Carambole billiards (or carom) is a billiards game developed in the 18th century in France. The game consisted of two white cue balls and a red object ball. The red ball was called carambola after a red fruit. The object of the game was to score points by hitting the opponent's cue ball and the object ball in a single stroke. The word carom was derived from carambola and it describes the shot where the cue ball first contacts one ball and then makes contact with a second ball.

Variations

Three cushion billiards

Three cushion billiards is the most difficult carom game to play, but its rules are very simple. The game arose after the older carom games proved too easy for the top players who could score large numbers of points at each turn at the table.

The game is so difficult, that even the top players cannot always manage to score a point each time they shoot.

Three cushion billiards is played on a table with no pockets. The correct size for the table is twelve feet measured diagonally, but it is sometimes played on smaller tables.

There are two white balls and a red ball. One white ball has a red spot. One player shoots the white ball with the spot, the other shoots the white ball without the spot.

The object is to shoot your ball such that it hits both object balls, and hits 3 cushions. It must do this in such a way as to have hit 3 cushions before hitting the second ball. They do not need to be three different cushions. The same cushion could be hit multiple times For example, you could hit 3 rails in succession, then the white, then the red to score a point. If you score a point, you may continue.