Cue sports 3447 224753736 2008-07-10T07:47:09Z VolkovBot 3035831 robot Adding: [[cs:Kulečník]], [[ky:Бильярд]] {{Redirect|Billiards|other uses|Billiard}} [[Image:Studenten Billard.JPG|right|thumb|300px|Illustration of a three ball [[pocket billiards]] game in early 19th century [[Tübingen]], [[Germany]], using a table much longer than the modern type.]] '''Cue sports''' are a wide variety of [[Game of skill|games of skill]] generally played with a [[cue stick]] which is used to strike [[colored]] [[billiard ball]]s, moving them around a [[Baize|cloth]]-covered [[billiards table]] bounded by rubber {{Cuegloss|Cushion|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. In the [[United Kingdom]], "billiards" refers exclusively to [[English billiards]], 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: * [[Carom billiards]], referring to games played on tables without {{Cuegloss|Pocket|pockets}}, including among others [[balkline and straight rail]], [[cushion caroms]], [[carom billiards#Three-cushion billiards|three-cushion billiards]] and [[artistic billiards]] * [[Pocket billiards]] (or "pool") generally played on a table with six pockets, including among others [[eight-ball]] (the world's most widely played cue sport), [[nine-ball]], [[straight pool]], [[one-pocket]] and [[bank pool]] * [[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 [[colored]] balls. Billiards has a long and rich history stretching from its inception in the 15th century; to the wrapping of the body of [[Mary I of Scotland|Mary, Queen of Scots]] in her billiard table cover in 1586; through its many mentions in the works of [[William Shakespeare|Shakespeare]],<!--Michael Phelan's 1850 book has an entire chapter devoted to mentions in Shakespeare works; which might be useful.--> including the famous line "let us to billiards" in ''[[Antony and Cleopatra]]'' (1606&ndash;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, [[Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart|Mozart]], [[Louis XIV of France]], [[Marie Antoinette]], [[Napoleon I of France|Napoleon]], [[Abraham Lincoln]], [[Mark Twain]], [[George Washington]], [[Charles Dickens]], [[George Armstrong Custer]], [[Theodore Roosevelt]], [[Lewis Carroll]], [[W. C. Fields|W.C.&nbsp;Fields]], [[Babe Ruth]], [[Bob Hope]], [[Jackie Gleason]], and many others. [[Image:Longoni-cues.jpg|thumb|124px|Cues]] ==History== [[Image:Billiards-q75-1426x1200.jpg|right|thumb|300px|Inset from ''School of Recreation,'' 1710. "We perceive from the engraving of the Billiards of the seventtenth [sic] century, that the game was altogether different from what it is now."<ref>Charles Knight's "Old England: A Pictorial Museum" (1845), in [http://www.fromoldbooks.org/OldEngland/pages/2153-Billiards/ From Old Books]. Retrieved [[December 27]], 2006.</ref>]] All cue sports are generally regarded to have evolved into indoor games from outdoor stick-and-ball [[lawn game]]s <ref>{{cite book | first = Victor | last = Stein and Rubino, Paul | year = 1996 | title = The Billiard Encyclopedia: An Illustrated History of the Sport (2nd ed.) | publisher = Blue Book Publications, June 1996 | id = ISBN 1-886768-06-4 }}, specific page reference needed</ref>, and as such to be related to [[troco]], [[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 (equipment)|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 [[:Category:Obstacle billiards|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,{{Fact|date=February 2007}}<!--Shamos's ''Enc.'' goes into a lot of this stuff; I'll add that to my queue -SMcCandlish--> 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 [[Recreation room|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.{{Fact|date=February 2007}}<!