Billiards - The Transformation Years 1674 - 1800

In this article we're going to cover what is called the transformation years of billiards starting with 1674 and working our way up to the year 1800.

By the year 1674 the game of billiards was still very similar to the version played on the ground. The only significant change was moving the game itself to a table. However, in the next 100 years, changes to the game would come quickly which would make the game look more like the modern version that we play today. The elements of ground billiards would slowly disappear altogether. What would replace these elements are those which made for some very different variations of the game itself. The games became more complex and required a great deal more skill.

In the 1700s began what is referred to as the transformation to the modern game. The innovation which probably changed the game the most during this time was the creation of the billiard cue. Makeshift cues had been used until this time. It was actually the mace that led to the creation of the cue stick and ultimately to the disappearance of the mace altogether. Players began to use the narrow end of the mace to make their shots and because of this discovered a new way of playing.

Prior to this, the mace had always been used to "push" the ball forward, kind of like a miniature shuffle board stick. The narrow end had always been the handle. The new way of holding the mace to make shots came from the difficulty of making shots where the cue ball was pressed up against the cushion of the table. Thus the narrow end was better suited for making these shots. By turning the mace around and shooting with the handle, players discovered an immediate improvement to their accuracy and control.

With the invention of the cue came other improvements such as leather tips, chalk, slate beds, fine cloth, rubber rails and standard sizes for tables. Better cushions made for better shot making. This began the birth of "carom" games that started in and swept across France. Gradually as time went by, billiards was looked at as a scientific game as well as a game of skill. The rules of the game, which included the equipment used, began to become standardized. By the mid 1700s billiards had spread from Europe throughout the whole world.

With the market and demand for billiards increasing at an alarming rate, a demand for standardized rules, tables and equipment had to be met. This of course led to big business. Manufacturing plants of tables and equipment began to pop up like daisies. Everyone was trying to get a piece of this ever growing market, which included merchants, investors and even kings.

Once again, monarchs competed with each other, not only to make the best tables and game rooms but to grab the largest piece of the marketing pie that they could get. Many craftsmen and merchants actually worked for kings trying to capture as much of the market as they could. Some would specialize in making quality cushions while others would concentrate on cue sticks. Others would work exclusively on designing tables. Importers would spend fortunes trying to get the finest materials in which to make the table cloths. It was this industrialization that forced many of the changes that the game had undergone. After all, with every new innovation and improvement that meant more sales as everyone had to have the finest billiard set up that they could get. This was now big money. Innovations that caught on big meant profit for a lifetime.

Michael Russell
Your Independent guide to Billiards

Billiards - The Transformation Years 1800 - 1826

In this article on the history of billiards we pick up the transformation years starting at the turn of the 19th century.

After the cue itself, the next radical change to the game of billiards was the invention of the cue tip by Captain Mingaud, an imprisoned French soldier, in the early 1800's. Prior to this invention, leather had been used at the end of cue sticks. But these tips did little to have any effect at all on shot making. They were really just leather patches put in place to protect the wood itself. Nobody is exactly certain of the date Mingaud came up with his invention but it is estimated that it was sometime between 1807 and 1823. The difference between his cue tips and the earlier ones was the radical effect it had on shot making with the "spin" that could be put on the ball. This allowed for more accuracy and control.

Mingaud himself was a student of the physics of shot making. He literally transformed the cue into a scientific instrument. By creating a hard backing, so that the tip could adhere to the surface of the cue, he reduced the pressure exerted on the wood. In addition to this an even distribution of force was created between the point of impact and the shaft of the cue. But the biggest change was the cue tip itself. By rounding off the surface he increased the area of the tip that could put a rotation on the ball itself. So that when the ball was hit off center it created what is now called "english" or "backspin." This changed the game forever.

As improvements to the cue were made, so were improvements made to the table. Other innovations also came about that radically changed the game from the construction of the tables to the improvements in cushions and balls to the invention of chalk. Also came about the fist tournaments and standardized rules for a variety of new forms of the game.

Like the game itself, table improvements also came about slowly until the 1800s. Even though the early tables that the monarchs used were beautiful to look at, functionally they were quite crude in comparison to our modern day versions. Early tables were constructed by cabinet workers. Because their beds were made of wood they warped easily within just a few years and structurally were not sturdy at all. The cushions were no more than just attached wooden rails which were unpadded until the 1600s. Their function was simply to keep the balls in play after being struck. The newer pads added a strategic element to the game play.

