Fahad A. Ali Class Schedule

BSEE-2 Monday (12pm-2pm)

Billiard

“Pool table”

Cue sports (sometimes written cuesports), also known as billiard sports,[1][2] are

a wide variety of games of skill generally played with a cue stick which is used to

strike billiard balls, moving them around a cloth-covered billiards table bounded

by rubber 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 in various parts of the world.

For example, in British and Australian English, "billiards" usually refers

exclusively to the game of English billiards, while in American and Canadian

English 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 pockets, typically 10

feet in length, including balkline and straight rail, cushion caroms, three-cushion

billiards, artistic billiards and four-ball;

Pool, covering numerous pocket billiards games generally played on six-pocket

tables of 7-, 8-, or 9-foot length, including among others eight-ball (the world's

most widely played cue sport), nine-ball (the dominant professional game), ten-

ball, straight pool (the formerly dominant pro game), one-pocket, and bank pool;

and

Snooker and English billiards, games played on a billiards table with six pockets

called a snooker table (which has dimensions just under 12 ft by 6 ft), that are

classified entirely separately from pool based on a separate historical

development, as well as a separate culture and terminology that characterize

their play.

There are other variants that make use of obstacles and targets, and table-top

games played with disks instead of balls.

Billiards has a long and rich history stretching from its inception in the 15th

century, to the wrapping of the body of Mary, Queen of Scots, in her billiard table

cover in 1586, through its many mentions in the works of Shakespeare, including

the famous line "let's to billiards" in Antony and Cleopatra (1606–07), and

through the many famous enthusiasts of the sport such as: Mozart, Louis XIV of

France, Marie Antoinette, Immanuel Kant, Napoleon, Abraham Lincoln, Mark

Twain, George Washington, French president Jules Grévy, Charles Dickens,

George Armstrong Custer, Theodore Roosevelt, Lewis Carroll, W.C. Fields, Babe

Ruth, Bob Hope, and Jackie Gleason.

Materials needed for billiards

Billiard balls

Cue balls from (left to right):

Russian pool and kaisa—68 mm (2 11⁄16 in)

Carom—61.5 mm (2 7⁄16 in)

American-style pool—57 mm (2 1⁄4 in)

British-style pool (largish) —56 mm (2 3⁄16 in)

Snooker—52.5 mm (2 1⁄15 in)

Scaled-down pool—51 mm (2 in) for children's smaller tables

Not shown: half-scale children's miniature pool—approximately 28.5 mm (1 1⁄8

in).

Billiard balls vary from game to game, in size, design and quantity.

Russian pyramid and kaisa have a size of 68 mm (2 11⁄16 in). In Russian

pyramid there are sixteen balls, as in pool, but fifteen are white and numbered,

and the cue ball is usually red.[9] In Kaisa, five balls are used: the yellow object

ball (called the kaisa in Finnish), two red object balls, and the two white cue balls

(usually differentiated by one cue ball having a dot or other marking on it and

each of which serves as an object ball for the opponent).

Carom billiards balls are larger than pool balls, having a diameter of 61.5 mm (2

7⁄16 in), 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).

American-style pool balls are 57 mm (2 1⁄4 in), are used in many pool games

found throughout the world, come in sets of two suits of object balls, seven solids

and seven stripes, an 8 ball and a 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 groups of red (or blue) and

yellow balls instead of solids and stripes, and at 56 mm (2 3⁄16 in) are smaller

than the American-style; they are used principally in Britain, Ireland, and some

Commonwealth countries, though not exclusively, since they are unsuited for

playing nine-ball.

Snooker balls are smaller than American-style pool balls with a diameter of 52.5

mm (2 1⁄15 in), and come in sets of 22 (15 reds, 6 "colours", and a cue ball).

English billiard balls are the same size as snooker balls and come in sets of three

balls (two cue balls and a red, an object ball). Other games, such as bumper

pool, have custom ball sets.

Billiard balls have been made from many different materials since the start of the

game, including clay, bakelite, celluloid, crystallite, 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

inpart 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.