--Again, Shamos covers this stuff very well. I just have to find my copy. -SMcCandlish--> The early croquet-like games eventually led to the development of the '''[[carom billiards|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 {{Cuegloss|Object ball|object (target) ball}} with a {{Cuegloss|Cue ball|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 [[Billiards table#Pocket billiards tables|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 18th to early 19th 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.<ref name="NYTBig">[http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F40613FF3A5F1A738DDDA90994DA415B8385F0D3 "Meeting of the Champions; The Big Billiard Tournamet to Begin To-morrow – What Ives, Schaefer, and Slosson Have Been Doing in Practice – The Older Players Not Afraid of the Big Runs Made by Ives – Something About the Rise and Progress of the Young 'Napoleon' of the Billiard World"], no byline, ''[[The New York Times]]'', [[1893-12-10]], p. 10; [[The New York Times Company]], [[New York, NY]], USA.</ref> 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.<!-- There are other places where we need to "respect" snooker as a separate sport; it's really a global tour-de-force and had a WikiProject before "WikiProject Cue sports", so let's see how we can help them and not step on their toes but also remain historically/logically accurate. -SMcCandlish--> 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 [[Cue sports at the 2006 Asian Games|introduction of a "Cue sports" category]]. Efforts have also been underway for many years to have cue sports become [[Olympic Games|Olympic]] competitions.{{Fact|date=February 2007}} ==Equipment== <!-- Much of this entire section needs to be pared down, with details moving to more specific pages like [[Pocket billiards]], [[Snooker]], and [[Carom billiards]]. --> ===Billiard balls=== {{Main|Billiard balls}} [[Image:Billiards balls.jpg|right|thumb|250px|Pool 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 {{Cuegloss|Suit|suits}} of object balls, seven {{Cuegloss|Solids|solids}} and seven {{Cuegloss|Stripes|stripes}}, an {{Cuegloss|8 ball|8 ball}} and a {{Cuegloss|Cue ball|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 {{Cuegloss|Group|groups}} of {{Cuegloss|Red ball|red}} (or {{Cuegloss|Blue ball|blue}}) and {{Cuegloss|Yellow ball|yellow}} balls instead of solids and stripes, and are smaller than the American-style; they are used principally in [[United Kingdom|Britain]], [[Republic of Ireland|Ireland]], and some [[Commonwealth of Nations|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 "{{Cuegloss|Colour balls|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 20th century 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 manufacture and was highly flammable.<ref name="IEOB">{{cite book | last = Shamos | first = Michael Ian | year = 1993 | title = The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Billiards | publisher = Lyons & Burford | location = [[New York, NY]] | pages = Pages: various | id = ISBN 1-55821-219-1}}</ref><ref>The New York Times Company ([[September 16]], [[1875]]). [http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=FB0F1EFD345D1A7493C4A81782D85F418784F9 Explosive Teeth.] Retrieved [[January 2]], [[2007]].</ref> ===Tables=== {{main|Billiard table}} [[Image:PoolTablewithEquipment-non.jpg|right|thumb|250px|Pool table with equipment.]] There are many sizes and styles of pool and [[billiards table|billiard table]]s. 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 {{convert|12|ft|m|1}} long on the longest side. [[Pool hall]]s tend to have {{convert|9|ft|m|1|sing=on}} tables and cater to the serious pool player. Pubs will typically use {{convert|7|ft|m|1|sing=on}} tables which are often coin-operated. Formerly, {{convert|10|ft|m|0|sing=on}} 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 {{convert|8|ft|m|1|sing=on}} table as a compromise. High quality tables are mostly 4.5 by {{convert|9|ft|m|1|abbr=on}}. (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=== {{Main|Baize}} [[Image:Early-1880s-billiards-ladies-JMBB.jpg|right|thumb|250px|Women playing on an elaborately decorated green-covered table in an early 1880s advertising poster.]] All 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 [[pool halls|pool (and snooker) halls]] and home [[billiard room]]s is "faster" (i.e. provides less friction, allowing the balls to roll farther across the table {{Cuegloss|Bed|bed}}), and competition-quality pool cloth is made from 100&nbsp;% [[worsted|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.