotes a host of games played on a table with six pockets such as straight pool, eight-ball, nine-ball, one-pocket and bank pool; carom billiards referring to the... The Needles,situated on the Isle Of Wight, are part of the extensive Southern England Chalk Formation. ... Calcium carbonate is a chemical compound, with chemical formula CaCO3. ... Doubly refracting Calcite from Iceberg claim, Dixon, New Mexico. ... Calcium oxide (CaO), commonly known as lime, quicklime or burnt lime, is a widely used chemical compound. ... In chemistry, a silicate is a compound containing an anion in which one or more central silicon atoms are surrounded by electronegative ligands. ... The following is a glossary of traditional terms used in the three main cue sport disciplines: pocket billiards (pool), which denotes a host of games played on a table with six pockets such as straight pool, eight-ball, nine-ball, one-pocket and bank pool; carom billiards referring to the... Talc (derived from the Persian via Arabic talq) is a mineral composed of hydrated magnesium silicate with the chemical formula H2Mg3(SiO3)4 or Mg3Si4O10(OH)2. ...

Cue tip chalk (invented in its modern form by straight rail billiard pro William A. Spinks and chemist William Hoskins in 1897)^[8][9] is made by crushing silica and the abrasive substance corundum or aloxite^[9] (aluminum oxide),^[10][11] into a powder^[9] and using forced air^{[clarify][citation needed]} to achieve the desired consistency. It is combined with dye (originally and most commonly green or blue-green, like traditional billiard cloth, but available today, like the cloth, in many colors) and a binder (glue).^[9] Finally, a 15 ton-per-square-inch hydraulic press^{[citation needed]} is used to compress the "chalk" into large cakes which are dried on a rack, and then cut into small cubes, dimpled on the top to receive the cue tip, and wrapped in paper sleeves. Each manufacturer's brand has different qualities, which can significantly affect play. High humidity can also impair the effectiveness of chalk. Harder, drier compounds are generally considered superior by most players. Inset from School of Recreation, 1710. ... William A. Spinks (born 1866; died 15 January 1933, in Los Angeles, California)[1] was a professional carom billiards player in the late 1800s and early 1900s. ... The chemical compound silicon dioxide, also known as silica, is the oxide of silicon, chemical formula SiO2. ... Corundum (from Tamil kurundam) is a crystalline form of aluminium oxide and one of the rock-forming minerals. ... Aluminum is a soft and lightweight metal with a dull silvery appearance, due to a thin layer of oxidation that forms quickly when it is exposed to air. ... An oxide is a chemical compound containing an oxygen atom and other elements. ... Baize is a coarse woollen or cotton cloth, often coloured red or green. ...

Major games (carom and pocket)

Main articles: Carom billiards and Pocket billiards

There are two main varieties of billiard games: carom and pocket. The main carom billiards games are straight billiards, balkline and three cushion billiards. All are played on a pocketless table with three balls; two cue balls and one object ball. In all, players shoot a cue ball so that it makes contact with the opponent's cue ball as well as the object ball. Carambole billiards (or carom) is a billiards game possibly developed in the 18th century in France, though the exact date of invention is not clear. ... Pocket billiards at a pub in Groningen, Netherlands Pocket billiards, or pool is the general term for a family of games played on a specific class of billiards table, having 6 receptacles called pockets (or holes) along the rails, in which balls are deposited as the main goal of play. ...

