Part 69

The object of the game is to push the weights from one end of the board to the other, each side playing one weight alternately until all four weights on each side are played. All pieces over the deuce line count 2, but if a piece hangs over the end of the board it is a _=ship=_, and counts 3. If there are no ships or deuces, the weight lying nearest to the deuce line counts one point. Only one ship or deuce can be counted in each round, so that only one side can score. The ship that overhangs the most, or the deuce nearest the edge, counts. Twenty-one points is game. The sides play from each end alternately.

_=On ship board=_, the pieces are wooden disks, six inches in diameter, marked with oughts and crosses. These are pushed along the deck with long sticks that have enlarged and flattened ends to fit the pieces. The object is to get each piece to settle fairly and squarely within the borders of some one of a number of spaces which are chalked out on a diagram about 10 feet by 6, which is about 30 feet from the player. These spaces are numbered from 1 to 10, and some of them are marked “minus.” Each side has four shots with four separate pieces. Fifty points is game.

BILLIARDS.

_=THE TABLE.=_ The standard American billiard table for championship games is ten feet by five; but that in common use is nine by four and a half. The old tables for the four-ball game had only four pockets, but all modern pool tables have six. The English billiard tables are all twelve feet by six, with six pockets, which are used for both billiards and pool. The head of the table is the end from which the players make their opening shots, and the foot is that on which the red ball is spotted. The baulk is the space at the head of the table behind a line drawn from the second diamonds or “sights” through the white spot. The “D” is the semicircle on the baulk line on English tables.

American tables are made more difficult for championship games by drawing baulk lines 8 or 14 inches from the cushions, barring the rail nurse and the anchor shot. The English game is made difficult by making the cushions higher, the pockets narrower, and barring the spot stroke. The push shot is allowed in the English game, but in America it is permitted only in pool; never in the carrom game.

The American carrom game cannot be played on an English table on account of the pockets. If the English game is played on an American pool table the red spot should be only nine inches from the bottom rail, and the “D” should be drawn with a radius of eleven inches from the white spot on the baulk line. The D is never marked on an American table, but the opening shot in the three-ball game must be made from within a semicircle of six inch radius from the white spot. In the four-ball game, and in all forms of American Pool, the player may place his ball anywhere within the baulk line.

_=THE BALLS.=_ The American standard balls are 2⅜ inches in diameter, while the English are only 2-1/16. Billiard balls should be carefully protected from sudden changes in temperature by being laid away in bran or sawdust in cold weather. It is a mistake to soak the balls in oil; all they need is to be wiped off with a damp cloth, and polished with chamois skin. The three balls employed in both the English and American games are known as the _=red=_, _=white=_, and _=spot white.=_ In play they are distinguished as the _=cue ball=_, which is the one struck by the player; the _=object ball=_, which is the one that the cue ball first comes into contact with; and the _=carrom ball=_, which is the second ball struck by the cue ball in making a carrom.

_=THE SHOTS.=_ There are three shots common to billiards: The _=carrom=_ or _=cannon=_, in which a count is made by the cue ball striking both the other balls on the table. The _=winning hazard=_, in which the object or the carrom ball is driven into a pocket. The _=losing hazard=_, in which the cue ball goes into a pocket after contact with another ball. There are five ways of making the principal shots at billiards, and they should be thoroughly mastered by every player. These are: The force, the follow, the draw, the massé, and the side stroke.

The first great principle in billiards is that the cue ball will always travel in the _=direction=_ in which the cue is pointed. Holding the cue upward, downward or sidewise makes no difference; the line of travel will be a prolongation of the line of the cue. In the three ways of striking the cue ball shown in the diagram in the margin, the ball will go in the direction of the arrow in each instance.

If the cue is held nearly level with the surface of the table the ball will be pushed or rolled along; but if the cue is held perpendicularly, and the ball is struck directly on the top, the ball will be _=pinched=_ to the table, as in the first figure in the margin, and will not move. If the ball is struck off the centre, as in the second figure, it will travel only a short distance, as a result of the cue’s being forced past it toward the cloth, and will then return with a very strong retrograde motion after touching the object ball. If the cue strikes too near the top, the pinch will be too strong for the cue ball to reach the object ball, and if the cue is not held perpendicularly, the ball will not return. If the cue points toward the centre of the ball, as in the third figure, the ball will be driven forward, without any tendency to return after striking the object ball. The latter shot is useful in making a “close follow,” to avoid making a foul.