Pool Table

There are many sizes and styles of pool and billiard tables. 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 12 feet (3.7 m) long on the longest side. Pool halls tend

to have 9-foot (2.7 m) tables and cater to the serious pool player. Pubs will

typically use 7-foot (2.1 m) tables which are often coin-operated. Formerly, 10-

foot (3 m) tables were common, but such tables are now considered antique

collectors items; a few, usually from the late 19th century, 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 8-foot (2.4 m) table as a compromise. Full-size pool

tables are 4.5 by 9 ft (2.7 m) (interior dimensions). High-quality tables have a bed

made of thick slate, in three pieces to prevent warping and changes due to

temperature and humidity. Smaller bar tables are most commonly made with a

single piece of slate. Pocket billiards tables of all types normally have six

pockets, three on each side (four corner pockets, and two side or middle

pockets).

Cloth

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 (and snooker) halls and home billiard rooms is

"faster" (i.e., provides less friction, allowing the balls to roll farther across the

table bed), and competition-quality pool cloth is made from 100% 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, but it is also produced in other colors such as red and blue.[12]

The cloth was earlier said to be the most important part of the game, most likely

because of the reflection of the game's origin. The players were stubborn in the

fact that the cloth should not be ripped. They even made women continue to use

maces after cues were invented, for fear that they would rip the cloth with the

sharper cues.

Rack

A rack is the name given to a frame (usually wood, plastic or aluminium) 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.

There are several other types of less common rack types that are also used,

based on a "template" to hold the billiard balls tightly together. Most commonly it

is a thin plastic sheet with diamond-shaped cut-outs that hold the balls that is

placed on the table with the balls set on top of the rack. The rack is used to set

up the "break" and removed after the "break shot" occurs.

Cues (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 butt end of the cue is of larger circumference and is intended to be gripped

by a player's hand. The shaft of the cue is of smaller circumference, usually

tapering to an 0.4 to 0.55 inches (10 to 14 mm) terminus called a ferrule (usually

made of fiberglass or brass in better cues), where a rounded leather tip is affixed,

flush with the ferrule, to make final contact with balls. The tip, in conjunction with

chalk, can be used to impart 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

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 clubs, 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 jump shots.

Mechanical bridge

The mechanical bridge, sometimes called a "rake", "bridge stick" or simply

"bridge", and in the UK a "rest", 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.

For snooker they are normally available in three forms, their use depending on

how the player is hampered; the standard rest is a simple cross, the 'spider' has

a raised arch around 12 cm with three grooves to rest the cue in and for the most

awkward of shots, the 'giraffe' (or 'swan' in England) which has a raised arch

much like the 'spider' but with a slender arm reaching out around 15 cm with the

groove.

Chalk

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 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 lime), but

any of several proprietary compounds, with a silicate base. It was around the

time of the Industrial Revolution that newer compounds formed that provided

better grip for the ball. This is when the English began to experiment with side

spin or applying curl to the ball. This was shortly introduced to the American

players and is how the term “putting English on the ball” came to be. "Chalk" may

also refer to a cone of fine, white 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 in 1897) is made by crushing silica and the

abrasive substance corundum or aloxite (aluminium oxide),into a powder. It is

combined with dye (originally and most commonly green or blue-green, like

traditional billiard cloth, but available today, like the cloth, in many colors) and a

binder (glue).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.

Introduction to Billiard

Billiards, commonly known as pool, is an indoor recreational and sporting game

played by two or more people upon a table with six openings. The object of the

game is to strike the balls into one of the six openings. Numerous variations of

the rules of billiards exist but in all versions the player must strike the ball with the

cue so that a second ball goes into one of the six openings.

Origins

There are numerous origins for the game of billiards and it is likely that the true

origin may never be known. William Shakespeare mentioned the game in his

play ‘Anthony and Cleopatra’ which lead some to believe that the ancient

Egyptians invented the game but this is not documented other than

Shakespeare's writing. Some historians suggest that the game might have of

evolved from the popular outdoor game of croquet during the 15th century in

Northern Europe. There are early illustrations that show hoops on the surface of

the billiard table that would support this theory. Other historians credit the ancient

people of Greece inventing the game around 400 years before the birth of Christ.

