The game of billiards takes place mainly in four schools-directions: Russian billiards; American pool; snooker and carom.
The first three require a billiard table with pockets to play. Carom is played on a table not equipped with pockets. Also tables for different games differ in their geometry.
The Russian Pyramid is a type of billiard game with pockets, which was most widespread in the territory that was once part of the Russian Empire. This is partly why the Russian pyramid is popular in Finland and Poland. This type of billiards has many fans in Mongolia and Greece. The Russian Pyramid is played on tables measuring 12 feet with sixteen balls 68 mm in diameter. Fifteen numbered balls and one unnumbered ball, which differs from its “brothers” in color. The pockets in Russian billiards differ from the diameter of the balls by only a few millimeters. This is the main feature of the Russian Pyramid. In Russian billiards, it is the cue ball that must fall into the pocket, i.e. the ball that is hit with the cue. In other varieties of the billiard game, getting this ball into the pocket is punishable by a fine.
American pool is perhaps the most common type of game in the world. Interest in him is steadily growing in Russia as well. The main feature of the game of pool is the smaller table size, 9 feet, as well as large pockets, with a diameter of about 130 mm. The game involves sixteen multi-colored balls with a diameter of 57.2 mm, which are fed into the pockets in accordance with certain rules. Due to such equipment, the game of pool, unlike the same Russian billiards, is dynamic and transient. The simplicity of the technique of playing "American" quickly multiplies the number of its fans.
Snooker is a type of billiards with pockets, which has become widespread in the UK and the former English colonies. For snooker, billiard tables are used with a size of 12 feet and pockets with a diameter of about 120 mm. The game involves twenty-two colored balls (15 red and 7 multi-colored) with a diameter of 52.4 mm. Colored balls have different values. The rules of the game of snooker are quite complex and have not changed for decades, which once again confirms the inherent conservatism of the British.
Carom is a type of game without the use of pockets. Most of all, carom is common in the countries of Europe, Northern and South America, Japan and Indonesia. The game is played on a 10-foot non-pocketed table. Three balls with a diameter of 60 mm are used for the game. One ball is red and two are white. The game is called by the name of a special blow, when the cue ball first touches one ball, then, hitting two or three sides, touches another ball. Many masters consider carom to be the most difficult game of billiards.
Billiards is a very exciting and exciting game, with about 30 varieties. Playing billiards develops the ability to think tactically and strategically, eye and reaction, control over one's emotions. Popular in various countries different types of this game, which differ both in rules and in the size of the table and balls.
Russian billiards
Already from the name it is clear that this type of game is most popular in the post-Soviet countries. Russian billiards is often called "pyramids". There are several varieties of Russian billiards, but they are all played on the same tables and with the same balls.
Professional table for Russian billiards 12-foot, official tournaments, championships and so on are held on such tables. Amateur tables can be from 7 to 11 feet.
standard ball for tables 9 - 12 feet has a diameter of 68mm. There are reduced balls for tables of smaller sizes, the diameter of which is 60.3mm. A distinctive feature of Russian billiards is that the diameter of the ball is only a few millimeters smaller than the pocket, so to score the ball you need a very high accuracy of impact. The game involves 16 balls: 15 white with numbers and one cue ball, which differs in color.
Often referred to simply as "Russian" billiards, the game is actually a classic Russian pyramid game. This is one of the most difficult varieties of billiards, which is called "billiard chess". Here they count not the balls that fell into the pocket, but the points, which are determined by the numbers on the balls. To win, you need to score a total of 71 points, while the cue ball is only one ball (it is not white), which should not fall into the pocket. Thus, “in-laws” are not allowed in the classic pyramid, only “foreign” balls need to be pocketed.
Most popular variety Russian billiards- "American" or free pyramid. Here, to win, you just need to pocket 8 balls, and it does not matter which ball will be cue ball and which will fall into the pocket. You can hit with any ball and for any: neither the color nor the number of the ball matters.
Pool
This type of game is very popular in Europe and the USA, Lately and we often have pool tables in our bars.
