The game of English billiards is most popular in Britain and the former empire countries. The game of carom billiards is still played primarily in France and other European countries and to a lesser degree in the United States and has many players in Japan, Indonesia, the Philippines, Taiwan, and South Korea and in Central America, South America, Africa, and the Middle East. The billiard balls, formerly made of ivory or Belgian clay, are now usually plastic they each measure from about 2 1/ 4 to 2 3/ 8 inches (5.7 to 6 cm) in diameter, the larger balls being used in carom billiards.ĭifferent forms of the game tend to be played in certain groups of countries or areas of the world, though many of the games cross many national boundaries. Chalk in small cubes is applied uniformly to the cue tip permitting the players to strike the cue ball off centre on purpose in order to impart a spinning motion, called “side” in Great Britain and “English” in the United States. The small end of the cue, with which the ball is struck, is fitted with a plastic, fibre, or ivory reinforcement to which is cemented a leather cue tip. The cue is a tapered rod of polished wood or synthetic material, ranging in length from about 40 to 60 inches (100 to 150 cm). Angled rails of hardened rubber or synthetic rubber, known as cushions, rim the inner edge of the table. It has a bed usually of polished slate covered by a woven woolen cloth, sometimes referred to as felt. The large rectangular table typically is twice as long as it is wide. The traditional mahogany billiards table is still in use, but tables are now generally made of other woods and synthetic materials. The earliest references to the game in Europe occur in the 15th century.Īll billiards games require the basic equipment of a table, cue sticks, and balls. It may be inferred that it developed from a variety of games in which propelling a ball was a main feature. Many countries-among them France, England, China, Italy, and Spain-have been credited with the invention of the game, but, in fact, nothing is really known about the origin of billiards. There are numerous varieties of each game-particularly of carom and pocket billiards. The other principal games are played on tables that have six pockets, one at each corner and one in each of the long sides these games include English billiards, played with three balls snooker, played with 21 balls and a cue ball and pocket billiards, or pool, played with 15 balls and a cue ball. Carom, or French, billiards is played with three balls on a table that has no pockets. The table and the cushioned rail bordering the table are topped with a feltlike tight-fitting cloth. SpaceNext50 Britannica presents SpaceNext50, From the race to the Moon to space stewardship, we explore a wide range of subjects that feed our curiosity about space!īilliards, any of various games played on a rectangular table with a designated number of small balls and a long stick called a cue.Learn about the major environmental problems facing our planet and what can be done about them! Saving Earth Britannica Presents Earth’s To-Do List for the 21st Century.100 Women Britannica celebrates the centennial of the Nineteenth Amendment, highlighting suffragists and history-making politicians.COVID-19 Portal While this global health crisis continues to evolve, it can be useful to look to past pandemics to better understand how to respond today.Student Portal Britannica is the ultimate student resource for key school subjects like history, government, literature, and more. This Time in History In these videos, find out what happened this month (or any month!) in history. #WTFact Videos In #WTFact Britannica shares some of the most bizarre facts we can find.Demystified Videos In Demystified, Britannica has all the answers to your burning questions.Britannica Classics Check out these retro videos from Encyclopedia Britannica’s archives.Britannica Explains In these videos, Britannica explains a variety of topics and answers frequently asked questions.
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