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diff --git a/old/68289-0.txt b/old/68289-0.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 08705b9..0000000 --- a/old/68289-0.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,13893 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg eBook of Billiards, by William Broadfoot - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and -most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions -whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms -of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at -www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you -will have to check the laws of the country where you are located before -using this eBook. - -Title: Billiards - -Authors: William Broadfoot - W. J. Ford - Dudley D. Pontifex - -Contributors: A. H. Boyd - Sydenham Dixon - -Release Date: June 11, 2022 [eBook #68289] - -Language: English - -Produced by: Richard Tonsing and the Online Distributed Proofreading - Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from - images generously made available by The Internet Archive) - -*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK BILLIARDS *** - - - - - - The Badminton Library - - OF - - SPORTS AND PASTIMES - - EDITED BY - - HIS GRACE THE DUKE OF BEAUFORT, K.G. - - ASSISTED BY ALFRED E. T. WATSON - - - _BILLIARDS_ - - -[Illustration: - - A SCREW LOSING HAZARD. -] - - - - - BILLIARDS - - - BY - MAJOR W. BROADFOOT, R.E. - - WITH CONTRIBUTIONS BY - A. H. BOYD, SYDENHAM DIXON, W. J. FORD, DUDLEY D. PONTIFEX, RUSSELL D. - WALKER, & REGINALD H. R. RIMINGTON-WILSON - -[Illustration] - - _ILLUSTRATED by LUCIEN DAVIES, R.I., and from PHOTOGRAPHS also by - numerous Diagrams and Figures_ - - - LONGMANS, GREEN, AND CO. - LONDON AND BOMBAY - 1896 - - _All rights reserved_ - - - - - _DEDICATION - TO - H.R.H. THE PRINCE OF WALES_ - - - BADMINTON: _May 1885_. - -Having received permission to dedicate these volumes, the BADMINTON -LIBRARY of SPORTS and PASTIMES, to HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS THE PRINCE OF -WALES I do so feeling that I am dedicating them to one of the best and -keenest sportsmen of our time. I can say, from personal observation, -that there is no man who can extricate himself from a bustling and -pushing crowd of horsemen, when a fox breaks covert, more dexterously -and quickly than His Royal Highness; and that when hounds run hard over -a big country, no man can take a line of his own and live with them -better. Also, when the wind has been blowing hard, often have I seen His -Royal Highness knocking over driven grouse and partridges and -high-rocketing pheasants in first-rate workmanlike style. He is held to -be a good yachtsman, and as Commodore of the Royal Yacht Squadron is -looked up to by those who love that pleasant and exhilarating pastime. -His encouragement of racing is well known, and his attendance at the -University, Public School, and other important Matches testifies to his -being, like most English gentlemen, fond of all manly sports. I consider -it a great privilege to be allowed to dedicate these volumes to so -eminent a sportsman as His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales, and I do -so with sincere feelings of respect and esteem and loyal devotion. - - BEAUFORT. - -[Illustration: - - BADMINTON -] - - - - - PREFACE - - -A few lines only are necessary to explain the object with which these -volumes are put forth. There is no modern encyclopædia to which the -inexperienced man, who seeks guidance in the practice of the various -British Sports and Pastimes, can turn for information. Some books there -are on Hunting, some on Racing, some on Lawn Tennis, some on Fishing, -and so on; but one Library, or succession of volumes, which treats of -the Sports and Pastimes indulged in by Englishmen—and women—is wanting. -The Badminton Library is offered to supply the want. Of the -imperfections which must be found in the execution of such a design we -are conscious. Experts often differ. But this we may say, that those who -are seeking for knowledge on any of the subjects dealt with will find -the results of many years’ experience written by men who are in every -case adepts at the Sport or Pastime of which they write. It is to point -the way to success to those who are ignorant of the sciences they aspire -to master, and who have no friend to help or coach them, that these -volumes are written. - - -To those who have worked hard to place simply and clearly before the -reader that which he will find within, the best thanks of the Editor are -due. That it has been no slight labour to supervise all that has been -written, he must acknowledge; but it has been a labour of love, and very -much lightened by the courtesy of the Publisher, by the unflinching, -indefatigable assistance of the Sub-Editor, and by the intelligent and -able arrangement of each subject by the various writers, who are so -thoroughly masters of the subjects of which they treat. The reward we -all hope to reap is that our work may prove useful to this and future -generations. - - THE EDITOR. - - - - - CONTENTS - - - CHAPTER PAGE - INTRODUCTION 1 - - I. HISTORY OF BILLIARDS 6 - _By Sydenham Dixon_. - - II. IMPLEMENTS 55 - _By Archibald Boyd_. - - III. ELEMENTARY: ONE-BALL PRACTICE 104 - _With Memorandum by Dudley D. Pontifex._ - - IV. MOTION, IMPACT, AND DIVISION OF BALLS: TWO-BALL PRACTICE 130 - - V. PLAIN STROKES, WINNING AND LOSING HAZARDS, CANNONS: - THREE-BALL PRACTICE 142 - - VI. ON THE ROTATION OF BALLS 189 - - VII. MISCELLANEOUS STROKES 215 - - VIII. THE SPOT STROKE 264 - - IX. SAFETY AND BAULK PLAY 283 - - X. BREAKS 300 - _With Memoranda by Archibald Boyd and R. H. R. Rimington-Wilson._ - - XI. THE CHAMPIONSHIP AND THE THREE-INCH POCKET TABLE 362 - _With Memorandum by Russell D. Walker_ - - XII. THE RULES OF THE GAME OF BILLIARDS 374 - - XIII. PYRAMIDS, POOL, AND COUNTRY-HOUSE GAMES 387 - _By W.J. Ford_ - - XIV. MISCELLANEOUS NOTES 436 - - INDEX 447 - - - - - _ILLUSTRATIONS_ - - (REPRODUCED BY THE SWAN ELECTRIC ENGRAVING CO.; WALKER & BOUTALL; P. - NAUMANN, AND G. H. FORD) - - - _PLATES_ - - ARTIST - A SCREW LOSER _Lucien Davis._ _Frontispiece_ - - CHOOSING A CUE „ „ _To face p._ - 48 - - PRELIMINARIES „ „ „ 108 - - OPENING THE GAME „ „ „ 133 - - A DISPUTED SCORE „ „ „ 148 - - IN OR OUT OF BAULK „ „ „ 190 - - THE LONG REST „ „ „ 264 - - A SERIOUS GAME: NURSING THE BALLS „ „ „ 300 - - A DIFFICULT STROKE „ „ „ 362 - - ARE THEY TOUCHING „ „ „ 386 - - A LADIES’ BATTLE „ „ „ 440 - - - _ILLUSTRATIONS IN TEXT_ - - PAGE - MR. SAMSON’S SECTIONS OF A BILLIARD-ROOM 64, 65 - - AN OUTSIDE BILLIARD-ROOM 103 - - STRINGING. 106 - - AN EASY ATTITUDE 107 - - THE BRIDGE 109 - - USING THE REST 113 - - THE BRIDGE (_bouclée_) 129 - - INSTEAD OF LONG REST 148 - - HIGH BRIDGE FOR A CRAMPED STROKE 188 - - A PUSH STROKE 225 - - A PUSH (_bouclée_) 232 - - THE LEAP OR JUMP STROKE 252 - - WHEN PLAYER’S BALL IS NEAR A CUSHION 263 - - PREPARING TO PLAY BEHIND THE BACK: _the right way_ 314 - - PREPARING TO PLAY BEHIND THE BACK: _the wrong way_ 324 - - A NURSERY 349 - - PLAYING BEHIND THE BACK 360 - - A WINNING GAME 437 - - - - - BILLIARDS - - - - - INTRODUCTION - - -Justification for the appearance of a volume on the game of billiards as -it is played early in 1896 is ample, for no treatise or manual exists in -which modern developments are considered. Though this is so, it does not -follow that the instruction in older works is unsound; much may be -learnt from some of them, specially about plain practice strokes, but -the science of playing breaks has been completely changed since they -were published. If, however, further warrant were needed, it is supplied -in the neglect of most players, whether professional or amateur, of -elementary facts concerning the motion of balls on a table; and this, -though ameliorated as regards professional players by constant practice -and observation, obstructs both classes more than they think in the race -for distinction. The best French players, from whom we have much to -learn, recognise that the closer and more intelligent the study of the -game, and the more nearly the implements reach perfection, the nearer do -scientific theory and actual practice conform. Hence in this book -considerable space is devoted to matters which may seem elementary and -self-evident, but which are really the bases of sound knowledge, and of -which amateurs (for whom the volume is primarily written) are for the -most part completely ignorant. When the behaviour of a ball under -various influences is described endeavour is made to use the simplest -language; mathematical terms not generally understood are as far as -possible avoided. - -Several matters of importance to the game and in need of reform are -discussed, the opinions of experts, amateur and professional, being -occasionally quoted; sometimes opposite views are stated, and efforts -are made to consider duly those of all shades. - -It is usual, and most of the contributors have not failed to conform to -the fashion, to insist on the fact that more can be learnt from a player -in an hour than from a book in a year, that an ounce of practice is -worth a ton of theory, or some similarly original sentiment. Certainly -no man can be made a billiard-player solely by the study of books any -more than skill in shooting, fishing, or other sport, can be so -attained; but much may be learnt from a good manual, both by a beginner -and by his instructor. By conforming to the arrangement of a book a -system of teaching will be followed, and this, if sound, must help -master and pupil. - -The amateur who has played for years and acquired a bad style is more -difficult to assist; he is apt to find, whilst trying to correct faults -and to play breaks, that he has lost his old certainty, and scores worse -after than before instruction—a result which causes many to lose heart. -But there is no need to do so; the chance of improvement depends greatly -on modesty and perseverance, whilst the case is hopeless in proportion -to the presence of presumption and conceit. Some give in at this stage -and revert to their former methods, others more resolute persevere and -improve; but it is hoped that both classes will find this book of -service. Those who devote their whole attention to making the immediate -stroke will be assisted by the practice recommended; whilst the more -ambitious will find advice which may in time enable them to play real -breaks and thus derive fresh pleasure from the game. - -Personal qualifications have so important an influence in billiards, -that too precise definition of the stroke to be played for is avoided. -What is the game for one person is not necessarily the game for another, -and each must use his own discretion. The qualities usually found in -fine players are good nerve, quick and sound judgment, resolution, and -temper under control, accompanied by fair sight, a fine touch, and -sympathy between eye and hand. Of these some are the gifts of nature and -cannot be acquired; others may be improved by careful training. Nerve is -little understood, but is strengthened by gaining certainty of play, -which creates confidence; yet there is always that which we cannot -explain, but may call the ‘personal equation.’ It is perplexing, but -must not be ignored, and persons of the most slender experience will -admit that they play better with one man than with another, though they -cannot always account for the fact. - -Much care and time have been spent on the diagrams and figures, but -absolute accuracy is not to be expected; indeed, it cannot be attained, -for the size of the table must be limited by that of a page, whilst for -the sake of clearness the balls are shown on a larger scale, a -consequence being some imperfection in the delineation of their -indicated paths. In the final chapter many matters connected with -billiards are briefly noticed, amongst which are: the suitability of the -game for ladies; the French or cannon game, which possesses advantages -on account of the smaller size of table on which it is played; and the -duties of marker and referee. The observations about etiquette are -specially commended to the careful consideration of readers. It is -beyond doubt that the vastly inferior play of amateurs compared with -professionals is in no small measure owing to laxity in behaviour, -whereby attention is distracted from the game. If billiards is ever to -be played finely in ordinary clubs, as strict order must be maintained -as is usual in the card-room. - -Obligations must be expressed to Mr. Boyd, Colonel Allan Cunningham, -R.E., Mr. Dudley Pontifex, and Mr. Russell Walker for assistance in -various ways; and to M. Vignaux, whose admirable manual of the French -game has been of special service. To a less extent the volume is -indebted to the works of Joseph Bennett and of other players; but beyond -all it owes much of whatever merit it may have to the assistance and -advice of Mr. R. H. R. Rimington-Wilson. It is indeed impossible to -overestimate the value of this aid, for his knowledge of the game and -practical skill are united to a singularly sound judgment, and his help -is enhanced by the kindness and courtesy with which it has invariably -been accompanied. Acknowledgment is further due to Messrs. Burroughes & -Watts and Messrs. Peall and Walder for practical help of great value. - -The preparation of this manual was a difficult task which the writer -would not have attempted without the co-operation just acknowledged; and -readers are besought to recollect, if disposed to resent an air of -authority in giving advice, or a too evident want of respect for their -knowledge and skill, that on every question of importance the recorded -conclusions are the result rather of careful consideration by experts -than an expression of personal opinion. - -Passing on from these preliminary observations and acknowledgments, it -should be at once said that no laborious compilation of the results of -research is here given on the subject of the origin of the game of -billiards, for the reason that this is obscure in the extreme. Many -attempts have been made to trace its ancient history, but little success -has resulted. In most books about it, reference is made to the -well-known quotations from Spenser and Shakespeare; whilst in ‘Modern -Billiards,’ the American text-book, the historian plunges deeper into -the mystery of the past, and tells how Cathire More, King of Ireland, -who died A.D. 148, left ‘fifty billiard balls of brass, with the pools -and cues of the same materials.’ Besides this, he refers to ‘the travels -of Anacharsis through Greece, 400 B.C.,’ during which a game which might -have been early billiards was seen. - -We may, perhaps, safely assume that the game is of considerable -antiquity, a development from some primitive form played with balls on -the ground. It may, therefore, have been evolved simultaneously in many -countries, and have assumed minor differences as it grew older. Then, as -intercourse became easier, one country may have borrowed from another -what was thought desirable, with the general result that the -similarities of the games of various countries are greater than the -differences. - -Undoubtedly, in 1896 the two great games are the English and the French, -and each is indebted to the other. - -From the lawn or courtyard the game was promoted to a table indoors, the -bed was wooden, the cushions were stuffed with cotton, and there were -pockets. The balls, of ivory or of wood, were propelled by wooden maces -tipped with ivory, silver, or brass. Such a table is depicted in ‘The -Compleat Gamester,’ by Charles Cotton (1674). Improvement for a long -time after this date seems slow to those who contrast the strides made -during the last half of the nineteenth century. The first step of -importance was the substitution of the cue for the mace, and the -invention of the leather tip by Mingaud, a French player, who early in -the century was, it is said, imprisoned for a political offence, and -during his imprisonment made the important discovery. Next came the -application of chalk, with which Carr, who had some title to be called -the first champion player of England, is generally credited. He was, -moreover, a player of the spot stroke, in those days (about 1825) -probably a recent invention. Position was maintained by a screw back or -by follow, as the slow cushions did not admit of use after the modern -manner. Carr is referred to in the following chapter. - - - - - CHAPTER I - HISTORY OF BILLIARDS - - BY SYDENHAM DIXON - - -Just as there were ‘brave men before Agamemnon,’ so, doubtless, were -there good billiard-players prior to Kentfield; but we hear very little -about them. One of the few whose name has been handed down to posterity -is John—generally known as Jack—Carr. He was originally marker for Mr. -Bartley, the proprietor of the billiard-tables at the Upper Rooms at -Bath. When business there was slack, Mr. Bartley and Carr used -occasionally to amuse themselves by placing the red ball on the centre -spot, and attempting to screw off it into one of the middle pockets -without bringing the red ball back into baulk. Such a stroke would be -easier under the conditions then existing of slow list cushions and -rough baize cloths than it is now, and for a long time Mr. Bartley was -the only person who could accomplish it. At last he confided to Carr -that he did it by striking his own ball upon its side. It seems pretty -clear, therefore, that Mr. Bartley was the inventor of the side stroke -and screw; but he appears to have made very little practical use of his -great discovery; whereas Carr, who soon outstripped his instructor in -proficiency at this particular stroke, turned his knowledge to excellent -account, and fairly astonished and mystified the frequenters of the -billiard-room at Bath by the ease and certainty with which he brought -off apparently impossible strokes. They were naturally anxious to learn -the secret, and, after Carr had artfully roused their curiosity to its -highest pitch by remaining obstinately silent on the subject for a -considerable time, he gravely informed them that his wonderful powers -were entirely due to the use of a certain ‘twisting chalk’ that he had -recently invented, and had then on sale. The demand for small pill-boxes -filled with powdered chalk at half a crown per box was naturally -enormous, and for a long time the wily marker reaped a rare harvest. If, -as some have supposed, this was the first introduction of the custom of -chalking the tip of a cue, the half-crowns were well invested; but, -unfortunately, the weight of evidence goes to show that chalk had been -in common use for this purpose for some time prior to Carr’s smart -stroke of business, and that he economically filled his valuable -pill-boxes by grinding up some of the chalk provided by Mr. Bartley for -the use of his customers. - -What with the brisk sale of the famous ‘twisting chalk,’ and the immense -advantage that his knowledge of the power of screw gave him over all -rivals, Carr must have been making a great deal of money about this -time. Unhappily for his own prosperity, however, he was a desperate and -confirmed gambler, and all that he made out of ivory in one form was -lost through ivory in another. He never could resist ‘flirting with the -elephant’s tooth,’ and every shilling that he made was promptly lost at -hazard. At last, fairly tired out by incessant losses scarcely broken by -a single run of luck, and discontented with circumstances immediately -connected with his professional pursuits, he determined to leave England -and try his fortune in Spain. It might have been imagined that the -latter country would have proved anything but a happy hunting-ground, -and that the Dons, on falling victims to Carr’s powers of screw, might -have taken it into their heads to lay down their cues and to finish the -game with knives. However, the Bath marker was evidently an excellent -man of business, and the Spanish billiard-rooms proved veritable El -Dorados to him. He made a tour of the principal towns, and succeeded in -easily beating everyone with whom he played. The feats he performed by -means of the ‘side twist’—as the screw stroke was formerly termed—amazed -all who saw him play, and he managed to amass a considerable sum. Still, -the old passion was as strong as ever, and once more proved his -downfall. Spain was even more amply furnished with gambling-houses than -England, and, as Carr’s usual ill luck pursued him, all his doubloons -vanished even more rapidly than they had been acquired; he was compelled -to return home, and finally landed at Portsmouth almost in rags. -‘Whether’—to use Mr. Mardon’s own words, and it is to his excellent book -that I am indebted for much of my information as to these early -exponents of the game—‘players of those days were less particular than -persons of the present period is not for me to determine; but it is no -less strange than true that, even in so deplorable a garb, he no sooner -made his appearance at the billiard-table than he met with a gentleman -willing to contend.’ In the ‘gentleman willing to contend,’ Carr, in his -hour of direst need, must have found a very foolish person, for no man -of average sense would have lost seventy pounds to an individual whose -appearance loudly proclaimed that he did not possess the same number of -pence, and who, therefore, could not possibly have paid had the issue of -the games gone the other way. - -The _dénouement_ of this little episode fully confirms this idea. -Quitting the room with the money in his pocket, Carr immediately -proceeded to get himself fully rigged out in ‘a blue coat, yellow -waistcoat, drab small-clothes, and top-boots.’ A little advice from the -local Polonius was evidently sadly needed; the attire was probably -‘costly’ and may have been ‘rich,’ but it was certainly ‘express’d in -fancy,’ and decidedly ‘gaudy.’ Arrayed in all this magnificence, Carr -paid another visit to the same billiard-room on the following day, when -he again encountered his victim. The latter being, according to Mr. -Mardon, ‘a fine player and devoted to the game,’ lost no time in -challenging the stranger to play. This match naturally resulted as the -other had done, and Carr again won a considerable sum. When play was -over the gentleman remarked that ‘he was truly unfortunate in having met -with, on succeeding days, two persons capable of giving him so severe a -dressing. Carr, making himself known, thanked the gentleman for the -metamorphosis his money had occasioned, and wished him a good morning.’ - -In 1825, Carr played a match against ‘the Cork Marker,’ at the Four -Nations Hotel, in the Opera Colonnade. The latter was considered a very -fine player in his day, and it is curious that no one seems to have -known his name, for he is invariably alluded to under this somewhat -vague designation. They played three games of 100 up, and, although Carr -won all three, he was evidently encountering a foeman worthy of his -steel, as ‘the Cork Marker’ reached 92 in the first game, and 75 in the -third. In the second, however, he only got to 49, as Carr suddenly -astonished the spectators by making twenty-two consecutive spot strokes. -This was naturally considered a most extraordinary feat, and, as an -offer was at once made to back Carr against all comers for a hundred -guineas a-side, he can fairly lay claim to being considered the first -champion of billiards, or, at any rate, the first whose claim to the -title rests upon anything like a solid foundation. Pierce Egan, in his -‘Annals of Sporting and Fancy Gazette,’ writes of him as the ‘father of -the side stroke;’ and though, as I have previously narrated, Mr. Bartley -was the discoverer of the stroke, Carr was undoubtedly the first man who -realised its importance and turned it to practical account. - -I have been unable to satisfy myself whether Bedford and Pratt, two fine -players who flourished in the first half of the present century, were -contemporaries of Carr, or belonged to a somewhat later period; this, -however, is a matter of small consequence. According to Mr. Mardon, -‘each was celebrated for quietude of demeanour and elegance of style,’ -and Bedford was ‘graceful and unassuming, excelling in winning hazards, -whilst all [strokes?] are made without apparent effort;’ his best break -was 159. The same author gives the following amusing anecdote of Pratt, -which will well bear repetition: - - One evening, when most persons were enjoying their claret by the - fireside, a gentleman presented himself in the billiard-room, where - Pratt was seated alone. To a request whether he was desirous of - playing, he replied in the affirmative. The lights were placed, and - the parties took their stations at the table. ‘What game, sir, would - you wish to play?’ ‘I will play,’ replied the stranger, ‘the game of - 100 up; and, as it is my desire that you should be rewarded for your - trouble, I will play for sixpence!’ The game commenced; and, after the - gentleman had once or twice struck the balls, he left his opponent’s - ball near the red, which, fortunately for Pratt, being on the spot, he - continued to hole in the two corner pockets four-and-thirty times, - beating his liberal antagonist a love game, 100 up! - -To return, however, to Carr. His challenge was soon taken up by Edwin -Kentfield, of Brighton (better known as Jonathan); but Carr fell ill, -and the proposed match never came off. Kentfield then assumed the title -of champion, his claim to which was not disputed for four-and-twenty -years. There is no doubt that Edwin Kentfield, who died in 1873, was -very superior to most of his profession. He was a man of refined tastes, -passionately devoted to horticulture, with which he was thoroughly -conversant, and he had the shrewdness to see that the tables and all the -accessories of the game which were in use when he began to play were -very crude and imperfect, the tables having list cushions, wooden beds, -and coarse baize coverings. He spent many years in improving tables, -cushions, balls, cues, &c., and, thanks to his energy, and to the acumen -of Mr. John Thurston—the founder of the present well-known firm of -billiard-table makers, who thoroughly believed in Kentfield, and was -always ready to support his views and carry out his suggested -improvements—the old order of things was gradually superseded by rubber -cushions, slate beds, and fine cloths. - -All the newest improvements were naturally to be found in Kentfield’s -Subscription Rooms at Brighton, the appointments of which were -wonderfully perfect, considering the date. In 1839 he published ‘The -Game of Billiards: Scientifically Explained and Practically Set Forth, -in a Series of Novel and Extraordinary, but Equally Practical, Strokes.’ -In his well-written and modest preface, Kentfield alludes to the ‘many -alterations and improvements that have been successfully introduced, and -which have so greatly contributed to the state of perfection to which -this noble amusement has at length arrived.’ Compared with the tables -that were in vogue before Messrs. Kentfield and Thurston began their -improvements, their joint production did doubtless seem wonderfully -perfect; yet this extract reads curiously in 1896, in the face of the -extraordinary developments of everything connected with the game that -have taken place within the last ten or fifteen years. - -Kentfield was acquainted with the spot stroke, and played it well, -considering the then existing conditions. He devotes a very short -chapter in his book to it, and describes four different methods by which -it can be made. There are now nine entirely different strokes which may -be brought into use in the course of a long spot break; but doubtless, -in his day, several of the varieties of the stroke were absolutely -impossible, owing to the comparative slowness of the tables. He did not, -however, approve of the spot stroke, nor consider it billiards, and on -this point was evidently of the same mind as the younger Roberts, who -has recorded his opinion that a constant succession of big spot breaks -‘would very soon kill the popularity and destroy the artistic position -billiards has attained.’ The thoroughly genuine nature of Kentfield’s -feelings on the subject may be judged from the fact that he caused the -pockets of the tables in his rooms at Brighton to be reduced to three -inches, in order to prevent spot strokes being made; and this, unless he -materially increased the charge for each game, must have meant a -considerable annual pecuniary loss to him. The table on which Kentfield -constantly played is thus described: ‘The table in the Subscription Room -is extremely difficult. It is, perhaps, the fastest in England, and has -pockets of the smallest dimensions (three inches). The spot for the red -ball is barely twelve inches from the lower cushion; the baulk circle -only eighteen inches in extent. On many tables the spot is thirteen -inches from the cushion; the baulk twenty-two.’ It seems singular that, -quite thirty years before the first championship table was manufactured, -Kentfield should have put up almost a fac-simile of it in his Brighton -rooms; but probably John Roberts, senior, saw it there, possibly played -upon it, and derived from it the idea of the table on which, in 1870, -the championship was decided. - -It is almost impossible, after this lapse of time, to form any -trustworthy opinion as to the real strength of Kentfield’s game, and it -would be manifestly unfair to draw comparisons between him and any -player of more recent date than the elder John Roberts. Let us first -take the evidence of Mr. Mardon on the subject; and I may here remark -that Mr. Mardon’s book—which was a very great improvement on any of its -predecessors dealing with billiards—appears to have been primarily -written with the view of giving immortality to the author’s great game -of 500 up with a Mr. Porker. This was played in Kentfield’s rooms. Mr. -Porker, who conceded a start of 25 points, reached 495 to 475, and then -Mr. Mardon ran out. A break of 25, even at the end of a game, does not -seem such a very startling feat; still, it was evidently considered as -such in those days, and a diagram is given of each of the nine strokes -which were comprised in this historical effort. One or two of these were -somewhat singularly played according to modern ideas. In one of them, -for example, the red ball was near the left top pocket, into which it -was very easy to screw, and his opponent’s ball was nicely placed about -the middle of the table. Instead of making the losing hazard with a slow -screw, which would have just brought the red ball down to the white, and -left a capital chance of a good break, Mr. Mardon had a regular bang at -it, doubled the red ball right down the table and up again, and, -probably more by luck than judgment, finally left it almost in the jaws -of the right-hand top pocket. This, however, is ‘another story,’ and I -am keeping Mr. Mardon waiting an unconscionably long time in the -witness-box to give his testimony as to Kentfield’s abilities as a -player. He writes: - - Were I to relate all the extraordinary performances of Mr. Kentfield - at the period when list cushions and pockets of large dimensions were - in vogue, the reader would imagine I was bordering on romance. On one - occasion, when playing the winning game, 21 up, Mr. Kentfield gave his - opponent 18 points, and won sixteen successive games. In playing the - winning and losing game, 24 up, he won ten games, his adversary never - scoring! The games were thus played: Mr. Kentfield, in playing off, - doubled the red ball for one of the baulk corner pockets, placing his - own ball under the side cushion. His opponent played to drop it into - the corner pocket, failed, and left on each occasion a cannon; that - was made, and the games were all won off the balls! At another time he - was playing the non-cushion game, 16 up. On going off he twisted his - ball into the corner pocket from the red and won in that manner six - games, his adversary not having a stroke! Desirous of ascertaining how - many games of 24 up could be played within the hour, he commenced the - task with a player of considerable eminence;[1] and they completed - thirty games within the specified time. Forty-seven games of 100 up - were also played in eight and a half hours. In a match that did not - exceed two hundred games, he beat his opponent eighty-five love games. - -Even allowing that the ‘player of considerable eminence’ was out of -form, and that Kentfield had the table virtually to himself, 720 points -in an hour was amazing;[2] and even the longer test, which works out at -the rate of about 550 points per hour, does not compare at all badly -with the rate at which our best players score at the present day; so it -seems curious that a performer of such ability should have continued for -years playing games of 21 and 24 up, in which, as was almost sure to be -the case, his opponent frequently never had a stroke. When John Roberts, -senior, was fast coming into note as a great player, and people were -beginning to compare his powers with those of Kentfield, Mr. Mardon thus -expressed his opinion on the subject: - - I have been given to understand, within the last few months, that Mr. - Roberts, superintendent of the billiard-rooms at the Union Club in - Manchester, is considered by his friends of that neighbourhood to be - equal to any player in England; and, in order to afford me an - opportunity of judging of his skill, balls have been placed in - situations of considerable difficulty, and I have been assured that - hazards thus presented came quite within his power of cue. I have also - been informed that, in playing a game of 100 up, his opponent, aware - of, and dreading, his ability, ran a coup at 96 love, hoping, by so - prudent and cautious a proceeding, to ensure winning the game. Mr. - Roberts, playing from the baulk circle, twisted into one of the corner - pockets from the ball upon the spot, and made from a break so - unpromising 102 points from the red ball alone! Admitting, however, - this information to be correct, still, wonderful and surprising - execution does not constitute either a sterling or a successful - player; and when I take into consideration the advantages to be - derived from playing the game called ‘One pocket to five,’ and learn - that Mr. Kentfield has played upwards of fifty thousand games with one - gentleman alone, I cannot but imagine that an experience so great, - united with his matchless skill, must not only elevate him above all - other players, but fully entitle him to the paramount laudatory - remarks with which his name will be found to be associated. When I - call to mind, and reflect upon, the wonderful execution displayed - while playing the commanding game over the table, and the game of one - pocket to one pocket _commanded_, I have no hesitation in saying that - on such occasions his power of cue has gone beyond what even the - imagination could embrace. I have seen him, like a man inspired, - accomplish stroke after stroke, hazards and cannons, against which I, - with my knowledge of the game, would have laid fifty to one! From his - cue I have witnessed that which I am confident I shall never see - again; and, although luminaries may shine forth in other spheres, Mr. - Kentfield, the electric light of mine, must, I think, dim their lustre - and keep them in the shade. - -The only other witness I shall call is John Roberts, sen., who has left -on record his opinion that Kentfield ‘played a very artistic game, but -possessed very little power of cue. He depended on slow twists and fancy -screws, and rarely attempted a brilliant forcing hazard. He gave misses, -and made baulks whenever they were practicable, and never departed from -the strict game.’ This was not written until many years after all -rivalry between the two men had ceased, and may, therefore, probably be -accepted as a calm and unprejudiced opinion. At first sight it is -difficult to reconcile the entirely opposite views of Mr. Mardon and -Roberts with regard to Kentfield’s power of cue. The truth probably lies -between the two extremes, for the former’s judgment may have been -slightly warped by intense admiration for his idol, whereas Roberts was -possibly comparing Kentfield’s power of cue with his own, which was -almost phenomenal. The highest break that Kentfield ever made was one of -196, and his best spot break 57 consecutive hazards. It may be taken for -granted that neither of these breaks was made on his three-inch pocket -table; nevertheless, they may still be regarded as very excellent -performances. If, however, there are diverse views as to Kentfield’s -powers as a player, I have only been able to discover one opinion as to -his merits as a man. Whether or not we may feel inclined to accept the -dictum that genius is ‘an infinite capacity for taking pains,’ I think -there is little doubt that Edwin Kentfield was a genius at billiards, -whilst in other respects it is quite certain that he set a brilliant -example to the players who followed him. - -During the last few years of Kentfield’s long and peaceful career, the -fame of John Roberts was rapidly growing, especially in and near -Manchester, and it became evident that at last, for the first time for -four and twenty years, the champion would be called upon to defend his -title. Roberts was born about 1815, and, as is bound to be the case with -a really great player, had a cue in his hand long before he was tall -enough to reach the table properly. Indeed, he was only nine years old -when he began to play upon an old-fashioned table by Gillow, with a -wooden bed and list cushions. This was at the old Rotunda, Bold Street, -Liverpool, and he showed such remarkable aptitude for the game that in -six months he could give points to most ordinary players. His precocious -ability appears to have been unknown to his father, until one day the -two played three or four games together, and the youngster won by many -points. Instead of being delighted with this display of juvenile talent, -the old man, who was possibly a bad loser, concluded that his son must -have been devoting far too much time to the game, and, lacking the -shrewdness to perceive the possibilities that lay before so skilful a -lad, apprenticed him to a carpenter. The boy stuck to this trade for a -couple of years; but his passion for billiards remained as strong as -ever, and at the end of that time he ran away, thenceforth devoting -himself entirely to what was unquestionably his proper vocation. His -first engagement was as marker at Oldham, and it is evident that he must -have improved very rapidly while there, for he could not have been more -than fourteen years old when he played home and home matches with -‘Pendleton Tom,’ a professional player with considerable local -reputation, and beat him in both. When he left Oldham he obtained a -situation in Glasgow, and in 1844 played a match against John Fleming, a -well-known billiard-table maker of that day, for 100_l._ a-side; and -here he met with his first reverse of any importance. They were playing -500 up, and when the game was called ‘485 all,’ Fleming tried for a -cannon and missed it, but fluked a six stroke and went out. Roberts then -defeated Tom Broughton of Leeds, and this appears to have been his last -match of any note during his sojourn in Glasgow. This ended in 1845, -when he became manager of the billiard-rooms of the Union Club at -Manchester, a position which he retained for seven years. This was very -fortunate for him, as he no doubt had far more opportunities for -practice than he had ever previously enjoyed, and it was while there -that he learnt the spot stroke. The popular idea that he invented the -stroke is, of course, an entire fallacy, for Kentfield, Carr, Pratt, and -others were in the habit of playing it. It was taught to Roberts by Mr. -Lee Birch, a member of the Union Club, who had seen it played in London, -and, being one of the best amateur players of the day, soon mastered it -to the extent of being generally able to make a dozen or fifteen -consecutive hazards. It is curious, by the way, how many amateur players -attain this standard of excellence and never get any farther. If a man -can habitually make this number of spot strokes, nothing but steady -practice is required to enable him to make runs of fifty, seventy, a -hundred, or even more; yet not one in a thousand has the resolution or -perseverance to take this necessary practice. With Roberts it was -entirely different. He at once realised that the stroke must give an -enormous advantage to any man who could play it with something like -certainty. For six months, therefore, he devoted himself almost entirely -to it, and spent hundreds of hours at the top of the table. - -When a man who united a natural genius for the game with indomitable -perseverance thus set himself to master a particular stroke, there could -be only one result, and I should fancy it was then—strong in the -confidence engendered by his ability to play this deadly stroke—that he -first conceived the idea of bearding Kentfield in his den, and -challenging his long-undisputed supremacy. Mr. Mardon’s account of the -first meeting of the rivals is as follows: ‘Arriving in Brighton, -Roberts called on Kentfield. He informed him at once, in a manly, -straightforward manner, who he was, and expressed a desire of playing a -friendly game. He neither sought disguise nor secrecy, and would -willingly have shown the strength of his game to all who might have -approached. Kentfield, on the other hand, was very desirous of avoiding -publicity, and, taking Roberts into an adjoining room, locked the door -and began a game.’ Then follow a few more lines in Mr. Mardon’s usual -rather high-flown style, the meaning of which, translated into the -vulgar tongue, is that Roberts speedily discovered that his opponent was -not really doing his best. This did not at all suit the man who had come -from Manchester on a voyage of discovery, and Mr. Mardon tells us that -he thus expressed his opinion on the subject: ‘This, Mr. Kentfield, -cannot be your game; to play such as this I can give forty in a hundred. -If you are withholding your powers for the purpose of obtaining a bet, I -am willing to recommence the game and to play you for five pounds.’ -Those who knew the elder Roberts intimately may possibly accept this as -the general purport of his remarks, but will entirely decline to believe -that he did not express himself in far more vigorous and forcible -language. As, however, Mr. Mardon states that the door of the room was -locked, and that no one was present excepting the two principals, he -could only have written his account of the scene from hearsay, and it -differs considerably from Roberts’s own version of the interview. This, -given in ‘Roberts on Billiards,’ runs as follows: - - I remember perfectly my first meeting with Kentfield, better known as - ‘Jonathan.’ It was in the beginning of 1849, at Brighton, where I went - on purpose to see him play. On entering his rooms I met John Pook, the - present proprietor of the Cocoa-tree Club, who was at that time his - manager. After sending up my name, Kentfield came in and inquired my - business. I told him that I was admitted to be the best player in - Lancashire, whence I had come to find out if he could show me - anything. He inquired if I wanted a lesson. I told him I did not, and - asked him how many in 100 would be a fair allowance from a player on - his own table to a stranger, provided they were of equal skill. He - replied ‘15;’ I told him I thought 20 would be nearer the mark, but I - was contented to try at evens. He said: ‘If you play me, it must be - for some money;’ on which, not to be frightened, I pulled out a - 100_l._ note, and told him I would play him ten games of 100 up for - 10_l._ a game. He laughed, and said I was rather hasty; and eventually - we knocked the balls about, and then commenced a friendly 100 on level - terms. He had the best of the breaks, and won by 40. In the second - game I pulled out a few north-country shots and won by 30, but he - secured the third. Then he put down his cue, and asked if I was - satisfied he could beat me. I said: ‘No; on the contrary, if you can’t - play better than this, I can give you 20 in 100 easily.’ He replied: - ‘Well, if you want to play me, you must put down a good stake.’ I - asked how much, and he answered 1,000_l._ I said: ‘Do you mean - 1,000_l._ a-side?’ Upon which he told me he thought I was a - straightforward fellow, and he would see what could be done. He then - sent Pook back to me, and I explained to him how things stood. He - replied: ‘You may as well go back to Lancashire; you won’t get a match - on with the governor.’ - -Accepting Roberts’s version of this historical meeting, one is forced to -the conclusion that, if one of the two was not trying to win, it -certainly was not Kentfield; for when a man loses two games out of three -on level terms, and then calmly tells his victorious opponent that he -can easily give him 20 in 100, it is certain that the loser must have -been keeping a very big bit up his sleeve. Evidently Kentfield was fully -alive to this, for all efforts to get him to make a match proved -fruitless. - -The fact of the matter undoubtedly was that Kentfield, who was many -years the senior of the pair, felt that the coming man was too strong -for him, realised that he had everything to lose and very little to gain -by risking a contest, and preferred the title of ‘retired champion’ to -that of ‘ex-champion.’ - -John Roberts, therefore, attained the first position in the world of -billiards in 1849, and the following year, whilst he was still manager -of the billiard-rooms at the Union Club, Manchester, played a great -match of 1,000 up with Starke, an American. The latter was a remarkably -fine nursery cannon player, and, getting the run of the balls in the -early part of the game, reached 600 to 450, thus securing a formidable -lead. Then it was that Roberts first reaped the reward of all the time -and patience he had expended on the practice of the spot stroke. Wisely -abandoning the all-round game, he devoted his energies to getting -position at the top of the table; a break which included thirty-nine -consecutive ‘spots’ took him to the front again, and another fine run of -thirty-six red hazards gave him an easy victory. In a letter to ‘Bell’s -Life’ on the subject of this match, one of the best contemporary judges -of the game gave it as his opinion that ‘Kentfield showed good judgment -in declining a match with Roberts, for, had they played upon a neutral -table, he would have been defeated to a certainty.’ Even Mr. Mardon -completely altered his mind with regard to the respective merits of the -two players, and to his second profession of faith he probably remained -steadfast until the day of his death; for, as comparatively recently as -the early part of 1874, he wrote a letter to the ‘Sporting Life’ on the -subject of billiards, in which he strongly maintained the superiority of -old John over his son, William Cook, and Joseph Bennett. - -It is doubtful whether, at the period of which I am now writing, the -title of champion was of much pecuniary value to its possessor. He could -only get an occasional match for money by giving a very long start, -whilst such things as exhibition games seem to have been of very rare -occurrence. In glancing over the files of ‘Bell’s Life’—the only -sporting paper then in existence—of some forty years ago, one cannot -fail to be struck with the way in which billiards is practically -ignored; in fact, it was some time before I could find any allusion to -the game. At last, in the issue dated February 22, 1852, I discovered -the following announcement: ‘A silver snuff-box will be given by the -proprietor of the Shakspere’s Head, Wych Street, Strand, to be played -for by eight of the best players in London, on Tuesday next, at six -o’clock. A gentleman from the country will be in attendance to play any -man in London for from 25_l._ to 50_l._ the same night.’ The most rigid -examination of the issue of the following week—in those days sportsmen -had to content themselves with one sporting paper, which came out once a -week—failed to discover the smallest record of the doings of ‘eight of -the best players in London’ on that Tuesday evening, and the destination -of the silver snuff-box might have been for ever lost to posterity but -for the appearance of the following challenge: ‘Mr. John Dufton will -play Mr. Farrell, the winner of the snuff-box at the Shakspere’s Head, -Wych Street, on Tuesday last, a match at billiards, from 100 to 1,000 -up, for 10_l._ or 20_l._ a-side. Money ready any evening at the -above-named place.’ It is probable that the challenger was a relation of -the well-known William Dufton, ‘tutor to the Prince of Wales,’ as he -always proudly styled himself, though I must candidly confess that I had -never previously heard either of him or of Farrell, entitled as each may -have been to rank amongst the eight best players in London. It was not, -however, the battle for the snuff-box that interested me. I was anxious -to know how the countryman fared on his adventurous crusade, and had a -suspicion that he may have turned out to have been no less a personage -than the champion himself, this being just the sort of little joke that -John Roberts always enjoyed. However, my curiosity on this point had to -remain unsatisfied, and I ceased to be surprised that it should be so -when I found that in the same issue of ‘Bells Life’—which in those days -was supposed to devote a good deal of its space to events of general -interest other than sporting—the death of Tom Moore, the sweetest singer -Ireland ever produced, was dismissed in exactly five lines! - -In this same year (1852) Roberts resigned the management of the -billiard-rooms at the Union Club, which he had held for seven years, and -took the Griffin Hotel in Lower Broughton, a suburb of Manchester. Soon -after this he played two more matches with Starke at the American game, -each of them being for 100_l._ a-side. It is noteworthy, as marking the -rapid manner in which he had ‘come on’ in his play, that whereas, only -two years previously, Starke had played him upon even terms, and at one -stage of the game looked very much like beating him, it was now thought -good enough to back Roberts to give a start of 300 in 1,000. This proved -rather too big a concession; nevertheless, little mistake had been made -in estimating the respective merits of the two men, for in the return -match, in which the start was reduced to 275, the champion won very -easily. The billiard history of the next few years is singularly -uneventful, and there appear to have been few players good enough to -have any chance with Roberts, even when allowed a long start. He, -however, did not retain the Griffin Hotel very long, and, after leaving -it, took billiard-rooms in Cross Street, Manchester. He must have been -living there in 1858, when he played a match with John Herst in Glasgow, -in the course of which he made a break of 186, which included a run of -55 consecutive spot strokes. Herst was a brilliant winning hazard -striker, and played in very pretty and finished style. Great things were -expected of him, and there is every reason to suppose that these -expectations would have been realised, but he died almost at the outset -of his career. In 1861 Roberts at length left Manchester, to become -lessee of Saville House, Leicester Square, and he had not been there -many weeks when he played a match with Mr. Downs, an amateur, to whom he -conceded a start of 700 in 1,000. In the course of this game, which he -won by 93 points, he made two very fine breaks of 195 (53 ‘spots’) and -200 (64 ‘spots’), and scored his thousand points in 2 hours 11 minutes, -an excellent performance, notwithstanding the fact that he must have had -the table virtually to himself. A rather curious episode occurred in the -course of this game. Mr. Downs, in lieu of giving the customary miss at -the beginning of the play, ran a coup, expecting that Roberts would give -a miss, and very probably calculating that, with his big start, to give -three and receive one was really judicious. The champion, however, -instantly grasped the situation, and, without a moment’s hesitation, -played hard at the red, and sent it and his own ball flying to the other -end of the room. In those days there was no penalty for knocking a ball -off the table, so Mr. Downs’s carefully calculated and promising scheme -of running a succession of coups and receiving a series of misses was -summarily nipped in the bud. It was at Saville House in March 1862 that -Roberts made his famous break of 346, mainly composed of a series of 104 -spot hazards. William Dufton was his opponent, and Roberts won the game -in the remarkably fast time of an hour and three-quarters. This break -was more than a nine days’ wonder, and never before or afterwards did -Roberts make 300 off the balls in public—a feat that is now well within -the compass of plenty of men who do not play well enough to get a couple -of engagements per season in exhibition matches. - -Two of the most prominent players in the ‘fifties’ and early ‘sixties’ -were Alfred Bowles and Charles Hughes. Roberts considered the former to -be the best player he ever met, and records that ‘no one yet has ever -held me at the points as Bowles used to do.’ The points alluded to were -300 in 1,000; but it must not be forgotten that these remarks were -written before William Cook, John Roberts, jun., and Joseph Bennett had -come to the front. I never saw Bowles play until he challenged the -younger Roberts for the championship and suffered an easy defeat. This -was in May 1870, when the Brighton man had possibly seen his best day. -He played a steady, old-fashioned game, but was hopelessly out-classed -by young John, and, though he could play the spot stroke well, of course -he had no opportunity of doing so on a championship table. From what I -saw of the play of the two men, I should unhesitatingly place Charles -Hughes before Bowles; but it would be ridiculous, with the very limited -opportunities I had of forming an opinion, to oppose my judgment to that -of Roberts; and certainly the results of two matches that were played in -the early part of 1864 point strongly to the superiority of Bowles. In -January of that year Roberts gave Bowles 300 in 1,000 for 100_l._ -a-side—in those days 100_l._ a-side meant 100_l._ a-side, not that each -man went through the solemn farce of staking his money, and received it -back again at the end of the game, whatever the result might be—and was -beaten by 109 points; whilst, two months later, the champion conceded -Hughes 350 in 1,000, and beat him by no fewer than 243 points. There can -be no doubt, however, that Hughes improved wonderfully between the date -of this match and 1869, when he sailed for Australia. The weak point in -his game was an irresistible inclination to go out for fancy cannons. He -would be apparently well set for a really good break when he would -neglect a comparatively simple shot for some elaborate cannon off three -or four cushions, which he would either just miss or perhaps bring off, -with the result of leaving the balls in an almost impossible position -for a further score. He was gradually, however, getting over this -propensity towards the close of his career, and undoubtedly played a -very good game indeed at the time that he left England. Just prior to -sailing he ran into the last three of a great professional handicap -which took place at the ‘Nell Gwynne,’ Strand, in which, together with -Cook and Roberts, jun., he started at scratch, whilst the champion owed -50 points, and, as there were as many as forty players engaged, this was -a capital performance. He also won a handicap of 200 up, which was -played to celebrate the opening of the Bentinck Club, upon the site of -which the Vaudeville Theatre now stands. In this he received a start of -30 points, the champion owed 20, whilst his son and Cook had 20 each. -The best thing he ever did, however, was accomplished in the last game -he played in England. He sailed from Liverpool, and, as Roberts had gone -down to see him off, the pair took advantage of the opportunity to play -1,000 up at the ‘Golden Lion,’ Deansgate, Manchester. Roberts, as usual, -gave a start of 300, and had reached 736 against 794, when Hughes went -out with a break of 206, which included 62 consecutive ‘spots.’ Being -asked to finish the break, he added 21 more red hazards, and this 269 -was a bigger run than anyone had put together since the champion had -made his famous 346 about seven years previously. I can find no record -of Hughes’s achievements in Australia, but he did not long survive his -arrival in that country. As has been the case with too many other fine -players, he lacked the resolution and strength of mind to take proper -care of himself, and the lavish colonial hospitality which was thrust -upon him at every turn speedily killed him. - -In the limited space at my disposal it is manifestly impossible to -follow the game closely, year by year, and I think the better plan will -be to give a sketch of all the principal players, including some account -of the most important matches that have taken place since 1870, at -nearly all of which I have been fortunate enough to have been present. -In ‘Roberts on Billiards,’ which was written towards the close of the -author’s twenty-one years’ tenure of the championship, he names Charles -Hughes, John Herst, Joseph Bennett, William Cook, and John Roberts, -jun., as candidates for the title of second-best player, and adds, -‘probably the two best are William Cook and my eldest son.’ The first -and second I have already dealt with; the other three, who kept the -championship entirely between them during fifteen years, naturally -demand more extended notice, as their doings really form the greater -part of the history of billiards from 1870 onwards. Before coming to -them, however, it will be better to dispose of what Roberts terms the -third class, in which he includes William Dufton, L. Kilkenny, W. D. -Stanley, W. E. Green, George Mulberry, Alfred Hughes, George Davis, W. -C. Hitchin, Tom Morris, Harry Evans, and John Smith, ‘to any of whom I -have been in the habit of allowing 350 in 1,000.’ Of these, I never saw -Stanley—who, I fancy, was an elder brother of D. Richards and S. W. -Stanley—Mulberry, Davis, Hitchin, or Smith play, and will not, -therefore, write anything about them. With respect to Dufton, I feel -bound to say that, in my opinion, he was a much overrated man. As I saw -him perform for the first time in 1866, when it is possible that he may -have been going off, I should have hesitated to write so plainly, had -not my view of his lack of ability been fully confirmed by one who -constantly played with him, and for whose judgment I have the highest -respect. His long ‘jennies,’ on the making of which his reputation -almost entirely rested, are now easily within the compass of any -professional player, and he would never have made the name he did but -for confining his play almost entirely to exhibition games with Roberts. -These exhibition matches would naturally have lost much of their -attraction if the champion had invariably won, so Dufton had his share -of successes, and came to be regarded as being able to play Roberts with -350 points in 1,000; whereas it is perfectly certain that a start of -half the game would not have brought them together when the scratch man -was doing his best. L. Kilkenny kept pace fairly well with the -remarkable development of the game that took place between 1870 and -1880, and managed to hold his own with a reasonable start from the -rising stars. He possessed little power of cue and no brilliancy of -execution, but played a sound, steady game, and, before spot-barred -games became so universal, could generally be relied upon for a pretty -good run of ‘spots’ when he obtained a favourable position. Deprived of -the strongest part of his game, however, he soon fell out of the ranks. -Alfred Hughes was a player of no class compared with his brother -Charles, and Tom Morris, a left-handed man, with a somewhat flashy -style, was only moderate. Harry Evans, on the contrary, was a thoroughly -sound performer, who played an excellent all-round game, and, if he did -not go out for gallery strokes, seldom or never missed an ordinarily -simple one. Soon after his arrival in Australia he suddenly came out as -quite a phenomenal spot stroke player, though he had never so -distinguished himself in England, and he held the championship of that -colony for many years, till quite recently deprived of it by Charles -Memmott. - -About 1866 John Roberts, jun., William Cook, and Joseph Bennett began to -draw away from the ruck of billiard-players, and it did not require much -foresight to predict that old John would shortly find a dangerous rival -or two, though it was difficult at the time to believe that anyone would -have the temerity to meet him upon even terms. In the October of that -year a great four-handed match took place, the champion and Dufton -attempting to give 200 in 1,000 to Charles Hughes and Joseph Bennett for -200_l._ a-side, an attempt in which they failed lamentably, being beaten -by no fewer than 344 points. Though Hughes scored 497 points during the -game, whilst Bennett only contributed 281, the major portion of the -credit of the victory must be given to the latter, who, by the way, is -the only surviving member of the quartet. Always remarkable for his fine -generalship and wonderful knowledge of the game, Bennett never displayed -these qualities to more advantage than on this occasion. He played in -front of Roberts, and, although he made a few breaks of twenty or -thirty, his sole mission was never to allow the champion a fair opening. -Directly he had a stroke which it was not three to one on his making, he -at once abandoned the break, and either put down the white and left a -double baulk or else gave a miss. Roberts’s game, in fact, was so -utterly cramped from start to finish that it was a remarkable feat on -his part to make 488 points during the evening. In the meantime Hughes -was thoroughly enjoying himself. Having only Dufton to follow him, and -well knowing that it did not much matter what sort of a game he left on, -he went out for everything, brought off all sorts of fancy cannons, and -scored the fastest of the party. Poor Dufton’s show was a very -lamentable one. From the style of game that Hughes was playing, he -naturally left any number of good openings, but all that Dufton could -total during the evening was 136. By Bennett’s clever strategy the -four-handed match was virtually reduced to a single-handed battle -between Hughes and Dufton, and this could only have had one result, even -had they played upon level terms. - -It was at the end of 1868 that William Cook and John Roberts, jun., -between whom there was destined to be such keen rivalry for the next -twelve or fifteen years, played their first match for money, Cook being -at that time just nineteen years of age and his opponent two years -older. The match took place at the Bentinck Club, and produced a very -large amount of speculation. It is quite needless to give any -description of the game, which Roberts won by 92 points, but it is -noteworthy that his best breaks—at the all-in game, be it -remembered—were 120 and 99, whilst Cook’s highest effort only reached -92. This contrasts very curiously with the state of affairs early in -1896, when, in a spot-barred game of 1,000 up, it would be quite safe to -back a player of the calibre of D. Richards or H. W. Stevenson to make -three breaks of upwards of a hundred each. In spite of this defeat, -Cook’s friends did not lose faith in him, and, in his inmost heart, I -believe that Roberts, sen., always rated Cook’s play at a higher level -than that of his son. I remember having a chat with the old man on this -subject at the Bentinck Club. Young John had just beaten Cook pretty -easily in their heat of the handicap with which the opening of the club -was celebrated, and this, coupled with his recent success in the match -just referred to, led me to remark that there could be little doubt as -to who would be future champion. ‘I’m not so sure of that,’ said the -veteran with a shake of the head; ‘we’ve not seen the best of Cook yet.’ -Before the end of that year his opinion was amply justified. In March a -return match was played, in which, though the breaks on both sides were -very small, Cook beat Roberts, jun., by 323 points, and when the former -began playing again after the summer recess the improvement he exhibited -was simply extraordinary. His beautiful delicacy of touch was more -striking than ever, and he ‘nursed’ the balls with even more than his -old skill; but in his anxiety to secure position he did not so -frequently miss the immediate stroke, which had formerly been the weak -point in his game. Then he had attained a proficiency in playing the -spot stroke that entirely eclipsed anything that had previously been -witnessed in this line, and three times in one week, with young Roberts -as an opponent, he made upwards of three hundred off the balls. Two of -these breaks—351 at the Royal Hotel, Dale Street, Liverpool, and 359 at -the Prince of Wales’s Hotel, Moss Side, Manchester—beat the champion’s -346, which for seven years had been considered quite unapproachable. -After this, Cook seldom played two games of 1,000 up without making a -break of 300 in one of them, and left his old rival, John Roberts, jun., -completely in the rear. There could only be one end to this series of -remarkable performances, and in the autumn of 1869 Cook issued a -challenge to play the champion, on or before January 1, 1870, a game of -1,000 or 2,000 up, level, for 500_l._ a-side. Some little time elapsed -before the two men came to terms, and it was decided by a committee of -the leading players of the day that matches for the championship should -be played on a table with three-inch pockets, and with the spot 12½ -inches from the top cushion, instead of 13¼ inches, the then customary -distance. As Cook was a member of the committee which decided on this -radical alteration in the table, it seems strange that he did not -protest strongly against a measure which nearly every expert at once -realised must deprive him of the strongest feature of his game—the spot -stroke—but the reason was that he apparently did not realise the fact. -Cook was then barely twenty-one years of age, but he ought to have had -sufficient experience to have saved him from such a mistake. Before he -had been playing on the new table for an hour, his error must have been -brought home to him in very unpleasant fashion. - -Just as the great battle at Farnborough between Sayers and Heenan was -read about and eagerly discussed by all sorts and conditions of men who -had previously professed the greatest disgust for prize-fighting, so the -match between the veteran and his pupil excited intense interest, even -amongst people who could scarcely define the difference between a -winning and losing hazard. The Prince of Wales was present at St. -James’s Hall, and, as no such scene had ever previously been witnessed -at a billiard match, and may never be seen again, I need not apologise -for reproducing part of a sketch of the memorable night contributed by -myself at the time to one of the last numbers of the famous old -‘Sporting Magazine,’ which ceased to exist at the end of 1870: - - For the last five or six years the champion has made no very long - break nor any great number of successive ‘spots,’ whilst his son, - Joseph Bennett, and Cook, especially the last-named, have frequently - put together a very big score off the balls. People at last began to - realise the idea that the title of ‘second-best player in England’ - would not long satisfy one or two of the colts, and were not - altogether surprised when Cook challenged his old master for 500_l._ - a-side. Roberts took a long time to reply to this cartel, and it was - believed that another walk-over would take place—for as yet there had - never been a match for the championship; but at length he made up his - mind for one effort to retain his place, and they agreed to play on - February 11. Prior to that day a meeting of the leading professionals - was held. Rules were drawn up for future contests ... and some - important alterations were made in the construction of the tables to - be used in matches for the championship, with what results we shall - presently see. - -The match was played in the large concert room at St. James’s Hall. - - Just before eight o’clock the spectators settled down into their - places, and the scene was a truly remarkable one. The table, which - looked very small in such a huge hall, was of course placed in the - centre, and, about three yards from it, a cordon was formed by a - scarlet rope, so that a ‘clear course’ was secured for the combatants, - even if ‘no favour’ could not be guaranteed. Outside this rope the - tiers of benches began, and sloped up to the galleries. Every seat was - occupied, and the galleries themselves accommodated a very large - number of spectators, many of whom had provided themselves with opera - glasses, anew concomitant to a billiard match, but a very necessary - one on this occasion. Shortly after eight o’clock the calls of ‘time’ - became very loud and impatient, and, with a view of creating a - diversion, someone who appeared to have the chief management of the - affair began to weigh the balls. He spun out this operation in very - clever fashion, and kept the people quiet for nearly ten minutes; but - at last they grew tired of seeing him hold up the scales, and remain - immovable, apparently wrapped in astonishment that the balls should - exactly balance each other, and the noise became worse than ever. At - length the two men appeared, without their coats, and apparently - ‘eager for the fray.’ They were received with uproarious applause, - which seemed to delight Roberts immensely. - -At the beginning of the game caution prevailed, and the tight pockets -puzzled both men. - - At 127 Cook made six ‘spots,’ the longest run of the evening; but the - new-fashioned table seemed to have quite destroyed his pet stroke. The - red ball required to be played with the greatest care, or it did not - go in, and, owing, we imagine, to the change in the locality of the - spot, it seemed almost impossible to secure position for the second - stroke, even if the first came off. Both men had several tries at it; - but they could make nothing of their old friend, and the last half of - the match was practically played ‘spot hazard barred.’ The contrast in - the style of the two was very noticeable, Roberts’s being as clumsy - and awkward as Cook’s was pretty and elegant, the latter playing, as - someone near us observed, ‘a very genteel stroke.’ The men were very - level at about 450, and then the champion got in, with Cook’s ball and - the red almost touching each other, and quietly dribbled them down the - table, making six or seven very pretty cannons in succession. He - followed this up with a regular ‘gallery’ stroke, potting the red at - railroad pace, and making a cannon off two or three cushions, which - brought down the house. A break of 22 by Roberts made his score 494 - against 495. The announcement of ‘517 all’ produced great cheering; - however, 44 and 49 by Cook soon placed him in front again, and, as - soon as he passed 600, there was a short interval. - - The men soon came back, Roberts decorated with a cross, ‘wearing it - for the last time,’ as one of Cook’s backers grimly remarked. A - magnificent ‘all round’ 80 took the young one to 785. The knowledge of - strength shown in this break was truly wonderful, and there was a thin - ‘loser’ in it which even Roberts felt compelled to applaud. There was - soon a gap of a couple of hundred points between them, and the - champion kept looking up mournfully at the figures at the end of the - hall. He never lost heart, however, and, laying himself down to his - work, began to creep up again. Cook’s score stood still for some - little time, and the old man’s backers got very excited. Roberts now - made 62, his longest break during the game, and two or three other - good runs brought him close to Cook, whom he passed, the score being - called 1,041 to 1,037 in favour of Roberts: but a 31, finished with a - double baulk, placed Cook well in front again, and, when his score - stood at 1,133, he made a horribly fluky cannon, and ran right out, - with a succession of the easiest and prettiest strokes we ever saw, a - winner by 117 points. - -Here I prefer to take leave of John Roberts, sen.; for, although he -occasionally played in public for several years after, he never again -exhibited anything approaching his best form. It almost seemed as though -he had wound himself up for one great effort to retain his supremacy, -and that he never recovered from the consequent reaction: added to which -he was then fifty-five years of age, and had consequently seen his best -day. In his prime he was a man of extraordinary strength of -constitution, and performed several feats of endurance which probably no -professional player of the present day could approach. Perhaps the most -remarkable of these was accomplished in 1846, when he had rooms in -Glasgow, and an amateur, who was in the habit of frequenting them, made -a match to play him on the following conditions: Roberts was to concede -sixty points in each hundred, mark the game, hand the rest, spot the -red, take the balls out of the pockets, &c., and in fact do the work of -both player and marker. They were to continue playing until one of them -stopped voluntarily or through exhaustion; but I have been unable to -ascertain whether or not they were allowed to eat and drink during the -progress of the match, though the probability is that there were no -restrictions in this respect. The stakes were ten shillings per game: -whoever gave in first was to forfeit 25_l._ and all claim to anything he -might have won. Roberts was at that time in full play, and doing strong -work round the table for several hours in each day; but his opponent -could not have been far behind him in this respect, and must have been a -remarkably game man into the bargain, for he struggled on for -forty-three consecutive hours before Nature gave way, and he fainted -from exhaustion. In that time no fewer than 125 games were played, and -Roberts won a good stake, every penny of which he had certainly earned. -Differing entirely from Kentfield in this respect, he possessed -extraordinary power of cue and a wonderfully strong wrist, which enabled -him to perform all sorts of curious feats, such as knocking both balls -off the table and making them reach the end of a long room before -touching the floor. His worst fault was a too flashy style of play, and -I shall always believe that he would just have beaten Cook in the great -match for the championship if he had kept himself a little quieter -during the game; but he could not resist incessantly chaffing his -friends, chalking bets on the floor, &c. Comparison between Roberts’s -form and that of the leading players of the present day would be most -unfair to the old man. Had he lived fifty years later than he did, and -enjoyed all the advantages of the improvements that have been made in -the accessories of the game, as well as the opportunities that leading -players enjoy of constant practice, it is certain that he would have -been found right in the front rank. He had a real genius for the game, -and was a great player. - -Immediately after winning the championship Cook had a very busy time of -it. He played John Roberts, jun., the best of twenty-one games of -pyramids, the result being that, after they had won nine games each, -Roberts secured the next two and won the match, which virtually decided -the championship at pyramids. Then Cook toured for a few weeks, and, in -the course of an exhibition game with S. W. Stanley at Totnes, made the -hitherto unparalleled break of 512. On April 14, 1870, just two months -after he had wrested the championship from the elder Roberts, Cook lost -it to Roberts, jun. The length of the game was wisely reduced from 1,200 -points to 1,000, and Cook was beaten by very nearly half the game. This -is one of the few contests for the championship that I did not witness, -and I have never been able to understand the result; for, although -Roberts won by 478 points, and scored his thousand in three hours and -four minutes, which was the fastest time recorded for a -three-inch-pocket table until the last match ever played for the -championship fifteen years later, a 47 was the best break he made during -the whole evening! Of course, it must be remembered that the winner had -the table virtually to himself, for Cook must have been utterly and -hopelessly out of form. Six weeks later, Alfred Bowles, of Brighton, a -contemporary of Roberts, sen., challenged the winner. It is probable -that Bowles, though I believe he is still alive, had then passed his -best day, for the result of his plucky challenge was disastrous. He -played a good, sound old-fashioned sort of game, devoting himself -chiefly to runs of losing hazards in the middle pockets, but had not the -smallest pretensions to meet a man of the class of Cook or Roberts on -even terms, and never possessed the least chance all through the game. -The next challenger, however, was of very different calibre, and the -battle between Roberts—as I have now taken leave of the father, it is -needless to constantly repeat the distinguishing ‘junior’—and Joseph -Bennett was about the most obstinately contested of the entire series. -It lasted for four hours and three-quarters, and Bennett, with repeated -safety misses and double baulks, at last fairly wore down his formidable -opponent, and won by 95 points. Thus ended 1870, a truly remarkable -year, which not only witnessed the first match ever played for the -championship, but in which the title was actually held by four different -men. - -To trace the progress of the game minutely from this point to the -present time, and to attempt even to mention the principal matches that -have been played, would occupy too much space, and I must, therefore, -content myself with giving slight sketches of the chief players from -1870 to 1895, alluding to a few of the most remarkable matches. At the -earliest possible moment—the two months which were allowed when the -conditions governing contests for the championship were drawn up—Roberts -played a second match with Bennett, and had no difficulty in regaining -his title, as he won by 363 points in the very fast time of three hours -twenty-two minutes. Cook was the next challenger, and, although he only -got home by 15 points—a really nominal victory—this was the beginning of -his marked superiority to any other player, and for exactly four years -all efforts to wrest the championship from him proved futile. On -November 29, 1872, during an exhibition match at his rooms in Regent -Street, he made the previously unheard-of break of 936, which included -no fewer than 262 consecutive spot hazards. This break was, of course, -made on an ordinary table. From 1871 to 1875 was undoubtedly the very -zenith of Cook’s career. During those four years he stood right out by -himself, and could defeat all comers on any class of table. The -strongest point of his game was unquestionably his wonderful delicacy of -touch. Brilliant forcing hazards, and winning hazards made at railroad -speed, so irresistibly fascinating to the gallery, possessed little -attraction for him, and he was the first man who seemed fully to realise -what might be done by delicately nursing the balls and bringing them -together, time after time, with perfect strength. Even when at his best, -however, he was never too consistent a player; there were occasions when -he was completely ‘off,’ and, if he happened to be caught on one of -these days, quite a second-rate performer could beat him easily. His -personal popularity was simply unbounded, and it would have taken a -remarkably strong nature to have resisted all the temptations to which -he was exposed. No man ever lost a finer chance of an exceptionally -brilliant and successful career. He must have made much money, but when -the end came, it found him penniless. I have no wish, however, to dwell -on his weaknesses, amiable as most of them were; rather let me record to -his credit that no professional billiard-player has ever possessed a -higher character for unimpeachable honesty, and that, in his prosperous -times, he was never known to turn a deaf ear to appeals for assistance. - -It is quite time, however, to introduce the third and only other man -that ever held the championship cup presented by the leading -billiard-table makers in 1870. I refer, of course, to Joseph Bennett, -who is three or four years older than Roberts, and was playing in public -before either Cook or his great rival. He rapidly acquired a wonderful -knowledge of the game, for he was barely eighteen when he was engaged at -Leeds to play and teach. During his stay there he played his first -important match. It was with W. Moss; the game was 1,000 up for 100_l._ -a-side, and Bennett won by upwards of 500 points. Possibly this success -induced him to turn his thoughts Londonwards again; at any rate, he -shortly afterwards returned there. His first metropolitan match was with -Dufton; then he played a couple with Herst, winning one and losing the -other: but it was the great four-handed match in which he and Charles -Hughes so decisively beat old Roberts and Dufton that first brought him -into prominent notice. - -Whether Bennett, as a player, was ever quite the equal of Cook or -Roberts it is unnecessary to discuss here. He beat each of them in turn -for the championship, and can well afford to rest contented with that -record. In early life Bennett’s health was indifferent, and his nervous -and highly strung temperament was by no means in his favour. One of his -peculiarities was that, when in training for a championship or other -important match, he would never play with anyone, but invariably shut -himself up in a room alone, and played one ball against the other, or -simply practised one or two special strokes by the hour together. His -contention was that a man required all his nervous energy for the match -itself, and ought not to waste any of it in practice. There was, -doubtless, something in his theory, for few men have ever shown to more -advantage ‘in the pit;’ and it was sheer pluck and determination that -enabled him to defeat Cook for the championship, as his opponent held a -long lead when within a couple of hundred of home. A very severe -accident in the summer of 1881 caused Bennett to resign the -championship, and, though he completely recovered from its effects, he -wisely gave up playing in public. He will be better remembered as a -teacher than as a player, for he has virtually devoted his whole life to -instruction, and with remarkable success. - -In December 1873 Messrs. Burroughes & Watts promoted the first of a -series of handicaps, with which they afterwards became so much -identified. The important effect that these handicaps had upon the game -is scarcely calculable, and, thanks to the liberality of the promoters, -several players who afterwards took prominent positions, but might -otherwise never have been heard of, were first introduced to public -notice. These handicaps gave such men exactly the chance they needed. -The following sixteen players took part in this handicap:—W. Cook, J. -Roberts, jun., Joseph Bennett, T. Taylor, F. Bennett, S. W. Stanley, -Harry Evans, W. Dufton, J. Roberts, sen., T. Morris, A. Hughes, John -Bennett, L. Kilkenny, Alfred Bennett, G. Collins, and Stammers. It was -won from scratch by Cook, who beat Kilkenny (130 points start)—the heats -were 500 up, all in—in the final, winding up with a splendid break of -428; and this appears to be a favourable opportunity for giving brief -sketches of some of the players who took part in it, six or seven of -whom are no longer living. - -‘Master’ Stanley, as he was always designated in print for the first -year or two after he began to play in public, was certainly one of the -most precocious youths that ever handled a cue, and could not have been -more than sixteen when he began to take his own part in good company. -The spot hazard was the strongest point of his game, and I shall never -forget the style in which he used to dash round the top of the table, -getting ready to play the next stroke long before the red ball had -reached the pocket. When it failed to drop in, even if it was a couple -of inches wide of the pocket, his invariable look of blank astonishment -was intensely comic. - -Tom Taylor came forward about 1872, just at the time that Stanley was -becoming well known, and many were the hotly contested battles between -them. Never were two lads more evenly matched. Stanley was a shade the -better of the pair at the spot stroke, but Taylor was a little superior -all round the table. Tom, like most billiard-players, had a pet stroke. -When he had opened a game with a miss in baulk, and his opponent had -followed with the answering miss under one of the side cushions, he -would invariably play at the red ball for the cannon off two cushions, -and bring it off three times out of four. This is a stroke that is never -played nowadays, and yet, when unsuccessful, it rarely leaves anything -on, which is more than can be said of the cannon off the white ball, the -customary game at present. A gamer player than Tom Taylor was never -seen. No matter what the state of the score might be, he never ceased -struggling; to be apparently hopelessly in rear only seemed to improve -his play, and from time to time he would pull a game out of the fire in -really marvellous fashion. With the exception of Roberts and Collins, -Taylor is the only one of the sixteen players in the great handicap at -the Guildhall Tavern in December 1873 who is playing regularly in 1896. - -Fred, Alfred, and John were all younger brothers of Joseph Bennett. -John, although he occasionally took part in handicaps, was a player of -no class, and died in November 1886; but Fred and Alfred worthily upheld -the family reputation as billiard-players some twenty years ago, though -they seldom now play in public.[3] It is difficult to say which was the -better of the two when they were in their prime, for both played the -spot well and were good all round; but perhaps Fred was the more -brilliant, and might have taken a high position if he had been fonder of -the game, and devoted himself more assiduously to it. - -L. Kilkenny was another remarkably sound exponent of the game as it was -played twenty years ago. He, too, was good on the ‘spot,’ and when this -stroke went out of fashion it practically killed his game; for Roberts -and Richards, neither of whom ever liked the stroke, are the only two of -the old school who are playing better now than they did in the -‘seventies. Kilkenny was about the last man that would have been taken -for a professional billiard-player; indeed, clad in correct clerical -costume, he would have made a model country vicar. He was always -exceptionally quiet, unassuming, and well-behaved, and ought to have -done well; but for some reason or another he missed his chances and died -in poverty. - -George Collins always played quite a game of his own. I have seen him -make numerous long runs of spot strokes, but they were invariably put -together in the most unorthodox style. His own ball was rarely within -eighteen inches of the red, and he would incessantly leave himself the -most difficult hazards, which he brought off again and again in the most -marvellous fashion. In a spot break of 300 he would have to play more -awkward shots than Taylor or Stanley would leave for themselves in ten -breaks of the same number, and very much the same thing was noticeable -in his all-round play. He would constantly succeed in ‘gallery’ shots, -but never seemed to trouble himself as to where the balls would be -placed after the stroke; and his apparent lack of any knowledge of -playing for position was a fatally weak point in his game. It was -magnificent, but it was not billiards, and in his best day Collins -always played the game of an exceptionally good amateur rather than that -of a professional. Of late years he has had comparatively little -practice, and has naturally fallen off in consequence. - -As long as he remained in England, Harry Evans was always recognised as -a sound third-rate all-round player, who was practically of no use on -the ‘spot,’ and it was a great surprise to all who had known him over -here when, soon after he had settled down in Australia, he gained great -fame as a spot stroke player, made some really remarkable breaks, and -held the championship there for many years; indeed, it is only -comparatively recently that he was deprived of it by Charles Memmott. - -With the exception of Roberts, sen., Tom Morris was many years older -than any other player who took part in the first great handicap. His -game was indifferent, as was that of A. Hughes and Stammers. - -Early in 1874 the first agitation against the spot stroke took place, -though it was not until twelve or thirteen years later that the stroke -was virtually abandoned. It occasioned a good deal of surprise when the -final heat of the first spot-barred handicap lay between Taylor and -Stanley, two players whose game was popularly supposed to depend almost -entirely upon their proficiency in the spot stroke. Yet there was really -nothing remarkable about this result, for there is a great deal of truth -and good sense contained in a letter from Stanley, which was published -in ‘Land and Water’ about a couple of months before the handicap was -played. In it he wrote: ‘I believe, as a rule, it will be found that the -best player at the spot stroke is the best player, after a time, at the -all-round game. To play the spot stroke well requires great patience, a -great deal of practice, and a great amount of nerve. Now, anyone who can -combine all these is sure to be a good all-round player.’ Cook paid a -visit to America in 1874, where he was ill advised enough to tackle -Rudolph at the cannon game, with the inevitable result; still, it was -impossible to regret that he had taken the trip, for he brought back -with him the American system of handicaps, which at once became so -popular in this country that scarcely a dozen really important handicaps -on the old ‘knock-out’ principle have been played in the last twenty -years. It seems hardly necessary to explain that, in an American -handicap, each player has to meet every one of the others, and the -winner of the largest number of games takes the first prize. The immense -advantage of this system is that the element of luck is as nearly as -possible eliminated, and that, presuming the play to be fair and -straightforward all through, the best man on the handicap terms will -win. Messrs. Burroughes & Watts took up the experiment warmly, and -presented 100_l._ in prizes. I formed one of the committee appointed to -frame the handicap and to arrange the order of play, and I well remember -the difficulty we had over the latter task, which will be fully -appreciated by anyone who has attempted a similar one. It must be -remembered that, as this was the first affair of the kind which had -taken place in England, we had no precedents to guide us, and though it -may seem very simple to arrange a list of eight men, so that each shall -play against a different opponent on every one of seven days, let anyone -who has had no experience in the matter sit down with a pencil and paper -and try it. The handicap was as follows: Cook, Roberts, and J. Bennett, -scratch; Taylor, 100 points start; Stanley, 120; Timbrell, 140; Kilkenny -and A. Bennett, 160. William Timbrell has not previously figured in -these pages, and may be dismissed in a very few lines. He was a -Liverpool player, who had already been credited with, and to the best of -my belief actually did make, a break of 893, which included a sequence -of 296 ‘spots.’ On his own table in Liverpool he may occasionally have -done great things, which, however, he failed to repeat in London. The -moment he began to play in public every atom of nerve seemed to leave -him, and on the numerous occasions on which I saw him play he never -showed even third-rate form. Roberts and A. Bennett tied for first prize -with five games each, and in playing off the former secured a very easy -victory. - -On May 24, 1875, Cook lost the championship, which he had held for -exactly four years, to Roberts, and the match was a very noteworthy one, -as it marks the turning-point in the careers of the two men. Up to that -period Cook had been generally considered rather the better of the pair, -but from the date of this match Roberts asserted his superiority, which -became more and more marked in each succeeding year. In 1876 D. -Richards, an elder brother of S. W. Stanley, ran second to Cook in an -American Tournament. Richards is the _doyen_ of all the professional -players before the public in 1896, and is a fine player. As in the case -of Roberts, increasing age only appears to improve his game, and there -is not the smallest doubt that when he had reached his ‘jubilee’ he was -playing infinitely better than he had ever done in his life. Nursery -cannons form the strong point of his game, and he certainly plays them -beautifully and with remarkable delicacy of touch, though it must be -admitted that no one makes more use of the push stroke than he does. -About the most noteworthy events of 1877 were two matches on a -championship table between Joseph Bennett and Tom Taylor, both of which -the latter won, though only by twenty-seven and twenty-one points -respectively. Bennett had gone very much off in his play just about that -time, or Taylor would not have been matched with him on even terms, and -in the following year the two were both handicapped to receive a start -of 150 in 500 from Cook in an American Tournament that was played at the -Gaiety Restaurant. One of the eight men engaged in it was Fred Shorter, -who had a start of 200, and had done very little previously. Never did a -young player so suddenly make a reputation, and some of his performances -during the tournament were most extraordinary. In his heat with Joseph -Bennett, the latter gave a miss in baulk, Shorter followed by placing -his ball under one of the side cushions, and Bennett went out for a -cannon, which he missed by the merest hair’s breadth. This left a nice -game on for Shorter, who speedily worked his way to the top of the -table, and went clean out with the spot stroke, thus winning a love -game. There is a little story relating to this heat which must be fairly -well known, but is good enough to bear repetition. Of course, the game -only lasted about a quarter of an hour, and, as we were going out of the -room an old gentleman, desiring, I suppose, to make what he considered a -soothing remark to the beaten man, said: ‘How do you do, Mr. Bennett? -You did not seem quite in your usual form to-day.’ This to a man who had -only been allowed two strokes—with one of which he gave a miss in baulk, -and with the other as nearly as possible brought off a most difficult -cannon—was almost too much. I shall never forget the expression of -Bennett’s face, but language failed him to make a suitable reply. -Shorter did not treat Cook quite as unkindly as this; still, the latter -only scored twelve when he played his heat with the new man on the -following day, and most of the other players in the tournament were -served in somewhat similar fashion. - -A consequence of his beating Taylor was a match which I arranged between -them, Shorter to receive 200 in 1,000. An incident that occurred early -in this game gives an excellent idea of Shorter’s coolness and -self-possession. One of his friends was seated next to me at the -spot-end of the table, and thoughtlessly struck a match to light a cigar -without watching for a favourable opportunity to do so. Shorter had just -worked his way to the spot, and the sudden flash catching his eye caused -him to miss the pocket by about six inches. He came round to us and said -quietly, ‘Please don’t do that again; I can get on the “spot” whenever I -like, and stay there as long as I like, still it isn’t worth while to -throw away a chance.’ This was no idle boast, for when the game stood at -444 to 152 in his favour he put his opponent’s ball into one of the top -pockets with a brilliant stab shot from baulk, and, his own remaining in -perfect position behind the red, he ran right out, winning the match by -848 points. His break of 556 was for many years the largest made in a -match for money. On being asked to continue it, he ran it up to 636, -including 207 consecutive spot hazards. Just at that time I firmly -believe that Shorter had no equal on an ordinary table; indeed, I -offered to match him to play Cook 1,000 up, level, if the latter would -stake 500_l._ to 200_l._, but the proposal was politely declined. -Unfortunately, Shorter’s prospects of ever attaining a position at the -head of his profession were marred by the fact that he had no liking for -the game. It was the most difficult thing in the world to get him to do -any practice. When he afterwards took part in tournaments, his first two -or three games were generally devoted to playing himself into form, so -that his big breaks towards the end of the week came too late to give -him any chance of success. His constitution was never a strong one, and, -as he could not be persuaded to take any reasonable care of himself, -symptoms of consumption showed themselves in 1884. A voyage to Australia -was recommended as the best chance of saving his life, but the remedy -came too late, and he died at Deniliquin in August 1885. On a match -between Roberts and Timbrell at the Gaiety Restaurant, Timbrell -receiving 300 in 1,000 and winning by 449 points, it is not necessary to -dwell. It was played on an ordinary table, spot stroke in, but Roberts -never made more than 35 off the balls, whilst Timbrell’s best break was -73. - -The year 1879 was remarkable for the first appearance in London of -William Mitchell. The ‘Sheffielder,’ as he has always been called, -though, as a matter of fact, he was born in Derbyshire, had long been -known in the provinces as a player of exceptional ability; but few were -prepared for the form he showed on the occasion of his London _début_ in -an American Tournament at the Royal Aquarium, Westminster, when he won -six consecutive games and took the first prize. This he followed up by -securing another tournament at the Baynard Castle, and then he was taken -on a provincial tour by Joseph Bennett, in the course of which he made -many very remarkable breaks. Four years later, in a match of 3,000 up -with Cook for a stake of 1,000_l._, Mitchell at last cut Shorter’s -record in a money game with a brilliant 739 (55 and 189 ‘spots’). Prior -to this, however, when practising at Brighton, he had made a break of -1,839, composed almost entirely of 612 consecutive spot strokes. This -was generally discredited at the time, but subsequent events showed -Mitchell to be well capable of such a performance. When at his best, -Mitchell never played a long game without making two or three -four-figure breaks, and it was probably his own fault that Peall -eventually became his master at the ‘all-in’ game. He played the ‘spot’ -at a tremendous pace, and has never had an equal in one particular -stroke—that of going all round the table and regaining position. A -somewhat delicate constitution has always been against him, but his -gameness is quite on a par with that of Roberts and Taylor. There has -never been a more brilliant hazard striker; and, strange as it appears, -considering that for many years the spot stroke was the backbone of his -game, he was always seen to great advantage on a three-inch pocket -championship table. When at his best, his all-round game is always a -singularly free and attractive one to watch, and few players could -surpass him in a push-barred game. - -It was in 1880, the year after Mitchell had taken London by storm, that -his great spot stroke rival, W. J. Peall, made his first appearance as a -professional. Rumours had long been flying about as to the big breaks he -was in the constant habit of making when playing as an amateur, and his -appearance at the Royal Aquarium in an all-in American Tournament was -watched with great interest. He and R. Wilson received the limit of 175 -points start in 500 from Joseph Bennett and W. Mitchell, who were at -scratch. Peall, however, disappointed expectation at first, though -playing sometimes brilliantly in exhibition games. He did not show to -advantage when a stake was at issue, but in time he acquired confidence. -In May 1884 he won an exhibition game with Mitchell at the Aquarium in -four breaks exclusive of his initial miss, scoring 1,000 points in -forty-four minutes, which still remains the fastest time on record. -Later in the same month the same pair were giving an exhibition game at -Cambridge, and Peall made a wonderful break of 1,989, which included 548 -consecutive spot strokes, though as all of this break, with the -exception of the first 411, was made after the game was over, it is -questionable whether it should be counted as a record. Fortunately for -Peall, he can well afford to dispense with this 1,989; for at the Royal -Aquarium, on November 5 and 6, 1890, he completely eclipsed it with a -phenomenal break of 3,304, all made inside the game, and comprising runs -of 93, 3, 150, 123, 172, 120, and 400 spot strokes. I have no hesitation -in giving these records of breaks made almost entirely on the ‘spot,’ -for though the tables on which most of them were made may have been -comparatively easy, there is no sort of doubt that the breaks were -genuine in other respects. With spot-barred breaks, however, the case is -very different, and I prefer to write very little about them. In matches -where no money has really been at stake, although each party to them had -solemnly deposited his 50_l._, or 100_l._, or 200_l._, as the case might -be, it was clearly to the interest of each man to have as many big -breaks made as possible, for the reports of these were likely to improve -the ‘gate.’ Most of these big spot-barred breaks are composed largely of -nursery cannons, and some of these long runs of nursery cannons which -are credited to different players were never really made at all. Either -a cannon was scored which was not made, a very difficult thing for a -marker to detect, considering the express speed at which some -professional players rattle up these ‘nurseries,’ or the player, when -his ball was in contact with one of the others, calmly proceeded with -his run of close cannons, instead of having the red and his opponent’s -ball spotted and playing from baulk. This is something of a digression, -but it seemed necessary to explain why I have written so little about -‘records.’ They are easily to be ascertained by anyone who is interested -in them, and can be taken for what they are worth. From these great -performances of Peall’s it may be easily gathered that his nervousness -had entirely left him, and, after he had once acquired confidence, there -never was a more consistent and trustworthy performer. Whatever any of -us may fancy Mitchell _might_ have done, there is no getting away from -what the latter has actually accomplished, and, as a spot stroke player, -he has never had an equal. For a long time past he has been ready and -willing to meet anyone at the ‘all-in’ game, and is entitled to call -himself champion of English billiards. It might have been imagined that -the virtual disappearance of the spot stroke would have completely -disposed of his pretensions to a place in the front rank, but, so far -from this being the case, he was for a considerable period second only -to Roberts as a spot-barred player. Short stature has always precluded -the possibility of his being a very stylish player, but the extreme -deliberation which rather detracted from his play years ago has to a -great extent disappeared. His name has always been associated with all -that is honourable and straightforward, and no member of his profession -is more universally and deservedly respected. - -No match for the championship had taken place for nearly three years and -a half when Joseph Bennett challenged either Roberts or Cook to play for -it. The former waived his claim and left Cook to meet Bennett on -November 8, 1880. This match was one of the most interesting and -exciting I ever witnessed. Bennett, who was favoured with a good deal of -luck in the early part of the game, did not fail to take the fullest -advantage of his opportunities, and, at the interval, held a lead of 122 -points, a very big advantage indeed on a small-pocket table. The -interval, however—like luncheon time in an important cricket match—often -used to produce a marked change in the aspect of affairs, and soon after -resuming play Cook put in a fine break of 107, passed his opponent at -795, and entered the last hundred with a substantial lead. The contest -then seemed all over, but Bennett, playing up with any amount of -coolness and resolution, won by 51 points. This was about the first time -that I noticed unmistakable signs of Cook’s nerve failing him; he missed -two or three easy strokes just when points were most wanted, and I doubt -if he was ever quite the same player again. - -Cook and Roberts sailed for India immediately after this match, and -Taylor at once challenged Bennett for the championship. The match came -off on January 12 and 13, 1881, at St. James’s Hall, and though, soon -after starting, Bennett made a break of 125, the highest that had then -been recorded in a match for the championship, Taylor stuck to him in -his usual dogged fashion, and was only beaten by 90 points. Shorter was -the next aspirant, but failed to make good his final deposit, so Bennett -received forfeit. An off-hand match, however, for 25_l._ a-side took -place between the two on the table on which they ought to have played -for the championship. Bennett, who conceded a start of 100 in 1,000, was -defeated by 193, and as he soon afterwards met with the unfortunate gig -accident to which I have previously alluded, this was about his last -appearance as a player, all his energies being subsequently devoted to -teaching. I must not omit to mention that in September of this year, -during an exhibition game with Alfred Bennett, Cook made a spot-barred -break of 309, the longest then on record. It was without the semblance -of a fluke, and was a far finer performance than it looks to be on -paper, for the ‘top of the table game’ was then unknown, and it was put -together by open play all round the table. - -In January 1882, Cook, for the first time, took points from Roberts, who -gave him 500 in 5,000, all in, for 500_l._ a-side, and won by no fewer -than 1,658 points; the winner’s best break was 430 (5, 11, and 107 -‘spots’). A return match was played for a similar stake at Newmarket -during the July week, and was witnessed by the Prince of Wales and a -large and aristocratic company. This time Cook’s start was increased to -750, and he won by 918. His highest break was one of 412; Roberts had -two consecutive runs of 653 and 395. - -Very early in 1883 John North, who possessed a high reputation in Wales -and the western counties, made his first appearance in London. This was -in a spot-barred American Tournament at the Albert Club, and a more -trying ordeal for a comparative novice cannot well be imagined, for, as -is very truly stated in ‘Billiards, by W. Cook,’ in allusion to North’s -_début_: - - It is comparatively easy to perform in an ordinary tournament or - match, where the least noise or interruption to the player is - instantly checked; ... but billiards at the Albert Club is a different - thing altogether. Betting on the game, and often on individual - strokes, is carried on without let or hindrance, and that a stranger - to London should have displayed consistently good form under such - trying circumstances was conclusive evidence that he had plenty of - nerve and self-possession. - -North won this tournament, but it cannot be said that he has ever -fulfilled his early promise. Fit and well, and at his best, he is an -undoubtedly fine player; but his style, never a pretty one, becomes -terribly ugly and jerky when he is out of form. Towards the close of the -year 1883 Roberts offered to give any man in the world 500 in 5,000, -all-in, or 200 in 3,000 spot barred. There was no response, and I only -mention the fact to show how the status of certain players has altered -in the last ten years. Few people would now care to pit Roberts against -Peall on even terms at the all-in game; whereas his supremacy at the -spot-barred game, to which he has entirely devoted himself, is so -complete, that his offer of such a start as 200 in 3000 reads almost -ludicrously. - -[Illustration: - - CHOOSING A CUE. -] - -At the end of the year J. G. Sala, a Scotch player of considerable -repute, appeared in London for the first time in an American Tournament. -On his day he was a fine spot stroke player; indeed, his feat of making -186 consecutive screw back red hazards into the same pocket remained a -record for years, when it was completely wiped out by Charles Memmott, -who made 413 similar strokes in succession in a match in Australia. Sala -was, however, by no means strong at the all-round game. In 1884 Roberts -took a company consisting of Mitchell, Taylor, Shorter, North, Collins, -White, Coles, and Sala for a provincial tour, and organised tournaments -in Birmingham, Sheffield, Leeds, Liverpool, and Manchester, where some -really magnificent play took place. Writing the names of these players -reminds me that I have said nothing of Harry Coles and Fred White. The -former originally came from Birmingham, and made no particular mark for -some years after arriving in London, though he was always regarded as a -sound and consistent player. Perhaps his form was never rated quite as -highly as it deserved to be, for there was nothing in the least ‘flash’ -about his style, and he never appeared to be playing nearly as well as -he really was, in this respect being the exact opposite of Richards. The -virtual abolition of the spot stroke, however, gave him his opportunity, -and he improved very rapidly indeed, until about 1892, when I saw him -make upwards of 500 off the balls, twice within a few days at the -Aquarium, he was playing a really fine game, and only wanted a short -start from players of the class of Peall and Dawson. Nearly twenty years -ago White was regarded by some few people as a promising youngster, but -for a long time his health was very indifferent, and never gave him a -real chance of doing himself justice. When he became stronger he played -brilliantly for a brief period, making spot stroke breaks of upwards of -a thousand on two or three occasions in matches; but as he depended -almost entirely on the spot stroke, and was very weak as an all-round -player, little or nothing has been seen of him of recent years, though -it is gratifying to know that he has done exceedingly well in pursuits -unconnected with billiards. - -It may be interesting to record that the first game of 10,000 up ever -played was begun at the Aquarium on May 24, 1884. It was between Roberts -and Peall, ‘all in,’ and the latter, who received a start of 2,000, won -by 589 points. Once started these long games became very popular. They -were soon extended to as many as 24,000 up, which took no less than a -fortnight to play, and the spot stroke was invariably barred. I am not -sure that the change was a judicious one, for it is by no means so -interesting to witness a couple of hours’ play in the middle of a long -match, with one of the players possibly hopelessly in the rear, as it is -to see a game begun and finished at a single sitting. The last matches -ever played for the championship took place in 1885, when Roberts -defeated Cook and Joseph Bennett in turn, each game being 3,000 up. The -champion at this time was suffering from an attack of rheumatic gout, -which prevented him from touching a cue for a week prior to the match -with Cook, and made it very difficult for him to hobble round the table; -but he won by 92 points. Bennett suffered defeat by more than half the -game. It is only fair to state that Bennett was so unwell that he could -scarcely hit a ball on the first and second days, but the one-sided -nature of the contest was in a great measure atoned for by the splendid -exhibition given by Roberts. He made breaks of 155 and 147, the largest -ever put together in a match for the championship; and also scored -sixteen successive spot strokes, the largest consecutive number ever -made in a championship match. A notable ‘all-in’ match of 15,000 up on -even terms between Roberts and Mitchell was played in February 1886; -Roberts, who certainly had the better of the luck, winning by 1,741 -points. His longest breaks were 693 (230 spot strokes), 544 (179), 616 -(88 and 104), 722 (230), and 716 (47 and 184). Mitchell’s highest -efforts were 745 (244), 601 (197), 969 (321), and 532 (175). The result -was particularly instructive, as it showed that, though Mitchell was at -his very best just then, and in full practice at the spot, whereas -Roberts had not played the stroke in public for months previously, the -champion was still able to assert his supremacy at the all-in game. In -the following week Roberts and Peall began a six days’ spot stroke -match. The conditions were that they should play four hours per day, -each man to place his ball where he chose at the beginning of a break, -and the highest aggregate scorer at the end of the week to be the -winner. Peall had matters all his own way from the outset, and -eventually totalled 16,734 against Roberts’s 11,925; it was a terribly -wearisome affair and attracted very few spectators. Later in the year -Peall challenged Roberts to play 15,000 up, all in, on even terms, and -as Roberts declined the offer then, and whenever it has been renewed, -Peall, as already remarked, has certainly been entitled to claim the -championship at English billiards ever since that date. - -Since 1886 genuine matches for money have gone greatly out of fashion, -and we have had to content ourselves with battles for more or less -fictitious ‘purses,’ varied by an occasional tournament. The great -feature of the past few years has been the wonderful play of Roberts, -who, although he was born on August 15, 1847, has made greater -improvement during the past few seasons than any of the younger players, -and was never better than he is at present. Everyone who is interested -in the game must have seen him play, and one visit to the Egyptian Hall -will give a better idea of his inimitable skill than pages of -description. - -The young players who have come most prominently to the front since -about 1888 are Hugh MʻNeil, Charles Dawson, Edward Diggle, H. W. -Stevenson, and William Spiller. At one time MʻNeil, who is a left-handed -player, was generally regarded as the ‘coming champion.’ He was the -first to grasp something of the champion’s style, and certainly played -the ‘top of the table game’ better than any of his contemporaries. -Roberts had a very high opinion of him, and long ago said that he ‘would -be a splendid player if he would only keep steady.’ A very severe -illness unfortunately obliged the young Scotchman to give up playing for -a long period. Dawson’s improvement was rapid, and well maintained for -several seasons. His form is generally very consistent, and would be -even more so if he were less sensitive when luck seems to be against -him. Diggle is now generally regarded as one of the most promising of -the younger men. He is by no means a pretty player, and does not appear -to have the least idea of making a bridge, sometimes playing through his -forefinger, sometimes between his first and second finger, and in -various other extraordinary fashions; but, bridge or no bridge, he keeps -on scoring. Stevenson is by far the youngest of the professional -players, being still under age at the time of writing, and there are -great possibilities before him, for he has a beautiful delicate touch, -strongly resembling William Cook in that respect. It has been amply -proved during the season of 1895–6 that Spiller only needed the -requisite public practice to make him a fine player, and, though he -performs in somewhat loose and haphazard style, he continually runs up -long breaks. Nor must I forget Charles Memmott, a remarkably game and -capable performer, and equally good at the all-in or spot-barred game. -J. P. Mannock is a player who would have come into prominent notice long -ago had he appeared more in public. - -The game is just now in a somewhat curious state. It was never so -popular in clubs, and where there was one house possessing a private -table a dozen years ago, there are now twenty; but the public support of -billiards is fitful. There is no doubt that exhibition matches have been -terribly overdone during the last few seasons, and some genuine battles -are sadly needed to revive the fading interest in the doings of -professional players. It may, I think, be taken for granted that the -push stroke—which has been abused to such an extent that a big cannon -break is only put together by means of a number of glaring fouls—is -doomed. Probably, indeed, the table of the near future will have smaller -pockets with the spot a little nearer to the top of the table than it is -at present. There will then be no occasion to bar any fair stroke, for -such gigantic breaks from the spot stroke as have been made by Peall and -Mitchell would be a sheer impossibility. The barring of any fair stroke -makes the game a bastard one, and I feel certain that an alteration in -the tables, such as I have indicated, would make billiards far more -interesting to watch than it is at present, and would, therefore, prove -of the greatest benefit to professional players. - - * * * * * - -The history of the development of the modern game of billiards is -scarcely complete without reference to the games between Roberts and -Frank Ives, the American champion, because the capabilities of the -cannon game, even on a table with pockets, were so conclusively shown. -Since then, cannons have played a conspicuous part in most long -spot-barred breaks; and although cushion nurseries with the aid of the -push stroke are so open to objection that some restriction is probable, -yet it is certain that as pockets are made more difficult, cannons will -become more important. Indeed, this would seem to lead ultimately to the -adoption of the cannon game and the abandonment of pockets; a -consummation to be regretted, for winning and losing hazards are -attractive features in the English game. - -In the summer of 1893 the champions met at Knightsbridge and played on a -table with 3¼ in. pockets and with balls 2½ in. in diameter. At first -Roberts had the advantage, but afterwards Ives cornered the balls, -making 1,267 cannons in a break of 2,539, and 402 cannons in a break of -852, and won with ease. At the end the game stood, Ives, 6,000; Roberts, -3,821. - -Neither player could be expected to show his best form under the -circumstances, for compromise in the matter of tables and balls cannot -be satisfactory; but the power and control possessed by Ives were a -revelation to most of our experts. Putting the great break on one side, -he was easily able to run up very long scores by means of a series of -cannons played almost perfectly, without the push stroke or suspicion of -a foul, and with but slight recourse to the _massé_. - -During December 1895 Eugene Carter, another American player, has been -giving exhibitions at the Argyll Hall, and those who are capable of -judging cannot fail to have realised from his performances how important -the cannon is likely to be in the English game of the immediate future. - -To the various professionals who have been mentioned the names should be -added of Green, the veteran Scotch player, who has often performed very -well in London, and whose game is sound, if old-fashioned; and of Lloyd, -who won the first prize at the Association Tournament held in December -1895, after a most determined struggle with Peall. The games during this -tournament were played spot and push strokes barred. - -More detailed notice of John Roberts and his remarkable breaks[4] would -have been made here were he not so frequently alluded to in other parts -of the book, for the history of the modern game is mainly the history of -his career and that of his father. The elder revolutionised the game by -the cultivation of the spot stroke, whilst the younger has advanced its -interests by virtually abandoning that mode of play. Each of them for -long was without a rival on even terms, and the respect entertained for -the play of the younger Roberts is, we trust, evident by the references -elsewhere to his opinions and practice. - - - - - CHAPTER II - IMPLEMENTS - - BY ARCHIBALD BOYD - - -No game in the world is so absolutely dependent on all its various -accessories as billiards. Cricket can still be played, and played well, -although the pitch may be not quite first-rate, and a bit of rough -ground is not fatal to a golf links; but if the room be not large and -airy, if the table be ill kept, the cloth unbrushed or badly stretched, -the balls foul, and the cues ill cared for, the skilful player at -billiards will be reduced to the level of an ordinary performer, and -anything like a decent break will be out of the question. It is, -therefore, of