The most popular of the large variety of pocket games are eight-ball, nine-ball, one-pocket, bank pool, snooker and, among the old guard, straight pool. In eight-ball and nine-ball the object is to sink object balls until one can legally pocket the winning eponymous "money ball". Well-known but waning in popularity is straight pool, in which players seek to continue sinking balls, rack after rack if they can, to reach a pre-determined winning score (typically 150). Related to nine-ball, another well-known game is rotation, where the lowest-numbered object ball on the table must be struck first, although any object ball may be pocketed (i.e., combination shot). Each pocketed ball is worth its number, and the player with the highest score at the end of the rack is the winner; since there are only 120 points available (1+2+3+4...+15 = 120), scoring 61 points leaves no opportunity for the opponent to catch up. In both one-pocket and bank pool, the players must sink a set number of balls; respectively, all in a particular pocket, or all by bank shots. In snooker, players score points by alternately potting red balls and various special "colour balls". Eight ball players Eight ball is a billiards game played with a cue ball and 15 billiard balls on a pool table with 6 pockets. ... A correct nine ball rack Nine ball is a contemporary variation of pocket billiards, with historical beginnings rooted in the United States and traceable to the 1920s. ... Please wikify (format) this article as suggested in the Guide to layout and the Manual of Style. ... This article is about the various cue sports. ... Snooker is a cue sport that is played on a large baize-covered table with pockets in each of the four corners and in the middle of each of the long side cushions. ... A straight pool rack, right before the opening break. ... An eponym is the name of a person, whether real or fictitious, who has (or is thought to have) given rise to the name of a particular place, tribe, discovery, or other item. ... The following is a glossary of traditional terms used in the three main cue sport disciplines: pocket billiards (pool), which denotes a host of games played on a table with six pockets such as straight pool, eight-ball, nine-ball, one-pocket and bank pool; carom billiards referring to the... Rotation (or rotation pool) is a pocket billiards (pool) game played using a standard pool table and standard triangular rack of fifteen (solid/stripe) billiard balls. ... The following is a glossary of traditional terms used in the three main cue sport disciplines: pocket billiards (pool), which denotes a host of games played on a table with six pockets such as straight pool, eight-ball, nine-ball, one-pocket and bank pool; carom billiards referring to the... The following is a glossary of traditional terms used in the three main cue sport disciplines: pocket billiards (pool), which denotes a host of games played on a table with six pockets such as straight pool, eight-ball, nine-ball, one-pocket and bank pool; carom billiards referring to the... The following is a glossary of traditional terms used in the three main cue sport disciplines: pocket billiards (pool), which denotes a host of games played on a table with six pockets such as straight pool, eight-ball, nine-ball, one-pocket and bank pool; carom billiards referring to the... The following is a glossary of traditional terms used in the three main cue sport disciplines: pocket billiards (pool), which denotes a host of games played on a table with six pockets such as straight pool, eight-ball, nine-ball, one-pocket and bank pool; carom billiards referring to the...

Man playing billiards with a cue and a woman with mace, from an illustration appearing in Michael Phelan's 1859 book, The Game of Billiards

Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ...

Straight rail or straight billiards

Main article: Balkline and straight rail

In straight rail, a player scores a point and may continue shooting each time his cue ball makes contact with both other balls. Inset from School of Recreation, 1710. ...

Although a difficult and subtle game, some of the best players of straight billiards developed the skill to gather the balls in a corner or along the same rail for the purpose of playing a series of nurse shots to score a seemingly limitless number of points. The following is a glossary of traditional terms used in the three main cue sport disciplines: pocket billiards (pool), which denotes a host of games played on a table with six pockets such as straight pool, eight-ball, nine-ball, one-pocket and bank pool; carom billiards referring to the... The following is a glossary of traditional terms used in the three main cue sport disciplines: pocket billiards (pool), which denotes a host of games played on a table with six pockets such as straight pool, eight-ball, nine-ball, one-pocket and bank pool; carom billiards referring to the...

The first straight rail professional tournament was held in 1879 where Jacob Schaefer, Sr. scored 690 points in a single turn^[12] (that is, 690 separate strokes without a miss). With the balls repetitively hit and barely moving in endless "nursing", there was little for the fans to watch. Jacob Schaefer, Sr. ...