<ref name = "fmsxor">{{cite book | last = Shamos | first = Michael Ian | year = 1991 | title = Pool | publisher = Hotho & Co., June 1991 | id = ISBN 99938-704-3-9 }}<!--Specific page reference needs to be filled in!--></ref> ===Rack=== {{main|Rack (billiards)}} A [[Rack (billiards)|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=== :{{main|Cue stick}} 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 {{Cuegloss|Butt|butt}} end of the cue is of larger circumference and is intended to be gripped by a player's hand. The {{Cuegloss|Shaft|shaft}} of the cue is of smaller circumference, usually tapering to an 0.4 to 0.55 inch (11&ndash;14&nbsp;mm) terminus called a {{Cuegloss|Ferrule|ferrule}} (usually made of fiberglass or brass in better cues), where a rounded leather {{Cuegloss|Tip|tip}} is affixed, flush with the ferrule, to make final contact with balls. The tip, in conjunction with chalk, can be used to impart [[Cue sports techniques#Sidespin (english)|spin]] to the cue ball when it is not hit in its center. Cheap cues are generally made of pine, low-grade maple (and formerly often of [[Gonystylus|ramin]], which is now endangered), or other low-quality wood, with inferior plastic ferrules. A quality cue can be expensive and may be made of exotic woods and other expensive materials which are artfully inlaid in decorative patterns. Many modern cues are also made, like [[golf club]]s, with high-tech materials such as woven graphite. Skilled players may use more than one cue during a game, including a separate generally lighter cue for the opening break shot (because of cue speed gained from a lighter stick) and another, shorter cue with a special tip for {{Cuegloss|Jump shot|jump shots}}. ===Mechanical bridge=== <span id="The mechanical bridge" /><!--Orig. section name; may be linked-to somewhere.-->The mechanical bridge, sometimes called a "rake" (among other nicknames), "bridge stick" or simply "bridge", "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 typically available for this kind of tricky shot. Commonly in snooker they are available in three forms depending on how the player is hampered; the standard rest has a simple cross, the 'spider' has a raised arch around 12cm with three grooves to rest the cue in and for the most awkward of shots, the 'giraffe' which has a raised arch much like the 'spider' but with a slender arm reaching out around 15cm with the groove. ===Chalk=== [[Image:Billiard Chalk and Cue.jpg|thumb|240px|Billiard chalk is applied to the tip of the cue to increase friction.]]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 {{Cuegloss|Miscue|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 [[Calcium oxide|lime]]), but any of several proprietary compounds, with a [[silicate]] base. "Chalk" may also refer to a cone of fine, white {{Cuegloss|Hand chalk|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 (inventor)|William Hoskins]] in 1897)<ref name="Clark1">[http://www.toaster.org/hoskins_tragic.html "The World's Most Tragic Man Is the One Who Never Starts"], Clark, Neil M.; originally published in ''The American'' magazine, May 1927; republished in ''hotwire: The Newsletter of the Toaster Museum Foundation'', vol. 3, no. 3, online edition accessed [[February 24]] 2007. The piece is largely an interview of Hoskins.</ref><ref name="Patent578514">{{US patent|0578514}}, [[9 March]] [[1897]]</ref> is made by crushing [[silica]] and the abrasive substance [[corundum]] or aloxite<ref name="Patent578514"/> ([[aluminum]] [[oxide]]),<ref name="Chem1">[http://www.chemindustry.com/chemicals/14835.html "Aloxite"], ''ChemIndustry.com'' database, retrieved February 24, 2007.