In 1826 England's John Thurston made a change in the way table beds were made, that would change the game forever. Because he was unhappy with the tendency of wood beds to warp he searched for a new material to make them from. Marble had been used on some tables with success but the cost just made it impractical. He looked for something cheaper that was more readily available that would be used on every table that his company produced.

We'll cover this radical improvement that changed the game forever as well as other improvements in our next article in this series.

Michael Russell
Your Independent guide to Billiards

Billiards - You'd Be Surprised What You'll Find

Billiards. There was a time when if you looked up billiards on the Internet you'd find instruction on how to play the game and the different variations of billiards that there are but today, that is no longer true. Today, if you look up the word billiards on a search engine you will find mostly, the following:

Billiards and the chaos theory. You will be amazed at how many articles you will find on this science. Chaos theory, in a nutshell, is the study of unpredictable and complex dynamic systems that are highly sensitive to small changes in external conditions, at least according to Webster's definition. So what exactly does that mean and what does it have to do with billiards?

Chaos theory as it applies to billiards is basically the theory, and this is simplified of course, that when you strike the cue ball with the cue stick and it gets sent hurtling towards the rack of balls, once it hits those balls they will react in a random pattern rather than is a predictable one. There is something, of course, to be said for chaos theory as it applies to billiards. If you've played the game and are any good at it you are sure to notice that you can hit the first ball in the rack in the same place with the same force and yet it seems that each time you do so the balls in the rack react in a different way. Strong supporters of the angle of reflection equals angle of incidence theory will of course argue this, saying that we never can really hit the lead ball in the same place with the same force more than once because we are human and fallible. This argument is likely to go on for a long time.

The point however is you would be amazed at the number of articles about billiards and chaos theory.

The other main thing you will find when doing a search on billiards is billiards simulations. not just with actual games but web sites with vector designs and square shapes with coordinates that you can plug in and visually see the path of the billiard ball after it is struck by the cue stick. For those of you who are mathematically adept you can change a number of the factors in these simulations such as the number of sides on the table itself. You can have as few as 3, as in a triangle, and in some programs as many as 10 sides for your billiards table. Of course you can also plug in your standard 4 sided table.

Other variables you can change are x and y coordinate values, x and y vector values, the speed of the ball and the number of iterations, meaning how many times the ball will bounce around the table until you wish it to stop.

Then of course there are the actual billiard simulation games themselves which are very realistic these days. As to what theory they are programmed from, that is anybody's guess.

Yes, looking up billiards on the Internet will find you some strange stuff. Want to actually learn about the game and how to play it?

Just type in "billiards instruction" and ignore the results that somehow creep their way in from the other categories.

Michael Russell
Your Independent guide to Billiards

The Making of a Billiards Champion (Series III of V)

The Angel" Broadhurst

Stun Strokes
Once your fundamentals are correct and you are shooting with a straight and level cue, you need to master the stun stroke. This shot is the most important shot because it gives you a reference for cue ball positioning.

Straight-In Stun Stroke
When you hit a stun stroke on a straight in shot, it will produce a stop shot. In other words, the ball stops as soon as it makes contact with the object ball. Factors that influence this are a blend of the following; cue tip location, force, follow through, and quickness (the amount of time it takes the cue tip to accelerate through the ball).
There are an infinite number of blends of these variables that produce a stop shot. For example, you can use 4of follow through with a small force OR only 1of follow through with a large force to produce a stop shot. Play with these variables until you can manipulate each one and still get the same cue ball position. Measure your follow through by placing a ruler beside your cue tip. Then, vary the distance between the balls. Once youve mastered a stop shot with 1 diamond or 12 of distance, keep increasing it by another 12. The more distance you have, the more forward rotation or high english the ball picks up before it strikes the object ball. So the greater the distance, the lower you must hit the cue ball to produce a stun/stop shot.

Stun Stroke at an Angle
Once again, place the object ball 12 away from the cue ball. But this time, put the cue ball at a 30 degree angle, so that you are aiming at half the ball to pocket it. Use the same stun stroke, and the cue ball will travel straight down the tangent line. This is the line that is perpendicular to the object ball at 90 degrees. The harder or quicker you hit the ball, the further it will travel down the line.

