Billiards

Billiards is popular all over the world. On a rectangular cloth-covered table bounded by feathering rubber cushions (and for Pool and Snooker also with six pockets), players use a cue to direct a ‘cue ball’ to hit other balls so that they move around the table or drop into a pocket. Each discipline is played one against one.

Carom (3- Cushion) is played with three balls (one white cue ball, one yellow cue ball and one red object ball) on a table without pockets. The object is to complete ‘carom’ by driving one of the cue balls into both of the other balls, in the process bouncing off three cushions. Each successful carom counts as one point.

Pool is a form of billiards in which the aim is to pot coloured object balls into six pockets according to specific rules. The cue ball is the only ball struck with the cue. Players take alternate visits to the table. A visit ends when a player fails to pot a ball legally with a shot.

Snooker is played on a large table with six pockets. Points are scored for potted balls. On the first shot of a player’s turn, the cue ball must be struck first, aimed to hit one of the 15 red balls. If that red is potted, the next shot is on any of six coloured balls. If successfully potted, the player continues by aiming at another red. After the last red and associated colour, the coloured balls must be potted in ascending points order.