Balkline

Main article: Balkline and straight rail

In light of these phenomenal skill developments in straight rail, the game of balkline soon developed to make it impossible for a player to keep the balls gathered in one part of the table for long, greatly limiting the effectiveness of nurse shots. A balkline (not to be confused with baulk line, which pertains to the game of English billiards) is a line parallel to one end of a billiards table. In the games of balkline — 18.1 and 18.2 (pronounced "eighteen-point-two") balkline, among other more obscure variations — the players have to drive at least one object ball past a balkline set at 18 inches from each rail, after one or two points have been scored, respectively. Inset from School of Recreation, 1710. ... The following is a glossary of traditional terms used in the three main cue sport disciplines: pocket billiards (pool), which denotes a host of games played on a table with six pockets such as straight pool, eight-ball, nine-ball, one-pocket and bank pool; carom billiards referring to the... The following is a glossary of traditional terms used in the three main cue sport disciplines: pocket billiards (pool), which denotes a host of games played on a table with six pockets such as straight pool, eight-ball, nine-ball, one-pocket and bank pool; carom billiards referring to the... A snooker table English Billiards is a form of billiards played on a 6 × 12 rectangular table with pockets in the four corners and in the middle of the long sides (see Snooker for markings and a diagram). ...

Three-cushion billiards

Main article: three-cushion billiards

A more elegant solution was three-cushion billiards, which requires a player to make contact with the other two balls on the table and contact three rail cushions in the process. This is difficult enough that even the best players can only manage to average one to two points per turn. Carambole billiards (or carom) is a billiards game possibly developed in the 18th century in France, though the exact date of invention is not clear. ...

English Billiards

Main article: English Billiards

Dating to approximately 1800, English Billiards is a hybrid of carom and pocket billiards played on a 6 foot (1.8 m) by 12 foot (3.7 m) table. Like most carom games, it requires two cue balls and a red object ball. The object of the game is to score either a fixed number of points, or score the most points within a set time frame, determined at the start of the game. A snooker table English Billiards is a form of billiards played on a 6 × 12 rectangular table with pockets in the four corners and in the middle of the long sides (see Snooker for markings and a diagram). ... Carambole billiards (or carom) is a billiards game possibly developed in the 18th century in France, though the exact date of invention is not clear. ... Pocket billiards at a pub in Groningen, Netherlands Pocket billiards, or pool is the general term for a family of games played on a specific class of billiards table, having 6 receptacles called pockets (or holes) along the rails, in which balls are deposited as the main goal of play. ... The following is a glossary of traditional terms used in the three main cue sport disciplines: pocket billiards (pool), which denotes a host of games played on a table with six pockets such as straight pool, eight-ball, nine-ball, one-pocket and bank pool; carom billiards referring to the... The following is a glossary of traditional terms used in the three main cue sport disciplines: pocket billiards (pool), which denotes a host of games played on a table with six pockets such as straight pool, eight-ball, nine-ball, one-pocket and bank pool; carom billiards referring to the...

Points are awarded for:

• Two-ball Cannons: striking both the object ball and the other (opponent's) cue ball on the same shot (2 points)
• Winning hazards: potting the red ball (3 points); potting the other cue ball (2 points)
• Losing hazards (or "in-offs"): potting one's cue ball by cannoning off another ball (3 points if the red ball was hit first; 2 points if the other cue ball was hit first, or if the red and other cue ball were "split", i.e. hit simultaneously).

The following is a glossary of traditional terms used in the three main cue sport disciplines: pocket billiards (pool), which denotes a host of games played on a table with six pockets such as straight pool, eight-ball, nine-ball, one-pocket and bank pool; carom billiards referring to the... The following is a glossary of traditional terms used in the three main cue sport disciplines: pocket billiards (pool), which denotes a host of games played on a table with six pockets such as straight pool, eight-ball, nine-ball, one-pocket and bank pool; carom billiards referring to the... The following is a glossary of traditional terms used in the three main cue sport disciplines: pocket billiards (pool), which denotes a host of games played on a table with six pockets such as straight pool, eight-ball, nine-ball, one-pocket and bank pool; carom billiards referring to the... The following is a glossary of traditional terms used in the three main cue sport disciplines: pocket billiards (pool), which denotes a host of games played on a table with six pockets such as straight pool, eight-ball, nine-ball, one-pocket and bank pool; carom billiards referring to the...

