Cue sports

Cue sports are a fun group of games played with a cue stick. These games involve hitting small balls called billiard balls on a cloth-covered table with borders called cushions. People use the cue stick to move the balls around and try to score points by following special rules.

There are many different kinds of cue sports. One type is called carom billiards, played on tables without pockets. Another popular type is pool, which includes games like eight-ball and nine-ball, played on tables with pockets. A third type is snooker, played on larger tables with different rules and styles.

These games need skill and practice, and people all around the world enjoy them for fun and competition. Whether you’re playing with friends at home or watching professionals on TV, cue sports are exciting and challenging games to learn.

History

Cue sports are games played with a cue stick. They started as outdoor games and later moved indoors. Early games were like modern croquet and golf. The word "billiard" may come from a French word for "stick" or "ball."

King Louis XI of France had the first known indoor table.

By the 1500s, people in Europe played billiards on tables covered with green cloth. The game became popular in France and England. The thin end of the stick, called the cue, was used to hit the balls. Tables were changed to have cushions to help the balls bounce better. Today, cue sports include many types of games played worldwide.

As a sport

Since 1893, many games played with a cue stick have been called sports. These games have rules and special equipment for competition. Popular games include nine-ball, snooker, three-cushion, and eight-ball.

Snooker is a professional sport played all over the world. It is related to English billiards but has different rules from pool and other games. A "Billiards" category with pool, snooker, and carom has been part of the World Games since.

Equipment

Main category: Cue sports equipment

Billiard balls

Main article: Billiard ball

Billiard balls come in different sizes and designs for different games. In Russian pyramid and kaisa, the balls are 68 mm big. Russian pyramid uses 16 balls, with 15 white numbered balls and one maroon or yellow cue ball. Kaisa uses five balls: a yellow object ball, two red object balls, and two white cue balls.

Carom billiards balls are bigger, at 61.5 mm, and come as a set of two cue balls and one or two object balls. Standard pool balls are 57.15 mm and come in sets of seven solids, seven stripes, an 8 ball, and a cue ball. Snooker balls are smaller at 52.5 mm and include 15 red balls, six color balls, and a cue ball.

Tables

Main article: Billiard table

There are many sizes and styles of billiard tables. Full-size snooker tables are 12 feet long, carom billiards tables are usually 10 feet, and regulation pool tables are 9 feet. Smaller 7-foot tables are common in pubs and casual settings.

High-quality tables have a bed made of thick slate to keep the surface steady. Pocket billiards tables usually have six pockets.

Cloth

Main article: Baize

All billiard tables are covered with a special cloth called baize. Bar tables use durable cloth, while upscale halls use finer cloth that lets balls roll farther. The cloth is often green but can be red or blue, especially for television.

Rack

Main article: Rack (billiards)

A rack is a frame that organizes billiard balls at the start of a game. It is usually triangular for games like eight-ball and straight pool, or diamond-shaped for nine-ball.

Cues

Main article: Cue stick

Billiards are played with a cue stick, which is usually one or two pieces long. High-quality cues are made of hardwood like maple or ash. The end of the cue is gripped by the player, and the tip hits the ball. Cheap cues are made of softer woods, while expensive ones use special materials.

Mechanical bridge

The mechanical bridge, also called a rest, helps players reach faraway balls. It has a stick with a grooved head that the cue slides on. Different designs are used for tricky shots.

Chalk

Chalk is put on the cue tip to help it grip the ball better. It is not real chalk but a special mix that gives the tip more friction. Some players also use hand chalk to reduce friction between their hand and the cue for smoother shots.

Major games

There are two main types of games played with a cue stick: carom and pocket.

Carom games, such as straight rail, balkline, and three cushion billiards, are played on tables without pockets. Players use two cue balls and one object ball, trying to hit the opponent’s cue ball and the object ball in one shot. Other carom games include four-ball and five-pins.