</ref><ref name="PubChem">[http://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/summary/summary.cgi?sid=158,243 "Substance Summary: Aluminum Oxide"], ''PubChem Database'', [[United States National Library of Medicine|National Library of Medicine]], [[National Institutes of Health|US National Institutes of Health]], retrieved February 24, 2007.</ref> into a powder<ref name="Patent578514" /> and using forced air{{Clarifyme|date=March 2008}}<!--What does that mean?-->{{Fact|date=June 2007}} to achieve the desired consistency. It is combined with dye (originally and most commonly green or blue-green, like traditional [[Baize|billiard cloth]], but available today, like the cloth, in many colors) and a binder (glue).<ref name="Patent578514" /> Finally, a 15 ton-per-square-inch hydraulic press{{Fact|date=June 2007}} 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.<!--RE-ENABLE THIS AFTER http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=MediaWiki_talk:Spam-whitelist RESOLVES BLACKLIST ISSUE: ref name="Tobey1" /--> ==Major games (carom and pocket)== [[Image:Billard p1150796.jpg|thumb|250px|Carom billiards table in a [[Paris]]ian café.]] {{Main|Carom billiards|Pocket billiards}} 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|one-pocket]], [[Billiards#Bank pool|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 [[eponym]]ous "{{Cuegloss|Money ball|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 (pool)|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&nbsp;+&nbsp;2&nbsp;+&nbsp;3&nbsp;⋯&nbsp;+&nbsp;15&nbsp;=&nbsp;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 {{Cuegloss|Pocket|pocket}}, or all by {{Cuegloss|Bank shot|bank shots}}. In snooker, players score points by alternately potting {{Cuegloss|Red ball|red balls}} and various special "{{Cuegloss|Colour ball|colour balls}}". [[Image:Cue and mace.jpg|thumb|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''.]] ===Straight rail or straight billiards=== {{Main|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 {{Cuegloss|Gather shot|gather}} the balls in a corner or along the same rail for the purpose of playing a series of {{Cuegloss|Nurse|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<ref name = "fmsxor"/> (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<!--, though the matches were popular anyway and the subject of major press coverage **Dig up some good NYTimes 1800s articles and cite them here first.** -->. ===Balkline=== {{Main|Balkline and straight rail}} In light of these phenomenal skill developments in straight rail, the game of balkline soon developed to make it impossible for a player to keep the balls gathered in one part of the table for long, greatly limiting the effectiveness of nurse shots. A {{Cuegloss|Balkline|balkline}} (not to be confused with {{Cuegloss|Baulk line|baulk line}}, which pertains to the game of [[English billiards]]) is a line parallel to one end of a billiards table. In the ''games'' of balkline – 18.1 and 18.2 (pronounced "eighteen-point-two") balkline, among other more obscure variations – the players have to drive at least one object ball past a balkline set at 18 inches from each rail, after one or two points have been scored, respectively. ===Three-cushion billiards=== {{main|Carom billiards#Three-cushion billiards}} A more elegant solution was three-cushion billiards, which requires a player to make contact with the other two balls on the table ''and'' contact three rail cushions in the process. This is difficult enough that even the best players can only manage to average one to two points per turn. ===English billiards=== {{Main|English billiards}} Dating to approximately 1800, English billiards is a hybrid of [[Carom billiards|carom]] ''and'' [[pocket billiards]] played on a {{convert|6|ft|m|1|sing=on}} by {{convert|12|ft|m|1|sing=on}} table. Like most carom games, it requires two {{Cuegloss|Cue ball|cue balls}} and a red {{Cuegloss|Object ball|object ball}}. The object of the game is to score either a fixed number of points, or score the most points within a set time frame, determined at the start of the game. Points are awarded for: *Two-ball {{Cuegloss|Cannon|Cannons}}: striking both the object ball and the other (opponent's) cue ball on the same shot (2 points) *<!