Billiards

:This article is about the group of cue games. In the UK, "billiards" is the name for the specific game of English billiards. In the Netherlands, billiards is the name for the game of Carambole billiards.

Equipment

Billiard balls

The number, type, diameter, color, and pattern of Billiard balls differ depending upon the specific billiards game being played. In eight ball, straight pool, and related games, 16 balls are employed: fifteen colored "object balls" and one white "cue ball". Object balls 1-7 are solid-colored, and are colored yellow, blue, red, purple, orange, green, and dark red or brown, respectively. Balls 9-15 are white, each with a single wide colored stripe that matches the corresponding solid ball; the 9-ball has a yellow stripe, the 10-ball a blue stripe, and so on. The 8-ball is solid black. In the game of 9-ball, only object balls 1-9 are used. Regulation balls are 2-1/4 inches in diameter and weight between 5 1/2 and 6 ounces. Other specific properties such as hardness, friction coefficient and resilience are very important. Such properties are met with phenolic resin.

Related Topics:
Billiard ball - Eight ball - Straight pool - 9-ball

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Some balls used in televised pool games are colored differently to make them distinguishable on the images of the television screen. The 4-ball used on such games is colored pink instead of purple, while the 7-ball is colored sienna (or a lighter shade of brown) rather than brown. The stripes on the 12- and 15-balls are colored the same way. Later on, the cue ball used in these types of games became spotted for television viewers to appreciate the player's manipulation of the cue ball.

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In snooker, there are fifteen red balls, six colored balls (yellow, green, brown, blue, pink, and black), and one white cue ball. The balls are typically not numbered. These balls are normally 2-1/16 inches in diameter.

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In games such as carom, straight billiards, English billiards, balkline, and three cushion, there are two cue balls and a red ball. One of the cue balls is typically white and the other one is either yellow or white with a red dot. These balls are normally 2-3/4 inches in diameter.

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Billiard balls were originally made from Ivory, imported from Africa. At the beginning of the 20th century, in an amazing bit of accidental environmentalism, the billiard industry realized that the supply of elephants (their primary source of ivory) was limited. They challenged inventors to come up with an alternative material that could be manufactured. John Wesley Haytt answered the call by inventing cellulose nitrate branded under the name celluloid, the earliest industrial plastic.

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Tables

There are many sizes and styles of pool or billiard tables. Generally, tables are twice as long as they are wide. Most pool tables are known as 7, 8, or 9 footers referring to the length of the largest side. Snooker and English billiard tables are 12 feet long on the longest side. Pool halls tend to have 9 foot tables and cater to the serious pool player. Bars will typically use 7 foot tables which are often coin operated. The length of the pool table will typically be a function of space, with many homeowners going for an 8 foot table as a compromise. High quality tables are mostly 9 footers with a bed made of three pieces of thick slate to prevent warping and changes due to humidity. Smaller bar tables are typically made with a single piece of slate. Pocket billiard tables typically have 6 pockets, three on each side. Tables are covered with billiard cloth (often called felt, but actually a woven wool or wool/nylon blend). Bar tables, which get lots of play, use slower more durable cloth. Good quality pool cloth is faster, and the best quality pool cloth is made from worsted wool. Snooker table cloth traditionally has a nap and balls behave differently when rolling against the direction of the nap. The cloth of the billiard table is typically green reflecting its origin (Shamos).

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Cues

Billiards is played with a stick known as a cue. A cue is either a one piece tapered stick or a two piece stick divided in the middle by a joint of metal or phenolic resin. The butt of the cue is the piece of larger circumference. The thinner piece of the cue is the shaft. High quality cues are generally two pieces and are made of a hardwood, typically maple for billiards and ash for snooker. All cues are tapered from the butt to the tip. The tip of the cue is cuffed by a ferrule which holds the leather cue tip. The leather tip, in conjunction with chalk, is used to impart spin to the cue ball. Cheap cues are generally one piece cues made of aluminum or wood with inferior tips of various materials. A quality cue can be expensive and may be made of exotic woods and other expensive materials which are artfully inlaid with decorative patterns. Skilled players may use more than one cue during a game, including a stick for the opening break shot and another shorter cue with a special tip for jumping. (See Cue stick.)

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Chalk

Chalk is often applied to the tip of the cue stick to increase friction when the stick impacts the cue ball. The increased friction will impart greater spin to the cue ball and also reduce the risk of a miscue (unintentional slip between the cue tip and the ball).

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