Billiards is a universally popular indoor game that is enjoyed by people of all ages and both sexes. Traditionally, billiards is played in bars, clubs, pubs, and specials pool or billiard halls. However, more and more people are realizing
benefits and entertainment value of having a billiards table and games room within their very own home. This makes a great addition to any home, adding a touch of relaxation and atmosphere where any member of family can escape trials of everyday life for a short while. And with so many different billiards games to play, you can enjoy this entertainment year in and year out.There are a number of different billiards games to choose from, but before you play these you need necessary equipment. Apart from getting a good quality pool table that you can enjoy for many years to come, you will need billiards balls and a good pool cue. You need to be able to use correct movements and hone your skills to master billiards, so it may take a lot of practise before you become adept at this game – however, you can have great fun with billiards even when learning to play and practising shots.
A Brief History
Billiards is a hugely popular indoor game today, with countless fans that either go out to establishments to play these games or those that have their own billiards tables and pool rooms within home. The game actually became popular in nineteenth and twentieth centuries in England. Gaming establishments known as pool rooms began to incorporate one or two of these billiards tables but they became so popular that soon they became main feature of these pool rooms, and they became known as pool tables.
Pocket Billiards
Pocket billiards is played on a pool table with holes known as ‘pockets’ in which to shoot billiards balls. There is a pocket on each corner of table and then one on each side, making six pockets in all. In all pockets billiards games, object of game is to shoot balls into pockets, although how and where you shoot balls can vary from game to game. Below is a rundown of some of most popular pocket billiards games:
8 BALL This is one of most basic and popular types of pool games, and is played by old and young, male and female, all across world. With 8 ball fifteen balls are used, each of which is numbered. Player one is assigned balls one through to seven and player tow is assigned balls nine through to fifteen. The object of game is for each player to try and pot all of his assigned balls. The first player to pot all of his balls can then try and pot 8-ball. If he manages to do this without also potting cue ball (the ball with which he is potting other balls) then he wins game.
9 BALL This is another very simple form of billiards, and is an excellent starter game and ideal for those learning or practising their billiards skills. With this game there are just nine numbers billiards balls along with cue ball. Each player has to shoot at lowest ball in order to try and pot it, and as each lowest number gets potted players move to next one until final ball, number nine, has been pocketed.
SNOOKER This is a hugely popular game in England, where pool first originated. This particular variation of game originated in British Forces. Snooker is played with 21 coloured balls and one cue ball. The majority of 21 balls used in snooker are red – fifteen in all. The remaining six balls are each of a different colour, including one pink ball, one brown ball, one blue ball, one green ball, one yellow ball and one black ball. Each ball represents a different score when it is pocketed, with lowest score going to reds at one point each. The other ball scores range from 2-7, highest being black ball. Players must pocket a red ball before going on to pocket coloured balls, and all coloured balls must be pocketed in order of value, so black ball is always potted last.