paramount importance that all the implements connected -with the game should be of the very best kind, and in the very best -order. - -Before dealing seriatim with the various subjects, it is with pleasure -that I acknowledge the great assistance that Messrs. Burroughes & Watts -and Messrs. Thurston & Co. (I place the firms in alphabetical order) -have cheerfully given me—assistance without which I could not have hoped -to carry out my allotted task, and with which, I fear, I have hardly -done justice to the time and trouble they have ungrudgingly expended -upon me. I have also to thank Messrs. Wright & Co. for the drawings of -the Standard Association Pockets which appear amongst the remarks on -tables. - - - THE ROOM - -To begin with, a room of convenient proportions must be found to -accommodate the table. Good play is severely handicapped by an -unsuitable room, and the essential points of a good room are worthy of -careful consideration. That it must be large and airy goes almost -without saying, yet, self-evident as this may seem, it is a point which -is too frequently overlooked, not only in private billiard-rooms, but -also in rooms where exhibition matches are constantly being played. - -Amateurs, in general, are more directly interested in the rooms of clubs -and private houses, concerning which there are some points which cannot -well be disregarded. - -And, first, as to club-rooms. - -Although in these the architect has, as a rule, a free hand, yet in far -too many cases the comfort of the spectator (and, as a natural -corollary, the freedom of the players) is sadly neglected. It is most -important for the players’ sake that spectators should be comfortably -seated at a reasonable distance from the table. No man can play his best -if he has constantly to turn round and look for a place for his foot -amongst a crowd of friends; still less when he is haunted by the fear -that the butt of his cues may at any moment come into collision with a -whisky-and-soda. The older architects, as a body, seemed to consider -that if the room was twenty-four feet long by eighteen feet broad, ample -accommodation was provided, forgetting that the platforms, upon which -the seats are placed, take up a great deal of the spare space. So that -one frequently finds, in an apparently large room, that certain strokes -cannot be played without placing a foot upon the platform. At one club -an ingenious architect, ably abetted by an unwary committee, ran some -hot-water pipes _in front_ of the platform, and so near to the top of -the table did they extend, that the well-known hazard from the top -pocket off the spot became exceedingly difficult, because a player was -obliged to rest one foot upon these rounded pipes, which afforded, at -the best, a precarious foothold. It is of the utmost importance that the -player should have plenty of room _all round_ the table. - -Another matter of importance is the position of the door. Do what you -will, somebody is sure to come in ‘on the stroke,’ and, therefore, the -more the door can be kept out of the line of sight the better. -Obviously, the worst place for the door is at the top of the -table—_i.e._ directly facing the player as he plays from baulk—the best -place is at the bottom, and, if possible, away to the side. - -In a large and modern room a light screen with peep-holes may be -advantageously placed inside the door, which should be fitted so as to -open and shut silently. By this means an inevitable nuisance may be -brought within manageable limits. - -[Illustration: - - Fig. 1 -] - -The position of the fireplace is also important. A flickering light in -the eyes of the players interferes seriously with good play; therefore, -if possible, the fire should never be at the top of the table. Wherever -it may be, it is well to cover the outside of the pocket facing it with -green cloth, so that the light may not shine through the pocket. - -The Committee of the Oriental Club have kindly permitted me to introduce -a plan of their large room as an excellent example of what a club-room -should be (fig. 1). As will be seen in the plan, the door is well out of -the way, the seats are roomy and comfortable, capable of seating, say, -fifty spectators, and—most important of all—plenty of space is left for -the player all round the table. The skylight is a special feature; in -most rooms its elevation is something like the annexed sketches (figs. 2 -and 3). - -[Illustration: - - Fig. 2 -] - -[Illustration: - - Fig. 3 -] - -A private house billiard-room need not be so large as a club-room, but -it is essential that it should be as airy as possible, and—a most -important point—it ought, if possible, to be the usual smoking-room of -the house, so that it may be regularly inhabited. If this point is -neglected, and the room is intended solely for billiards, a time may -come when it may be left severely alone for two or three months, and the -cushions will probably suffer from cold and want of play. If, however, -the room be made comfortable and attractive, it will be constantly lived -in, and the cushions kept at an equable temperature. Besides, the fact -of the table being at hand and ready will of itself induce more play. - -All this, of course, means that at one end or other of the table there -must be considerably more than the regulation six feet. If one is going -to build, thirty or thirty-two feet for length, and twenty feet for -breadth, will give plenty of space for billiards and smoking, and be -more satisfactory in the long run than a room twenty-four by eighteen at -the outside. - -[Illustration: - - Fig. 4 -] - -If the plan of the house precludes the possibility of a room of this -size, it should be remembered that very excellent billiard-rooms of -corrugated iron, lined with felt and match-boarding, can be put up -alongside a house if the requisite space can be found for them. It is -also worth while to remember that thirty feet by twenty feet looks a -very small plot when measured on the lawn, so that many a disused and -forgotten corner might serve as a site for a noble billiard-room. - -Such a room Mr. W. H. Fowler, the well-known amateur, has erected in -Taunton by the side of his house. It is thirty-four feet by thirty-three -feet, and is roughly of this shape (fig. 4). - -The system of ventilation seems so excellent that, at my request, Mr. -Samson, the architect of the room, has kindly sent me drawings which are -shown under ‘Ventilation,’ and which will, no doubt, make clear what is -obscure in this description. - -[Illustration: - - Fig. 5 -] - -The skylight is fitted with an exhaust cowl; and the chimney has a -special ventilating flue. For cold weather, two gas-stoves of the modern -hygienic type are connected with the gas-pipes, and keep the room warm -enough at night to save the cushions from the effects of the severest -frost. As they have come triumphantly out of the ordeal of the Siberian -winter of 1894–95, it is fair to assume that outside rooms of this type -can be thoroughly protected from cold with very little trouble. - -The recesses on each side give ample room for smoking, whist, or -writing; and the horizontal beams of the framework naturally lend -themselves to the function of bookshelves, so that a variety of tastes -may be satisfied. The cost of such a room would be about 300_l._ - -As a type of an indoor room I append a rough sketch of Mr. A. Gibbs’ -room at Tyntesfield, which embodies the same principle—viz. that it is -an exceedingly comfortable room for smoking and writing. It is covered -with a high-arched roof, so that it is always cool (fig. 5). - -One can thus see that the addition of a recess or a few feet in length -at once renders the room habitable and convenient. - -I do not, of course, wish it to be supposed that the foregoing plans -necessarily represent the best billiard-rooms of their kind in the -country; they happen to be rooms with which I am familiar, and I have -introduced them as illustrations merely of the principle that _comfort_, -both for players and spectators, is a very important factor in the -encouragement of good play. Every reader can, out of his personal -experience, suggest to himself examples of comfortable rooms, both -public and private, as good as, and possibly better, than those I have -sketched. - - - VENTILATION - -One of the most difficult and most important problems in connexion with -billiard-rooms is the subject of ventilation, particularly where the -electric light is used. If gas be the lighting agent, the heated air can -generally be drawn off by means of an exhaust cowl over the skylight; -but these cowls are apt to cause a leak in the skylight fittings, and -must, therefore, be erected with great care. Where the electric light is -used, a small sunlight gas-burner at the bottom of the exhaust tube -helps to generate a hot upward current. - -Tobin tubes in the corners of the room, carried well up eight or nine -feet from the ground, are valuable allies in admitting fresh air; but -one great objection to them is that they usually pour the cold current -upon the unprotected heads and necks of the spectators. Small boards -(say six inches in height) to fit against the bottom of the windows make -capital practical ‘Tobins;’ for the lower sashes can be pushed up a -couple of inches without going clear of the board, and fresh air comes -into the room between the sashes. Skylight sashes are not of much use, -for they can only be used in fine weather, and they rarely fit tight -enough to keep out really heavy rain. If we turn back for a moment to -the drawing of the Oriental Club skylight, we shall see that it is a -good fine-weather type. The sashes pivot on their middles and admit -plenty of air, and as the coaming[5] is unusually high (more than two -feet), the danger of rain splashing off the flat roof through the bottom -of the sashes is sensibly reduced. - -[Illustration: - - Fig. 6 -] - -Mr. Samson, the architect of the County Club at Taunton, and also of Mr. -Fowler’s room, very recently showed me a system of ventilation which he -had introduced into the Club billiard-room with absolute success. Fully -realising the difficulty of keeping rain out and letting air in with a -skylight of the ordinary type, he decided to carry the skylight the -whole length of the room, so that the sashes which open at one end are -far removed from the table. The skylight is of the ordinary section -(fig. 6), and in order to avoid undue glare he has fitted the space -between the coamings with horizontal sashes of ground glass, sliding one -on another in such a way that the amount of light can be easily -regulated by the marker. At one end of the skylight two vertical sashes -(of the full width of the skylight) are fitted, one being above the -coaming, the other in the wall below the coaming, so that it can be -opened whether all the horizontal sashes be closed or not. At the other, -or fireplace end of the skylight, two large gratings are fixed, one (as -at the opposite end) above, the other below the level of the base of the -skylight, communicating with a flue in the chimney, which is, of course, -kept warm by the heat of the fire. Thus a powerful exhaust is working at -one end of the room, while as much or as little fresh air as is required -flows in at the other. I append a rough sketch, which may, perhaps, tend -to make the description clearer (fig. 7). - -[Illustration: - - Fig. 7 -] - -The two great advantages of his plan seem to me to be, first, the risk -of water on the table is greatly diminished; second, no matter how cold -it be, some air can be admitted, and some can be sucked out, although -the skylight may be completely shut by the closing of all the flat -sashes. - -[Illustration: - - Fig. 8.—Mr. Samson’s Sections of a Billiard-room (32′ × 24′) -] - -[Illustration: - - Fig. 9 -] - -In all rooms, the heating apparatus, whatever it may be, should be -absolutely under the control of the players. Most of us have experienced -the nuisance of hearing a fire noisily poked by a chilly spectator just -in the middle of a good break; and, apart from the strain on the nerves -that such interference with play causes, the question of the heat alone -is one that the players should be allowed to settle for themselves. -Spectators sitting near a window are apt to forget that a temperature -which to them feels merely comfortable may be well-nigh intolerable to a -player constantly on the move and exposed to the heat and glare of the -lamp. - -On such an important point as ventilation it is well worth while, if -building a new room, to consult a competent architect. It may save many -a headache afterwards. - - - LIGHTING - -A considerable choice lies before the owner of a room. He can have -electric light, or incandescent gas, or albo-carbon, or ordinary -burners, or oil lamps. - -If he is in the country, with no gas light and no electric light -installed, he must of necessity fall back upon oil. Mineral oil is -generally used, and the lamps made for the purpose appear to answer very -well. One word of caution is, however, necessary. The lamps should only -be put in the brackets _when required_, and should be removed -immediately the play is over, so as to minimise the chance of oil being -spilt upon the cloth. For the same reason the containers should be most -carefully wiped before being put into the brackets, and with _constant_ -care of this kind no harm need happen to the table. - -Glass chimneys, whether for oil or gas, are a constant source of danger. -If one should break, the pieces of glass are apt to cut or scorch the -cloth. They must, therefore, be very carefully handled. Chimneys of talc -are now supplied, which are in every way to be preferred to the glass -ones. - -Of the various kinds of gas light the incandescent appears to give the -most pleasant for play. The burners for this light are now fitted with a -‘bye-pass,’ which is a tiny flame never to be extinguished. With this -fitting, when the gas is gradually turned on it ignites from the small -leader on the bye-pass and the mantle gradually glows without a sudden -shock. By this means the life of a mantle is much prolonged. If the -light should be fitted without the ‘bye-pass,’ the greatest care and -caution must be observed in lighting up. A spirit torch should be used, -and the gas should not be turned full on at once or the mantles will -soon be destroyed. It will be found advisable to hold a tray or -something of the kind under the spirit torch when lighting up, to -prevent any of the hot spirit falling on the cloth. - -Albo-carbon lights are not often seen now. With the best attention we -are told that they are absolutely inodorous, but, practically, owing to -carelessness or what not, in most rooms where I have seen them used I -have found a disagreeable smell. - -The old ring burner (which has the merit of simplicity) is seldom used, -because of the tremendous heat which it generates. One good burner of -modern type under each shade ought, with fairly good gas, to be -sufficient for all purposes. It will save a great deal of gas as -compared with the ring burner, and will cause fewer headaches. - -Of the electric light little need be said. The globes are of the -ordinary pattern, and the lights should be 32–candle-power; -16–candle-power is not strong enough to light up the corner pockets, if -the usual 6–light bracket is used, and it is an easy matter to shield -the eyes by putting silk fringes at the bottom of the shades. It is -advisable to have three or four spare globes in readiness in case of a -break, and care must be taken to avoid touching the lights with a cue. -If a glass does break, it will fly into thousands of pieces, and cover -the table with fine particles of glass, which are troublesome to clear -off without injuring the cloth. - - - _Note by Major Broadfoot_ - -The question of a good light on the table during the day is of great -importance. For all persons daylight is probably healthier than the best -system of artificial light; whilst for those whose breathing -arrangements are delicate, and they, unfortunately, are many, daylight -play may be almost obligatory. The main difficulty has been to provide a -weather-tight skylight, and Mr. Boyd has given excellent hints and -advice on the subject. It is, however, worthy of consideration whether -the skylight should not be abandoned in favour of a sound roof, the -light being admitted at the sides and ends of the room; at a height -above the floor sufficient to prevent the glare and shadows which result -from ordinary side lights. Several advantages are obvious. The roof -should be more weatherproof, the room less liable to be overheated in -sunny weather, the frame which carries the lighting apparatus would cast -no shadow on the table, whilst, when daylight is waning and artificial -light is required, the struggle for supremacy between the two, resulting -in a most objectionable dark spot directly under each shade, would be -avoided. Each of these considerations is of much importance, and an -intelligent engineer or architect would have little difficulty in -designing an arrangement to meet them. The idea may be gathered from -above sketch (fig. 10). - -[Illustration: - - Fig. 10 -] - -The heat in most skylighted rooms is unendurable in summer.—W. B. - - - TABLES - -It would, no doubt, be very satisfactory if all the tables throughout -the kingdom were of one uniform pattern, and more than one attempt has -been made to bring about this desirable state of things. But such -efforts have not been successful because the owners of the many thousand -tables already in existence are naturally unwilling to spend money in -alterations. And, again, individual tastes will constantly tend to -develop typical differences. - -The question of the size of the pockets first reached an acute form at -the time when the championship was being frequently played for between -Messrs. J. Roberts, jun., W. Cook, and Joseph Bennett. - -The deadly effect of the spot stroke on a large pocket table was clearly -recognised, and fears were already entertained that unless some radical -alteration were made, all-round play would become neglected, and that -the public would soon weary of watching a single stroke indefinitely -repeated.[6] - -A committee of the leading players thereupon decided that in future all -matches for the championship should be played upon a table with pockets -three inches at the fall of the slate, with the billiard spot a little -nearer to the top cushion, and with a smaller =Ｄ=. This last alteration, -looking to the fact that the deliberate intention of the committee was -to discourage, if not kill, the spot stroke, seems curiously illogical. -If the spot is to go, something must be encouraged in its stead; -obviously, all-round play must be developed. Why, then, cramp in any way -the latitude up till then given to a player when playing from hand? - -[Illustration: - - Fig. 11 -] - -The subsequent history of the pockets is an interesting commentary on -the labours of the committee. As they had expected, the spot stroke soon -failed to draw, and for exhibition purposes it is, in 1895, as dead as -Julius Cæsar. But the tight pocket failed to gain popularity. Here and -there a more than usually gifted amateur erected one for his own -amusement; in one or two instances an enterprising billiard-room -proprietor, who had other tables to fall back upon, tried one for an -experiment. But these tables are and must be, for all time, _caviare_ to -the general. The reduced =Ｄ= has never found a place on ordinary tables, -so that the result of the committee’s work is that the spot has gone, -and the championship match, if there ever be one, must be played with -the three-inch pocket. - -[Illustration: - - Fig. 12 -] - -Quite recently another attempt to secure uniformity has been made by the -Billiard Association. Their committee, recognising the fact that the -public would have nothing to say to a tight pocket, and taking a 3⅝-inch -pocket as a fair average size, caused templates to be made of those -dimensions, and decided that tables made with pockets accurately fitted -to the aforesaid templates should be called ‘Standard Association -Tables.’ In two minor respects these pockets differ slightly from what, -for want of a better word, we may call ‘ordinary’ pockets—first, the -shoulders of the cushions are struck with a rounder curve; second, the -outer edge of the fall of the slate at the middle pocket falls slightly -within the inner line of the cushion, as shown in fig. 11, where A A is -the line of the cushion, C the cloth, and P the middle pocket. From this -sketch it will be seen that the difficulty of middle-pocket jennies is -sensibly increased. - -[Illustration: - - Fig. 13 -] - -Drawings of the Championship pockets (figs. 12, 13) and the Standard -Association pockets (figs. 14, 15) are here inserted in order that the -reader may compare them for himself. The drawings of the Championship -pockets are taken direct from the templates in the possession of Messrs. -Burroughes & Watts, and those of the Standard pockets from templates the -property of Messrs. Wright & Co. - -An intending purchaser has, then, to decide for himself whether he will -have a Standard pocket table; an ordinary 3⅝-pocket table (and in this -case the pockets of different makers will vary slightly in size and -shape); or, lastly, a 3–inch pocket Championship table. - -[Illustration: - - Fig. 14 -] - -[Illustration: - - Fig. 15 -] - -Whichever may be the pattern selected, the purchaser, if he is really -fond of the game, ought to get a good table well up to ‘club’ quality. -If money is no object, elaborately carved tables can be bought up to -300_l._ or so; but for the purposes of _billiards_ all the carving is -unnecessary. Let the bed be a thoroughly strong one, the slates of the -best quality, the cushions according to the maker’s best pattern, the -cloth the best of its kind, and the woodwork plain. - -A plan of a billiard-table is given on p. 75, in order that the terms -used in connexion with the table may be fully set forth; it is drawn on -the scale shown below-⁹⁄₂₀ in. = 1 ft. - -[Illustration: - - Fig. 16 -] - - - ORDINARY TABLE - -(i) Billiard spot 12¾ in. from face (or nearest point) of the top -cushion. - -(ii) _Radius_ of semicircle of =Ｄ=, 11½ in. - -(iii) Baulk-line, 29 in. from face of bottom cushion. - - - CHAMPIONSHIP TABLE - -(i) 12½ in. (ii) First 9½ in. then 10 in. (iii) 28 in. - -It is essential to the true running qualities, as well as to the lasting -qualities of the table, that the frames (which few people ever see) -should be exceedingly strong, thoroughly well seasoned, and accurately -levelled. The slightest warping of these frames is fatal to the -preservation of the table, and they are made, for this country at any -rate, of the most carefully selected red deal. If the table is intended -for the tropics, mahogany or teak should be used. As soon as the frames -are bolted to the legs (which, by the way, are erected on an absolutely -level base), they are carefully trimmed over with a long plane, and, -until the straight-edge fairly meets the frames all over, in whatever -direction it may be tried, the bed is not ready for the slate. - -[Illustration: - - Fig. 17 -] - -Slates come from the Penrhyn or Aberdovey quarries, as the case may be. -Some makers prefer one quarry, others another. After they have been -rough-hewn to size and thickness, they are passed through a planing -machine, which reduces the surface to a rough level. They are then put -into another machine and cut to size, each slate being now 2⅖ feet wide -and 6 feet 1½ in. long. Then the five slates[7] necessary to make a -table bed are laid together upon a solid level bed, and ‘floated’ with -coarse sand; then fine sand is used, and yet finer, till the face is -brought to a polish. Meanwhile, every inequality is carefully tried -down, so that before the slates leave the ‘banker,’ as it is called, the -straight-edge must touch them fairly all over. - - * * * * * - - _References to Diagram_ - - B, B, B, B. Bed of table. - Cushion 1. Top cushion. - Cushion 2. Right top side cushion. - Cushion 3. Right bottom side cushion. - Cushion 4. Bottom cushion. - Cushion 5. Left bottom side cushion. - Cushion 6. Left top side cushion. - D. The =Ｄ=. - L, L. Baulk-line. - P^1. Left top pocket. - P^2. Right top pocket. - P^3. Right middle pocket. - P^4. Right bottom pocket. - P^5. Left bottom pocket. - P^6. Left middle pocket. - _p_, _p_, _p_, ..., Pocket plates. - S^1. The spot, or the billiard spot. - S^2. Pyramid spot. - S^3. Centre spot. - S^4. Left spot of the =Ｄ=. - S^5. Centre spot of the =Ｄ=. - S^6. Right spot of the =Ｄ=. - - * * * * * - -[Illustration] - -Holes are bored in the sides of the slates and metal dowels leaded into -one side, as shown in the sketch (fig. 17), so that each slate may fit -into the next, and then large holes are drilled out on the underside of -the slates and steel nuts leaded in to take the long screws which fasten -the cushions firmly to the slates (fig. 18). - -[Illustration: - - Fig. 18 -] - -On the underside of each slate a bevel about two inches wide is made, in -order that a chisel may be slipped between the slates to separate them -when dismantling a table; and if one is far away from professional -assistance, and is obliged to take down a table according to one’s own -lights, it is well to look carefully for this bevel, and it may save -many a cracked slate. - -Various thicknesses are used, from, say, 1⅛ inch up to and over two -inches, the general principle being that, the thicker the bed is, the -quieter the balls run. But, as in most other things, there is a -reasonable limit, because the weight of the slates increases so -enormously with the increased thickness, that beyond two inches in -thickness they become very difficult to handle, and the risk of damage -in transport is more than proportionately increased. - -Therefore, one may call two inches a reasonable maximum, and 1⅝ in. a -fair minimum for the thickness of slates. - - - CUSHIONS - -No part of the table has undergone such radical changes in the last -forty years as the cushion. Billiard-players of even twenty-five years’ -experience are already beginning to forget the miseries they endured in -the early days in endeavouring to make a respectable shot from under the -old high cushions, and a school of billiard-players is rapidly growing -up who will never realise the difficulties their fathers encountered. - -I am permitted by the courtesy of Messrs. Burroughes & Watts to insert -four drawings from ‘Billiards Simplified,’ which show the difference of -the stroke from under the cushion—fig. 19 in 1826; fig. 20 in 1837; fig. -21 in 1869; fig. 22 in 1895. - -The more the player’s cue is elevated from the horizontal, the more -difficult it becomes to direct the course of the ball, and with the old -high cushions it was no easy matter for an ordinary player whose ball -was tight under the cushion to hit another ball at the length of the -table. - -But it is not only for the reduction in the height of the cushions that -we have to thank the makers at the present time. The early rubber -cushions were exceedingly sensitive to cold, and unless the greatest -care and trouble were taken with them they became hard, untrue, and -useless; and if they were once allowed to get ‘frozen,’ as it was -called, they never regained their original elasticity. Five and twenty -years ago it was the exception and not the rule to find a country-house -table worth playing on; now, thanks to modern improvements, no one need -despair of keeping his table in excellent order. - -[Illustration: - - Fig. 19 -] - -[Illustration: - - Fig. 20 -] - -Vulcanite specially prepared was at one time recommended for -country-house cushions. But although cushions of that material were -unaffected by frost, they were slower and deader than ‘native’ rubber -cushions, and soon became unpopular. The makers have at last found a way -of preparing cushions so that with ordinary care they can be kept true -and fast in all weathers, and it is possible, and indeed usual, to play -in the country with the same kind of cushions as are used in the leading -London clubs. - -[Illustration: - - Fig. 21 -] - -The manufacture of these cushions is a delicate piece of work; but one -may say generally that the rubber is applied to the backing in thin -strips, one ‘pasted’ on the top of another with some liquid preparation -of india-rubber similar to, if not the same as, the stuff one uses to -mend a hole in wading-stockings. - -[Illustration: - - Fig. 22 -] - -For those who wish to go deeper into the subject, a day at the Patent -Office Library and a careful study of the various patents obtained by -the principal makers with reference to the manufacture of cushions will -prove an interesting piece of research, and will place the scientific -reader in possession of information which for obvious reasons could not -properly be included in the present work. - -As we write, rumours of a pneumatic cushion ‘which is to supersede all -others’ are widely current in the billiard world; but when one remembers -the number of fair-seeming patents that have never got further than the -Patent Office Library aforesaid, it would be premature to express any -opinion upon the cushions until they have been thoroughly submitted to -the two practical tests of time and play. - - - CLOTHS - -The bulk of the cloth comes from Stroud, although a good deal is -manufactured in Yorkshire, and the finest quality is passed through two -steel rollers, while a sort of knife like a mowing machine removes a -considerable part of the long nap. This is the kind of cloth that one -sees upon the tables used for exhibition matches. It would be unsuitable -for a club because, having a comparatively short nap, it would soon be -rubbed smooth and bare by the incessant play, and the brushing and -ironing such play involves. For country houses, however, it is the very -thing. The short nap which renders it unsuitable for clubs makes it -easily manageable in a private house; it requires a minimum of ironing; -and even if the table be left to itself for some time, there will be no -staring nap to be seen when next the table is used. - -For clubs the next quality, with longer nap, is more useful; more -brushing and more ironing are required, but the cloth is better fitted -to resist the everlasting friction of the player’s hands and the -incessant brushing that becomes, owing to the chalk from many cues, an -almost hourly function. - -And here, notwithstanding