--{{Cuegloss|Winning hazard|-->Winning hazards<!--}}-->: {{Cuegloss|Pot|potting}} the red ball (3 points); potting the other cue ball (2 points) *{{Cuegloss|Losing hazard|Losing hazards}} (or "in-offs"): potting one's cue ball by cannoning off another ball (3 points if the red ball was hit first; 2 points if the other cue ball was hit first, or if the red and other cue ball were "{{Cuegloss|Split|split}}", i.e. hit simultaneously). ===Snooker=== {{main|Snooker}} A pocket billiards game originated by [[History of the British Army|British officers]] stationed in [[Colonial India|India]] during the 19th century. The name of the game became generalized to also describe one of its prime strategies: to "{{Cuegloss|Snooker|snooker}}" the opposing player by causing that player to foul or leave an opening to be exploited. In the United Kingdom, snooker is by far the most popular cue sport at the competitive level. It is played in many other countries as well. Snooker is far rarer in the U.S., where pool games such as eight-ball and nine-ball dominate. ===Eight-ball=== {{main|Eight-ball}} [[Image:Eight Ball Rack 2005 SeanMcClean.jpg|thumb|[[Eight-ball]] rack]]In the United States, the most commonly-played game is eight-ball. 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. On the professional scene, eight-ball players on the [[International Pool Tour]] (IPT) were the highest paid players in the world as of 2006 (the IPT nearly folded in 2007, and as of 2008 is attempting a comeback). 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 <!--and many other places ??--> are increasingly settling upon the [[World Pool-Billiard Association]] International Standardized Rules. But tavern eight-ball (also known as "{{Cuegloss|Bar pool|bar pool}}"), typically played on smaller, coin-operated tables and in a "winner keeps 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. ===Nine-ball=== {{main|Nine-ball}} Nine-ball uses only the 1 through 9 balls and cue ball. It is a rotation game: The player at the table must make legal contact with 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 pocketing all the available balls in ascending order, typically 1 through 9, by striking the lowest numbered remaining ball first and then driving the 9 into a pocket on the same shot, or by pocketing the 9 ball on the break shot).{{Facts|date=February 2008}} Nine-ball is the predominant professional game, though as of 2006&ndash;2008 there have been some suggestions that this may change, in favor of [[ten-ball]].<ref name="Varner BD 2008-02">{{BDMag|first=Nick|last=Varner|month=February|year=2008|title=Killing Me Softly?: The Outbreak of the Soft Break Threatens the Game of 9-ball|volume=30|issue=3|pages=pp. 34&ndash;35}}</ref>{{Clarifyme|date=February 2008}}<!--Additional pre-2008 sources needed here.--> There are many local and regional tours and tournaments that are contested with nine-ball. The [[World Pool-Billiard Association]] (WPA), and it American affiliate the [[Billiard Congress of America]] (BCA), publish the World Standardized Rules<!--Do not change British spelling; it is the way WPA spells it-->, although some independent tournaments may differ from them on certain points (especially if using pre-"{{Cuegloss|Texas express|Texas express}}" rules).{{Facts|date=February 2008}} The European professional circuit has instituted rules changes, especially to make it more difficult to achieve a legal break shot.<ref name="Varner BD 2008-02" /><ref name="Panozzo BD 2008-02">{{BDMag|first=Mike|last=Panozzo|month=February|year=2008|title=Long Live the Cup!