Fahad A.

Ali
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Billiard

Pool table

Cue sports (sometimes written cuesports), also known as billiard

sports,[1][2] 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.
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
in various parts of the world. For example, in British and Australian
English, "billiards" usually refers exclusively to the game of English

billiards, while in American and Canadian English 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:

Carom billiards, referring to games played on tables without pockets,
typically 10 feet in length, including balkline and straight rail, cushion
caroms, three-cushion billiards, artistic billiards and four-ball;
Pool, covering numerous pocket billiards games generally played on
six-pocket tables of 7-, 8-, or 9-foot length, including among others
eight-ball (the world's most widely played cue sport), nine-ball (the
dominant professional game), ten-ball, straight pool (the formerly
dominant pro game), one-pocket, and bank pool; and
Snooker and English billiards, games played on a billiards table with six
pockets called a snooker table (which has dimensions just under 12 ft
by 6 ft), that are classified entirely separately from pool based on a
separate historical development, as well as a separate culture and
terminology that characterize their play.
There are other variants that make use of obstacles and targets, and
table-top games played with disks instead of balls.
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's to billiards" in
Antony and Cleopatra (160607), and through the many famous
enthusiasts of the sport such as: Mozart, Louis XIV of France, Marie
Antoinette, Immanuel Kant, Napoleon, Abraham Lincoln, Mark Twain,

George Washington, French president Jules Grvy, Charles Dickens,

George Armstrong Custer, Theodore Roosevelt, Lewis Carroll, W.C.
Fields, Babe Ruth, Bob Hope, and Jackie Gleason.
Materials needed for billiards

Billiard balls

Cue balls from (left to right):

Russian pool and kaisa68 mm (2 1116 in)
Carom61.5 mm (2 716 in)
American-style pool57 mm (2 14 in)
British-style pool (largish) 56 mm (2 316 in)
Snooker52.5 mm (2 115 in)

Scaled-down pool51 mm (2 in) for children's smaller tables

Not shown: half-scale children's miniature poolapproximately 28.5
mm (1 18 in).
Billiard balls vary from game to game, in size, design and quantity.
Russian pyramid and kaisa have a size of 68 mm (2 1116 in). In
Russian pyramid there are sixteen balls, as in pool, but fifteen are
white and numbered, and the cue ball is usually red.[9] In Kaisa, five
balls are used: the yellow object ball (called the kaisa in Finnish), two
red object balls, and the two white cue balls (usually differentiated by
one cue ball having a dot or other marking on it and each of which
serves as an object ball for the opponent).
Carom billiards balls are larger than pool balls, having a diameter of
61.5 mm (2 716 in), 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).
American-style pool balls are 57 mm (2 14 in), are used in many pool
games 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 at 56 mm (2 316 in) 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 smaller than American-style pool balls with a
diameter of 52.5 mm (2 115 in), and come in sets of 22 (15 reds, 6
"colours", and a cue ball). English billiard balls are the same size as

snooker balls and come in sets of three balls (two cue balls and a red,
an object ball). Other games, such as bumper pool, have custom ball
sets.
Billiard balls have been made from many different materials since the
start of the game, including clay, bakelite, celluloid, crystallite, ivory,
plastic, steel and wood. The dominant material from 1627 until the
early 20th century 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 inpart 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.

Pool Table

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 7foot (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 19th century, 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.

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. Full-size pool tables are 4.5 by 9 ft (2.7 m) (interior
dimensions). High-quality tables have a bed made of thick slate, in
three pieces to prevent warping and changes due to temperature and
humidity. Smaller bar tables are most commonly made with a single
piece of slate. Pocket billiards tables of all types normally have six
pockets, three on each side (four corner pockets, and two side or
middle pockets).

Cloth
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.

