Billiards

Billiards The origin of billiards is uncertain. At any rate nothing is known about it till nearly the middle of the 16th century. By some it is thought that it is derived from the French bile, a ball. French authors have credited the game to the English, while most English writers consider the game of French origin. The first mention of anything definite about it is in a work entitled The Complete Gamester, by Charles Cotton (1674), who in one part of his account speaks of it as of Italian origin, and in another part as of Spanish origin. Cotton states that the form of a billiard table is oblong, and he gives a sketch of two persons knocking about apparently round balls on a table with a raised edge to prevent the balls from rolling off, and having six pockets. There can be no doubt that the game originally was played with pockets, even in France. In the present day throughout the continent of Europe, and indeed throughout the greater part of America, the game is played on a table varying from 10 feet long by 5 feet in width, to about 8 feet by 4 feet, having no pockets at all. This is generally called French billiards. It is played with three balls, one red and two white, larger than those used in English billiards. Each player has one white ball. They play alternately, the endeavour being for the player to cause his own ball to strike each of the other balls. This is called a cannon and counts one. After making a cannon the player continues till he fails to score.

English billiards is played on a table 12 feet by 6 feet, with six pockets, one at each corner of the table, and one in the middle of each 12-foot side. It is played with three balls, one red and two white. Each player takes one white ball. These are distinguished from each other by one having on it a small black spot; this ball is called the "spot white." The diameter of the balls in English billiards is 2-1/16 inch. The bed of a billiard table is of slate, with cushions all round of india-rubber; both are covered with fine green cloth. The pockets are little net bags. Each pocket should measure about 3-5/8 inches across at the fall.

"The spot" is situated 12-3/4 inches from the centre of the face of the top cushion opposite to the baulk. At the commencement of each game the red ball is placed on the spot, and replaced there each time it runs into a pocket or gets knocked off the table. The "pyramid" or "centre spot" (where the red or opponent's white is placed under certain circumstances) is at the centre of the top half of the table.

The baulk is the space behind a line drawn across the table 29 inches from the face of the bottom cushion and parallel to it. At the commencement of each game, or after a player's ball has gone into a pocket, each player has to place his ball in baulk in what is called the half circle, which has a diameter of 23 inches, the centre of which coincides with the centre of the baulk line.

The players play alternately, and each one continues to play on till he fails to score. Scores are made by means of winning and losing hazards and cannons. A winning hazard is when the player's ball causes another ball to run into a pocket. A losing hazard is when the player's own ball runs into a pocket after first striking another ball. A cannon is when the player's ball strikes each of the other balls. A cannon scores 2, a red winning or losing hazard 3, and a white winning or losing hazard 2. The "spot stroke" is a series of red winning hazards in the two top pockets, and the "all round" game means the ordinary game when only two consecutive red winning hazards off the spot are allowed as distinguished from the "all in," which includes any number of spot strokes. By far the largest "breaks" (or series of scores) have been made by these consecutive red winning hazards.

The cue is the stick used for the purpose of striking the balls. It is about 4 ft. 8 in. in length, and has one end thicker than the other. The small end of the cue is covered with a piece of leather called the tip.

The great art of playing billiards well is: When you make a score, try also to leave the balls in a position where there is an easy score to make next time. Pyramids is played with 16 balls, 15 red and 1 white, and consists of winning hazards only. Pool (q.v.) is played by any number of persons up to 12 or 13, each of whom has a ball of a different colour.