|volume=30|issue=3|pages=pp. 34&ndash;35}}</ref> 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 of the 1990s and 2000s. Female professionals have a steady professional circuit that is governed by the [[Women's Professional Billiard Association]] (WPBA).{{Facts|date=February 2008}}{{Clarifyme|date=February 2008}}<!--Some of this governing body and major tourney information is not presented in the [[Nine-ball]] article!--> A hotly contested event is the annual [[Mosconi Cup]], which pits invitational European and US teams against each other in one-on-one and {{Cuegloss|Scotch doubles|scotch doubles}} nine-ball matches over a period of several days.The Mosconi Cup games are played under the more stringent European rules, as of 2007.<ref name="Panozzo BD 2008-02" /> ===Three-ball=== {{main|Three-ball}} A variant using only three balls, generally played such that the player at turn continues shooting until all the balls are pocketed, and the player to do so in the fewest shots wins. The game can be played by two or more players. Dispenses with some fouls common to both nine- and eight-ball. ===One-pocket=== {{main|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]].{{fact|date=June 2008}} 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=== {{main|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. ==List of cue sports== ===Carom billiards games=== *[[Artistic billiards]] *[[Balkline and straight rail|Balkline]] games (18.1, 18.2, etc.) *[[Cowboy pool]] (a hybrid carom/pocket game) *[[English billiards]] (a hybrid carom/pocket game) *[[Five-pins]] *[[Four-ball]] (sagu(사구)/yotsudama) *[[Balkline and straight rail|Straight-rail]] *[[Carom billiards#Three-cushion billiards|Three-cushion billiards]] ===Pocket billiards games=== *[[Trick shot|Artistic pool and trickshot competition]] *[[Bank pool]] (banks, nine-ball banks) *[[Baseball pocket billiards]] *[[Blackball (pool)]] *[[Bottle pool]] *[[Bowlliards]] *[[Casino (pocket billiards)|Casino]] *[[Chicago (pool)|Chicago]] *[[Chinese eight-ball]] *[[Cowboy pool]] (a hybrid carom/pocket game) *[[Cribbage (pool)|Cribbage pool]] *[[Cutthroat (pool)|Cutthroat]] *[[Eight-ball]] (stripes-and-solids, highs-and-lows, blackball) *[[English billiards]] (a hybrid carom/pocket game) *[[Equal offense]] *[[Irish standard pool]] *[[Kelly pool]] (pill/pea pool) *[[Killer (pool)|Killer]] *[[Nine-ball]] *[[One-pocket]] *[[Poker pool]] (hybrid) *[[Rotation (pool)|Rotation]] *[[Russian pyramid]] *[[Seven-ball]] *[[Skittle pool]] variants (pin pool) *Snooker (''see below''; popularly regarded as its own sport, not a pool variant) *[[Speed pool]] *[[Straight pool]] (also called "14.1 continuous") *[[Ten-ball]] *[[Three-ball]] ===Snooker=== *[[Snooker]] *[[Snooker plus]] *[[Golf (pool)|Golf pool]] (and its variant, around-the-world) ===Obstacle billiards games=== *[[Bagatelle]] *[[Bar billiards]] *[[Bumper pool]] *Bottle pool, skittle pool (pin pool), and five-pins are vestigially classifiable here as well ===Cueless and/or ball-less developments=== *[[Hand billiards]] and [[finger pool]] (no cues) :*[[Crud (game)|Crud]] *[[Carrom]] (uses small disks instead of balls; some versions use miniature cues, others no cues at all) :*[[Novuss]] (a variant that uses full-size cues) :*[[Crokinole]] (some variants of this combination of carrom and shuffleboard use miniature cues) <!--*Mouth pool (the cue ball is spat from the mouth at other balls) NOT PUTTING THIS IN UNTIL I CAN FIND THE SOURCE AGAIN; IT IS REAL, AND REALLY GROSS... SHAMOS MENTIONED IT IN QUITE A BIT OF DETAIL IN A BDMag COLUMN. -SMcCandlish --> ==See also== {{Commons|Billiards}} *[[Glossary of cue sports terms]] *[[BCA Hall of Fame]] *[[Hustling]] *[[Cue sports techniques]] ==References== {{Reflist}} {{Refbegin}} *{{cite book | last = Alciatore | first = David G. ("Doctor Dave") | title = The Illustrated Principles of Pool and Billiards | url = http://billiards.colostate.edu/book/book_description.html | month = August | year = 2004 | publisher = [[Sterling Publishing]] | location = [[New York]] | isbn = 1-4027-1428-9}} *{{cite book | last = Byrne | first = Robert | title = Byrne's New Standard Book of Pool and Billiards | year = 1998 | publisher = [[Harcourt Trade Publishers|Harcourt Brace & Co]] | location = New York | isbn = 0-15-100325-4}} {{Refend}} ==External links== <!