_=The Force Shot.=_ The beginner at billiards should strike his ball always exactly in the centre, until he learns the angles. With moderate strength the effect of the stroke is to cause the ball to roll naturally along the cloth until it reaches the object ball, after which it will be deflected from its original course according to the angle at which the object ball is struck. If the cue ball is struck very hard, however, and very slightly below the centre, it will slide for a certain distance before beginning to roll, and if it reaches the object ball before this sliding motion ceases it will simply come to a stop, or go off at a right angle if the object ball is not struck exactly in the centre. This method of forcing a ball to go off at a right angle is called “screwing” in England.

_=The Follow Shot.=_ If the cue ball is struck above the centre, the rolling motion is set up at once, no matter how hard the ball is struck, and the effect of contact with the object ball is simply to check the motion for a moment, after which the cue ball rolls forward again, deflected only by the angle at which the object ball was struck. The great art in making follow shots is to let the cue follow the ball, the tip passing at least three inches beyond where the ball stood, as shown by the dotted lines in the diagram. When the balls are very close together the cue must be lifted, and the ball struck very much on one side, the cue being behind the centre, as shown in the third position in the diagram of pinch shots.

_=The Draw Shot.=_ This is exactly the reverse of the follow shot, the ball being struck below the centre, and the cue passing at least three inches beyond where the ball stood, as shown in the diagram. This gives the cue ball a retrograde motion, similar to that imparted to a child’s hoop by spinning it backward while throwing it forward, so as to make it return. If the object ball is reached before this retrograde motion is exhausted, the effect will be to stop the forward motion of the cue ball, and to give what is left of the retrograde motion full play, making the cue ball return. The two great mistakes made by beginners in playing draw shots are that they pull the cue back, instead of driving it clear through the ball aimed at, and that they strike so hard that the forward motion of the cue ball is too strong for the retrograde motion to overcome it, or the object ball to stop it. It is never necessary to strike harder than sufficient to reach the object ball and get back to the carrom ball, unless one is playing for position.

When the balls are so close together that to run the cue through the ball would make a foul shot, the draw may still be made by pointing the cue off to the side, and pushing it past the cue ball, instead of through it. This will secure the retrograde motion, but accompanied by a great deal of twist, which must be calculated for if the cue ball is to strike a cushion. A short draw may also be made by using the pinch.

_=The Massé.=_ Most players imagine this to be a very difficult shot, but it is extremely simple if the principle of the direction of the cue and the effect of the pinch are kept in view. If we place the three balls in a straight line, about four inches apart, we have the simplest form of the massé. To find the exact spot at which the cue ball must be struck, join the centres of the cue and object balls by an imaginary line A-B. At right angles to this will be a line A-E, and no matter which side of the ball B you wish to massé upon, your cue must strike the ball A somewhere on the line A-E. Suppose you wish to massé to the left, as shown in the diagram. The pinch must be made on the ball about a quarter from the top, the cue being pointed in the direction in which you want the ball to go, which will be to the extreme edge of B, on the line C-D. The cue must be held at an angle of about 70 degrees. A firm but light blow with a well chalked cue will pinch your ball toward E; but the direction of the cue will propel it toward D. If the cue has been held at the right angle, and you have not struck too hard, the ball will feel the effect of these two forces equally, which will make it move toward a point half way between D and E, which will be F. The retrograde motion being stronger than the propulsion of the pinch, will gradually overcome it, and the ball will return toward G. Contact with the ball B will cause it to lose all but the forward motion, and it will roll easily toward H, making the carrom.

_=The Side Stroke.=_ It is a popular delusion that the only way to change the course of a ball is by giving it “twist,” “English,” or “side.” Side has little or no influence on the cue ball until it touches a cushion. Striking above or below the centre is all that is necessary. If it is required to vary the angle at which the object ball is to be struck, the distance below the centre will change the angle of direction in the cue ball without any side stroke. The art of accomplishing this is called _=compensation=_, an illustration of which is given in the diagram, A being the cue ball, and B the object ball. This is a half draw or force shot, the ball being struck about half way between its centre and the cloth. If we draw imaginary lines connecting the centres of A-B and B-C, and bisect the angle, we get the point D, which the cue ball must strike to make the carrom. This will drive the object ball in the direction D-E; but if it is desirable that the object ball should go more in the direction G-F, so as to secure a better position for the next shot, the cue ball will have to strike at G, which will make a draw shot, bringing it back in the direction H, securing the position, but missing the count. In this position the ignorant player puts on side, but all that is necessary to compensate for this deviation in the point of impact is to approach the point of the cue toward the centre of the ball the exact distance that the point G is from the point D. The higher the point of the cue is raised, the further the ball will go from the line D-H. If struck much above the centre, it will follow through the object ball, passing beyond the ball C altogether.

