Billiards, does it help your snooker?

[Chris Patterson]

Hey guys, was thinking about taking up Billiards, as a couple of people told me playing billiards would help my snooker game, do you agree?

Secondly, I was going to learn the rules etc, but I cant find billiards rules, and can only find some rules referring to using a red, and two white balls? :S..

What is the billiards with a cue ball, one red and one yellow called? I know i probably sound really stupid, but Ive never played or researched it before.

P.S does anyone have a link/url they could provide for me to learn the rules for the version im describing?

[Snookster]

Hi

yes in my opinion billiards will help your cueing for snooker
well it did for me, if my cueing is a bit off and im not hitting through the ball i play billiards, which essentially the majority of shots are top spin and hitting through the cue ball.
To answer your other question, it always used to be 2 whites and one red.
Each player has a white ball, however in recent years they changed it to a yellow and a white but its the same game.
If possible get someone who can play well in your local club to play with you, otherwise understanding the game will be very difficult.

[1lawyer]

I believe it does yes.

Making cannons and cue ball control are all part of both games but especially billiards.
I learned billiards before snooker so i may be bias.

[Chris Patterson]

Does anyone have any useful links for billiards, such as rules or advice etc?

Thanks btw Snookster and 1lawyer for the quick replies

[dantuck_7]

http://www.thesnookerforum.com/board...highlight=crib

Here we are, some rules from when I first started playing 2 years ago. I find its decent to play as it just breaks up some snooker and makes a good change.

[Snookster]

Billiards is played with one red ball and two white cue balls, one with a small black spot and one without, or yellow and white.



The Start
One player chooses to play with the white cue ball and the other the spotted white cue ball. To begin with, players play their cue ball from within the D down the table so that it bounces back up the table and comes to rest in baulk. The player whose ball is closest to the baulk cushion chooses to go first or second. Most players prefer to go second because the first turn occurs with only two balls on the table - a severe limitation.

The game starts with the red ball on it's spot and the cue ball of the starting player placed in the D at the front of the table. Players agree how many points will constitute a game and the objective is merely to be the first to score than number. A typical number for expert players might be 1000 points - professionals regularly score more than this in a single break. Beginners might consider 150 as a more appropriate target.



Basic Play
Each turn is called a "break" and consists of a series of strikes of the cue ball that come to an end when a player makes a non-scoring strike or a foul stroke. Scoring is achieved by "potting" balls, by "cannons", and by going "in off". A ball is "potted" when the cue ball knocks it into a pocket. A "cannon" is when the cue ball strikes first one ball and then the other. A player's ball goes "in off" when it falls into a pocket having first "kissed" (struck) another ball.

Whenever the red ball is potted, it is immediately returned to the red spot for the next strike. Whenever the cue ball goes in off, it is immediately returned to the player who can position it anywhere within the D for the next strike. If the opponents ball is potted, it remains out of play until the end of that player's break. In this case, the opponent starts the next turn by positioning his ball anywhere within the D. Otherwise the opponent starts the next turn by striking the ball from wherever it ends up. Potting the opponents ball is usually to be avoided since scoring is much harder with only two balls on the table.



Foul shots
A foul occurs when a player's ball hits no other balls in which case 1 point is added to the opponent's score or when the player's ball goes directly into a pocket without hitting any other ball whereupon 3 points are given to the opponent. It will quickly be seen, however, that the size of these penalties are trivial compared to the injury suffered merely as a result of allowing the opponent onto the table.....



Scoring
3 points for potting or going in off the red ball.
2 points for potting or going in off the opponents ball.
2 points for a cannon.
Scoring is cumulative within a single strike so for instance, a common play is to both pot and go in off the red ball, thus scoring 6 points. The cue ball is deemed to go in off the first ball that it comes into contact with. So if the player strikes the opponents ball, cannons onto the red ball and then goes in off, 4 points are scored. The largest score possible in one strike is 10 points although, since this requires the opponents ball to be potted, it is is normally a bitter-sweet achievement.

Not great but thats pretty much the basics
Ive played billiards to quite a high level, if you have any questions feel free to ask

[DandyA]

http://www.englishbilliards.org/ is a great site ... if you click on "syllabus" there are detailed instructions, videos and practice routines ...

[Souwester]

Here's a link to the rules of billiards on the IBSF website:

http://www.ibsf.info/rules-billiards.shtml

[jb134]

http://www.englishbilliards.org/ is a great site ... if you click on "syllabus" there are detailed instructions, videos and practice routines ...

As far as I am aware, that is the best cuesport website in existence.

[DandyA]

As far as I am aware, that is the best cuesport website in existence.

yes, I'd agree ... what they say actually works and I think all snooker/pool players should be aware of the half-ball natural angle that is so important to billiards players ... not to make an in-off (or loser in billiards terms) but to know exactly where the cueball is going ...

certainly I think pro snooker players know - if you see them playing a shot for nothing and three balls are on - one 1/4 ball, one 1/2 ball and one 3/4ball, they'll normally choose the 1/2 ball because they can guarantee the path the white will take ...

on an aside, I also play competitive UK 8ball but be a bit careful here - the UK 8nall white is lighter than the object balls so goes wider than the half-ball natural angle ...

on their "snooker" tab, the double-kiss safety works (if the object ball is tight to the cushion) and will absolutely amaze your fellow players!

the site we're talking about is www.EnglishBilliards.org

[Csmith]

Most definitely. Billiards teach the exact paths of the cue ball off the object ball. Amateur snooker players tend to visual general directions which leads to sloppier cue ball contral.

[Acrowot]

A good post by Snookster.

You will find billiards difficult for a start, but if you stick to it and get help from a good billiard player, you will improve. It is difficult to sort it out on your own. You need to know the basic way of going on - such as the half ball in-off. Not sure of the rules these days, but when I used to play, they would keep changing them. We were only able to play 25 in-off the red, then had to get a cannon or in-off the white (or other score). I think it was only either two or three reds off the spot. So is good idea to learn top of the table play, where you get a cannon and pot red, but it is very difficult.
:snooker:

[Cyril]

Excellent site. Enjoyed watching some of the breaks video's, particularly the great Rex Williams.

[hotpot]

when i registered it didnt give me a password so requested on to my email but still nothing

lost

[renniwevarb]

is the impossible positional shot legal in snooker? The shot that you have to play into the cushion? Would it be a push shot?