HISTORY OF bILLIARDS
- Cue sports (sometimes spelled cuesports) 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 among certain groups and geographic regions. For example, in the United Kingdom,
"billiards" refers exclusively to a specific game, while in the United States 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: 1) carom billiards, referring to games played on tables without pockets,
including among others balkline and straight rail, cushion caroms, three-cushion billiards and artistic billiards; 2) pocket billiards (or
"pool") generally played on a table with six pockets, including among others 8-ball (the world's most widely played cue sport), nine-ball,
straight pool, one-pocket and bank pool; and 3) snooker, which while technically a pocket billiards game, is generally classified separately
based on its historic divergence from other games, as well as a separate culture and terminology that characterize its play. More
obscurely, there are games 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 us to billiards" in
Antony and Cleopatra (1606-07); to the dome on Thomas Jefferson's home Monticello, which conceals a billiard room he hid, as billiards
was illegal in Virginia at that time; and through the many famous enthusiasts of the sport including, Mozart, King Louis XIV of France,
Marie Antoinette, Napoleon, Abraham Lincoln, Mark Twain, George Washington, Charles Dickens, George Custer, Theodore Roosevelt,
Lewis Carroll, W.C. Fields, Babe Ruth, Bob Hope, Jackie Gleason, and many others.
History
All cue sports are generally regarded to have evolved into indoor games from outdoor stick-and-ball lawn games[2], and as such to be related to croquet
and golf, and more distantly to the stickless bocce and bowling. The word "billiard" may have evolved from the French word billart, meaning "mace", an
implement similar to a golf club, which was the forerunner to the modern cue. The term "cue sports" can be used to encompass the ancestral mace games,
and even the modern cueless variants, such as finger pool, for historical reasons..
Accordingly, in addition to the three general subdivisions listed earlier, a now rare obstacle category was prevalent in early times. The obstacle games (see
illustration to the right, featuring a croquet-like variant), appear to have been the earliest,[citation needed] and include the obsolete bagatelle and pin pool
among many other variations, some with elaborate structures (likely inspirational of miniature golf), and yet others on a sloped table (the ancestors of
pinball), up to the relatively recent bumper pool (popular in the 1970s in home game rooms).
The object of obstacle games varies from avoiding obstructions and traps, to hitting or passing through or into them on purpose to score, to using them
strategically to score in some other way, such as by rebounding off them to reach a hole in the table or trapping opponents' balls.[citation needed]
The early croquet-like games eventually led to the development of the carom or carambole billiards category — what most non-US and non-UK speakers
mean by the word "billiards". These games, which once completely dominated the cue sports world but have declined markedly in most areas over the last
few generations, are games played with three or sometimes four balls, on a table without holes (or obstructions in most cases, five-pins being an exception),
in which the goal is generally to strike one object (target) ball with a cue ball, then have the cue ball rebound off of one or more of the cushions and strike a
second ball. Variations include three-cushion, straight rail, balkline variants, cushion caroms, Italian five-pins, and four-ball, among others.
Over time, a type of obstacle returned, originally as a hazard and later as a target, in the form of pockets, or holes partly cut into the table bed and partly
into the cushions, leading to the rise of pocket billiards, especially "pool" games, popular around the world in forms such as eight-ball, nine-ball, straight pool
and one-pocket amongst numerous others. The terms "pool" and "pocket billiards" are now virtually interchangeable, especially in the US. English billiards
(what UK speakers almost invariably mean by the word "billiards") is a hybrid carom/pocket game, and as such is likely fairly close to the ancestral original
pocket billiards outgrowth from eighteenth- to early nineteenth-century carom games.
As a sport
At least the games with regulated international professional competition have been referred to as "sports" or "sporting" events, not simply "games", since
1893 at the latest.[3] Quite a variety of particular games (i.e. sets of rules and equipment) are the subject of present-day competition, including many of
those already mentioned, with competition being especially broad in nine-ball, snooker, three-cushion and eight-ball...
Snooker, though technically a pocket billiards variant and closely related in its equipment and origin to the game of English billiards, is a professional sport
organized at the international level, and its rules bear little resemblance to those of pool games.