This is the first step in predicting cue ball position. DO NOT move on to the next article until you are comfortable shooting Straight-In Stun Shots and Stun Strokes at an Angle at different distances. Be able to alter the variables (cue tip location, force and quickness) and get the same cue ball position.

(Jackie The Angel Broadhurst, National 8-Ball and Trick Shot Champion, invites everyone, of any gender or background, to play and learn about this great game together. Visit her website at www.TheAngelofBilliards.com.)

National 8-Ball and Trick Shot Champion, invites everyone, of any gender or background, to play and learn about this great game together. Visit her website at www.TheAngelofBilliards.com

A Beginners Guide to Billiards

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 the 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 the family can escape the 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 the necessary equipment. Apart from getting a good quality pool table that you can enjoy for many years to come, you will need the billiards balls and a good pool cue. You need to be able to use the 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 the 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 the home. The game actually became popular in the 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 the 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 the billiards balls. There is a pocket on each corner of the table and then one on each side, making six pockets in all. In all pockets billiards games, the object of the game is to shoot the balls into the pockets, although how and where you shoot the balls can vary from game to game. Below is a rundown of some of the most popular pocket billiards games:

8 BALL
This is one of the most basic and popular types of pool games, and is played by old and young, male and female, all across the 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 the 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 the 8-ball. If he manages to do this without also potting the cue ball (the ball with which he is potting the other balls) then he wins the 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 the cue ball. Each player has to shoot at the lowest ball in order to try and pot it, and as each lowest number gets potted the players move to the next one until the final ball, number nine, has been pocketed.

SNOOKER
This is a hugely popular game in England, where pool first originated. This particular variation of the game originated in the British Forces. Snooker is played with 21 coloured balls and one cue ball. The majority of the 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 the lowest score going to the reds at one point each. The other ball scores range from 2-7, the highest being the black ball. Players must pocket a red ball before going on to pocket the coloured balls, and all coloured balls must be pocketed in order of value, so the black ball is always potted last.

STRAIGHT POOL
In this variation of the game, you use fifteen numbered balls and a cue ball. In this game the balls can be potted in any order. However, there is a twistthe player must specify which ball he is going to pot and which pocket he is going to shoot the ball into. Once fourteen of the balls have been pocketed and only one is left, the fourteen potted balls are places back on the table. The player then has to pot the final ball whilst breaking apart the racked up fourteen balls.

ONE POCKET
Like straight pool, this game is played with fifteen numbered balls and a cue ball. With this game one of the players must select a corner pocket from the foot of the table. The second player is given the remaining pocket from the foot of the table, and both players have to aim to shoot into their own pockets. Points are awarded for each ball that you pot into your own pocket, and points are deducted for potting a ball into your opponents pocket or for potting the cue ball.

ENGLISH BILLIARDS
This game is played with just three balls, and scored can be notched up in three different ways. The first way is by deflecting your ball off another ball and into a pocket. The second way is by hitting the ball and striking the other two balls. And the third way is by hitting the ball and knocking one of the other balls into a pocket.

General rules of the game

Most pocket billiards games involve a certain set of rules, although these should be checked against the regulations of each individual game. Some of the generalised rules include the following:

Racking balls: This must be done using a triangle, with the apex ball at the foot spot. All other balls should be racked behind the apex and should be tightly packed so that they are within the triangle and touching one another in a perfect triangle formation.
Striking the ball: The cue ball should be struck using the tip of the cue, otherwise the shot can be classed as a foul.

Pocketing the ball: If you do not pocket the ball then you are not allowed another shot and the next shot goes to your opponent until he also fails to pocket a ball, at which point it is your turn again.

Pocketed balls: A pocketed ball is that which is shot from the table bed into a hole (pocket) on the table and remains there. If it rebounds back on to the table it cannot be classed as a pocketed ball.

Ball positioning: The center (base) of the ball is what determines its final position.

Foot placement: In order to shoot a ball without fouling, the player must have one or both feet in contact with the floor. The footwear must also be taken into consideration and must be standard in size, shape and height.

Moving balls: A player cannot shoot a ball that is in motion without it being classed as a foul. This includes the cue ball and the object ball. A stroke cannot be counted until all balls have stopped moving.

Cue ball: If the player pots the cue ball, this is counted as a foul. Also, if the cue ball hits a ball that has already been pocketed, this is also classed as a foul.

