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GAME ON WITH EIGHT BALL

Variety is the spice of life and it’s no different when referred to the various games on a Billiards or Pool table.

There’s Eight Ball, Nine Ball, 10 Ball, Billiards and of course Snooker to master and each game not only takes cunning, guile and skill but naturally skill.

Over the following weeks Billiard Shop will highlight the particular ins and outs of the various games, starting with Eight Ball.

This is the game mostly played by the standard amateur player with a cue (white) ball and fifteen Pool balls numbered one to 15.

The balls are racked into the triangle at the pyramid spot with the eight ball in the centre.

To commence the game the cue ball is played into the waiting balls in what we refer to as the break.

One player or side then goes about pocketing the large or small circle balls or in numerical terms one must pocket the balls numbered one to seven, in any order while the other must pocket the balls numbered nine to 15.  Whoever pockets their group first can then attempt to win the game by legally potting the black, which of course is the eight ball.

This is all pretty straight forward but when it comes to the rules opinions can differ greatly.

But it is all widely accepted that losing a game without managing to sink one of your balls generally does mean a lap around the table without certain attire.

However as you the reader are of particular intelligence you can no doubt come up with your own more sanitised punishment for such a performance.

Firstly if a player fails to break the Pool balls on the opening shot it is a foul and the opponent is awarded two shots from the white ball’s position.

However if two or more balls fall from the break the ball that fell first is their target. In the event of dispute, the player potting has the choice.

Other white ball fails that hands your opponent two shots are, going in-off the break or with the white ball on any other shot.

The following is a list of other fouls that hands your opponent two shots and many if not all of them are a delight when handed to you.

• If a player hits an opponent’s ball with the white before hitting his own.
• If a player misses.
• If a player hits the black ball with the white on the first impact before all his own balls have been potted.
• If a player goes “in-off” the black ball.
• If a player hits the ball off the table
• Player’s clothing or body touching the white ball while making a shot
• A player doesn’t have at least on foot on the floor when playing a shot
• By playing out of turn.
• By playing with other than the cue ball.
• Playing before the balls have come to rest or before they have been spotted.
• By causing the cue ball to jump over an object ball when snookered.

It is hard to keep a straight face when you’re struggling opponent hands you double after double. Pure gold and we’ve all been there!

In regards to the positioning of the white ball for certain fouls, when the ball is knocked off the table the black or coloured ball is spotted but the white ball is to be played from the “D”.

If the spot is occupied then the ball to be spotted is placed as near as possible to the spot in a direct line between spot and top cushion.

In the case of a deliberate foul shot when a player deliberately cues a ball other than a white ball the ball can be placed at the discretion of the opponent as near as possible to their original positions.

If a player repeats the act well besides a gentle clip over the back of the head or just a disappointing gaze, they can be disqualified.

Beside this disqualification to win the game in general play you must sink the black ball after potting all of your coloured ones.

The other ways to win is when your opponent fouls. These include:

• Putting the black ball before potting the coloured balls.
• When going for the black ball they follow the white ball in after the black
• Pits your ball in addition to the black
• Pots the black without having put away there coloured ballsFor the uninitiated these rule may seem a lot to take in but to put it simply, break well and then always hit the white ball on to your designated coloured balls. And if you manage this who knows you may even sink one. Stranger things have happened!

For the uninitiated these rule may seem a lot to take in but to put it simply, break well and then always hit the white ball on to your designated coloured balls. And if you manage this who knows you may even sink one. Stranger things have happened!

But on the subject of strange things, what happens when rare things happen such as Foul Snookers?

When you are snookered from a foul stroke by your opponent, you get to nominate any of your opponent’s balls, or the eight ball, as being one of yours, for the first shot. If you pot the nominated ball (except the black ball) it’s deemed legal and you continue with the break.

If the Black ball is foul snookered by your opponent you may also play the nominated ball onto the black ball and pot either or both balls without penalty.

And finally did you know you can actually record a drawn game? Well yes you can but it’s exceptionally rare.

A drawn game occurs when you and your opponent has one coloured ball left on the table and they are both touching the black ball which is positioned over the pocket. If both players give a miss without a legal shot being played, the game is declared drawn.

In such an event the three balls are spotted in a triangle with the black ball on the spot and the players toss for the break.

But of all the rules, one of the most protested is when your opponents sinks the white ball while making a shot – can you shoot the repositioned white ball on the “D” backwards. Well yes you can!

For any further information or rule clarifications call your Billiard Shop on 1300 300 654.

Let the good times roll in the game that brings family and friends together!

POOL BALL SIZES - BILLIARD SHOP

BILLIARD TABLE BRILLIANCE – LEARNING THE ART

So you have recently made the proactive decision to introduce yourself or your family to a Billiard Shop Billiards or Pool table and you are now looking to start hitting those pockets with greater consistency.