A "Billiards" category encompassing pool, snooker and carom was featured in the 2005 World Games, held in Duisburg, Germany, and the 2006 Asian
Games also saw the introduction of a "Cue sports" category. Efforts have also been underway for many years to have cue sports become Olympic
competitions.
Billiard Balls
Billiard balls vary from game to game, in size, design and number. Carom billiards balls are larger than pool balls, 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 also known as yotsudama). American-style pool balls, used in any
pool game and 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 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 also smaller than American-style
pool balls, and come in sets of 22 (fifteen reds, 6 "colours", and a cue ball). Other games also have custom ball sets, such as Russian pyramid and bumper
pool.
Billiard balls have been made from many different materials since the start of the game, including clay, bakelite, celluloid, crystalite, ivory, plastic, steel and
wood. The dominant material from 1627 until the early to mid 1900s 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 in part 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
Billiard Tables, Pool Tables
Carom billiards table in a Parisian café.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 7 foot (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 1800s, 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. High quality
tables are mostly 4.5 by 9 ft (2.7 m). (interior dimensions), with a bed made of three pieces of thick slate to prevent warping and changes due to humidity.
Smaller bar tables are most commonly made with a single piece of slate. Pocket billiards tables normally have six pockets, three on each side (four corner
pockets, and two side pockets).
Cloth or Felt
Women playing on an elaborately decorated green-covered table in an early 1880s advertising posterAll 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 billiard parlours 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.[6] However, the color also serves a useful function, as non-color-blind human eyes have a higher sensitivity to green than to any other
color.
Rack
Main article: Rack (billiards)
A rack is the name given to a frame (usually wood or plastic) 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.
Cues
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 inch (11-14 mm) terminus called a ferrule, where a leather tip is affixed to make final contact with balls. The leather tip, in
conjunction with chalk, can be used to impart spin to the cue ball when not being hit in its center.
Cheap cues are generally one piece cues made of ramin or other low quality wood with inferior tips of various materials (usually plastic). A quality cue can be
expensive and may be made of exotic woods and other expensive materials which are artfully inlaid in decorative patterns. Skilled players may use more
than one cue during a game, including a separate cue for the opening break shot and another, shorter cue with a special tip for jump shots.
The Mechanical Bridge
The mechanical bridge, sometimes called "the ladies aid", "rake", "bridge stick" or simply "bridge", and known as a "rest" in the UK, 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 available for this kind of tricky shots.
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. "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)[8][9] is made by crushing silica
and the abrasive substance corundum or aloxite[9] (aluminum oxide),[10][11] into a powder[9] and using forced air[clarify][citation needed] to achieve the
desired consistency. 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).[9] Finally, a 15 ton-per-square-inch hydraulic press[citation needed] is used to compress the "chalk" into large
cakes which are dried on a rack, and then cut into small cubes, dimpled on the top to receive the cue tip, and wrapped in paper sleeves. 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.
Major Games: Carom and Pocket
There are two main varieties of billiard games: carom and pocket. The main carom billiards games are straight billiards, balkline and three cushion billiards.
All are played on a pocketless table with three balls; two cue balls and one object ball. In all, players shoot a cue ball so that it makes contact with the
opponent's cue ball as well as the object ball.
The most popular of the large variety of pocket games are eight-ball, nine-ball, one-pocket, bank pool, snooker and, among the old guard, straight pool. In
eight-ball and nine-ball the object is to sink object balls until one can legally pocket the winning eponymous "money ball". Well-known but waning in
popularity is straight pool, in which players seek to continue sinking balls, rack after rack if they can, to reach a pre-determined winning score (typically 150).
Related to nine-ball, another well-known game is rotation, where the lowest-numbered object ball on the table must be struck first, although any object ball
may be pocketed (i.e., combination shot). Each pocketed ball is worth its number, and the player with the highest score at the end of the rack is the winner;
since there are only 120 points available (1+2+3+4...+15 = 120), scoring 61 points leaves no opportunity for the opponent to catch up. In both one-pocket
and bank pool, the players must sink a set number of balls; respectively, all in a particular pocket, or all by bank shots. In snooker, players score points by
alternately potting red balls and various special "colour balls".