Bar or tavern tables, which get a lot of play, use "slower", more durable
cloth. The cloth used in upscale pool (and snooker) halls 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 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, but it is also produced in other colors
such as red and blue.[12]
The cloth was earlier said to be the most important part of the game,
most likely because of the reflection of the game's origin. The players
were stubborn in the fact that the cloth should not be ripped. They
even made women continue to use maces after cues were invented,
for fear that they would rip the cloth with the sharper cues.

Rack

A rack is the name given to a frame (usually wood, plastic or

aluminium) 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.
There are several other types of less common rack types that are also
used, based on a "template" to hold the billiard balls tightly together.
Most commonly it is a thin plastic sheet with diamond-shaped cut-outs
that hold the balls that is placed on the table with the balls set on top
of the rack. The rack is used to set up the "break" and removed after
the "break shot" occurs.

Cues (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.
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 inches (10 to 14 mm)
terminus called a ferrule (usually made of fiberglass or brass in better
cues), where a rounded leather tip is affixed, flush with the ferrule, to
make final contact with balls. The tip, in conjunction with chalk, can be
used to impart spin to the cue ball when it is not hit in its center.
Cheap cues are generally made of pine, low-grade maple (and formerly
often of ramin, which is now endangered), or other low-quality wood,
with inferior plastic ferrules. A quality cue can be expensive and may

be made of exotic woods and other expensive materials which are

artfully inlaid in decorative patterns. Many modern cues are also made,
like golf clubs, with high-tech materials such as woven graphite. Skilled
players may use more than one cue during a game, including a
separate generally lighter cue for the opening break shot (because of
cue speed gained from a lighter stick) and another, shorter cue with a
special tip for jump shots.

Mechanical bridge
The mechanical bridge, sometimes called a "rake", "bridge stick" or
simply "bridge", and in the UK a "rest", 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 typically available for this kind of tricky
shot.
For snooker they are normally available in three forms, their use
depending on how the player is hampered; the standard rest is a

simple cross, the 'spider' has a raised arch around 12 cm with three
grooves to rest the cue in and for the most awkward of shots, the
'giraffe' (or 'swan' in England) which has a raised arch much like the
'spider' but with a slender arm reaching out around 15 cm with the
groove.

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. It was around the time of
the Industrial Revolution that newer compounds formed that provided
better grip for the ball. This is when the English began to experiment
with side spin or applying curl to the ball. This was shortly introduced
to the American players and is how the term putting English on the
ball came to be. "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.
Cue tip chalk (invented in its modern form by straight rail billiard pro
William A. Spinks and chemist William Hoskins in 1897) is made by
crushing silica and the abrasive substance corundum or aloxite
(aluminium oxide),into a powder. 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).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.

Introduction to Billiard
Billiards, commonly known as pool, is an indoor recreational and
sporting game played by two or more people upon a table with six

openings. The object of the game is to strike the balls into one of the
six openings. Numerous variations of the rules of billiards exist but in
all versions the player must strike the ball with the cue so that a
second ball goes into one of the six openings.
Origins
There are numerous origins for the game of billiards and it is likely that
the true origin may never be known. William Shakespeare mentioned
the game in his play Anthony and Cleopatra which lead some to
believe that the ancient Egyptians invented the game but this is not
documented other than Shakespeare's writing. Some historians
suggest that the game might have of evolved from the popular outdoor
game of croquet during the 15th century in Northern Europe. There are
early illustrations that show hoops on the surface of the billiard table
that would support this theory. Other historians credit the ancient
people of Greece inventing the game around 400 years before the birth
of Christ.

Rules and regulation

Scoring
Billiards is played with 3 balls, a red, white and yellow. Each player has
their own cue ball (one white one yellow). There are three ways to
score: In-offs, pots or cannons. In-offs occur when your cue ball hits
one or more balls and then enters a pocket. A pot occurs when any ball
other than your cue ball enters a pocket. A cannon occurs when your
cue ball hits both of the other balls. Cannons are always 2 points. Apart
from cannons any score off the red is 3 points and off the opponent's
ball is 2 points. All fouls are 2 points.