Snooker

Main article: Snooker

A pocket billiards game originated by British officers stationed in India during the 19th century. The name of the game became generalized to also describe one of its prime strategies: to "snooker" the opposing player by causing that player to foul or leave an opening to be exploited (see Glossary of cue sports terms - "Snooker"). Snooker is a cue sport that is played on a large baize-covered table with pockets in each of the four corners and in the middle of each of the long side cushions. ... The history of the British Army spans three centuries and numerous European, colonial and world wars. ... The following is a glossary of traditional terms used in the three main cue sport disciplines: pocket billiards (pool), which denotes a host of games played on a table with six pockets such as straight pool, eight-ball, nine-ball, one-pocket and bank pool; carom billiards referring to the... The following is a glossary of traditional terms used in the three main cue sport disciplines: pocket billiards (pool), which denotes a host of games played on a table with six pockets such as straight pool, eight-ball, nine-ball, one-pocket and bank pool; carom billiards referring to the...

In the United Kingdom, snooker is by far the most popular cue sport at the competitive level. It is played in many other countries as well. Snooker is far rarer in the U.S., where pool games such as eight-ball and nine-ball dominate.

Eight-ball

Main article: Eight-ball

Eight-ball rack

In the United States, the most commonly-played game is eight-ball. On the professional scene, eight-ball players who are on the International Pool Tour (IPT) are the highest paid players in the world^{[citation needed]}. In the United Kingdom the game is commonly played in pubs, and it is competitively played in leagues on both sides of the Atlantic. The most prestigious tournaments including the World Open are sponsored and sanctioned by the International Pool Tour. Rules vary widely from place to place. Pool halls in North America are increasingly settling upon the International Standardized Rules. But tavern eight-ball, typically played on smaller, coin-operated tables and in a "winner controls the table" manner, can differ significantly even between two venues in the same city. The growth of local, regional and national amateur leagues may alleviate this confusion eventually. The goal of eight-ball, which is played with a full rack of fifteen balls and the cue ball, is to claim a suit (commonly stripes or solids in the US, and reds or yellows in the UK), pocket all of them, then legally pocket the 8 ball, while denying one's opponent opportunities to do the same with their suit, and without sinking the 8 ball early by accident. Eight ball players Eight ball is a billiards game played with a cue ball and 15 billiard balls on a pool table with 6 pockets. ... Download high resolution version (720x697, 109 KB)This is an image I took myself using an Olympus C8080W digital camera. ... Download high resolution version (720x697, 109 KB)This is an image I took myself using an Olympus C8080W digital camera. ... Eight ball players Eight ball is a billiards game played with a cue ball and 15 billiard balls on a pool table with 6 pockets. ... The International Pool Tour is a professional sports tour created in 2005 by Kevin Trudeau. ...

Nine-ball

Main article: Nine-ball

Nine-Ball is a rotation game where only the 1 through 9 balls and cue ball are used. The player at the table must make a legal shot on the lowest numbered ball on the table or a foul is called. The game is won by legally pocketing the nine ball (which can be done by striking the lowest numbered ball first and then driving the 9 into a pocket). Nine-ball is the predominant professional game. There are many local and regional tours and tournaments that are contested with nine-ball. There is no particular governing body of Nine-ball. Most places play with a version of "Texas Express", Billiard Congress of America (BCA) or World Pool-Billiard Association (WPA) rules. The largest nine-ball tournaments are the independent US Open Nine-ball Championship and the [[WPA World Nine-ball Championship for men and women. Male professionals have a rather fragmented schedule of professional nine-ball tournaments. The United States Professional Pool Players Association (UPA) has been the most dominant association^{[citation needed]} for the last few years. Female professionals have a steady professional circuit that is governed by the Women's Professional Billiard Association (WPBA). A correct nine ball rack Nine ball is a contemporary variation of pocket billiards, with historical beginnings rooted in the United States and traceable to the 1920s. ... The Billiard Congress of America was established in 1948. ... World Pool-Billiard Association logo The World Pool-Billiard Association is the international governing body for billiards. ... The U.S. Open 9-ball is a pool championship that has since 1976, been held in Chespeake, Virginia at the Conference Centre. ... The UPA is a professional pool tour based in the United States with the mission to elevate the standards of the professional poolplayers vocation. ... The WPBA is a professional womens billiard tour based in the United States. ...

