Nicky Meintjies asked:


A billiard table is rectangular shaped. The surface of the table is covered with green cloth. Though there are variations in the shape of billiard table and novelty tables are found in hexagonal, round, and zigzag shapes, the traditional rectangular shape is the most popular one. The rails of the table are raised and cushioned to facilitate the rebounding of the balls. There are two types of billiard tables: tables with pockets and tables without pockets. Tables with pockets are referred to as pocket billiard tables and these tables usually have six pockets that collect the balls. Of the six pockets four are found on the four corners of the rectangular table and two pockets are found facing each other in the middle of the longer sides of the table. The pockets in the corner are referred to as corner pockets and pockets in the middle of the longer sides are known as the side pockets. Pocket less billiard tables are used for a type of billiard known as carom, usually played with three balls.

The arrangement of billiard balls on the green bed of a pool table just before the break shot is sheer beauty. No other ball game offers so much color and variety as billiards does. In the game of Carom, a type of billiards played without pockets on the table, only three balls are used. One is a red ball and the other two are white balls with one of the white balls marked with a black dot. Sometimes a yellow ball is used instead of a white ball. The red ball is known as the “object ball”. The white ball is the “cue ball” for the first player. The yellow or the dotted white ball is the cue ball of the second player.

Billiard tables come in various sizes: 3.5 feet by 7 feet, 4ft by 8ft, 4.5ft by 9 ft, 5ft by 10ft, and 6ft by 12 ft. For tournament play 4.5 ft by 9ft tables are preferred. Billiard bars and halls use 3.5 ft by 7 ft tables to cope with space constraint. Pool and snooker games use 10ft and 12ft long tables. The height of the table is such that it allows for a person of average height to bend over the table at the waist level and play shots comfortably. The side railings of the table are raised a few inches above the table surface, and they are cushioned with vulcanized rubber so that when the balls hit the railings they rebound allowing for amazing angles of stroke play. A green cloth covers the entire surface and the railings of the table.

The pockets of a billiard table are rimmed with leather or plastic. The balls are collected in a plastic or leather net and are channelled to a collection chamber through ball return troughs inside the table. Carom billiard tables don’t have pockets. The surface of a carom billiard table is made up of slate, and often it is heated above room temperature to allow for faster play. International carom rules mandate that the bed of the table be heated for competition games.



Donna

Michael Hartwell asked:


There are many great tips when learning how to play billiards and improve your game today. As the game of billiards grows in popularity around the world, many people are searching for ways to give them the edge and beat their competition.

In billiards, even the smallest difference in skill level can make a huge difference, because billiards truly is a game of inches. Miss your shot by even the slightest amount, and the game could be lost in a heartbeat.

To start out with, here is some basic info on the game of billiards, and shortly thereafter, tips on how to improve your skills quickly and effectively. Billiards refers to the game which is played on a table with 6 pockets in which to get the balls into. Most often, you play with 15 balls which are known as object balls, and the main white ball you hit, known as the cue ball.

There are several different varieties of this game, but regular billiards is by far the most common, so that’s what I will focus on in this article. Besides this, you need the same skill set for any game, so this information applies whether you are playing regular billiards, play 8 ball pool, or it’s popular counterparts, snooker or carom billiards.

Remember, as with any game are any skill set you are desiring to acquire, the best way to improve at billiards is to get out there, start playing and making mistakes, and learning from them. In anything, absolutely the only way to improve is by making a lot of mistakes and learning how to correct them so that you do it differently the next time. Regardless of natural talent, everybody makes mistakes in this game, and the only way to improve is by revising your strategy so that you don’t make the same mistake the following time.

Probably the most important skill to have at billiards, besides the obvious hand eye coordination required to hit the ball where you want it, is the ability to plan out your shots ahead of time. Don’t simply plan out one shot in advance; to really master the sport, it’s required that you map out your course several shots in advance so that you set yourself up in good position after the initial shot.

Too many billiards players get so focused on executing one shot that, when they finish with that, they realize they’ve left themselves no shot for their next play. Some simple planning could have alleviated this process.

Try to find better players than yourself to play against, because it will force you to raise your game to their level in order to comet with them. Also, they will often times be able to see things you are doing wrong that you’d never spot yourself, and can therefore help you improve your skill set very quickly. Don’t be shy in asking them for help, because more than likely, they will remember being in your shoes at one point, and will give you some advice on improving your game.