Man playing billiards with a cue and a woman with mace, from an illustration appearing in Michael Phelan's 1859 book, The Game of Billiards
[edit] Straight rail or straight billiards
Main article: Balkline and straight rail
In straight rail, a player scores a point and may continue shooting each time his cue ball makes contact with both other balls.
Although a difficult and subtle game, some of the best players of straight billiards developed the skill to gather the balls in a corner or along the same rail for
the purpose of playing a series of nurse shots to score a seemingly limitless number of points.
The first straight rail professional tournament was held in 1879 where Jacob Schaefer, Sr. scored 690 points in a single turn[12] (that is, 690 separate
strokes without a miss). With the balls repetitively hit and barely moving in endless "nursing", there was little for the fans to watch.
Eight Ball
In the United States, the most commonly-played game is eight-ball. On the professional scene, eight-ball players who are on the International Pool Tour
(IPT) are the highest paid players in the world[citation needed]. In the United Kingdom the game is commonly played in pubs, and it is competitively played in
leagues on both sides of the Atlantic. The most prestigious tournaments including the World Open are sponsored and sanctioned by the International Pool
Tour. Rules vary widely from place to place. Pool halls in North America are increasingly settling upon the International Standardized Rules. But tavern eight-
ball, typically played on smaller, coin-operated tables and in a "winner controls the table" manner, can differ significantly even between two venues in the
same city. The growth of local, regional and national amateur leagues may alleviate this confusion eventually. The goal of eight-ball, which is played with a
full rack of fifteen balls and the cue ball, is to claim a suit (commonly stripes or solids in the US, and reds or yellows in the UK), pocket all of them, then
legally pocket the 8 ball, while denying one's opponent opportunities to do the same with their suit, and without sinking the 8 ball early by accident.
Nine-ball
Nine-Ball is a rotation game where only the 1 through 9 balls and cue ball are used. The player at the table must make a legal shot on the lowest numbered
ball on the table or a foul is called. The game is won by legally pocketing the nine ball (which can be done by striking the lowest numbered ball first and then
driving the 9 into a pocket). Nine-ball is the predominant professional game. There are many local and regional tours and tournaments that are contested
with nine-ball. There is no particular governing body of Nine-ball. Most places play with a version of "Texas Express", Billiard Congress of America (BCA) or
World Pool-Billiard Association (WPA) rules. The largest nine-ball tournaments are the independent US Open Nine-ball Championship and the [[WPA World
Nine-ball Championship for men and women. Male professionals have a rather fragmented schedule of professional nine-ball tournaments. The United
States Professional Pool Players Association (UPA) has been the most dominant association[citation needed] for the last few years. Female professionals
have a steady professional circuit that is governed by the Women's Professional Billiard Association (WPBA).
One-pocket
One-pocket is a strategic game for two players. Each player is assigned one of the corner pockets on the table. This is the only pocket into which he can
legally pocket balls. The first player to pocket the majority of the balls (8) in his pocket wins the game. The game requires far more defensive strategy than
offensive strategy, much unlike eight-ball, nine-ball, or straight pool. It has been said that if eight-ball is checkers, one-pocket is chess. This statement can
be verified by watching a game of one pocket. Most times, accomplished players choose to position balls near their pocket instead of trying to actually
pocket them. This allows them to control the game by forcing their opponent to be on defense instead of taking a low percentage shot that could result in a
loss of game. These low percentage shots are known as "flyers" by one pocket aficionados.
Bank pool
Bank pool has been gaining popularity in recent years. Bank pool can be played with a full rack (can be a long game), but is more typically played with nine
balls (frequently called "nine-ball bank"). The balls are racked in nine-ball formation, but in no particular order. The object of the game is simple: to be the
first player to bank five balls in any order (eight balls when played with a full rack). Penalties and fouls are similar to one pocket in that the player committing
the foul must spot a ball for each foul. This must be done before the incoming player shoots.
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