Three-ball

Main article: Three-ball

A variant using only three balls, generally played such that the player at turn continues shooting until all the balls are pocketed, and the player to do so in the fewest shots wins. The game can be played by two or more players. Dispenses with some fouls common to both nine- and eight-ball. Three Ball is a gambling game of pocket billiards, playable by any number of persons in rotation. ...

One-pocket

Main article: One-pocket

One-pocket is a strategic game for two players. Each player is assigned one of the corner pockets on the table. This is the only pocket into which he can legally pocket balls. The first player to pocket the majority of the balls (8) in his pocket wins the game. The game requires far more defensive strategy than offensive strategy, much unlike eight-ball, nine-ball, or straight pool. It has been said that if eight-ball is checkers, one-pocket is chess. This statement can be verified by watching a game of one pocket. Most times, accomplished players choose to position balls near their pocket instead of trying to actually pocket them. This allows them to control the game by forcing their opponent to be on defense instead of taking a low percentage shot that could result in a loss of game. These low percentage shots are known as "flyers" by one pocket aficionados. Please wikify (format) this article as suggested in the Guide to layout and the Manual of Style. ... starting position on a 10×10 draughts board Draughts, also known as checkers, is a group of mental sport board games between two players which involve diagonal moves of uniform pieces and mandatory captures by jumping over the enemys pieces. ... Chess is a recreational and competitive game for two players. ...

Bank pool

Main article: Bank pool

Bank pool has been gaining popularity in recent years. Bank pool can be played with a full rack (can be a long game), but is more typically played with nine balls (frequently called "nine-ball bank"). The balls are racked in nine-ball formation, but in no particular order. The object of the game is simple: to be the first player to bank five balls in any order (eight balls when played with a full rack). Penalties and fouls are similar to one pocket in that the player committing the foul must spot a ball for each foul. This must be done before the incoming player shoots. Bank pool has been gaining popularity in recent years. ...

List of cue sports

Carom billiards games

• Artistic billiards
• Balkline games (18.1, 18.2, etc.)
• Cowboy pool (a hybrid carom/pocket game)
• English billiards (a hybrid carom/pocket game)
• Five-pins
• Four-ball (yotsudama)
• Straight-rail
• Three-cushion billiards

Paul Gauguins Night Café at Arles (1888) Artistic billiards, sometimes called fantasy billiards or fantaisie classique, is a carom billiards discipline in which players compete at performing 76 preset shots of varying difficulty. ... Inset from School of Recreation, 1710. ... A pocket billiards game, circa 1800s Germany Cowboy pool, sometimes just called cowboy, is a hybrid pool game combining elements of English billiards through an intermediary game, with more standard pocket billiards characteristics. ... A snooker table English Billiards is a form of billiards played on a 6 × 12 rectangular table with pockets in the four corners and in the middle of the long sides (see Snooker for markings and a diagram). ... Five-pins (Italian cinque birilli), also known as five-pin billiards or Italian billiards (It. ... There are two similar yet distinct carom billiard games known as 4-ball. ... Inset from School of Recreation, 1710. ... Carambole billiards (or carom) is a billiards game possibly developed in the 18th century in France, though the exact date of invention is not clear. ...