Remember, you certainly should read how to play pool information, and there is a lot available on the internet today. These materials are published by very advanced players, sometimes even professionals, who invite you into their world and how they think and go about dominating a billiards game.

Of course, regardless of how much pool tips you read, nothing will ever beat simply getting out there and taking action yourself to improve your skills. You can have all the head knowledge on billiards tips in the world, but without transferring that into a real game, it’s useless. Hopefully this information will help you play billiards much more effectively.



Dan

Michael Hartwell asked:


There are a lot of how to guides on how to play billiards nowadays. You can very often times find these being sold either in billiards magazines or on the internet. Also, there are even TV shows nowadays that give tips on how to improve your billiards skills. Whether you want to play pro billiards, play 8 ball pool, simply learn billiards trick shots, or just play for fun, you can find great info to help you improve your games.

However, here’s something to keep in mind: some of this info is useful, and some isn’t. Here is some information to help you to improve you to learn to play pool, and also how to find the best pool information to take your game to the next level.

First of all, you probably should start out by doing a quick internet search for billiards tips, and soak up all the free information that’s available. There will no doubt be many articles written on the topics, and many of them by some pretty fair billiards tips.

This is certainly a great way to get a head start on the competition. Remember, 99% of your competitors will never take the time to learn how to play better, and will simply do so by trial and error. When you invest in your education, whether by reading or watching TV shows on the topic of billiards playing, you will immensely improve your game-even if you’ve never picked up a cue stick in your life!

One of the most crucial tips to becoming an effective billiards table player is precision. Very simply, without this key element, you can kiss your chances at succeeding in pool good bye. For this, you need to think about every shot before you hit it.

Very simply, plan out not only where you want to hit your next shot, but also where you want the cue ball to end up so that it leaves you in good position for your next shot. This is one of the keys to every professional billiards players success, and something that virtually no amateur does.

When you are over your shot, make sure to relax and imagine the billiards stick as simply being part of your body. This will also help you to become more precise with your shot. This is one of the most important tips for how to play billiards, and without it you will never reach your potential.

Also, be sure to exercise patience when playing pool. This just might be the most important skill you can have for billiards. As soon as you become frustrated and impatient, you lose your ability to focus, and your body also tenses up.

This makes it much more difficult to hit an effective shot. When you stay patient and relaxed, even if things don’t seem to be going your way right now, if you stay relaxed, the tide will soon turn in your favor.

Finally, the most important part is to practice. Obviously, as with anyone, practice is the key to success; you can buy all the how to material in the world, but until you actually get out their in the game and do it, you will not improve. Also, try to imagine yourself playing a great game before each game starts.

Simply visualize yourself succeeding, and you will play much better. Michael Jordan used this technique before each game he played in, and it worked out pretty well for him. Hopefully this information on how to play billiards more effectively will help you dramatically improve your game and enjoy a lifetime of fun and success with pool.



Marilyn

Josephine Thunder asked:


8-ball is the most popular billiard game in the world. It is so popular, that 8-ball pool is almost a synonym for billiards. However, 8-ball is only a part of a one big happy family of billiard games.

8-ball pool, 9-ball pool, snooker, one pocket, balkline are all cue sports games. They all share a rectangular cloth-covered table, a long cue stick, a set of balls and an ambition to score, but they differ in their rules, objects, and even their terminology.

Generally, billiard games divide into two types: pocket billiard games and carom billiard games. Pocket billiard games, usually referred to as pool games, are the type of billiard played on a table that has six pockets. In pocket billiard games, the players aspire to sink the balls into the table pockets, according to specific games rules.

Carom billiard games, on the other hand, are played on pocketless tables. Only three billiard balls are involved in the carom games. The purpose of the players in most carom games is to maneuver their cue ball so it will carom off the other two balls, again, according to the specific requirements of the game.

8-ball pool is a pocket billiard game. Other popular pocket billiard games include 9-ball pool, 14.1 continuous (formerly known as straight pool) and even snooker. Snooker is the most popular cue sports in the UK. Even though snooker is played on a pocketed pool table, it is not governed by the same association that administrates pocket billiard rules. Therefore, pocket billiard general rules do not apply to snooker.