all that has been said and written about the -subject, let me say that the ironing in club-rooms is in most instances -very much overdone. It is not altogether the marker’s fault; members -complain that the table is running slow, and on goes the iron as a -matter of course, generally far too hot. Nearly every marker will tell -you that the iron is no use unless it is thoroughly hot; what he means -is, that he cannot get the glaze upon the cloth without it; but the -proper answer is that nobody wants, or ought to want, the glaze, and -that it is directly detrimental to scientific billiards. The cooler you -can use the iron and keep the table in order, the better for the life of -the cloth and the better for the club play. - -At the seaside, or in any damp climate, constant ironing becomes a -necessity, in order to thoroughly dry the cloth, but even under such -circumstances there is no necessity to scorch it. - -A good cloth can be told by the feel only; it should be firm and -leathery, closely woven, and not too elastic. - -In such an important matter as a cloth, however, a purchaser would be -well advised to place himself unreservedly in the manufacturers’ hands, -and leave the selection to them. - - - TO ERECT A TABLE - -Having fixed upon a suitable foundation (and for this a competent -architect should be consulted), stand the legs up in the places they -will occupy; fit the frames (which are all numbered) into the mortices, -and screw the frames to the legs with the long bolts provided for the -purpose. - -At this stage it will be well to set about levelling, _before_ the -weight of the slates comes upon the bed, and if you get your wedges in -now, you can more readily knock them a little further when the table is -completely put together than if you had left them to be inserted last of -all. - -Having thus got the bed level, lift the slates on carefully, and lay -them on the bed an inch or two apart. Place the centre slate accurately -in position, slide the next one up against it, and enter the dowels of -the one into the corresponding holes of the other fairly and squarely; -proceed in like manner with the other slates till they are all joined. -If there be any cracks in the upper edges of any of the slates, fill -them in with plaster of Paris. - -Lay on the cloth, taking care that the right side is uppermost, that the -nap runs from what is to be the bottom of the table towards the top, and -that the cloth is square to the table. Go to the top of the table, drive -in a couple of tacks,[8] and then go to the bottom of the table, pull -the cloth tight, and drive in two more tacks on the middle line. Then -stand at one of the middle pockets, pull the cloth a little towards you, -and tack it lightly on each side of the pocket; next go over to the -opposite middle pocket, pull the cloth tight and tack it as before. Then -at each of the middle pockets in succession take a good handful of cloth -and a good pull and tack what you get underneath the pocket. Smooth out -the cloth over the fall of these pockets, but do not at present trouble -about a wrinkle or two, as they will be smoothed out later. Get somebody -to hold the cloth firmly at the middle pocket, and go yourself to the -corner pocket and pull along the side of the table, using considerable -strength; proceed in like manner with the other corner pockets. If all -this has been done carefully, neatly, and firmly, the cloth ought to be -well stretched the length and breadth of the table. The amateur will -find the greatest difficulty in getting the cloth to lie smooth along -the sides and ends of the table, and especially at the fall of the -pockets, for the cloth must be humoured so as to come fair over the -pockets without creasing. This is a work of time, trouble, and -neat-handedness; you must not hurry; take plenty of time, plenty of -tacks, and by degrees success may be attained. - -Covering the cushions with cloth is such an exceedingly difficult and -delicate operation that it should not be attempted by an amateur; very -few workmen can cover a cushion as it should be covered, and, therefore, -it is useless to describe the operation. It will be found prudent to -order the makers to cover the cushions before sending them out; indeed, -some clubs abroad have two sets of cushions, so that while one set is in -use the other may be in England for repairs. - -And now to put the cushions on the table. Take care that you have each -one in its proper place (the cushions will be all numbered); fit them -all firmly on so that the holes in the woodwork exactly coincide with -the holes in the slates; push in the bolts and screw them _all_ up -_hand_ tight. _Don’t_ screw one as tight as you can at first, or you -will strain the cushion and the nut, but when you have got them _all_ -fairly tight, set them up with the brace as tight as your strength will -allow, taking care that each is similarly treated. With modern steel -cushions it must be remembered that slots have to be dealt with instead -of holes, and therefore the position of the cushions must be carefully -measured, or one pocket will be larger than another. - -Having screwed up the cushions quite tight, fit in the pocket plates and -pass the long thin screws up from below through the woodwork of the -cushions and screw all tight. (Some modern cushions are fixed with what -are called invisible pocket plates; these have to be put into the -cushions before the latter are fixed). Modern pockets are made with -holes at the side closed by an india-rubber ring, so that the balls can -be taken out without putting the hand into the pockets. These are an -improvement on the old pattern, for the shoulders of the cushions will -last longer and will not be pulled out of shape. - -It now only remains to get the table quite level. Work the level about -and correct any slight errors by slightly jacking up the low part, and -by pushing the wedges under the nearest legs further home. Rather -under-compensate at first, because if you overdo the thing at all, you -will find yourself obliged to go on overdoing it till your table is -eventually raised appreciably above the regulation height, which should -be 2 ft. 8 in. from the floor to the cloth, _not_ to the top of the -cushions. - -If obliged to put up or superintend the erection of the lighting -apparatus, remember that the flame is generally three feet from the -cloth. - -One more word of advice. If you can secure an expert to erect your -table, never do the work yourself; but if you cannot command such aid, -the foregoing hints may be of service. - -The spots should be of thin court plaster, and should be carefully stuck -on the places shown in the diagram, p. 75. - -Pipeclay, white chalk, black chalk, or a lead pencil can be used for -marking a baulk-line; and, whichever you select, remember to mark the -lines lightly or the cloth will soon become grooved and damaged. -Pipeclay, which is the least likely to damage the table, has the -drawback that it very easily rubs out, and, in consequence, involves -constant ruling, so that, on the whole, a lead pencil carefully and -lightly used can be recommended. - -If the table be a Championship one, the position of the afore-mentioned -spots and lines requires modification, as shown on p. 73. - - - BRUSHING AND IRONING - -It is impossible to overestimate the value of continual and regular -brushing. With one of the finest quality cloths, unless the climate be -damp, once or twice a week at the outside will be enough for the iron, -_if the brush_ is used as it should be. At the conclusion of play the -brush should _always_ be used freely and at once, so that all the chalk -marks may be removed before they are rubbed through the cloth. Remember -always to use the brush _with the nap_—that is, from the bottom towards -the top of the table. - -To iron a table properly, place the iron at A C (fig. 23), and then take -it steadily along the table from A to B. _Lift it off_; then go back to -the bottom again; put the iron down at C E, and take it along the table -from C to D. Then go from E to F; and finally from G to H. Proceed then -in a similar manner with the other side of the table. Avoid as much as -possible letting the iron come into contact with the cushion. - -It will be observed that the iron in the sketch is put down diagonally, -the reason being that if, when ironing the breadth next to the side -cushion, the iron comes in contact with the shoulder of the middle -pocket, it will slide on harmlessly and not damage the cushion. If it -were held squarely, the sharp edge of the iron might cut the cloth of -the cushion. - -_Bear well in mind_ that if at any time the cloth is turned end for end, -the brushing and ironing will have, as before, to go with the nap, and -will, therefore, start from the top end of the table and proceed towards -the bottom. - -[Illustration: - - Fig. 23 -] - -Let the iron be too cold rather than too hot. It is easy to go over the -table a second time, and after a little experience the proper -temperature will become known. If the cloth be once scorched it will -never be satisfactory. Therefore: - -Rule 1.—Never put an iron on the cloth until you have _practically_ -satisfied yourself that it is not too hot. - -Rule 2.—_Never iron an unbrushed cloth._ - - - UNDERSIZED TABLES - -Tables can be bought 10 ft. by 5 ft., 9 ft. by 4½ ft., and so on down to -6 ft. by 3 ft. There are also combination tables which serve as -dining-tables as well, and they seem to answer very well in small -houses. - -For the earnest student a so-called ‘spot stroke’ table 6 ft. by 3 ft., -which is really a section of the top of a full-sized table, made after -the fashion of the sketch (fig. 24), will afford an immense amount of -amusement and practice; for, in addition to the ‘spot,’ the top of the -table game, ‘rail’ cannons, &c., can be practised. The pattern of the -spot stroke table is a matter of fancy and cost; the side A, B, C need -have neither cushion nor pocket. - -[Illustration: - - Fig. 24 -] - -If the small tables do not satisfy the ambition of the player, he has -yet another course open—viz. to get a French table, and seriously study -the cannon game in all its phases; and signs are not wanting that this -beautiful game, as it is becoming better known, is finding favour with -advanced players. - -It may not be generally known by the vast army of people who rent -furnished houses for a few months at a time that billiard-tables can be -hired from the leading makers by the week or the month, the rate being -from, say, 2_l._ 2_s._ to 3_l._ 3_s._ a month, with a small payment in -addition to cover erecting and dismantling. Lighting and all fittings -are, of course, included in the above charges, and thus, without the -expense of purchase, a billiard-table can be brought within anyone’s -reach. - -Before leaving the subject of tables, an ingenious modification of an -old arrangement whereby the balls are automatically returned from the -pockets to the baulk end of the table may be mentioned. It has been -patented by Messrs. Orme & Sons, and will be found a convenience where -no marker is kept, specially in practising losing hazards from baulk. -For spot, or top of the table play, it is inconvenient; but the drawback -of having to return to baulk for the ball after each hazard may be -remedied by placing a plug or false bottom into each top pocket (failing -anything better, a pocket handkerchief will do), so that the ball may be -removed in the usual way. Mr. Rimington-Wilson has devised a mode of -meeting this difficulty, and Messrs. Orme have acquired the right to use -his patent. - - - BALLS - -Balls are made of various substances, generally of ivory, the standard -diameter for the English game being 2¹⁄₁₆ inches. - -Every practical billiard-player is painfully aware of the difficulty -that exists in procuring a really satisfactory set of ivory balls. I -propose, therefore, first to touch on their manufacture, then on their -treatment, and finally to offer a suggestion or two as to their purchase -and preservation. - -It is said that only one kind of tusk, that of the female elephant, is -suitable for ball-making; and the size of the tusk, again, is closely -regulated by the size of the ball required; for it is important that as -little as possible of the outside of the ivory should be pared away. - -As the tusk comes into the workshop, the upper part (which is hollow) -and the hard point are sawn off, leaving the piece from A to B (fig. -25). This is generally sawn into five blocks, each of which will -eventually become a ball; these blocks are roughed out and turned into -approximately spherical shape and left for about a year to season, -before they are touched again, in order that the inevitable shrinking of -the grain may proceed naturally and slowly. - -Now, the ball from end B is closer in the grain than the ball from end -B, and therefore they will differ in weight; and as it is most important -that the three balls should be of equal weight, no small trouble is -experienced, after finishing, in finding three that will pass the test -of the balance.[9] If five sets can be got out of a hundred balls, the -makers are satisfied, and even then perhaps only one set will be up to -match standard. - -When one considers the cost of ivory, the time and delicate work -involved, and the scarcity of sufficiently skilled workmen, it is small -wonder that a good set of balls is an expensive luxury. - -[Illustration: - - Fig. 25 -] - -If balls are to last well, much care must be taken of them; but -unhappily their ordinary treatment at a club is too severe for their -delicate constitution. In many cases they are put upon the table as soon -as they arrive from the makers, before they have had time to get -acclimatised to the change of temperature, and, as full-sized balls are -sure to seem heavy after balls that have been once or twice adjusted, -the heaviest cues in the room are brought to bear upon them with -literally crushing effect. - -Now, as the turners have removed a little of the hard outer surface, the -newly exposed surface ought to have time to harden; and, further, ivory -is very susceptible to changes of temperature, sensitive to damp, and -needs acclimatisation in its new home, to enable it to withstand the -shock of collision without cracking. The leading players, when they get -a really good set of balls, never think of playing a hard shot with them -until many days, or even weeks, are gone by. Every day they take them -out and gently tap them along with nursery cannons and quiet little -strokes, until they are sufficiently seasoned to stand the shock of a -long game; hence their balls last much longer than club balls. - -Anyone who has served on the billiard committee of a London club may -remember how his life has been made a burden to him by the never-ending -complaints of members on the subject of balls. He might reasonably -reply: ‘Gentlemen, the matter rests mainly with you; if you are -determined to have good balls, you must make up your minds that they are -to receive good treatment.’ But how that much-to-be-desired arrangement -is to be ensured I confess I cannot say. The balls are common property, -and must be as much at the service of those who know nothing and care -less about the game (save as a means of whiling away an hour or two) as -of the limited few to whom the difference between good and bad balls -means a great deal. - -Some clubs adopt the principle of paying a leading firm so much per -annum (like a subscription to a lending library), upon the understanding -that the firm is to change the balls as often as the club likes. This -system is a bad one for makers and clubs alike. There is no inducement -to the makers to send their _best_ balls to be subjected to the severe -ordeal of everyday club play. Rather do they prefer to keep such balls -for customers who are able to take the greatest care of them; and it -follows that makers, having from the nature of things only a few of the -very best sets, cannot be blamed if they send more moderate articles to -take their turn in the ‘lending library’ arrangement. - -The following is, I think, a better system. Several sets of balls are -bought _in the rough_ to start with, with the date of their purchase -marked on a label attached to each set. These balls are then hung in a -net under the table and left undisturbed for one, two, or three -years—the longer the better; they are then adjusted and hung up again; -after another interval a set is again adjusted, made ready for play, -and, finally, having been kept for, say, another fortnight or three -weeks, is put upon the table. At the same time another set to take its -place is bought in the rough, and, as every set in turn is brought into -use, another rough set is purchased. By this means there are always -eight or ten sets seasoning in the particular temperature for which they -are required. - -Every good system has its weak point, and the weak point of this one is, -that it is essential to its success that the set which comes back from -adjustment is the identical one which was sent. I do not suggest that -the leading makers would knowingly make a mistake of this kind; on the -contrary, I know as a fact that great care is taken in the turning shop -to prevent any such accident; but one set of balls is very like another, -and it is quite possible that an unintentional change might take place. -However, with a view to render such an accident impossible, one firm, at -any rate, willingly allows the man in charge of the balls to stay in the -shops while they are being adjusted, so that he can take them away with -him as soon as they are finished. - -If neither of these systems is adopted, the best plan is to buy the -balls for the ensuing billiard season in the early summer, when little -or no play is going on, and keep them in the room seasoning until they -are wanted in the autumn. Any time and trouble expended on their careful -selection will be amply repaid before the year is out, because the balls -so selected will have hardened up, and will be less liable to crack than -others bought a few days before they are required for regular use. - -Balls purchased from, or adjusted by, a first-class firm should not -require to be tested for size and weight, because they have been -accurately gauged (fig. 26) and weighed before they are sent out; but a -rough-and-ready test may be useful if one finds oneself about to play in -an out-of-the-way corner of the country, and one half suspects the -presence of the inevitable pool ball. Place the three balls in a line -touching one another and one of the cushions, and then lower the eye -till the line of sight becomes a tangent to the top of the balls and the -top of the woodwork of the cushion; by this means irregularity in size -is easily detected. If you suspect the balls to be foul, set up balls 2 -and 3 touching; note the exact spot on cushion where 3 should hit—viz. -that indicated by the prolongation of a line through the centres and -point of contact. - -Then play the plant with ball 1 and note deviation. If in doubt whether -balls or table be in fault, reverse the stroke; go to the opposite end -of the table and play back over the same line. Good lines to select are -the diagonals which are the longest on the table. - -[Illustration: - - Fig. 26 -] - -‘How can you tell a good ball?’ is a question that is often asked, and -the late Mr. Frank Buckland answered it as follows. ‘The test is this: -the ball is rolled gently along a billiard-table till it stops of its -own accord. If at that moment it falls either to one side or the other, -it is useless to the player; if, on the contrary, it remains motionless -on the same line on which it was originally projected, it is allowed to -pass muster.’ Such a test, however, would be too much for 99 balls out -of 100. First, ivory is not like Whitworth steel; it is a substance of -varying density, and even if by the skill of man it could be turned into -_an absolutely perfect_ sphere, it is hardly likely that the centre of -gravity of each piece would coincide with the centre of the sphere; -secondly, in order to make the experiment at all satisfactory, the table -should be absolutely level, the cloth perfectly new, free from dirt, of -the finest quality, and most carefully stretched; and, lastly, the ball -must be struck _exactly_ on its vertical centre line. Each of these -conditions presents some difficulty in attainment; to combine them all -is well-nigh impossible. - -Every ball, to speak generally, will fall over a little, and it may be -due to the failure of _any one_ of the above conditions. Therefore, it -is safer to say that the less a _truly struck_ ball changes its -horizontal axis the better ball it is. For the owner of a private table, -I should say the safest way to get a good set is to ask a first-class -professional player, whom he can trust, to make the selection; of course -he would have to pay a good price, but he will no doubt thus get a -better set than he himself could choose. If he should in this way become -the fortunate possessor of a good set, he ought to lock them jealously -away, only to be produced when he finds an adversary that he can trust -with them; and he will find it good policy to keep another set for -ordinary use. - -Ivory is getting increasingly scarce, and everything seems to point to -the fact that as time goes on good balls will become still more costly, -and more difficult to procure; and one is led to the conclusion that the -next generation will have to find some substitute, or leave billiards to -millionaires. Many attempts have been made in the last few years to get -over the difficulty, and composition balls of various substances have -from time to time been placed upon the market; but the earlier kinds -have not found much favour—first, because they were believed to be -explosive; secondly, because they did not possess sufficient elasticity; -and, lastly, because they showed a tendency to soil, and pick up any -dirt they might happen to pass over. - -About the year 1893 or 1894, however, a new composition called Bonzoline -made its appearance. The makers claim for it that it is heavier -(specifically) and _more_ elastic than ivory, and, as far as observation -at present goes, their claim seems to be well founded. Whether bonzoline -will stand the wear and tear of everyday work as well as or better than -ivory it would be premature to offer an opinion, but these balls have -_at least_ the merit of cheapness: 31_s._ 6_d._ compares very favourably -with 3½, 4, or 5 guineas for a set of balls; so that, even if they do -not last so long as ivory (and I do not say they do not), a purchaser -would not be very much out of pocket thereby. One thing is certain, that -they run very truly at first, and time will soon show whether they can -be depended upon for endurance. They certainly do not appear to be -explosive; they seem less affected by changes of temperature and damp -than ivory; but they have the same facility for picking up dirt that the -older kinds had. I cannot, however, find that washing them in tepid -water injures them in the slightest degree. For pool and pyramids they -represent an enormous saving in money. - -They ‘come off’ at a slightly different angle to ivory—that is to say, a -shade ‘squarer.’ With No. 1 strength the difference is inappreciable, -but as forcing strength is reached it becomes more apparent; but in the -most extreme cases it is not much, and easily provided for—indeed, with -some sets it hardly exists. I am aware that there is a very general -impression amongst amateurs that the difference is very great, ‘enough -to ruin one’s game;’ but, for all that, it is largely a matter of -imagination, and the very objectors forget that ivory sets vary -considerably in the same sort of way, so that each new set wants a -little knowing. - -As I write I hear that somebody in Sweden has brought out at Stockholm -some billiard balls of hollow cast steel. According to ‘Chambers’s -Journal’ for March 1895, they are said to be of the same weight as -ivory, and about a quarter of the price; they are also said to be -turned, and the thickness of the skin is given as about ¹⁄₁₆ in. - -Nothing apparently is mentioned as to their elasticity, and I cannot -find that anyone here has seen or tried them. - - - CUES, HALF-BUTTS, RESTS, ETC. - -Cues should be made of old and carefully-seasoned wood; ash being -generally used. There are three kinds—(1) plain cues; (2) French butted; -(3) English butted. - -The first kind are of course the cheapest, but, being made of ‘self’ -wood throughout, they have more tendency to warp, and their balance is -not so finely adjusted; hence one seldom sees an advanced player using a -plain cue. Of the second and third kinds, the French butt is solid, the -English butt is veneered on, and, therefore, if a light cue is required, -a French butt cannot be selected. - -In making the French butt the ebony is sawn in two =Ｖ=-shaped cuts, and -the ash is cleared out, so that when the cue and the butt are driven -together, with hot glue run in, an exceedingly tight joint is made, -which never comes adrift. - -In making the English butt, two broad and two narrow tapering pieces of -ebony, mahogany, or other hard wood, are glued to the sides of the ash -cue which have been squared off to receive them, and when the glue has -thoroughly set the whole butt is planed down into shape, sand-papered, -and polished. The above sketch may give a clearer idea of the process -(fig. 27). - -[Illustration: - - Fig. 27 -] - -At first sight the preparation of what one may call the shaft of the cue -seems simple, and a little ordinary planing all that can be required; -but this is very far from being the case; indeed, the whole secret of -successful cue-making lies in the careful manipulation of the ash shaft. -Every piece of ash, generally speaking, will have a soft spot or two in -it; and if the wood were planed carelessly all round without reference -to these weak spots, the shaft would warp to a certainty, for every -piece of wood has a tendency to cast towards the centre of the tree from -which it was cut; therefore, the maker humours the wood and planes more -from the hard grain and less from the soft, so that they may be made to -balance one another; and then, if there be still a slight tendency to -warp in any direction, the piece of butt _on the opposite side_ will be -made a trifle longer, so that it may have a little more leverage in -counteracting the warping tendency. No doubt there are perfectly true, -straight-grained pieces of ash, but they are very rare, and a leading -cue-maker has told me that he doesn’t come across more than two or three -in a year. All the rest require special treatment, and about three out -of every dozen that come in from the seasoning shop have to be rejected -as hopeless as far as cues are concerned, though they may serve for -rest-handles or for dowels. - -When the cues are finally turned out as finished articles, a purchaser -will find a considerable range in weight, balance, size, shape of butt, -and size of top to select from, showing that individual fancy is an -important factor in the case. There is no magic in any particular -weight, or in any particular shape or kind of grip. What a player -fancies, he will play best with, and he will soon get accustomed to a -particular pattern, which he ought to adhere to steadily. - -Cues vary from 14 oz. in weight to 18 oz. and even 20 oz., and I have -seen a few of over 20 oz.; but, speaking generally, 16 oz. to 16½ oz. is -a very usual weight. Peall plays with a very light cue, about 14 oz. -Roberts uses one weighing about 16 oz. Good results can, therefore, be -produced with widely varying weights, and a player can suit himself. -With a very heavy cue the ‘touch’ is likely to be coarse; but I have -seen an amateur make over twenty spots with a cue of over 20 oz. - -With regard to the top, its diameter varies from ³⁄₁₀ in. to ⁶⁄₁₀ in. -for English cues, and within fair limits a medium-sized top is more -easily and certainly used by ordinary players than a very fine one. - - - TIPS - -Tips are now always made abroad, and are supplied in boxes of assorted -sizes, so that a purchaser is sure of finding some the size he requires. - -It is essential to good play that the cue should be well tipped; and the -process of tipping has been so often described in existing works on -billiards, that everyone _ought_ to be able to tip a cue for himself. -The golden rule to be observed is that the top of the cue must be -_absolutely flat_, and the tip should fit the top as closely as -possible. If the tip is a well-fitting one, it should be warmed (and the -top of the cue also), and stuck firmly on with cue cement. There is an -ingenious little clamp to be bought, which holds the tip tightly until -the cement has set. After the cement is fixed, the tip should be gently -hammered until it is flat, and any overhanging leather or cement must be -carefully removed, first with a knife and then with sand-paper. _Avoid -touching the cue_ itself with the sand-paper, if possible; and you will -find it a good plan to wrap a piece of paper round the cue while you are -rubbing the tip. If the cue be much scratched, the wood will begin to -‘stare’ and feel rough in the fingers. Nothing is so bad for the cue as -the common amateur trick, at the commencement of play, of rubbing the -cue from the tip, say two feet down, with coarse sand-paper. Players say -they do it to clean the cue; but the best way to do that is to get a -damp cloth and wipe the cue well, and then rub it hard with a dry one. -By this means your cue will be very clean, slip well through the bridge, -and acquire a fine, hard polish, so that it will feel much the same in -damp as in dry weather. - -[Illustration: - - Fig. 28 -] - -Some players do not feel neat-handed enough to undertake the tipping of -a cue; for them I would recommend a little brass plate with three spikes -in it, which screws into the top of a cue shaped as in fig. 28. If the -cues in a country house are so fitted, anyone can put a tip on in a -couple of minutes. You have merely to put the tip on the spikes and -gently hammer it home. - -[Illustration: - - Fig. 29 -] - -Another device is to fit the cue-top with a brass screw socket, into -which a screw with a flat top is screwed, and the tip is fixed on the -movable screw (fig. 29). The advantage of this plan is, that a player -may have three or four screws all duly tipped, and as one tip wears out -he simply takes out the screw and screws in another. For country-house -visiting this, combined with a screw-jointed cue (fig. 30), makes a -player quite independent of local cues and local tips, especially as -with a jointed cue he can have a spare top joint.