Pocket billiards games

• Artistic pool and trickshot competition
• Bank pool (banks, nine-ball banks)
• Baseball pocket billiards
• Bottle pool
• Bowlliards
• Casino
• Chicago
• Chinese eight-ball
• Cowboy pool (a hybrid carom/pocket game)
• Cribbage pool
• Cutthroat
• Eight-ball (stripes-and-solids, highs-and-lows, blackball)
• English billiards (a hybrid carom/pocket game)
• Equal offense
• Golf pool (and its variant, around-the-world)
• Irish standard pool
• Kelly pool (pill/pea pool)
• Killer
• Nine-ball
• One-pocket
• Poker pool (hybrid)
• Rotation
• Russian pyramid
• Seven-ball
• Skittle pool variants (pin pool)
• Snooker (generally regarded as its own sport, not a pool variant)
• Speed pool
• Straight pool (also called "14.1 continuous")
• Ten-ball
• Three-ball

A trick shot is a shot played on a billiards table (usually a pool table, though snooker tables are also used), which does something with the balls that would seem unlikely. ... Bank pool has been gaining popularity in recent years. ... Woodcut detail from A Little Pretty Pocket-Book (1744), providing the first known reference to baseball. ... The leather shake bottle used as a carom target in bottle pool. ... Bowlliards is a pool game often used as a training drill. ... Chicago is a money ball pocket billiards gambling game. ... Chinese eight-ball is a two-player pocket billiards game which combines the play of eight-ball with the shooting style of carom games. ... A pocket billiards game, circa 1800s Germany Cowboy pool, sometimes just called cowboy, is a hybrid pool game combining elements of English billiards through an intermediary game, with more standard pocket billiards characteristics. ... Vincent Van Goghs The Night Café Cribbage, sometimes called cribbage pocket billiards, cribbage pool, fifteen points and pair pool, is a two player pocket billiards game that, like its namesake card game, has a scoring system which awards points for pairing groups of balls (rather than playing cards) that... Cutthroat is a three-player pocket billiards game, played on a pool table using cue sticks. ... Eight ball players Eight ball is a billiards game played with a cue ball and 15 billiard balls on a pool table with 6 pockets. ... A snooker table English Billiards is a form of billiards played on a 6 × 12 rectangular table with pockets in the four corners and in the middle of the long sides (see Snooker for markings and a diagram). ... Golf is a pool game usually played for money. ... People playing Pool // Irish Standard Pool is a type of Billards or Pool played on the island of Ireland. ... A leather shake bottle and plastic pills or peas as used in Kelly pool. ... Killer is a multi-player folk variant of straight pool in which each player is assigned a set number of lives and takes one shot per inning to attempt to pocket (pot) a ball, or else lose a life. ... A correct nine ball rack Nine ball is a contemporary variation of pocket billiards, with historical beginnings rooted in the United States and traceable to the 1920s. ... Please wikify (format) this article as suggested in the Guide to layout and the Manual of Style. ... Rotation (or rotation pool) is a pocket billiards (pool) game played using a standard pool table and standard triangular rack of fifteen (solid/stripe) billiard balls. ... Russian Billiards pyramid. ... Snooker is a cue sport that is played on a large baize-covered table with pockets in each of the four corners and in the middle of each of the long side cushions. ... Speed Pool is a solitary billiard game. ... A straight pool rack, right before the opening break. ... 10-Ball is basically 9-Ball with the number 10 ball added to the game. ... Three Ball is a gambling game of pocket billiards, playable by any number of persons in rotation. ...

Obstacle billiards games

• Bagatelle
• Bar billiards
• Bumper pool
• Bottle pool, skittle pool (pin pool), and five-pins are vestigially classifiable here as well.

Bagatelle (from French by way of the Italian bagattella, a trifle) is a game, the object of which is to get a number of balls past pins (which act as obstacles) into holes. ... Bar billiards is a form of billiards which was possibly initially based on the traditional game of bagatelle. ... Bumper pool is a casual billiards game played on an octagonal or rectangular table with one pocket centered on each end. ... The leather shake bottle used as a carom target in bottle pool. ... Five-pins (Italian cinque birilli), also known as five-pin billiards or Italian billiards (It. ...