The equipment used in snooker games is also different from the one used in pocket billiard tournaments. For example, the snooker table is a bit larger than the standard pool table plus its pockets are narrower. The terminology used in both billiard games is different as well. While pool players’ goal is to “pocket” the “object balls”, snooker players aim to “pot” the “red” or the “on-ball”.



Cathy

havenjohnny asked:


Does any one know where to find info on Harold Ives -Billiard player around 1900
And A D– Joker Board its just a game board that used to go on a pool table with holes in it you banked a cue ball into it and got whatever was markrd where your ball landed just a petty game but it was fun

Thanks Johnny

H. Ives was in a pool mag but I cant rem which one
OK Thanks guys I have seahched every web page i can find
Dre thats a good site there are a few moreI even found billiard cards someone was looking for a while back I just cant rem which pool mag he was in or an old player talking bout joker pool in a feature

Lonnie

alex desouza asked:


Although they look like same but there are some differneces between two games. Both games are interesting to play but are addictive a lot.Yes as addictive as gambling. So here I am giving you some differences by which you can sort out these two games .

Historically the umbrella term for the sport as a whole was billiards. While that familiar name is still employed variably as a generic name for all games, the word’s usage has splintered into more inclusive competing meanings among certain groups and geographic regions. For example, in the United Kingdom, billiards refers exclusively to English Billiards, while in the United States it is sometimes used to refer only to carom games and by a minority to eight-ball (being the only cue game known to many players).

In our time, the two can easily be exchanged and mean the same thing. When people refer to one, it is assumed the other is also being included. On the technical side, there is a difference. Billiards is played with smaller balls. In billiards, only three balls are used white, yellow and red and both the white and the yellow ball can act as the strikers. Billiards is basically pool without pockets. Usually the cloth on a billiards table is much faster. The object in billiards (3 cushion billiards) is to hit the object ball then go three rails and hit the other ball, or hit 3 rails and hit both object balls with the cue ball (these are called caroms).

Most of us are familiar with pool and pool tables. Some of us may be aware of the different variations of the pool game, a few being eight-ball, nine-ball and cut throat. As stated above, billiards is played on a table with no pockets. We know that pool tables are constructed with 6 pockets. The game is played with two sets of balls, each containing seven balls, with one set being solid colored and the other striped. The two sets are combined into one set and then completed by a black eight ball. This is a standard set of pool balls, and can be broken up to play different versions of the game.

Though there are vast differences between the two games, they are commonly grouped as one and refered to as cue sports. If someone says they’re going to shoot a game of billiards, we all know what they are referring to in general. It all depends on what style of the game you would like to play. Billiards is a form of pool. So perhaps in future reference, it should all be covered by using the term pool, unless you are actually playing by billiards rules and regulations.



Karl

Tima.ashar asked:


Online web games offer a wide range of choices to players, from simple board games of logic to complex, 3D interactive games that realistically reproduce games like billiards, soccer, baseball, etc. on the monitor. Billiards is a popular game that can be played on a PC, or even a cell phone.

Searching on the internet should give you access to websites where you can download and play a 3D billiards game. The rules and types of games that can be played remain the same – 8 ball, 9-ball or straight pool.

A typical billiards game uses the mouse and keyboard buttons. A sample of controls used is given below.

Controls

-To aim hold the “A” key (or left button on the mouse) and move the mouse.

-To zoom in or out hold “Z” keys and moves mouse.

-To shoot hold “S” key and move mouse.

-To adjust English hold “E” key and move the mouse.

-To change overhead camera push “O” key.

-To flip the overhead camera hold “X” key.

-For 3d camera push “C” key.

-For the display of the ball path line push “L” key.

-To turn music on/off push “M” key.

How to play

-Move the ball and adjust the stick using the mouse. For shooting the ball click the mouse button. For more power hold on to the mouse button for a longer time and vice-versa.

8 Ball game

-2 players can also play it. Here the main aim is to pocket your set of balls before your opponent.

9 Ball game

-This game is played using 9 numbered balls, and a cue ball. The first ball that is hit by the cue ball must be of a lower number. The main aim is to pocket the entire set of 9 ball before the opponent.