When side is put upon a ball, it spins in that direction. If it is struck on the left, and then goes to a cushion directly in front of it, it will tend to fly off the cushion toward the left, making the angle wider. If a ball spinning to the left goes to a cushion on the left, it will tend to make the angle smaller, and the effect so produced is called _=reverse English=_, which tends to slow the cue ball.

THE AMERICAN GAME.

In the American game every carrom counts one point, and the number of points that will constitute a game must be agreed upon before play begins. The players string for the lead, the one bringing his ball nearer the head cushion having the choice of balls and of the first shot.

The great art in the American game is to keep the balls in front of you, so as to leave yourself a comparatively easy shot. Every time you get the cue ball between the two others you will find yourself in difficulties; but whenever both the balls are in front of the cue ball, there will be some chance to score. When there is a choice of several ways of making a shot, the balls being wide apart, it will usually be found that one of them will bring the balls into better position than the others, and for that reason it is called a _=gathering shot=_. The expert tries to get the balls on the rail by a series of these gathering shots, and if any of the three positions shown in the diagram can be arrived at, a large run may be made by the _=rail nurse=_. When the balls are not left in one of these positions they are said to _=break=_, but there are several positions in which they may be recovered by a kiss or a massé shot. In No. 4, the player must be careful to come back on the proper side of the carrom ball, so as to get back to position 2, if possible.

When the player reaches the corner, there are three principal positions for accomplishing the turn. In the first shown, the spot white must be touched very lightly on the left side, the cue ball going to the cushion with a strong English on the right side. In the second position, the red ball is barely touched. The third position is a light force shot but would be a half follow if the spot white were further out.

BAULK-LINE BILLIARDS.

Professionals became so skilful in rail nursing that the baulk-line was introduced to keep the balls away from the rail. This is a chalk line, 10, 12, 14, or 18 inches from the cushions, according to agreement, dividing the table into eight baulk spaces, as shown in the diagram.

It is foul if more than two successive shots are made on balls both of which are within any one of the eight interdicted spaces. Both balls being within the space, the striker can play on them once without sending either out; his next stroke must send at least one out. Should it return, and both balls be again inside, he can play one shot, as before, without sending either out. This process may be repeated _ad libitum_. Should the second stroke fail to send a ball out it does not count, the striker’s hand is out, and the next striker plays at the balls as he finds them.

The great art in baulk-line nursing is to get the object and carrom balls astride the line, and then to follow the principle of the rail nurse. The _=anchor=_ shot is now barred in championship games. It consisted in getting two balls frozen to the cushion astride of one end of a line, and then just rubbing their faces with the cue ball. In the baulk-line nurse there are three principal positions, and two turns, as shown in the diagram. In No. 3 the red ball must be driven to the rail and back with great accuracy, leaving the balls in position No. 1 again. The turns are very difficult.

CUSHION CARROMS.

This is a variety of the three-ball game in which a cushion must be touched by the cue ball before the carrom is completed. The cushion may be struck first, and the object ball afterward, or the object ball first, and then the cushion. In the _=Three-cushion Carrom Game=_, three cushions must be touched by the cue ball before completing the count. In the _=Bank-shot Game=_, the cue ball must strike at least one cushion before touching the object ball.

The _=Four-ball Game=_ is now obsolete. It was first played on a table with corner pockets, and afterward on a carrom table, two red balls being used, one spotted on the red and the other on the white spot. Two carroms could be made on one shot.

The following are the most important _=LAWS=_ of the carrom game, and are copied by permission from the 1908 edition of the “Laws of Billiards,” published by the Brunswick-Balke-Collender Co.

AMERICAN BILLIARD LAWS.

_=1.=_ The game is begun by stringing for the lead; the player who brings his ball nearest to the cushion at the head of the table winning the choice of balls and the right to play first or to compel his opponent to play. Should the striker fail to count, his opponent makes the next play, aiming at will at either ball on the table.

_=2.=_ A carrom consists in hitting both object-balls with the cue-ball in a fair and unobjectionable way; each carrom will count _one_ for the player. A penalty of _one_ shall also be counted against the player for every miss occurring during the game.

_=3.=_ A ball forced off the table is put back on its proper spot. Should the player’s ball jump off the table after counting, the count is good, the ball is spotted, and the player plays from the spot.