--==========================({{NoMoreLinks}})============================ | PLEASE BE CAUTIOUS IN ADDING MORE LINKS TO THIS ARTICLE. WIKIPEDIA | | IS NOT A COLLECTION OF LINKS NOR SHOULD IT BE USED FOR ADVERTISING. | | | | Excessive or inappropriate links WILL BE DELETED. | | See [[Wikipedia:External links]] & [[Wikipedia:Spam]] for details. | | | | If there are already plentiful links, please propose additions or | | replacements on this article's discussion page. Or submit your link | | to the relevant category at the Open Directory Project (dmoz.org) | | and link back to that category using the {{dmoz}} template. | =========================({{NoMoreLinks}})=============================--> ===Organizations=== *[http://www.wpa-pool.com/ World Pool-Billiard Association (WPA)] – the [[International Olympic Committee]]-recognized promulgator of international rules for a variety of cue sports. *[http://www.epbf.com/ European Pocket Billiard Federation (EPBF)] – the [[Europe]]an national WPA affiliate and self-described "governing body of pool" in Europe. *[http://www.bca-pool.com/ Billiard Congress of America (BCA)] – the US national WPA affiliate and self-described "governing body of pool" in the United States and Canada (also covers carom games and snooker) *[http://www.poolplayers.com/ American Poolplayers Association] – the self-described world's largest pool league (site also provides pool-related news and articles); see also the affiliated [http://www.poolplayers.ca Canadian Poolplayers Association] *[http://www.upatour.com/ United States Professional Pool Players Association (UPA)] ===History=== *[http://www.tradgames.org.uk/games/Billiard-Family.htm "The Billiards Family &#91;Games&#93;] at the ''Online Guide to Traditional Games''; includes sourced information on the early history of the sport<!-- This may be a good article to plunder for the History section, until an editor here can get ahold of the Everton book or another good source. --> *[http://www.bca-pool.com/aboutus/history/start.shtml "A Brief History of the Noble Game of Billiards"], by Michael Ian Shamos (a BCA-published summary of Shamos's more in-depth research on the topic) ===Technical information=== *[http://billiards.colostate.edu/ "The Illustrated Principles of Pool and Billiards"], by Prof. David G. Alciatore – technical billiards physics materials (and online instruction and demonstrations)<!-- Borderline spam - site is advertising DVDs & CD-ROMs; however, does provide many free articles, so keep it for now? --> *[http://www.regispetit.com/billarda.htm "Physics of Billiards" resource list] by Regis Petit. ===News sources=== <!--Please do not add links to amateur publications (which are simply not Wikipedia-appropriate to begin with) nor to those about specific games such as snooker, which are more appropriate for specific-game articles. --> *[http://www.billiardsdigest.com/ ''Billiards Digest'' magazine] *[http://www.insidepoolmag.com/ ''Inside Pool'' magazine] *[http://www.azbilliards.com/ ''AZBilliards'' e-magazine] {{Cue sports nav}} [[Category:Cue sports| ]] [[ar:بلياردو]] [[zh-min-nan:Chhn̂g-kiû]] [[bg:Билярд]] [[ca:Billar]] [[cs:Kulečník]] [[da:Billard]] [[de:Billard]] [[es:Billar]] [[eo:Bilardo]] [[fr:Billard]] [[gl:Billar]] [[ko:당구]] [[hr:Biljar]] [[id:Biliar]] [[it:Biliardo]] [[he:ביליארד]] [[ka:ბილიარდი]] [[ky:Бильярд]] [[ht:Biya]] [[lv:Biljards]] [[lt:Biliardas]] [[hu:Biliárd]] [[nl:Biljart]] [[ja:ビリヤード]] [[no:Biljard]] [[pl:Bilard]] [[ro:Biliard]] [[ru:Бильярд]] [[sa:गुलिशङ्कु]] [[simple:Cue sports]] [[fi:Biljardi]] [[sv:Biljard]] [[tl:Cue sports]] [[tr:Bilardo]] [[uk:Більярд]] [[zh:撞球]]