For more information on free online web games visit: Free online web games

The author is a freelance writer and associated with http://www.freewebgame.info



Audrey

Josy Kinney asked:


Billiard balls are available in a multitude of colors and these colors make them stand out beautifully against the green background of the pool table top. All other games that use a ball to play with, stick to one color. But in billiards you have a myriad of colors that are used. Some games are played with all the balls while others are played with a fixed number and color of balls. One such game is Carom, which uses three balls and this game is played without pockets. One of the three balls is red and the other two are either white or yellow. One of the yellow or white balls has a black dot on it. In Carom, the red ball is called the object ball and one white ball is used as the cue ball.

In the USA, pocket billiards is known as pool, so the billiard balls are called pool balls. Pool balls are the most eye catching sports utilities. Most billiard halls believe that the wide range of colors of the billiard balls adds to the enjoyment of the game. You name it and you will probably find a billiard ball in that color from yellow, burgundy, black, orange, purple, blue to red; they have them all. And if all the mono colors were not enough they also have them in double colors. The contrast they create when placed against a green back give the game an aesthetic value of sorts.

To a regular person, the color of the balls is the only difference between them, but a professional pool player will be quick to point out the various differences between different types of pool balls. To a novice player, most of these may not make sense in the beginning but a seasoned player will tell you that the weight of a pool ball is what separates it from the other pool balls. The weight of the pool ball is largely responsible for its performance. As you get better at your game you will realize the difference that the weight of the pool ball makes to your game.

Most pool balls also have a number on them. The balls used for Carom are not numbered but others are. The single colored balls are called solids while the double colored balls are called stripes. For example you may have a yellow ball with the number 1 written on it, the blue and white ball will be ten and a combination of green and white is number fourteen. The normal billiard balls used in most games are smaller than the ones used for Carom. There are also billiard balls available for training. These are marked with target rings that tell the new player exactly where he/ she needs to strike

When not in use, the balls are generally stored in the ball rack. In carom, since the game is played without pockets the balls stay on the table till the end of the game. But in pocket billiards the balls that fall into the pockets, pass through a trough into a collection area where they are held for further use. Today billiard balls are made out of Phenolin resin or polyester and acrylic. These materials make the billiard balls strong enough to sustain shots without chipping or cracking. But before the introduction of synthetic polymers, billiard balls were made out of clay or wood. The rich were known to use ivory balls, but they were a far cry from the durable and colorful billiard balls available today.



Leo

Nicky Meintjies asked:


The arrangement of billiard balls on the green bed of a pool table just before the break shot is sheer beauty. No other ball game offers so much color and variety as billiards does. In the game of Carom, a type of billiards played without pockets on the table, only three balls are used. One is a red ball and the other two are white balls with one of the white balls marked with a black dot. Sometimes a yellow ball is used instead of a white ball. The red ball is known as the “object ball”. The white ball is the “cue ball” for the first player. The yellow or the dotted white ball is the cue ball of the second player.

Billiard balls are also popularly known as “pool balls” because the game of pocket billiard is popular in the USA as “pool”. Pool balls are the snazziest of all billiard balls. Billiard halls prefer pool balls for the vibrant range of colors they come in. Yellow, blue, red, orange, purple, burgundy, green, black, and a combination of red and white, blue and white, yellow and white, orange and white, and purple and white – all these are the possible colors of billiard balls. They stand in good contrast to the green turf of the table.

When it comes to Billiard balls, you will find that there is a variety of differences between some of them. The obvious one is the difference in colour and stripes. Then there is the weight. While your average player will not even notice this, you can expect a professional pool player to notice not only the weight but the improvement that this factor makes to their playing. As your playing improves, you will also find that this makes quite of a big difference when playing the game.

Each pool ball also carries a number. Carom balls are not numbered. The balls with single colors are called solids and the others with two colors are called stripes. For instance, the yellow ball is number one, the blue and white ball is number ten and the green and white balls is number fourteen. Carom balls are slightly bigger than the pool balls. Training billiard balls are marked with target rings making it possible for the novice player to judge better about at which angle the ball needs to be struck.

When not in play billiard balls are kept in a ball rack. Billiard balls stay on the table until the end in a game of carom. In a game of pocket billiards the balls that fall in to the pockets are lead through the troughs and are collected to be in to play again. The earliest billiard balls were made up of wood and clay balls. Those that could afford it played with ivory balls. These days high quality billiard balls are made to withstand strong shots without chipping and cracking. Most billiard balls available in the market are made of Phenolin resin or polyester and acrylic.



Tiffany