Cueless and/or ball-less developments

• Finger pool (no cues)

• Crud

• Carrom (uses small disks instead of balls; some versions use miniature cues, others no cues at all)

• Novuss (a variant that uses full-size cues)
• Crokinole (some variants of this combination of carrom and shuffleboard use miniature cues)

• English Pool Bocce (no cues)

Crud is a fast-paced game purported to originate in the Royal Canadian Air Force. ... American version Carrom boards Carrom is a family of tabletop games sharing a similarity in that their mechanics lie somewhere between billiards and shuffleboard. ... The introduction of this article does not provide enough context for readers unfamiliar with the subject. ... Crokinole is an action board game similar to caroms, shove hapenny or squails with elements of shuffleboard and curling reduced to table-top size. ... The trajectory of the scone in EPB // English Pool Bocce is a hybrid sport combining the game play of pool with the strategy of bocce. ...

See also

• Glossary of cue sports terms
• BCA Hall of Fame
• Pool hustling
• Cue sports techniques

Image File history File links Commons-logo. ... The following is a glossary of traditional terms used in the three main cue sport disciplines: pocket billiards (pool), which denotes a host of games played on a table with six pockets such as straight pool, eight-ball, nine-ball, one-pocket and bank pool; carom billiards referring to the... This is the list of people inducted into the Billiard Congress of Americas Hall of Fame. ... Hustling is the deceptive act of disguising ones skill in a sport or game with the intent of luring someone of probably lesser skill into gambling (or gambling for higher than current stakes) with the hustler, as a form of confidence trick. ... Illustration from Michael Phelans 1859 book, The Game of Billiards Cue sports techniques (usually more specific, e. ...

References

• Alciatore, David ("Dr. Dave"), The Illustrated Principles of Pool and Billiards, Sterling Publishing, ISBN 1-4027-1428-9, 2004.
• Byrne, Robert. 1998. Byrne's New Standard Book of Pool and Billiards. ISBN 0-15-600554-9.

The New York Times is an internationally known daily newspaper published in New York City and distributed in the United States and many other nations worldwide. ... December 10 is the 344th day (345th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar, 21 days before the next year. ... Year 1893 (MDCCCXCIII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Tuesday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... New York, New York redirects here. ... New York, New York redirects here. ... February 24 is the 55th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... is the 68th day of the year (69th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1897 (MDCCCXCVII) was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... February 24 is the 55th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... February 24 is the 55th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ...

External links

Organizations

• World Pool-Billiard Association (WPA) — the International Olympic Committee-recognized promulgator of international rules for a variety of cue sports.
• European Pocket Billiard Federation (EPBF) — the Europe national WPA affiliate and self-described "governing body of pool" in Europe.
• Billiard Congress of America (BCA) — the US national WPA affiliate and self-described "governing body of pool" in the United States and Canada (also covers carom games and snooker)
• American Poolplayers Association — the self-described world's largest pool league (site also provides pool-related news and articles); see also the affiliated Canadian Poolplayers Association
• United States Professional Pool Players Association (UPA)

Stamp The International Olympic Committee (French: Comité International Olympique) is an organization based in Lausanne, Switzerland, created by Pierre de Coubertin and Demetrios Vikelas on June 23, 1894. ...

History

• "The Billiards Family [Games] at the Online Guide to Traditional Games; includes sourced information on the early history of the sport
• "A Brief History of the Noble Game of Billiards", by Michael Ian Shamos (a BCA-published summary of Shamos's more in-depth research on the topic)

Technical information

• "The Illustrated Principles of Pool and Billiards", by Prof. David G. Alciatore — technical billiards physics materials (and online instruction and demonstrations)
• "Physics of Billiards" resource list by Regis Petit.
• CueTable — Free layout diagramming webware for online communication, practice training and studies of strategy

Webware is a term used to describe a website that provides software-like services. ...