Where the balls go

When you go in-off you get your cue ball back and it can be placed
anywhere in the D. When the opponent's ball is potted it stays down
and you do not get it back. When the red is potted it goes on it's spot
(the spot nearest the top cushion), but after 2 successive pots off this
spot it is placed on the middle spot; if you then pot it again it is placed
back on it's own spot and you are allowed 2 more pots of the spot etc.

Baulk

The line next to the D is called the baulk line and when you are playing
from the D you are not allowed to hit a ball behind the baulk line,
directly. (A ball is considered IN BAULK if it is either on the line or more
than half of the ball is in baulk, over the line) If your opponent pots
your cue ball and then leaves the red and his cue ball behind the baulk
line, you are 'double baulked' and can not aim for the balls direct - in
this case you would play off one or more cushions out of baulk first.

Starting the game

The red is placed on the Billiards spot and one player takes their cue
ball and plays from the D, normally playing a safety shot; this is called
the break off. The opponent then plays from the D.

Spotting the balls

After your opponent commits a foul you have the option of having the
balls spotted (opponent's ball on middle spot, red on it's spot, cue ball
in D).

The Scoring

Pool
In eight-ball pool or solids and stripes, which is the most common
version of pool played globally, the game is won when a player
successfully manages to pocket the no.8 ball after first potting the
other balls he was designated with. For example, if a player is assigned
the solids (numbers 1 to 7), he has to pocket all of these balls before

he is allowed to pocket the no.8 ball. If he pockets the no.8 ball before
all his other balls are potted, then the opposing player wins the game.
Snooker
In snooker, there are two groups of balls the reds and the colours from which a player can pot to score points. There are 15 red balls
worth one point apiece and a player first needs to pocket a red before
attempting to pocket one of the colours (yellow 2 points, green 3
points, brown 4 points, blue 5 points, pink 6 points and black 7 points).
After all 15 red balls are cleared; the colours will have to be potted in
sequence (yellow, green, brown, blue, pink, black) to finish the game.
The player with the most points wins the game and in tournament
play, it is the player with the most number of frames (individual
games) - which are decided prior to the contest - who then wins a
match.
In snooker, players can also gain points as a result of a foul committed
by their opponent. For instance, if the player pockets the cue ball, his
opponent will receive points ranging from four to seven. The number of
points that the opponent gains is determined by the severity of the
foul.
Another aspect of scoring in snooker relates to the break which is the
total number of points (excluding fouls) that a player accumulates
during each visit to the table. For example, a player who attains a
break of 50 would have amassed 50 points during his turn before he
misses a shot or commits a foul. The traditional maximum break in
snooker is simply know as a 147 but the highest possible break is a
155 break or super maximum achieved because ones opponent
leaves a free ball with the black ball being the one thats potted as a
result.

English Billiards
With two cue balls and only one object ball, scoring in billiards is vastly
different to pool and snooker. Known as a cannon, a player gains two
points if he strikes his cue ball so that it hits (in any order), the red ball
and the opponents cue ball on the same shot.
A player also earns points by executing a Winning hazard or potting a
ball in snooker parlance. Using ones own cue ball to strike another
ball, a player earns three points for potting the red ball and two points
for entering the opponents cue ball into a pocket.
The third way to score points is by executing a Losing hazard which is
done by striking ones cue ball off another ball, resulting in their own
cue ball to enter the pocket. Three points are awarded if the red ball
was used and two points if the other cue ball was used or both the red
and opponents cue ball are hit at the same time.
Combinations of the above may be scored from any single shot with
the maximum points earned capped at 10 points. This happens when
the opponents cue ball and red ball are both potted by means of a
cannon - with the red ball being struck first - and the players own cue
ball also ending up in the pocket to make a losing hazard off the red.
Winning a game of English billiards requires a player to be the first to
reach a fixed number points (which is determined before the start of
the game) or by having more points than your opponent at the end of
a timed game.