Rules and regulation

Scoring

Billiards is played with 3 balls, a red, white and yellow. Each player has their own

cue ball (one white one yellow). There are three ways to score: In-offs, pots or

cannons. In-offs occur when your cue ball hits one or more balls and then enters

a pocket. A pot occurs when any ball other than your cue ball enters a pocket. A

cannon occurs when your cue ball hits both of the other balls. Cannons are

always 2 points. Apart from cannons any score off the red is 3 points and off the

opponent's ball is 2 points. All fouls are 2 points.

Where the balls go

When you go in-off you get your cue ball back and it can be placed anywhere in

the D. When the opponent's ball is potted it stays down and you do not get it

back. When the red is potted it goes on it's spot (the spot nearest the top

cushion), but after 2 successive pots off this spot it is placed on the middle spot;

if you then pot it again it is placed back on it's own spot and you are allowed 2

more pots of the spot etc.

Baulk

The line next to the D is called the baulk line and when you are playing from the

D you are not allowed to hit a ball behind the baulk line, directly. (A ball is

considered IN BAULK if it is either on the line or more than half of the ball is in

baulk, over the line) If your opponent pots your cue ball and then leaves the red

and his cue ball behind the baulk line, you are 'double baulked' and can not aim

for the balls direct - in this case you would play off one or more cushions out of

baulk first.

Starting the game

The red is placed on the Billiards spot and one player takes their cue ball and

plays from the D, normally playing a safety shot; this is called the break off. The

opponent then plays from the D.

Spotting the balls

After your opponent commits a foul you have the option of having the balls

spotted (opponent's ball on middle spot, red on it's spot, cue ball in D).

The Scoring

Pool

In eight-ball pool or solids and stripes, which is the most common version of pool

played globally, the game is won when a player successfully manages to pocket

the no.8 ball after first potting the other balls he was designated with. For

example, if a player is assigned the solids (numbers 1 to 7), he has to pocket all

of these balls before he is allowed to pocket the no.8 ball. If he pockets the no.8

ball before all his other balls are potted, then the opposing player wins the game.

Snooker

In snooker, there are two groups of balls – the reds and the colours - from which

a player can pot to score points. There are 15 red balls worth one point apiece

and a player first needs to pocket a red before attempting to pocket one of the

colours (yellow – 2 points, green – 3 points, brown 4 points, blue 5 points, pink 6

points and black 7 points).

After all 15 red balls are cleared; the colours will have to be potted in sequence

(yellow, green, brown, blue, pink, black) to finish the game. The player with the

most points wins the game and in tournament play, it is the player with the most

number of frames (individual games) - which are decided prior to the contest -

who then wins a match.

In snooker, players can also gain points as a result of a foul committed by their

opponent. For instance, if the player pockets the cue ball, his opponent will

receive points ranging from four to seven. The number of points that the

opponent gains is determined by the severity of the foul.

Another aspect of scoring in snooker relates to the “break” which is the total

number of points (excluding fouls) that a player accumulates during each visit to

the table. For example, a player who attains a break of 50 would have amassed

50 points during his turn before he misses a shot or commits a foul. The

traditional maximum break in snooker is simply know as a “147” but the highest

possible break is a “155 break” or super maximum achieved because one’s

opponent leaves a free ball with the black ball being the one that’s potted as a

result.

English Billiards

With two cue balls and only one object ball, scoring in billiards is vastly different

to pool and snooker. Known as a “cannon”, a player gains two points if he strikes

his cue ball so that it hits (in any order), the red ball and the opponent’s cue ball

on the same shot.

A player also earns points by executing a “Winning hazard” or potting a ball in

snooker parlance. Using one’s own cue ball to strike another ball, a player earns

three points for potting the red ball and two points for entering the opponent’s cue

ball into a pocket.

The third way to score points is by executing a “Losing hazard” which is done by

striking one’s cue ball off another ball, resulting in their own cue ball to enter the

pocket. Three points are awarded if the red ball was used and two points if the

other cue ball was used or both the red and opponent’s cue ball are hit at the

same time.

Combinations of the above may be scored from any single shot with the

maximum points earned capped at 10 points. This happens when the opponent’s

cue ball and red ball are both potted by means of a cannon - with the red ball

being struck first - and the player’s own cue ball also ending up in the pocket to

make a “losing hazard off the red”. Winning a game of English billiards requires a

player to be the first to reach a fixed number points (which is determined before

the start of the game) or by having more points than your opponent at the end of

a timed game.