News sources

• Billiards Digest magazine
• Inside Pool magazine
• AZBilliards e-magazine

Pocket billiards at a pub in Groningen, Netherlands Pocket billiards, or pool is the general term for a family of games played on a specific class of billiards table, having 6 receptacles called pockets (or holes) along the rails, in which balls are deposited as the main goal of play. ... A correct nine ball rack Nine ball is a contemporary variation of pocket billiards, with historical beginnings rooted in the United States and traceable to the 1920s. ... Eight ball players Eight ball is a billiards game played with a cue ball and 15 billiard balls on a pool table with 6 pockets. ... Please wikify (format) this article as suggested in the Guide to layout and the Manual of Style. ... A straight pool rack, right before the opening break. ... Bank pool has been gaining popularity in recent years. ... A kick shot in action. ... Woodcut detail from A Little Pretty Pocket-Book (1744), providing the first known reference to baseball. ... The leather shake bottle used as a carom target in bottle pool. ... Chicago is a money ball pocket billiards gambling game. ... A pocket billiards game, circa 1800s Germany Cowboy pool, sometimes just called cowboy, is a hybrid pool game combining elements of English billiards through an intermediary game, with more standard pocket billiards characteristics. ... Vincent Van Goghs The Night Café Cribbage, sometimes called cribbage pocket billiards, cribbage pool, fifteen points and pair pool, is a two player pocket billiards game that, like its namesake card game, has a scoring system which awards points for pairing groups of balls (rather than playing cards) that... Golf is a pool game usually played for money. ... A leather shake bottle and plastic pills or peas as used in Kelly pool. ... Rotation (or rotation pool) is a pocket billiards (pool) game played using a standard pool table and standard triangular rack of fifteen (solid/stripe) billiard balls. ... 10-Ball is basically 9-Ball with the number 10 ball added to the game. ... Three Ball is a gambling game of pocket billiards, playable by any number of persons in rotation. ... Billiards is a family of games played on a table with a stick, known as a cue stick, which is used to strike balls, moving them around the table. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixel Image in higher resolution (2272 × 1704 pixel, file size: 2. ... Carambole billiards (or carom) is a billiards game possibly developed in the 18th century in France, though the exact date of invention is not clear. ... Carambole billiards (or carom) is a billiards game possibly developed in the 18th century in France, though the exact date of invention is not clear. ... Paul Gauguins Night Café at Arles (1888) Artistic billiards, sometimes called fantasy billiards or fantaisie classique, is a carom billiards discipline in which players compete at performing 76 preset shots of varying difficulty. ... Five-pins (Italian cinque birilli), also known as five-pin billiards or Italian billiards (It. ... Inset from School of Recreation, 1710. ... Jacob Schaefer, Sr. ... There are two similar yet distinct carom billiard games known as 4-ball. ... Illustration of a three ball pocket billiards game in early 19th century Tübingen, Germany, using a table much longer than the modern type. ... Snooker is a cue sport that is played on a large baize-covered table with pockets in each of the four corners and in the middle of each of the long side cushions. ... A snooker table English Billiards is a form of billiards played on a 6 × 12 rectangular table with pockets in the four corners and in the middle of the long sides (see Snooker for markings and a diagram). ... Russian Billiards pyramid. ... Bumper pool is a casual billiards game played on an octagonal or rectangular table with one pocket centered on each end. ... Bagatelle (from French by way of the Italian bagattella, a trifle) is a game, the object of which is to get a number of balls past pins (which act as obstacles) into holes. ... American version Carrom boards Carrom is a family of tabletop games sharing a similarity in that their mechanics lie somewhere between billiards and shuffleboard. ... The introduction of this article does not provide enough context for readers unfamiliar with the subject. ... Illustration of a three ball pocket billiards game in early 19th century Tübingen, Germany, using a table much longer than the modern type. ... The following is a glossary of traditional terms used in the three main cue sport disciplines: pocket billiards (pool), which denotes a host of games played on a table with six pockets such as straight pool, eight-ball, nine-ball, one-pocket and bank pool; carom billiards referring to the... Illustration from Michael Phelans 1859 book, The Game of Billiards Cue sports techniques (usually more specific, e. ... Larger tables may require multiple lamps to properly light the playing surface. ... A close-up picture of American-style pool balls Billiard balls are used in cue sports, such as carom billiards, pool, and snooker. ... A cue stick or simply cue, is an item of sporting equipment essential to the games of billiards, pool and snooker. ... A rack is the name given to a frame (usually wood or plastic) used to organize billiard balls at the beginning of a game. ...