So where do you start? Practice does make better but in reality it is perfect practice that brings perfect results.

Naturally the starting point involves you, your cue, your stance, your balance, your draw and your vision to name a few.

To start off on the right foot the best option, besides a very good family member or friend, is to seek advice or join your local Billiards, Snooker, 8ball, 9ball or various other associations where you can receive brilliant advice and even be provided with lessons.

While all the many clubs can be found with a simple search of the web, joining clubs simply do not fit into the far majority of people’s lifestyle.

The beauty of the cue sport game is that you will get better with more play but to really take massive leaps forward, being taught all the basic techniques is naturally going to equip you with the knowledge to move in the right direction.

Another option is to seek advice and probably the most common practice is to access the thousands of instructional documents and videos on the web.

To help you with this process there are a few basic’s you need to know when it comes to making head or tails of everyone else’s advice.

For the sake of this article we will focus on your stroke and do to this correctly you need to establish a proper stance, bridge, stroke and grip.

The bridge is of course your front hand that you place the front end of your cue on.

The key element you need to establish with these elements is balance. This balance is the platform in which your game is built around and to establish this takes practice and patience.

As we are all different shapes and sizes our stance will also be different and this is why it takes practice to get to a comfortable, strong and stable position.

The Billiard Shop in Townsville, Mackay, Toowoomba, Sunshine Coast, and Gold Coast and at Macgregor and Aspley in Brisbane can point you in the right direction. Simply call 1300 300 654.

So remember there is no single universally accepted stance. Even the professionals have their quirks.

That said, there are some expected characteristics. The back leg is braced with the front leg slightly bent and taking the majority of the weight. The body including the head should remain still during the shot to ensure you hit the target.

But then again, if your techniques works for you – well just go with it! Have fun! Knock yourself out!

At the end of the day, unless you are currently or are aiming to be a professional, the game is all about what the Billiard Shop professes - bringing family and friends together!

THE KELLY POOL TRADITION AT CHRISTMAS

If you own a Billiard table, chances are that on Christmas day you will bring your family and friends together with a game of Kelly Pool.

Kelly Pool is of course the Billiards game where you draw a numbered pea at random from a shake bottle.

With fifteen numbered peas in total, the idea is to not only sink your opponent’s ball but to sink your numbered ball to win.

Naturally you need to keep your number secret.

You tend to know the veteran Kelly Pool players, as they are the ones who go to great lengths to try and make sure all peas are returned to the shake bottle.

We’ve all been guilty of getting home after a big festive day only to discover the pea in your pocket. Doh!

Kelly Pool is a funny, funny game when all the idiosyncrasies of family and friends are put on show. Then of course there’s the new comers to the Christmas Day family tradition.

The new girlfriends or boyfriends, or the long-time-no-see distant relatives.

Opinions are quickly shaped about these new-comers as to whether they are good, bad, indifferent or they-need-a-bit-of-working-on.

When it comes to playing against family and friends that have taken part in the Christmas game tradition for many years, we may not be able to remember their birthday or their children’s names but for some reason we can remember how they react during the competitively social game of Kelly Pool.

To watch your brother or sister hold back tears after again being the first one knocked out of the game is a precious thing. Their reactions can and does bring tears to your own eyes.

On the opposite end of the scale there’s the personality types that would rather hide their numbered ball in a protected place on the table, so they can indulge in the joy of knocking others out of the game.

Each family tends to have a name for this person but as yet there isn’t a universal term. Tool is a good starting point. Then again, being the “Tool” can be very personally satisfying. The trick here is to contain your laughter from exploding. This in itself is fraught with danger as liquid blown through your nose is not a pleasant experience. Very funny for others though.

And here’s another funny thing, and it’s a fact. Kelly Pool was banned in parts of the United States and Canada in the mid-20th century as it was considered a stronghold of gambling. Playing the game was actually a fineable offence in Montana until 1964.

And for the record Calistus Mulvaney of Irish decent, who was known as Kelly Mulvaney invented the game in Chicago in 1893.

But back to bans and to family and friends. There is also one player that always has to be called three or four times to tell them that it’s their turn. This is a particularly frustrating time for the “Nob”, but for the forward thinking player, the knowledge that the time-wasters shot is coming up is the perfect time to either replenish or empty their liquid(s). This is smart play.

Whatever the case, the wide range of player personality types is what makes Kelly Pool a fantastic Christmas Day activity.

For a list of rules click on  http://bit.ly/KellyPoolRules. Post Christmas you can buy in store or purchase online at Billiard Shop a new Kelly Pool kit to replace your kit which has 3 peas missing. Doh!