Billiards, Balls And Cues
Until the 1870's, though, most Americans would have played American Four-Ball Billiards
, which was played on an English Billiards sized table (12' x 6') with only 4 pockets and four balls - two white and two red. It was played like English Billiards by aiming to pocket balls, go in-off (scratch) or by making canons which were called 'caroms'.
American Fifteen-Ball Pool or "Sixty-one Pool" is the predecessor of all modern 'Pocket Billiards' games. It was played with 15 object balls as in the English game pyramid, but crucially, the balls are numbered 1 through 15.
For sinking a ball, the player received a number of points equal to the value of the ball. The sum of the ball values in a rack is 120, so the first player who received more than half the total, or 61 , was the winner.
The word "pool" means a collective bet and became a term for the game when it began to be played in 19th century "pool rooms" which were then places for betting on horse races.
Continuous Pool replaced Fifteen-Ball Pool as the championship game when, in 1888, it was thought more fair to count the number of balls pocketed by a player and not their numerical value. Thus, the player who sank the last ball of a rack would break the next rack and his point total would be kept "continuously" from one rack to the next.
Eight ball pool was invented shortly after 1900 and is one of the most widely played of all Billiards games today. Straight Pool followed in 1910.
Also known as 14.1 Continuous. The object is to pot 14 of the 15 balls one after the other and in any order leaving just one ball whereupon all the others are racked up and the break continues. One point is scored for each ball potted.
Nine-Ball Pool seems to have developed around 1920. This game is now more popular in Europe particularly in Sweden and Germany.
Balls one to nine are racked up in a diamond with the nine ball in the middle and the one ball nearest the baulk line. Each shot must always hit the lowest numbered ball on the table first and then pocket a ball or make two balls reach a cushion. If this isn't achieved, it is a foul and the balls are re-racked for the opponent to play.
Pool tables are pocket billiards tables used for such games as 8-ball, 9-ball, straight pool, and one-pocket. A typical pool table features six pockets, one at each corner and another at the midpoint of each of the longer sides.
Most pool tables are rectangular in shape and feature a playing surface made from slate or a composite wood variant. This surface is typically covered with green "felt," i.e. a product called Baize made from woven wool or a wool and nylon blend. Pool table sizes vary from 3 1/2 feet by 7 feet to 4 1/2 feet by 9 feet.
Pool table styles primarily fall into the 3 general categories of contemporary, antique, and outdoor. Contemporary pool tables usually feature simple and sleek lines and a variety of manufacturing materials, including mica or veneer laminates, vinyl melamine coating, and walnut, cherry, or mahogany wood finishes.
Antique pool table designs employ a much busier and sophisticated look, with solid wood construction and intricate woodworking. Laurel, ash, and rosewood are just a few of the many varieties of wood that can be used in the construction of antique pool tables.
Outdoor pool tables use the latest waterproof and weather resistant composite materials to provide you with a low maintenance alternative to indoor pool tables. Doing your research will ensure that the pool table you purchase will just as good ten or twenty years from now as it does today.
by: Jack Landry
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