_=4.=_ If in playing a shot the cue is not withdrawn from the cue-ball before the cue-ball comes in contact with the object-ball, the shot is foul, the player loses his count, and his hand is out.

_=5.=_ If the balls are disturbed accidentally through the medium of any agency other than the player himself, they must be replaced and the player allowed to proceed.

_=6.=_ If in the act of playing the player disturbs any ball other than his own, he cannot make a counting stroke, but he may play for safety. Should he disturb a ball after having played successfully, he loses his count on that shot; his hand is out, and the ball so disturbed is placed back as nearly as possible in the position which it formerly occupied on the table, the other balls remaining where they stop.

_=7.=_ Should a player touch his own ball with the cue or otherwise previous to playing, it is foul, the player loses one, and cannot play for safety. It sometimes happens that the player after having touched his ball gives a second stroke, then the balls remain where they stop, or are replaced as nearly as possible in their former position at the option of his opponent.

_=8.=_ When the cue-ball is very near another, the player shall not play without warning his adversary that they do not touch, and giving him sufficient time to satisfy himself on that point.

_=9.=_ When the cue-ball is in contact with another, the balls are spotted and the player plays with his ball in hand.

_=10.=_ Playing with the wrong ball is foul. However, should the player using the wrong ball play more than one shot with it, he shall be entitled to his score just the same as if he had played with his own; as soon as his hand is out, the white balls must change places, and the game proceed as usual.

ON FOUL STROKES.--It is a foul, and no count can be made:

_=1.=_ If a stroke is made except with the point of the cue.

_=2.=_ If the cue is not withdrawn from the cue-ball before the latter comes in contact with an object-ball.

_=3.=_ If the striker, when in hand, plays from any position not within the six-inch radius.

_=4.=_ If, in the act of striking, he has not at least one foot _touching_ the floor.

_=5.=_ If he strikes while a ball is in motion, unless it has come to a rest, as provided in Sec. 10 on Foul Strokes.

_=6.=_ If he plays with the wrong ball, except as provided in foregoing Law 10.

_=7.=_ If the player touches the cue-ball more than once in any way, or hinders or accelerates it in any other way than by a legitimate stroke of the cue; or if, during a stroke or after it, he in any way touches, hinders, or accelerates an object-ball, except by the one stroke of the cue-ball to which he is entitled.

_=8.=_ As touching any ball _in any way_ is a stroke, a second touch is a foul.

_=9.=_ It is a foul against the striker if any ball be disturbed, hastened, or hindered by an opponent or any one but himself, whether the ball or balls are at rest while he is aiming or striking, in motion after he has struck, or at rest again after he has struck, and pending his again taking aim.

_=10.=_ Should a ball that has once come to a standstill move without apparent cause, while the player is preparing to strike, it shall be replaced. Should it move before he can check his stroke, it, and all other balls set in motion by that stroke, shall be replaced, and the player shall repeat his shot, inasmuch as but for the moving of the ball, he might have counted where he missed, or missed where he counted.

_=11.=_ It is a foul if the striker plays directly at any ball with which his own is in fixed contact, and the striker must in this instance play from balls spotted, as in the opening stroke of the game.

_=12.=_ It is a foul to place marks of any kind upon the cloth or cushions as a guide to play; also foul to practise the banking shot for the lead-off upon the plea of testing the balls.

_=13.=_ It is a foul against the non-striker, and the striker cannot make a count on the ensuing shot, if a ball in play is lifted from the table, except it be unavoidable in those cases in which it is provided that, because of foul or irregular strokes, the balls shall be transposed or replaced.

_=14.=_ In order to restrict deliberate playing for safety, it shall be optional with the non-striker, if his opponent makes a miss in each one of three successive innings, to accept the third miss or to reject it and force his antagonist to hit at least one object-ball; and for this purpose that antagonist’s ball shall be replaced by the referee. Should two balls be hit by this stroke, there shall be no count.

FIFTEEN-BALL POOL.

The most successful pool player is not the one who can make difficult winning hazards with the greatest accuracy, but he who thoroughly understands playing for position. If he is familiar with the principles of the force, the follow, the draw, and the side stroke, he should invariably be able to leave himself in a good position for each succeeding shot; but unless he plans for position in advance, he can never hope to be more than an average player. To attain to proficiency in this there is no better training than playing so many balls or “no count.”

There are some shots peculiar to winning hazards which should be understood by every pool player, and they are illustrated in the accompanying diagrams.