Contact with balls: Any contact with object balls with anything other than the cue ball is a foul. Also, any contact with the cue ball with anything other than the cue tip is classed as a foul. This can include contact through hands, clothes, elbow or any other object or body part.

Jumping the ball: If a player intentionally strikes the cue ball below the center and causes it to jump in order to clear another ball, this is classed as a foul. Striking upwards and causing the cue ball to jump from the table bed is also considered a foul in most games.

There are a number of different billiards games to choose from, but before you play these you need the necessary equipment. Apart from getting a good quality pool table that you can enjoy for many years to come, you will need the billiards balls and a good pool cue. You need to be able to use the 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 the 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 the home. The game actually became popular in the 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 the 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 the billiards balls. There is a pocket on each corner of the table and then one on each side, making six pockets in all. In all pockets billiards games, the object of the game is to shoot the balls into the pockets, although how and where you shoot the balls can vary from game to game. Below is a rundown of some of the most popular pocket billiards games:

8 BALL
This is one of the most basic and popular types of pool games, and is played by old and young, male and female, all across the 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 the 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 the 8-ball. If he manages to do this without also potting the cue ball (the ball with which he is potting the other balls) then he wins the 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 the cue ball. Each player has to shoot at the lowest ball in order to try and pot it, and as each lowest number gets potted the players move to the next one until the final ball, number nine, has been pocketed.

SNOOKER
This is a hugely popular game in England, where pool first originated. This particular variation of the game originated in the British Forces. Snooker is played with 21 coloured balls and one cue ball. The majority of the 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 the lowest score going to the reds at one point each. The other ball scores range from 2-7, the highest being the black ball. Players must pocket a red ball before going on to pocket the coloured balls, and all coloured balls must be pocketed in order of value, so the black ball is always potted last.

STRAIGHT POOL
In this variation of the game, you use fifteen numbered balls and a cue ball. In this game the balls can be potted in any order. However, there is a twistthe player must specify which ball he is going to pot and which pocket he is going to shoot the ball into. Once fourteen of the balls have been pocketed and only one is left, the fourteen potted balls are places back on the table. The player then has to pot the final ball whilst breaking apart the racked up fourteen balls.

ONE POCKET
Like straight pool, this game is played with fifteen numbered balls and a cue ball. With this game one of the players must select a corner pocket from the foot of the table. The second player is given the remaining pocket from the foot of the table, and both players have to aim to shoot into their own pockets. Points are awarded for each ball that you pot into your own pocket, and points are deducted for potting a ball into your opponents pocket or for potting the cue ball.

ENGLISH BILLIARDS
This game is played with just three balls, and scored can be notched up in three different ways. The first way is by deflecting your ball off another ball and into a pocket. The second way is by hitting the ball and striking the other two balls. And the third way is by hitting the ball and knocking one of the other balls into a pocket.

General rules of the game

Most pocket billiards games involve a certain set of rules, although these should be checked against the regulations of each individual game. Some of the generalised rules include the following:

Racking balls: This must be done using a triangle, with the apex ball at the foot spot. All other balls should be racked behind the apex and should be tightly packed so that they are within the triangle and touching one another in a perfect triangle formation.
Striking the ball: The cue ball should be struck using the tip of the cue, otherwise the shot can be classed as a foul.

Pocketing the ball: If you do not pocket the ball then you are not allowed another shot and the next shot goes to your opponent until he also fails to pocket a ball, at which point it is your turn again.

Pocketed balls: A pocketed ball is that which is shot from the table bed into a hole (pocket) on the table and remains there. If it rebounds back on to the table it cannot be classed as a pocketed ball.

Ball positioning: The center (base) of the ball is what determines its final position.

Foot placement: In order to shoot a ball without fouling, the player must have one or both feet in contact with the floor. The footwear must also be taken into consideration and must be standard in size, shape and height.

Moving balls: A player cannot shoot a ball that is in motion without it being classed as a foul. This includes the cue ball and the object ball. A stroke cannot be counted until all balls have stopped moving.

Cue ball: If the player pots the cue ball, this is counted as a foul. Also, if the cue ball hits a ball that has already been pocketed, this is also classed as a foul.