Professional pool table 9ft. But in our clubs they often put tables of 7 or 8 feet, which are somewhat easier to play.
Pool is also played with 16 numbered balls: 7 striped, 7 plain, one black and one white. Standard ball diameter is 57.2mm. Despite the fact that the balls here are smaller than in Russian billiards, the table pockets are larger, so it is easier to hit them, but there are significant differences in the rules.
Most Played Game among all varieties of the pool - "eight". white ball- a cue ball with which players must score balls of their own color: either plain or striped. The black ball is the "eight" (this is his number), his player must pocket last when there are no more balls of his group on the table. If an opponent's ball hits the pocket, it stays there, the main thing is that the ball of your own color is also pocketed.
Another significant difference from Russian billiards is balls it is necessary to order, that is, before hitting the player must say which ball and into which pocket he is going to score.
This is only a superficial description of our most popular billiard games, which allows you to have general idea about the rules of the game. In fact, there are a lot of nuances (for example, what to do if the cue ball fell into the pocket in the classic pyramid, or the ball fell off the table, or the "8" in the pool was pocketed ahead of time) that need to be studied before the start of the game.
Varieties of billiards (part 2)
Varieties of billiards (part 2)
Playing billiards is one of the most ancient entertainments of mankind, along with chess and cards. It's no secret that billiards is a classic hobby " the mighty of the world this, people who are prosperous, gambling and addicted. However, how much do we know about him? It turns out that there are many - about 30 - various kinds billiard games. You can divide them into five large groups: Russian billiards, sports pool, entertainment pool, snooker and carom. And each of them has its own varieties.
Russian billiards
Russian billiards is the most difficult game that requires high skill and logical thinking. The design feature of tables for Russian billiards - narrow pockets, sides of medium elasticity - lead to the impossibility of playing balls along the side into the corner. There are many "dead zones" from which it is impossible to play an object ball with a direct shot into the corner. This encourages slow and subtle positional play. Availability a large number rules and penalties also make this game challenging and fun at the same time. The severity of Russian billiards has also determined a corresponding small set of games. Currently, three varieties of Russian billiards are popular: Russian pyramid, Moscow pyramid and American.
The “Queen” of billiards is the “Russian pyramid”. This is the hardest game ever. It is played with fifteen balls numbered from 1 to 15 and a cue ball - a ball of a different color without a number. Only the cue ball is used to hit. The diameter of the balls is 68 mm, the weight is 280 g. The goal of the game is to be the first to score 71 points (according to the sum of the numbering of the balls). Moreover, before hitting, the player must indicate in advance the specific ball and pocket in which he is going to play. If the "prediction" came true - the move is counted, if not - consider that you hit in vain.
The "Moscow pyramid" is not so complicated, although it also has certain difficulties inherent in general rules Russian billiards. Here the goal of the game is to be the first to pocket eight balls using the cue ball to hit, without scoring. If the cue ball is pocketed, any object ball that your opponent points to is removed from the table, and you make a shot "from home" - from a certain place on the playing field.
Pyramid is a game that even inexperienced players will enjoy because its rules are even less strict. You must first pocket eight balls, and you can use any ball you like as a cue ball.
American (sports) pool
Playing pool is somewhat easier than Russian billiards, as pool tables have wider pockets. As a result, "dead zones" practically do not exist. However, it cannot be denied that some varieties of the American pool are quite complex and combinatorial. In addition, the difference between the American game and the Russian one is that the pool balls are smaller in diameter (57.6 mm) and lighter (156 - 170 g), and also have a certain color: seven balls are solid, seven are striped.
At present, the game "Eight" has become most widespread, as it turned out to be the most suitable for playing on token tables-automatic machines. It is for this type of pool that most billiard tournaments are held. This is a custom game that uses fifteen numbered balls and a cue ball. One player must pocket all solid balls (numbered 1 to 7) and the other player must pocket all striped balls (numbered 9 to 15) in any order. The winner is the one who, after pocketing all his balls, pockets the number 8 ball.