Pocket games, like pool and snooker, are played on tables with pockets. English billiards is another popular pocket game that mixes elements of carom and pocket games. It was very competitive in the early 1900s and is still enjoyed today in Commonwealth countries. Russian pyramid and its variants are popular in parts of Eastern bloc countries.

Games played on a carom billiards table

Main article: Carom billiards

Straight rail

Main article: straight rail

In straight rail, players score points by hitting both the opponent’s cue ball and the object ball with their cue ball. Skilled players can keep the balls in one area to score many points in a row.

Balkline

Main article: Balkline

Balkline was created to stop players from keeping the balls in one spot. Players must hit the ball past a line on the table after scoring a certain number of points.

Cushion billiards

Main articles: one-cushion caroms and three-cushion billiards

In cushion billiards, the cue ball must hit the table edges before hitting the other balls. In three-cushion billiards, the cue ball must hit three edges, making it very challenging.

Games played on a pool table

Main article: Pool (cue sports)

Many games can be played on a pool table. Popular ones include eight-ball, nine-ball, straight pool, and one-pocket. In eight-ball and nine-ball, the goal is to pocket certain balls and then the special “money ball.” Straight pool needs players to pocket balls to reach a set score. Rotation is similar to nine-ball but uses numbered balls for scoring.

In one-pocket and bank pool, players must pocket balls in a specific way. In snooker, players score by pocketing red balls and special “colour balls.”

Two-player or -team games

• Eight-ball: The goal is to pocket all of your group of balls (stripes or solids) and then the 8 ball.
• Nine-ball: The goal is to pocket the 9 ball, hitting the lowest-numbered ball first each turn.
• Straight pool (also called 14.1 continuous pool): The goal is to reach a set number of points by pocketing any ball.
• Bank pool: The goal is to score points by pocketing balls using bounces off the table edges.

Speed pool

Speed pool is a game where players must pocket balls as fast as possible. The International Speed Pool Challenge has been held every year since 2006.

Games played on a snooker table

English billiards

Main article: English billiards

English billiards combines hitting balls into pockets and hitting them off each other. Players use two cue balls and one red ball, trying to score points by hitting both balls in one shot or pocketing them.

Snooker

Main article: Snooker

Snooker started with British officers in India and is now very popular in the United Kingdom and many Commonwealth countries. The first World Snooker Championship was held in 1927 and has been held almost every year since. The World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association manages professional snooker, while the International Billiards and Snooker Federation manages amateur games.

List of cue sports and games

Carom games

Main article: Carom billiards

Cue sports are games where players use a cue stick to hit balls on a table. Carom games are played on tables without pockets. Some of these games are artistic billiards, balkline, four-ball billiards, one-cushion billiards, straight rail, and three-cushion billiards.

Pocket games

Pool games

Main category: Pool (cue sports)

Pool games are played on tables with pockets. Some popular games are eight-ball, nine-ball, straight pool, one-pocket, and ten-ball.

Non-pool pocket games

Other pocket games include German pyramid, golf billiards, and Russian pyramid.

Snooker games

Snooker and related games like six-red snooker and American snooker are also cue sports.

Games with pockets and caroms

Games that use both pockets and caroms include American four-ball billiards, cowboy pool, and English billiards.

Obstacle and target games

These games have obstacles or targets, such as bagatelle, bar billiards, and bumper pool.

Disk games

Disk games include carrom, crokinole, and novuss.

Cueless games

Main category: Finger billiards

Cueless games are played without a cue stick. They include boccette and crud.

Ground billiards

Ground billiards games include croquet, jeu de mail, pall-mall, roque, and trucco.

Main games

Cue sports are games played with a long stick called a cue. Players use the cue to hit balls on a table covered in cloth. The table has cushions around the edges that bounce the balls back.

There are three main types of cue sports. Carom billiards is played on tables without pockets. Pool uses tables with pockets, and the most popular games are eight-ball and nine-ball. Snooker and English billiards are played on larger tables with different rules and traditions.