Contact with balls: Any contact with object balls with anything other than the cue ball is a foul. Also, any contact with the cue ball with anything other than the cue tip is classed as a foul. This can include contact through hands, clothes, elbow or any other object or body part.

Jumping the ball: If a player intentionally strikes the cue ball below the center and causes it to jump in order to clear another ball, this is classed as a foul. Striking upwards and causing the cue ball to jump from the table bed is also considered a foul in most games.

Reno Charlton is an experienced freelance copywriter and an award-winning childrens author from the United Kingdom. You can read more of her informative articles on pool tables and billiard accessories at http://www.pool-and-billiards.com.

 

Snooker Tables And Pool Tables Which One Should You Get

So you fancy yourself as a Ronnie O'Sullivan. You have room for a snooker or pool table. Which one do you choose?

Remember a billiard, pool or snooker table is a piece of furniture. If you opt for a fold away table it doesn't much matter, which you choose, as it folds away after use. In that case go for a functional table with as many features as you can afford, such as ball return etc. For a permanent table look for the same things you would look for in any piece of furniture as you are going to have to look at it all the time. Then consider the quality of playing the game on the table. Make sure it fits your idea of fine decor, as a good table will last for many years. Generally speaking for a good permanent table look for quality construction viz: a slate bed and responsive cushions. As usual you get what you pay for, so get the best you can afford.

The colour of the cloth, which is made of wool, is up to you, generally the cloth comes in red, green and blue. The only thing to worry about here is whether the balls show up against the colour. Green is the traditional and safest colour to choose. The cloth should be kept clean and you can get treatments to extend its life.

UK Pool tables come in various sizes; a full size English pool table is generally thought of as a 7 ft table, whereas a full size snooker table is a 12 ft beast for which you need a considerable amount of room. We have a room size guide on the site to enable you to gauge which size of table you can fit into your games room.

American pool tables are generally larger at 9 foot, also they have larger balls than snooker as well as larger pockets and require the larger tipped cues to play the game with. The American game is getting more popular in the UK.

How about an outdoor pool table or snooker table? These tables are pressure treated wood for weatherproofing, or fibre glass frames with specially treated waterproof cloth. The wooden tables are coloured to match your decking, either green or brown, and all outdoor pool tables come with a cover for the winter, so you could leave it outdoors in the winter. The wooden outdoor tables can be marked out for Snooker or Pool, and we have tables in various sizes from 6 foot to 8 ft. Just imagine, having a barbecue and pool tournament outside on your decking in the summer, sounds great to me Did you know we supplied the pool table for Russell on Big Brothers Little Brother?

Contact Steve Porter for more insights into this topic. Direct line: (44) 1562-777000 Email: steve@snookerbilliardspool.co.uk Other helpful information regarding snooker and pool tables can be found at: http://www.snookerbilliardspool.co.uk.

Contact Information: Steve Porter

Phone : 01562 777000 Fax : 01562 777001 http://www.snookerbilliardspool.co.uk

Pool Tables - Fun For The Whole Family

Did you know that the first pool tables made an appearance in nineteenth century horse racing betting- poolrooms? Strange but true...though at that time the game was known as Billiards and tables were put up there for people to kill time between races. Because the game was set up in 'pool rooms', it was eventually named pool.

In those days pool tables looked a lot different from their present Avatar. They were just ordinary tables where the balls kept rolling off (Didn't they see it coming?!) To handle this problem wooden railings of about 4-6 inches wide were added to the sides and viola! You could shoot pool like never before! Later the table went through further modifications, customizations and improved over the years to evolve into its current form. Though Pool or Billiards as it was known then, has always been seen as a "bad boys' " game, it is today one of the most popular sports across the globe.

If you too, are looking out for a good quality table, settle for nothing less than a solid hard wood with a slate surface. We recommend slate over veneer or wood because it levels perfectly and offers a smooth playing experience. Whether you want a standard size 8 feet X 4 feet table or a tournament 4 1/2 feet 9 feet one remember to check the quality of the surface fabric, which could be either wool or a woolen blend.

Slate tables could burn a hole in your pocket with prices starting from above $ 950 but nonslate is more affordable hovering around $350. Again this varies according to the size and the quality of wood and other materials used. To make life easier, try online auctions and stores to get a good price and no-hassle shipping. There are also always great deals going on online, so don't rush into buying one without shopping around first.

Ken Wilson for http://www.pooltable-information.com