"Nine" differs from the previous game in that it uses only 9 balls numbered from 1 to 9 and the cue ball. The balls are arranged in the form of a rhombus. On any shot, the cue ball must first touch the lowest numbered ball. The winner is the one who puts a nine in the pocket. As a rule, a match is played for a given number of games.
"Direct pool" or "14.1 with continuation" is one of the first varieties of the American pool. During the game, each of the participants is obliged to announce (order) which ball into which pocket he is going to score. After 14 balls are pocketed, the game stops. The fifteenth ball not pocketed remains in its place, and a new pyramid of fourteen balls is placed on the playing field. With the next blow, the player must break the pyramid and at the same time pocket a ball, continuing the new game. The game is usually played up to 130 points.
Leisure pool
There are about 20 different pool games, designed for both masters and inexperienced players. Here we will describe only the most, in our opinion, interesting and fascinating.
"Onboard pool". In this game, you can only score an object ball into the pocket from the board (or from the boards), direct hits into the pocket do not count. This is a rather difficult game that allows you not only to have fun and excitement, but also to practice well in performing side kicks. The board pool can be played by several people, up to five. The winner is the one who first pockets his balls.
"Cribage". Interesting game, in which it is necessary to score two balls in each series, the numbers of which are 15 in total (1 - 14, 2 - 13, 3 - 12, 4 - 11, 5 - 10, 6 - 9, 7 - 8). This combination is called "cribage". After all seven normal cribs have been played, the number 15 ball remains, which is itself a crib.
"Daredevil". An entertaining game that is very popular in America, simple, fleeting and a lot of fun. You can play it with three or five people. Each player gets a group of five or three balls, respectively. The objective of the game is to pocket the balls of the opponents while keeping as much as possible on the table. large quantity their own. Naturally, the player whose last ball remains on the field wins.
"Forty one". An unusual and exciting game that is successfully used as entertainment. It can be played with two or big company. Each of the participants chooses a number from 1 to 15 and keeps it secret. The essence of the game is to score a total of 41 points in total with the guessed one. Each participant has the right to only one hit, after which the turn passes to the next player.
As for such billiard games as snooker and carom, they are practically unknown in our country, although in America and Western Europe very popular.
Snooker is an extremely complex and entertaining game. It is played on a special table with rounded pocket lips using 22 balls of different colors and a certain size. There are several varieties of snooker, including American snooker and golf (a pool game).
An even more exotic game for Russia is cannon. The game is also extremely popular in the West and was widely played in pre-revolutionary Russia. The carom table has no pockets and the goal of the game is to score the most points by making correct shots. When playing carom, only three balls are used - white, yellow (or marked white) and red.
In conclusion, we can say that upon closer examination, billiards is not just entertainment, but an unusually deep, beautiful and exciting game, fraught with unlimited possibilities.
Billiards, a highly intelligent gambling game that requires not only luck from the player, but also the application of certain mental efforts, remarkable ingenuity and dexterity, came to Russia only in the 18th century, having been brought by Peter I from Holland. FROM light hand tsar, billiard tables gained serious popularity in the highest circles of Russian society, and the game, which required a huge number of accessories, spawned factories for the production of quality billiard tables and cues, as well as all other accessories necessary for the game.
But in Russia, billiards gradually began to seriously differ from the same game in its Western version - and this is how a kind of billiards appeared, which received the name of Russian billiards. This is a general term that implies several variants of games - for example, one of their variations of billiards, a free pyramid, was called "American", although this game belongs to Russian billiards. There are many more variants of various Russian pyramids - for example, the combined pyramid, or Siberian, the Neva dynamic pyramid and the classic Russian pyramid. hallmark Russian billiards is a strictly defined size of the table - it must have a length of only eight, nine, ten or twelve feet, and no other sizes of the billiard table in the case of Russian billiards are unacceptable. In addition, official Russian billiard competitions are always held on a twelve-foot table. Yet salient feature Russian billiards consists in a cloth of necessarily green color, with which the table is sheathed.
