Billiards is a sport that has been popular around the world for over a thousand years. It was developed in Europe in the 15th Century and was played indoors with a ball and a cue. Today, billiards is played all over the world, and there are a number of different variations. The aim of most billiards game is to get more points than your opponent before their time runs out. There are many variations of billiards games. Each game has its own rules.
Billiards are played in many forms, including pool, English billiards, carom billiards, and snooker. For each game, players will use different balls and cues to earn points. Fouling can result in a decrease of points.
Pool is very popular in the United States as well as in many other countries. Each game requires a table, cues, and balls. The table is typically a large rectangular structure, made of polished slate or woolen cloth. There are usually six pockets on the table, but sometimes the table has seven or eight. Each pocket is designated a number so the ball can be placed in numerical order.
One-Pocket is one of the earliest games in billiards. This game was first played on a table that had one pocket. Players occupied both the left and the right side of the pocket. They used a curved wood mace on their opposite sides. This was believed to be the original beginning of billiards.
Pocket billiards can be played in both the United States and Canada. Pocket billiards is where you can make a combination shot and pocket the balls in numerical sequence. Some advanced versions of the game require tight pockets.
Carom billiards is a game that is also widely played across the globe. In this type of billiards, players attempt to carom off the cue ball of their opponent. The table is usually at least 7ft long and heated.
English billiards blends the best of carom with pocket billiards. This game is best played at a single, small table. You have the option of making your cue out of plastic, wood, or fiberglass. The player must reach the cushion closest to win.
Snooker and pool are two of the most well-known billiards in the United States. A table with two balls and a red object ball is used to play pool. To score points, players will need to keep the red ball. They may be able, depending upon the game, to foul. If the cueball hits a cushion or other object, the player will need to make a "lag". The opponent may choose to return the ball to the original spot if the player is unable to pocket it.
18.2 balkline is a difficult billiards game. Balkline is an extremely difficult game that is played in many billiards tournaments. The ball must be struck on either the right or left side of straight pool, unlike straight pool which can only be played with the cueball.