Unlike Russian billiards, its American version is much lighter and simpler, therefore there are many more fans of American billiards in the world. American billiards, otherwise called pool, is played on standard tables with an area of 3.6 * 0.85 * 1.85 meters. Pool cues are much lighter than in Russian billiards, and the width of the pockets is much larger than the size of the balls, while the pockets in Russian billiards differ only by a small amount from the size of the balls. Balls in American billiards have a variety of bright colors, and the cue ball is a must. white color. The installation of balls to start the game is done using triangular shape, with which the balls are placed in the very center of the table. The common thing in Russian billiards and American pool is only the obligatory presence of a table, cues and balls - in all other respects, these types of billiards differ strikingly.
First of all, Russian billiards is nothing more than a collective name for various games from this family, while the American pool is the only variety of this type of billiards. Balls for Russian billiards are much larger and more massive than for American pool, the pockets for them are less wide and spacious, and all the balls, unlike the American version of the game, have the same color. A table for Russian billiards has an area larger than that of a pool table, and the cue in this case is heavier and longer. But, despite the serious popularity of the Russian version of billiards, in the conditions of tournaments, it is the version of the game that is close to the pool, with its rules, colors of balls and table layout, that is used.
Billiards is a highly intellectual pastime, leisure filled with excitement, dexterity, and pleasant mental stress and ingenuity. Previously, billiards was available only to people who were representatives of the elite and the aristocracy. There are two most common types of billiards - Russian and American.
For the first time in Russia, billiards became famous in the 18th century, after Peter the first visited Holland. After a visit and acquaintance with the game, he demanded that the first billiard table be made, similar to the one he had seen in an overseas country. After that, the game began to spread in the noble society. Already in the 19th century, factories began to appear on the territory of the state, which were engaged in the production of high-quality billiard tables and all the necessary accessories for the game. 
Thanks to the rapid development, the game of billiards in Russia began to acquire own rules, and began to differ from those games that were in the countries of Europe. And so the concept of Russian billiards appeared. It is also worth noting that the concept of Russian billiards is a general term and implies several games:
A table for Russian billiards must be of a certain size. It is acceptable to hold a tournament on tables measuring 8, 9, 10 and 12 feet. But if we are talking about official competitions, then tournaments are held only on 12 feet. The surface of the table must be made of necessarily green cloth with obligatory markings.
Balls for the game have a dimension slightly smaller than the diameter of the pockets. 
Balls total 16, 15 of them are identical in color and are aimed, have their own numbering from 1 to 15. Balls are set at the beginning of the game using a special triangle. The 16 ball in the game is called the cue ball. The balls themselves are quite large and have a size of 68 mm, but the pocket, for example, 83 mm is medium, and 73 is angular. These parameters greatly complicate the game process, reduce the chances of balls getting into the pockets.
Exactly american billiards or the second name, the pool has a significantly more fans around the world, because it is easier and easier to play it. For the tournament, special tables with a size of 3.6 * 0.85 * 1.85 meters are required. 
Pockets are much wider than balls, cues do not have much weight. There are only 15 balls, they have absolutely different colour, the cue ball is usually white. The installation of balls at the beginning of the game is carried out with a special triangle and placed in the center of the table.
The game of billiards is very similar in both the first and second cases. The presence of a table, balls and a cue required condition for two subspecies of the game. But, Russian billiards is a collective expression for a variety of games, roughly speaking a generalizing term. Russian billiards has balls are bigger than in the American pool, all the same color. The table in the Russian version is larger, the pockets are smaller. There is even a difference even in cues, in Russian billiards it is much larger, heavier and longer. The pocket has a pointed shape. The table should be purely cloth and green standardized color.
The American pool is different in that it is the only variety and is an independent name of the game with a stable and well-formed set of rules. Balls for the game differ in different colors, they are much smaller and lighter than in Russian billiards. Gate pockets are rounded in shape. The cloth for the table does not have to be only green, it is also acceptable to use a red tint. The layout of the table is significantly different from that used in Russian billiards. American pool is close to the internationally accepted form of play in a tournament setting.