[10] - -Another simple arrangement is the ivory top fitted with a screw, as -shown in fig. 29. - -[Illustration: - - Fig. 30 -] - -After long service a cue will wear away at the top. It is worth -remembering that such a cue need not be discarded, as it can easily be -restored to its original condition. The usual remedy is an ivory top, -but a better one is to get the cue spliced or fitted with a screw, -according to the illustration (fig. 31). Whichever plan may be adopted, -the great thing is to pick an _old_ seasoned bit of ash, nothing being -better than a piece of an old cue with a good straight grain. By -adopting this plan, the top can be made as large as may be desired, and -a good bit of wood in the most delicate part of the cue is ensured. - -[Illustration: - - Fig. 31 -] - -The writer has a cue with a single splice, which has been in work for -years, and is so well put together that even at this time it is -difficult to find the joint; but, on the whole, he ventures to think -that the double splice is stronger and neater. - - - HALF-BUTTS - -Half-butts and long-butts, on account of their length, have to be made -of pine for lightness’ sake, and little need be said about them. They -are cumbrous things, and a disagreeable necessity. - -It is a good plan to wipe the upper end of the butt _every day_ with a -damp cloth, and then with a dry one, because they always collect a -quantity of dirt, and are apt to run stickily through the rest. If these -butts were not varnished, but well polished with boiled oil, they would -be much pleasanter to play with. - - - RESTS - -Rests are now usually made in the shape of a diagonal cross, the upper -drawing of fig. 32, the old-fashioned pattern being very seldom seen. - -[Illustration: - - Fig. 32 -] - -The chief objection to the cross pattern is that it is troublesome to -manipulate in the neighbourhood of the cushions, and some years ago -Messrs. Burroughes & Watts brought out a rest which gets over the -cushion difficulty very cleverly. As will be seen in the annexed drawing -(fig. 33), the height can be regulated at will, and a _firm_ rest on the -cushion can be made. For some reason or other this rest has never become -popular, and the cross-shaped rest still holds the field.[11] - -[Illustration: - - Fig. 33 -] - -That a perfect rest is still to be invented I firmly believe. A point -that has never yet been met is, that the friction over the bridge of the -human hand is of a quite different character to that over a brass or an -ebony cross-piece, and so a cue on a rest seems to run away from a -player. - - - CHALK - -Chalk is worth attending to carefully. The most familiar kinds are the -square blocks done up in green paper and the cylindrical pieces in -cardboard cases. These last are turned straight out of a solid block, -and are, therefore, not free from grit and other impurities; the more -gritty they are the more destructive are they to the cue-tips. The -square blocks are sawn from more carefully selected chalk, and are for -that reason to be preferred to the cylindrical pieces. They should be -dry and powdery, for a greasy chalk is not to be depended on, and it -will soon make the cue-tip shiny. In fact, the great secret of chalk is -to have it _dry_. - -Attempts have been made from time to time to grind down the chalk to -powder and again consolidate it; but, as foreign substances must be -introduced in order to make the powder stick together and become hard -enough to withstand the friction of cue-tips, the result has usually -been rather a greasy mixture. - -There can be little doubt that if our chemists were to go into the -matter seriously they would soon give us a smooth and yet biting -‘chalk.’ - -Within the last few months a French firm have brought out some -greenish-blue ‘chalk,’ called St. Martin chalk, which reminds one of the -old green Thurston chalk one used to see thirty years ago. This new -preparation seems to hold the ball very well, and does not make such a -mess of the table as the old white; it is not poisonous; but—there is -always a but—it is very expensive. - - - MARKING BOARD - -A good marking-board is essential to the comfort of the players, and the -ordinary pattern, as shown in fig. 34, leaves little to be desired. Long -games, however, of 400 and 500 up are not uncommon in private rooms in -these days, and it would be a slight improvement if some means of -scoring _hundreds_ were introduced. I should think two slides similar to -the pool slides, with 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 underneath, placed above -or below each scoring-roller, would meet the case (fig. 35). - -[Illustration: - - Fig. 36 -] - -There is another pattern still fairly common which is always a nuisance, -for sooner or later a mistake is sure to be made as to the twenties -(fig. 36). One or other of the players will forget to move on the twenty -marker when he takes the other back to zero; more advanced arithmetic is -involved and another objection is that a separate board is required for -pool. - -[Illustration: - - Fig. 34 -] - -[Illustration: - - Fig. 35 -] - -[Illustration: - - Fig. 37 -] - -Another kind of marker is a nickel-plated one let into the woodwork of -the cushions, and worked by pressing a button (fig. 37). Two are placed -side by side, one for each player. A further variety of the same kind is -a hand marker, which is useful in a country house. - - - POOL BASKET - -If you should happen to possess a good set of pool balls, you should get -a set of dummy balls, made in box-wood or inferior ivory, to shake up in -the basket, for the violent shocks that real balls receive in the basket -at the hands of an energetic marker are a fruitful source of cracking -and faulty running. - - - THE HALF-BALL ANGLE - -[Illustration: - - Fig. 38 -] - -A piece of wood of about the thickness of half a ball (say 1¹⁄₃₂ in.), -as shown in fig. 38, is to be bought, and will be found exceedingly -useful to beginners. The idea of this invention is that by its means the -angle by which a ball (fairly struck in the middle without side, No. 1 -strength) is deflected from its course by colliding a half-ball with -another is accurately shown (fig. 39). - -Let A be the striker’s ball, and let it be required to hit the ball B -exactly half-ball. Clearly the line of progression of ball A will be -along the line A D. At D it is deflected in the direction of the arrow -F; and the angle between F D and E D, the original course of the ball, -is the amount of deflection due to collision. This will be found to -amount to 33°. - -Suppose, then, it is required to find the proper place to spot a ball, -so as to go into a pocket half-ball off another (fig. 40). - -Let O be the object ball, P a pocket. It is required to spot a player’s -ball somewhere near the line A B to go into the pocket off O. Place the -angle A of the instrument against the ball O in such fashion that the -side A D points for the centre of the pocket. Then a ball with its -centre upon the line A E produced will, if it strikes the ball O -half-ball, proceed towards the centre of the pocket. - -[Illustration: - - Fig. 39 -] - -The course of the player’s ball will not be _along_ A D, but converging -upon it from a point half a diameter distant from the ball O. Hence the -angle of deviation as shown by the instrument is made slightly greater -than that described by the ball; that of the instrument being about 35°, -the real angle being about 33°. - -Of course it cannot be mathematically correct at all distances, but it -is near enough for practical purposes, and will help to train the eye to -estimate half-ball angles. - -[Illustration: - - Fig. 40 -] - -The two lines marked upon the upper surface of the instrument, if -produced through the angle A, will give the direction taken by the -object ball after collision, according as the shot is played from B or -C. - -[Illustration: - - An Outside Billiard-room -] - - - - - CHAPTER III - ELEMENTARY: ONE-BALL PRACTICE - - -Before commencing the manual of instruction in billiards, it is -desirable to address a few words of advice to the beginner, and to -explain some of the technical terms used. Others will be described in -future chapters. - -It is clear that before playing, the room must be entered; and hence we -commence with the mode of doing so. The operation seems so simple as to -be too trivial for notice; but, far from that, there is nothing short of -actual play which shows more clearly the difference between a -well-trained, well-mannered player and a novice or a careless and -discourteous visitor. The door of a room should always be approached -quietly, for the table may be occupied; if it be so, _wait for the -stroke_. When the stroke is played, open the door quietly, and walk -straight to a seat. Avoid everything likely to distract the attention of -the players from their game, and recollect that for the time being the -room, its light, fire, and so forth, belong to them. Persons who smoke -should wait for the stroke before scratching a match, and when -extinguishing it should not do so by waving it before the eyes of the -player. In short, ordinary courtesy is nowhere more important than in -the billiard-room, for if men can play, their nerve and attention are -strained; interruption may prove fatal to the chance of one of them, and -is sure to be resented, even though it may pass without remark. - -In the previous chapter the terms employed respecting the table and -implements have been detailed; these are now supplemented by others in -common use during play. - -_Angled._—A ball is angled in respect to that part of the table to which -it cannot be directly played. - -_Ball._—In billiards three balls are used, white, spot-white, and red. -The player’s or cue-ball will usually, in this volume, be called ball 1; -the object ball, or ball played on, ball 2; and the third ball, ball 3. -A line-ball is one resting on the baulk-line. - -_Baulk._—The space between the baulk-line and the bottom cushion. A ball -within that space is in _baulk_; when a white and red ball are in baulk -and the other is off the table, the situation is termed a _double -baulk_. - -_Break._—The term is applied to a continuous score, or one made in -unbroken succession. - -To _break the balls_ is to play as at the opening of a game. - -_Bridge._—The player’s hand which rests on the table, and which serves -as a guide to the cue, is so-called. - -_Coup._—If a player fails to hit another ball, and by the same stroke -causes his own ball to enter a pocket, he is said to have _run a coup_. - -_Cover._—A ball is said to be _covered_ when it cannot be directly hit -by player’s ball because of the interposition of another ball; in other -words, when ball 1 cannot directly strike ball 2 because of ball 3, ball -2 is said to be _covered_ by ball 3. - -_Foul._—A stroke made in contravention of the rules. - -_In hand._—When a player’s ball is off the table it is termed _in hand_. - -_Hazard._—When a player with his ball pockets another ball he is said to -make a _winning hazard_; when he pockets his own ball after contact with -another ball he makes a _losing hazard_. - -_Kiss._—Ball 2 is said to kiss when it comes a second time in contact -with ball 1. The kiss is generally made off a cushion. - -This term is used with much laxity in the language of billiards, and -includes what the French call _coups durs_, when ball 2 is touching a -cushion, and _rencontres_, when balls 1 and 3 meet, the former having -been set in motion by the cue and the latter by the impact of ball 2. -When ball 2 has an unforeseen collision with ball 3, and thereby -prevents a cannon, the failure is attributed to robbery by a _kiss_. - -_Miss-cue._—Failure in the delivery of the cue on player’s ball; usually -a slip from want of chalk or from defective striking. - -_Plant._—When two balls touch and an imaginary line through their -centres if prolonged terminates in the centre of a pocket, a _dead -plant_ is said to be on. If the ball further from the pocket be played -on and struck almost anywhere, the ball nearer the pocket will -inevitably be _planted_ or go into the pocket. The _plant_ is still -possible when the line through the centres falls slightly to the right -or left of the pocket. - -_Strength_ is the measure of force used to make a stroke, which is said -to be soft or hard according to the _strength_. - -[Illustration: - - Stringing -] - -To _string_ is to play from baulk to the top cushion so as to leave -player’s ball near the baulk-line or bottom cushion as may be selected. -Before a match the players _string_ simultaneously for choice of balls, -and for the option of commencing the game. - -After these preliminaries, the first matter of importance is that -players should try to acquire an easy attitude. For its attainment -precise rules like those for military drill cannot be given, because -what are suitable for a tall spare man are wholly impossible to one who -is short and stout. Therefore, advice must be general. The learner -should go to a proficient of about his own make, whose style is admitted -to be good, and be shown the best attitudes to reach a ball placed in -various parts of the table, first from baulk, and afterwards from other -and more cramped positions. If this be neglected, he is apt to contract -faulty habits, which become more difficult to abandon the longer they -have been entertained. - -[Illustration: - - An Easy Attitude -] - -In playing an ordinary stroke from baulk, a right-handed player should -stand so that his body shall be on the left of the line of stroke, which -is, in fact, the axis of the cue; the left foot should be advanced so -that the toe shall be just below the cushion, and pointing in the -direction of the stroke; the right foot retired more or less according -to the stature of the player, and pointing at a right angle to the left -foot. The right leg should be straight, the left more or less bent; the -right hand should hold the cue near the butt, the elbow being nearly -vertically above the hand, whilst the left hand should be extended in -the line of stroke, so that the cue resting between the thumb and -forefinger shall lie as nearly as possible horizontal. For a left-handed -player the same advice holds good, save that throughout the word ‘left’ -should be substituted for ‘right.’ For all players that attitude is best -which is least stiff or constrained, and which combines the greatest -measure of steadiness with freedom of action. - -The formation of a good bridge is essential to accurate play. Its object -is to supply a rest for the cue at the height of the stroke to be -delivered, and this ordinarily is the centre of the ball. Just as for -the right hand, which puts the cue in motion, freedom is the chief -necessity, so for the left, which acts as the guide and support, -stability is of the first importance. That is best attained by bringing -some weight to bear on the base of the thumb, and consequently by -somewhat raising the knuckle-joint of the little finger. As hands vary -in shape and size, no precise rule or measurements for the formation of -a bridge can be laid down. A competent instructor will show how a bridge -is made, and an intelligent learner will soon acquire the habit of -making one which suits himself. The general mode is to place the hand -flat on the table, elevate the knuckles about two inches or rather more, -keeping the fingers rigid or unbent, so as to form nearly a right angle -with the palm, raise the thumb, and press it moderately just above the -joint against the forefinger, forming with it the rest or point of -support of the cue, spread the fingers slightly so as to widen the -foundation, so to speak, of the bridge and increase its stability, and -by means of raising or lowering the little finger, bring the point of -support so that the cue shall lie level with the point of the ball to be -struck. These directions, perhaps, seem complicated; but if the -prescribed movements are gone through once or twice before the learner -by a competent person, all difficulty will disappear. The final movement -whereby the height of delivery of the cue is regulated, is one of much -importance, which we do not recollect to have seen mentioned in previous -manuals. - -[Illustration: - - PRELIMINARIES. -] - -[Illustration: - - The Bridge -] - -Exceptional rests or bridges have to be made to meet exceptional cases. -Thus, when a ball is under a cushion, the tips of the fingers form the -sole support; in other instances the thumb is lowered and the forefinger -bent so as to form a ring or hook through which the cue is passed. The -French call this _bouclée_.[12] There are, in fact, many variations -which it would be a waste of time and space to describe; some, indeed, -have to be invented as the necessity for their use may arise. - -The attitude and method of making a bridge having been acquired, the -next point is to deliver the cue freely and horizontally. It should be -lightly held near the butt and repose on the bridge, so that ordinarily -from 9 to 12 inches project towards the ball. Considerable differences -in the distances between the bridge and the ball occur during the -variations in a game, but it is generally true that the nearer they are -the greater the accuracy with which the ball can be struck, and the -further (within reasonable limits) they are apart the greater the power. -What is gained in power is, to some extent, lost in accuracy. - -A little practice with the cue without a ball is useful to familiarise a -beginner with the necessary action, that is the horizontal backward and -forward motion; a slow withdrawal followed by a faster forward stroke. -When this is attained practice with one ball should be commenced. It is -of the highest importance; for by means of it alone can the rare -qualification of a true delivery of cue be acquired. And this applies -not merely to beginners, but to persons who are out of practice, for the -commonest of all faults, and the secret of most failures to score, is -that the player’s ball is not truly struck. It may seem strange, but it -is nevertheless true, that many persons who play what is held to be a -fair game cannot truly strike a ball. - -Let us then suppose a ball placed on the spot on the centre of the baulk -circle, and that the player has assumed a suitable attitude in order to -play up the table over the billiard spot. The tip of his cue should be -about half an inch from the centre of the ball, and the axis of the cue -should be as nearly as possible parallel with the surface of the table, -and in the same vertical plane as its central line, because the path -travelled by a ball truly struck in the centre is, till after impact -with a cushion or with another ball, invariably a prolongation of the -axis of the cue. Having aimed carefully over the spot, he should draw -the cue slowly back three or four inches and then bring it forward, -giving the ball a smart tap, in contradistinction to a push, in the -centre; the strength of the stroke to be such that the ball shall return -into baulk. If ball, table, and stroke are true, the path travelled will -lie precisely over all the spots in the central line; and after impact -with the top cushion the ball will return to baulk by the same route. -Herein is manifest the excellence of this stroke for practice; because -if the ball be struck either right or left of the centre, it will return -to the right or left of the central longitudinal line of the table. The -nearer the return path is to that line the better the stroke, and the -further it is from it the worse; so that an infallible measure of the -truth or accuracy of hitting the ball is supplied by the result. It is -impossible to overstate the value of this test, and by the time that a -person can play this stroke up and down the table with varying strength -and fair accuracy he has gone far towards mastering the first step at -billiards. To secure striking the ball in the centre, as soon as aim is -taken the player should fix his eyes on the ball and try to the best of -his ability to deliver the cue truly and as horizontally as possible so -that the tip does not see-saw up and down. The tap on the centre of the -ball should be sharp and clean, the cue being permitted to follow it for -a few inches; less when the stroke is soft, and more when it is hard. - -It may probably appear in course of practice that the striker has a -tendency to hit the ball either right or left of the centre; he should -correct this by striking on what seems to him slightly the other side. -Thus, if he, whilst aiming truly, brings the ball back to baulk -invariably to the right of the central line, he should strike at what -seems to him slightly to the _left_ of its centre; if by doing so he -brings the ball back over the spots, he may be assured that he has found -the true centre of the ball, and by continuing the practice his eye will -become educated, and the tendency to strike on the side will diminish or -disappear. The stroke should be repeated till it is mastered at every -possible strength, or, say, hard enough to cause the ball to travel four -lengths of the table. When confidence in the power to strike a ball in -the centre has been acquired, further practice should be made. Place the -ball on one corner spot of the =Ｄ=, play to the centre of the top -cushion immediately behind the spot, and the ball should return over the -spot on the other corner. This, too, is very useful practice; it -familiarises the eye with the general truth of the axiom that the angle -of reflexion is equal to the angle of incidence; and variations from -this stroke (which need not be defined here, as any person of ordinary -intelligence can multiply them indefinitely) will prove of constant use -when it is necessary to play at a ball protected by baulk. - -For the sake of clearness, one other example may be cited. - -Place the ball on the right corner of the =Ｄ=, measure a point on the -top cushion an equal distance from the right side cushion, that point -will be precisely opposite the right corner of the =Ｄ=; halve the -distance between that point and the left top pocket, and at the half set -up a mark—a piece of chalk laid on the cushion will do. If the ball be -played correctly on to the place thus indicated, it will return to the -left bottom pocket. Easier strokes of the same kind can be made across -the table into any pocket, and confidence, which is an important factor -in the game, is thus acquired. Before leaving the subject of these -exercise strokes, it is desirable to emphasise the value to a beginner -of acquiring a good style and of cultivating it incessantly till it -becomes natural, and then he may, without harm, indulge occasionally in -a game; if he begins with games he is certain to contract bad habits, -which, becoming more confirmed the longer he plays, must result in -increasing his difficulties and may never be wholly cured. - -As regards indicating the strength to be used in playing various -strokes, the best plan is to refer to the positions of the balls when -they are at rest after a stroke; but as some rough guide may save -beginners many trials, it has been usual to indicate by means of numbers -the approximate strength to be used. Thus Strength No. 1 is a slow, or -soft stroke; No. 2 harder, and so on till No. 5 or No. 6 may be taken as -the greatest possible strength. Various measures have been adopted by -different authorities; for our purposes in this book it is proposed to -classify them thus: - -Strength 1. From softest possible to that required for one length of the -table. - -Strength 2. From one length to two lengths of the table. - -Strength 3. From two lengths to three lengths of the table. - -[Illustration: - - Using the Rest. -] - -Strength 4. From three lengths to four lengths of the table, beyond -which it is probably unnecessary to go. These definitions may be further -subdivided as desired: thus a very gentle stroke would be called a very -slow or soft No. 1; a less slow one, medium No. 1; a stroke which -required the strength to take a ball the length of the table, a full or -free No. 1, which it is obvious reaches No. 2 strength; where No. 1 ends -No. 2 begins, and so on. - -It is clear that the practice prescribed will familiarise the beginner -with the various strengths, a matter which he will find greatly to his -advantage. - -When the ball cannot be comfortably reached by hand an artificial -bridge, known as the rest, is employed. A short man requires it -frequently, a tall man less often, but both should practise with it -assiduously. A competent person will show a beginner the proper way of -using it in a very short time. The handle of the rest should be nearly -in the same line as the cue, only so far out of it as to permit of free -delivery; the cue should be lightly held between forefinger and thumb, -knuckles up, the elbow being raised level with the butt. The hand which -holds the rest should lie on the table. - -These are general rules, but they must on occasion be modified. The -practice already defined will serve for strokes with the rest if the -ball be placed sufficiently far from the cushion. The half-butt and -long-butt should also be used. Before leaving this subject it is well to -say that to be obliged to use the rest, and, worse still, the half-butt -and long-butt, is at any time a drawback. This can be reduced to a -minimum by learning to play with either hand; a most useful -accomplishment, by no means very difficult of attainment. - -The following memorandum by Mr. Dudley D. Pontifex, who besides being a -billiard-player of very high class is an expert at many other games, on -the great importance of cultivating an almost mechanical accuracy in -delivering the cue, and on the methods which he has followed in order to -attain this end, will be read by proficients as well as beginners with -both interest and profit. In essentials it agrees with the -recommendations already given, and where it may seem to differ the -variations are so small as not to require examination and explanation. -Some interesting remarks on the styles of leading professional players -will be found, and attention is justly directed to Roberts’s admirable -delivery of the cue, which is said to appear to be harder or stronger -than it really is; but one of the excellences of that great master’s -strokes is that they are habitually struck harder than is usual with -other professionals; the necessary compensations are, however, applied, -and though the ball starts with considerably greater initial velocity -than is usual, yet it does not necessarily travel farther or effect -more. A heavy drag stroke played the length of the table by Roberts will -travel nearly twice as fast as one struck by any other man, yet the -object ball will often be found not to be harder hit. - -The feat of screwing back to baulk from the red ball on the billiard -spot, direct and without trick, is so remarkable that readers cannot -fail to be much interested in a well-authenticated instance of the -stroke. Besides Mr. Pontifex, William Seymour, (marker in 1895 at the -Queen’s Club) was present at the time, and has seen the gentleman do the -stroke on many other occasions. - - - MEMORANDUM - - BY DUDLEY D. PONTIFEX - -There is one characteristic which distinguishes games such as billiards -and golf, and sharply divides them from others like cricket and tennis. -While in the latter the stroke has to be made on a moving ball, in the -former the ball is stationary. Instructions as to the method of making a -stroke consequently vary in value in the two classes of games. The tiro -at cricket or tennis is told to play a particular ball in a particular -way, but is met with difficulties when he attempts to carry out the -advice. The cricketer knows that he ought to play back or forward -according to the length of the ball, but alas! too frequently is unable -to decide until too late what the length of some particular ball is. At -tennis it is much the same. The player knows well enough how the stroke -should be made, but at the critical moment finds himself in such a -position that it is utterly impossible to make a correct stroke. In -these games the value of instructions is proportionable to the capacity -of the player to adapt himself to the exigencies of the moment. It is -quite different as regards billiards. Having once made up his mind as to -the method to be adopted, there is absolutely nothing to prevent the -player from carrying it into practical effect. He is not hurried for -time. He is not called upon to make a sudden and, as it were, intuitive -decision instantaneously. On the contrary, the table and balls are -before him, and his opponent has to wait quietly until the turn is -completed. Consequently the value of instructions, if there be any value -in instructions, is relatively greatly enhanced in this class of game. - -When one of our best professionals is playing, it is no uncommon thing -to hear the remark made, ‘What beautiful strength!’ To my mind the -excellence of a fine player’s game lies not so much in his strength as -in his accuracy. Given accuracy, strength will follow; at all events -there is no reason why it should not. But strength without accuracy is -useless, and even worse than useless. If a good player and a bad one -meet, the latter usually has the better of the leaves. The reason is not -difficult to discover, for the good player fails far more frequently -from want of accuracy than from bad strength, and the balls are left -fairly placed for his opponent. The bad player has little accuracy and -less strength. He goes for his stroke, and chances position. After a -score he leaves himself little, but if he fail he leaves little for his -opponent. His play is characterised by a series of disjointed efforts. - -But, although the good player fails more often from want of accuracy -than from bad strength, he does not, unless the balls are very close -together, try for exact strength. To use a well-understood phrase, he -tries to get them there or thereabouts. Take a very fine player, and let -him play from baulk with the other two balls nicely placed in the middle -of the table, and let him play two breaks with the balls so placed. It -is almost certain that after the third stroke, probably the second, the -breaks will branch out differently. The good player only tries to place -the balls about where he means. If he be at all successful, he will have -the choice of playing one of perhaps half a dozen different strokes. Not -one of these half-dozen strokes is, it may be, difficult; and then he -has to consider which will leave him the best break, and if there be -three or more leaving an equally good game he takes the easiest. What is -deserving of observation is that, whichever he selects, he usually makes -the stroke and approximately carries out his idea. - -It is this deadly accuracy which is so noticeable in the play of the -best professionals. How have they obtained it? First and chiefly by -years of constant and assiduous practice, secondly by a correct -mechanical style. Nothing can take the place of the former. No amount of -teaching will be the equivalent of strong individual effort extended -over a length of time. The player who really excels at billiards must -have given a large amount of time to it. He who plays a wonderful game, -and yet hardly ever touches a cue, exists only in the imagination of the -incompetent novelist. But, although nothing can compensate for hard -practice, something may be done for the beginner by teaching him how to -obtain a correct style. To avoid errors is the surest and quickest way -to real progress, and to thoroughly grasp the idea of a true mechanical -style is the most important lesson in billiards. There is no one style -that can be said to be the only correct and proper one. If the best -half-dozen players be watched, it will be seen that they all differ in -various ways from one another. The position of their heads, and the way -in which they hold the cue, are often entirely different. One thing, -however, may be noted, that however much they differ from one another, -they are true to themselves. Each man keeps rigidly to his own style. -His position and his manner of delivering the stroke are constant so far -as circumstances permit, and this is the lesson which the amateur may -properly take to heart. Billiards is more of a mechanical game than -anything else, and, because the mechanical part of it is so important, -nothing can take the place of continual practice on right lines. And -even that which may have been a defective style originally may, by -becoming habitual, lose half its injuriousness. The beginner, however, -wants to avoid defects so that he may have nothing subsequently to -unlearn, and he wants to know the nearest road to the best game of which -he is capable. When he has once got a clear idea of what a correct style -is, he is next door to getting the thing itself. And it is worth some -little trouble to get. For not only will his general progress at the -game be more rapid, but he will find the utility of it at a critical -moment. Some pernicious trick or mannerism may not be particularly -injurious on ordinary occasions, but when the stress of a match comes it -is apt to be fatal. It is then that the man with an easy and correct -style finds half his work done for him, as it were. - -It is by no means an uncommon thing to see what may be called the -pump-handle style, where the cue, instead of moving horizontally or -nearly so, is at the commencement of the stroke lifted high at the butt, -and then brought forward with a circular sweep. This makes it a matter -of no little skill in itself to hit the ball at all correctly, and yet -we see players who apparently are not satisfied with the ordinary -difficulties of billiards, but must add a quite superfluous one to every -stroke. - -Most of these eccentric players must be to some extent aware of their -eccentricities, and a very little reflection would show that they are -quite unnecessary and may be harmful. - -Apart from any theoretical consideration of the matter, a casual -observation of really good players proves that they do not indulge in -these atrocities. In fact, our best players are, almost without -exception, easy, graceful players, and distinctly the best break I ever -saw North play was at the same time the quickest and least demonstrative -of any I have seen made by that player. The play of John Roberts is -almost above criticism, and his style is at once the delight and despair -of all. Diggle, Dawson, and Richards, more especially the last, are -charming players to watch. They who can remember Cook at his best will -recall with delight a style that was in the opinion of many unrivalled. -An imperturbable temper that nothing appeared to ruffle, a nerve that -never seemed to fail, a touch always firm and crisp, yet often using a -strength so delicate that he seemed to require instruments more accurate -than the best manufacturers could supply—these were some of the features -of a game that ever had a great fascination for the spectator. - -A few words may not be out of place on the benefit of private practice, -_i.e._ practice by oneself. I believe from a tolerably wide experience -that they are exceptional, very exceptional, who can keep on improving -without having had, at some time or other, a good deal of private -practice. How many men there are who play their two or three hours every -day, and yet at the end of fifteen years are little, if any, better! It -is because their energies are being entirely absorbed by the immediate -contest. If they have a fault in style, they have no time to correct it. -They cannot make up their minds to court present defeat for a future -gain. They play the same old game with the same bad result year in and -year out. The least innovation on their stereotyped game will probably -result in failure, and perhaps defeat, and is therefore rejected. After -a time they come to accept their game as the best of which they are -capable, and when they see really good play they admire it, but never -appear to dream of taking a hint from it for their own improvement. - -A short time given to private practice would do much for such a one. -Here there is no opponent to distract, no dread of consequences. The -greatest novelty, even to the playing of a losing hazard at dead slow -strength the length of the table, may be attempted fearlessly. But this -is not all. Not only may every kind of stroke be attempted without any -attaching penalty, but if there be a fault of which the player is -conscious he may now correct it. His attention is now concentrated upon -the one point, and it is wonderful how soon that which has become -habitual may be changed by steady determined suppression. Billiards -again, at least to play one’s best game, is very much a question of -confidence, and confidence is born of familiarity. He who has played a -particular stroke in a particular way a hundred times successfully in -private practice, not only feels that he can do that stroke in that way -in a match, but that it is his best chance of doing the stroke at all. -He is in a way compelled into the better class of game. - -Probably no amateur is in the least likely to go through the years of -continuous labour that the best professionals have given to the game. -But in many instances he may, by giving some consideration to the matter -and taking a little trouble, acquire a greater degree of accuracy than -has hitherto been associated with his game. Accuracy in play means -accuracy in striking, and the player has to aim at hitting ball after -ball with the precision of a machine. Of course one seldom or never gets -two strokes running exactly alike, but the various movements of the body -which precede and accompany the delivery of the stroke may be and should -be alike. This uniformity of style is the groundwork of accuracy, and it -is by a recognition of the various movements and a careful observance of -them that the player may obtain a correct mechanical style. He should -once for all definitely decide what is the best style for him to adopt, -and, having decided, should strictly observe it with unfailing -regularity. It is absolutely fatal to keep chopping and changing in the -endeavour to copy a better player. In all probability that which is -copied has nothing to do with the excellence of the play. It is perhaps -some little trick which is peculiar to the man, the result of his build -or of his early billiard education. Most of us have known some friend -who, after seeing John Roberts give one of his wonderful exhibitions of -skill, has attempted to imitate his rapidity of play. The last state of -that person is worse than his first. We cannot all play our best in the -same way. Some men are naturally quick players, others lose whatever -merit they may have in the attempt to hurry through their stroke. -Usually, the better practice a man is in the quicker he plays, but, -whether he play fast or slow, he should always play naturally and at the -same pace. If he be playing badly, conscious hurrying over or dwelling -on the stroke will not mend matters. The reason for the bad play must be -sought elsewhere. Usually the internal machinery has in some way gone -wrong. But the last thing a man cares to admit is any failing in -himself. It is far more pleasant to attribute his ill success to -something else. Still, if his style be not radically wrong, and if -during one of these seasons of depression he attempts to vary it, his -game will surely suffer when the causes which led to his temporary -deterioration have passed away. - -If I venture to give some advice, it is with a double motive; first, to -illustrate my meaning how, by a careful attention to details, uniformity -of style may be obtained, and, second, in the hope that it may in some -respects be found useful by beginners. But before doing so I should like -to say a few words as to what I conceive to be the real utility of -advice. What is too often the case is this. The beginner tries to -recollect before every stroke all he has learnt, and laboriously -endeavours to reduce each and every rule into practice at the same time. -Some of these rules may be the exact opposite of his previous method. -The consequence is that this attempt at wholesale assimilation causes -the player to look like a trussed-up fowl, uncomfortable to himself and -unnatural to others. He should remember that that which is ungainly in -style is usually wrong, always superfluous. - -Rules may be good enough in themselves, but if there be a grave -difference between them and our former method there will always be a -difficulty about their immediate application. There is no authority for -the opinion that the world was made in a day, and even at games time -must be allowed to bring about the desired result. Too great insistence -upon the observance of several rules at the same time distresses and -discourages the player. But if he will get, more especially in the -intervals of play, a clear mental recognition of the rules which he -believes to be specially applicable to himself, he will find that they -will presently begin to work out in practice. This is not only a more -pleasant but a better way. Without any conscious effort, the player -finds that the mind is beginning to direct and control the bodily -movements. The result thus arrives in an apparently natural way, and -when it so comes it comes to stay. That this is the best use to which -advice can be put is an opinion derived from an experience more or less -intimate with a variety of games. - -No exact formula can be laid down with regard to position. This is -precisely one of those cases in which some latitude must be allowed for -a man’s make and shape. Two points, however, should be borne in mind. To -state them in their natural order they are, first, that the player -should always, so far as circumstances permit, assume the same relative -position as between himself, his own ball, and the line of direction. A -useful general rule is the following. When the player takes his position -opposite his own ball with his left leg advanced as is the usual manner, -the line of direction if prolonged backwards through the centre of his -ball would pass through the centre of his body. As he settles to his -stroke, the body naturally sways a little to the left, leaving the right -arm free to swing in the proper direction. Secondly, the position should -be a firm one. The advantage of this will be more particularly felt in -any game in which nerves play a part. If there be any tendency to -unsteadiness in the player’s position, it will then be emphasised. The -body should be kept as motionless as possible, the feet being firmly -placed and the right leg straight. - -It is not easy to recognise the true natural angle[13] under all its -different phases, and the frequent failure of even the best players at -long losing hazards shows this. Constant practice is the only teacher, -and the plan of having for private play two strips of wood joined -together at the proper angle—and which was, I believe, first introduced -by Joseph Bennett—is very useful. The angle is more sharply defined, and -therefore easier of recognition, if taken through some fixed point, and -this point should be the centre of the player’s ball. The angle should -be taken to the centre of the pocket. - -It is almost a rarity to find a really good baulk-line player, and in -some cases it is quite the weakest point in a man’s game. That this -should be so seems strange, seeing that the player has such a wide range -within which to place his own ball. It is, I think, often this very -option of choice of position that causes the stroke to be missed. The -player places his ball, perhaps, quite correctly for the first long -loser he has, but misses it through hitting his own ball falsely. He -does not attribute his failure to its proper cause, but thinks he has -placed his own ball wrongly. Next time he puts it a little wider or -narrower as the case may be, and if he happen to put on by accident the -proper amount of side and does the stroke, he is almost worse off than -ever, for the first time he does hit his own ball truly he comes to -grief. By this time he has got an entirely wrong estimate of what the -true natural angle is, and it may be a matter of several days before he -can do the stroke with any certainty. Another point may be remarked. If -the player use only his left eye in play, he should judge the angle only -with his left eye; if he use both eyes, then judge with both eyes; but -if he uses the right eye to take the angle and the left eye to play, -when he settles to his stroke the angle will often appear wrong, and he -will become confused as to what the correct natural angle really is. -This probably arises from the fact that with most people the focus of -the two eyes is not identical. - -Whether the cue should be held only by the fingers, or in the hollow of -the hand, may be matter of opinion, but there is no doubt it should be -held lightly, not gripped. Any rigidity of the muscles tends to impair -the easy pendulum swing so essential to accurate play. Some people seem -to think it necessary to grip the cue when making a screw. The point is -easily susceptible of practical demonstration if they will only -condescend to hit the ball in the proper place. - -With many players, again, the position of the left hand appears to be a -matter of supreme indifference. They place it on the table anyhow, and -almost without taking a glance at the stroke. Now it is all very well to -say ‘Look at John Roberts. He doesn’t worry about these things,’ but we -are not, most of us at least, of the calibre of John Roberts. His easy -and graceful style is deceptive. If anyone will take the trouble to -contrast the face of the man with his manner of play, it will be -apparent how thoroughly concentrated is his mind on the game. He is the -consummate artist who conceals the difficulty of the stroke under the -ease of its execution. For most players, and all beginners, it is -advisable to pay some little attention to the position of the left hand. -Obviously it is of importance. If it has to be moved, however slightly, -after the player has settled to his stroke, the result will be a loss of -accuracy. It should be advanced with care, by which I do not mean with -wearisome laboriousness, to the player’s ball, the eye being steadily -kept on the line of direction, or, better still, on the exact spot on -the object ball it is desired to hit. - -The cue from tip to butt should be in one straight line with the line of -direction. It may be thought that this is always the case, but a close -observation will show that very frequently the cue along its length is -by no means in a straight line with the point aimed at. I have found it -most useful to bear this rule in mind, especially when beginning -practice after a long absence from the billiard-table. - -The player should not hurry up from the table after delivering his -stroke. The fault indicated may easily become a habit, and a very bad -one. It may be often observed among the more impatient class of players. -It may cause the body to move at the very moment when it is most -essential it should be quite steady, viz. at the moment of the cue’s -contact with the ball. - -A few more hints may be useful to some. Much of billiards is played -before settling to the stroke. This may at first sight appear an absurd -statement, but it contains an important truth. If the player have a -clearly defined idea not only of what stroke he is going for, but how it -is to be made, much of the difficulty is already overcome; but if he go -down to his stroke, and then have an elaborate consultation with himself -as to what is to be done, the process is not only harassing to his -opponent but detrimental to himself. Once having decided on the stroke, -he should go for it unhesitatingly, and as though no other stroke were -possible. To play one game, at the same time having a lingering -partiality for another, is not usually attended with success. - -The height of the player and the length of his arms will to a -considerable extent determine where he should hold the cue so that he -may combine sufficient power with the greatest attainable accuracy. It -must not, therefore, be held too far back. This may cause a slight loss -of power, but that is of very small importance. The bad play so often -seen in amateur billiards is not usually to be attributed to any want of -power of execution. - -I have never known a professional do a stroke which most amateurs could -not copy, though I have known one instance of an amateur being able to -do that which probably no professional living could do. The feat -deserves to be recorded. The gentleman was an undergraduate at -Cambridge, and it was said that he could from baulk screw back off the -red on the spot into baulk again. One day I asked him to do it for my -edification, and at the third attempt he succeeded. The balls used were -two of the usual set with which we ordinarily played. He used his own -cue, which was one of the usual pattern of English cues. The white came -straight back without touching a cushion. There are many persons besides -myself who have seen him do it, but I have never heard an authenticated -case of any other person who could perform the feat. - -On the face of it, it seems wrong that a man of six feet and one of five -feet six inches should hold cues of the same length in the same place, -and a slight consideration of the nature of a proper stroke will show -very good reasons for not holding the cue too long. The stroke itself -should be made by, as nearly as may be, a horizontal motion of the cue. -Any depression of the cue-tip has a tendency to make the ball take a -slight curve. There are strokes when it is desirable to sharply raise -the butt for the very purpose of making one’s own ball describe a curve -before contact with the object ball, and such strokes are sometimes very -useful when the pocket is a narrow one. But as a general rule the -movement of the cue should be as nearly horizontal as circumstances -allow. Now, if the cue be held too long for thorough control over it, as -the player’s hand goes back before delivering the stroke it will take an -upward direction, and one of two things must take place when the stroke -is made. If, during the forward movement, the cue work in a plane, it -will be depressed at the moment of contact with the ball; but if at the -moment of contact it be horizontal, or nearly so, it will have described -a slightly circular movement. This is one of the things to be avoided, -for the cue should work like a piston-rod. - -The bridge should be a short bridge rather than a long one. What is -meant by a short bridge is a short distance between the bridge itself -and the player’s ball. Too long a bridge must necessarily diminish -accuracy of hitting. The stroke itself should come from the arm alone, -and as much as possible from the elbow, the movement of the shoulder -being kept within the narrowest limits. However delicate, it should be a -clean, crisp blow, avoiding the least suspicion of a push. In this -respect it is exceedingly instructive to watch John Roberts play. He -appears to strike the ball so hard, even in his close game, that one is -at a loss to understand how it stops so quickly—the fact being that the -ball is struck so firmly, and so clean, as to give the appearance of a -harder stroke than in reality it is. It is a very unusual thing to see -an amateur strike his ball crisply when using delicate strengths. Not -only should the angle be judged, but aim should be taken through the -centre of the player’s ball. This applies to every stroke not less than -a half-ball. For all ordinary strokes—excepting, of course, screws, -&c.—the ball should be struck, whether with side or without, exactly -half-way up. The ball when so struck runs truer. - -One last word of advice. It is—simplify your game. If you can take your -choice of two games, one which looks promising but with possible -complications, the other simple and obvious, choose the latter. Some two -or three years ago Dawson was for this reason a most instructive player -for the amateur. His game was so simple that he never appeared to be in -a difficulty. He has somewhat changed its character since, but I -question if he has ever played better than he did then. In this respect -John Roberts is the last player the amateur should attempt to copy. His -game is full of complications, but he gets rid of them with an ease and -a celerity that fairly astonish the onlookers. He is out of a difficulty -almost before one has recognised that there is one. Sometimes he seems -to fairly revel in them, and deliberately to make them for the pleasure -of getting out of them. It is certainly wonderfully attractive, but the -percentage of men who could play such a game with success would be -infinitesimal. - -If this memorandum appear too didactic, I can only apologise to my -readers. It must necessarily assume that character to some extent. But, -in truth, the advice is not meant for good players. It may be that there -are some fine players who have never consciously observed any rules, but -have naturally adopted a correct style. They are facile players, but -they know not the pleasure which comes from attacking and overcoming -difficulties. There are others, quite as fond of the game, who find the -road to even partial success a somewhat stony one. These hints, or some -of them, may perhaps be of use to such. One thing is certain. Not even -the most perfect rules or the most undeniable instructions can of -themselves make a good player. They cannot take the place of hard work. -All they can do is to help the beginner over some of the difficulties -others have met with, and so save him time. - -[Illustration: - - The Bridge (_bouclée_) -] - - - - - CHAPTER IV - MOTION, IMPACT, AND DIVISION OF BALLS: TWO-BALL PRACTICE - - -The practice prescribed in the preceding chapter had for its chief -object the attainment of certainty in striking ball 1 truly in the -centre; we now proceed to study some of the elementary facts concerning -the impact of one ball with another. - -In the first place, the conditions of impact should be recognised, and -what is termed the division of balls must be explained. - -[Illustration: - - Fig. 1 -] - -Now, for practical purposes the cloth and bed of the table are level, -and the balls are of the same size; hence when they touch one another -the point of contact is invariably on the line of their greatest -horizontal circumference, which, as all know, is precisely at half their -height. It will hereafter be shown that ball 1 may be caused to leap, -and so strike ball 2 above this; but for present purposes, when a plain -stroke alone is being considered, it may be accepted as a fact that the -point of impact is always at half the ball’s height. That fixes the -location of impact vertically; but horizontally it is evident that there -is considerable latitude. Ball 1 may hit ball 2 either precisely full, -when the centre of one is played on the centre of the other, or it may -strike either to the right or left of the centre of ball 2; the limit on -either side being the finest possible touch. The accompanying figure -will show what is meant. When ball 1 hits ball 2 full, at the moment of -impact it occupies the position 1″; and the part of 2 which can be -struck by a ball situated at 1 is from P″ to P; if ball 1 occupies the -position 1′, then the part of 2 which may be touched is restricted to -that marked P″ P′; but should ball 1 be placed at 1″, then the only -point on 2 it can touch is P″. Therefore the nearer 1 is to 2 the less -of the latter can be struck, and the further away the more. - -As regards the division of balls, for the English game at any rate, the -simpler it is the better. The larger balls on a smaller table, as used -in the French game, admit of more minute subdivision than do our smaller -balls, which may be, and often are, further from the player’s eye. To -attempt a division which the eye cannot easily appreciate is a mistake. -For purposes of play both balls 1 and 2 must be divided; and although at -this early stage of the manual we are not concerned with the division of -ball 1 (for all practice at present is confined to centre strokes), yet -it is convenient now to record the divisions of both balls. - -Ball 1 is divided by its vertical and horizontal diameters into four -parts. The centre stroke is delivered at C, and is of all strokes by far -the commonest and most important. - -A ball struck high and right is struck in the sector C A E; low and left -in C D B; high and left in C A D; low and right in C E B. - -The vertical and horizontal lines are divided from the centre where they -intersect, into four equal parts each way. Thus a ball ¼ high is struck -on the line C A at the point marked ¼; ½ low is struck on C B at the -point marked ½; ¾ right is struck on C E at the point marked ¾; ¼ left -is struck on C D at the point marked ¼. Combinations of these divisions -are of course possible: thus ½ high and right would indicate a point P; -¾ left and ½ low is represented by P′. That division is quite as minute -as the eye can follow; indeed, for general purposes it will probably -suffice to indicate the sector only; to say, for example, ball 1 should -be struck high and right. - -[Illustration: - - Fig. 2 -] - -[Illustration: - - OPENING THE GAME. -] - -In respect to ball 2 the matter is different; it cannot, as has already -been shown, be struck save on the line C C′ A, the height moment of -reaching 2, then its position will be that of the dotted circle 1″, -whose centre is C″, and P′ is the point of impact. For any stroke -between full and half-ball the point of impact will lie between P and -P′; between half-ball and the extreme of fineness the point of impact -will lie beyond P′ in the direction of E. - -Ball 2 being struck by ball 1 at P′ must travel in the direction P′ B F, -the line from the point of impact passing through B the centre. There is -practically no departure from this rule. Hence it follows that if it be -desired that ball 2 should travel in the direction B F, say to a pocket, -imagine a line from the pocket passing through the ball’s centre; this -cuts the circumference at P′, which is manifestly the point which must -be struck by ball 1. Where is the centre of ball 1 to be aimed at in -order that P′ may be struck? Produce the imaginary line F B P′ to C″, -making P′ C″ equal to B P′ or in other words equal to the radius of the -ball. If the centre of ball 1, C, be aimed on C″, ball 2 must be struck -at P′ and must travel in the direction required. - -Pray realise that it is impossible to hit ball 2 at the point aimed at -save when the stroke is full; in every other case the aim must be beyond -the point of impact, and the rule above given will enable anyone to -determine precisely where aim should be taken. - -When a ball is struck by the cue its first impulse is to slide forward, -and if there were no friction between the ball and the cloth it would do -so till arrested by other causes; but as there always is this friction, -the lower part of the ball is thereby retarded, and the result is the -rolling or revolving motion with which all are familiar. This will be -further considered when the subject of rotation is discussed, but it is -mentioned here as the cause of certain effects which will be observed in -some of the strokes recommended for practice. When one ball impinges on -another the immediate result is a greater or lesser flattening of both -surfaces at the point of impact; this is instantaneously followed by -recoil,[14] the result of each ball reassuming its spherical form. The -greater the strength of stroke the greater the flattening and the -greater the recoil; the converse likewise holds good. - -Further, the force or strength with which ball 1 strikes ball 2 is -immediately divided on impact; if ball 2 be struck full it appears to -acquire from ball 1 the whole of its energy save that due to naturally -developed rotation, the result being that ball 2 travels fast whilst -ball 1 remains comparatively stationary. If the distance between the two -balls be very small, little rotation is acquired and ball 1 transmits -its motion to ball 2 and stops on or near the spot which that ball -occupied; if the distance be considerable, ball 1 acquires rotation -which, overcoming the recoil on impact, causes it to travel slowly in -its original direction. When impact is other than full, ball 1 parts -with more or less of its force, which is transmitted to ball 2. What the -one loses the other gains. - -These general remarks will seem to many self-evident and superfluous; to -others they may prove difficult to realise and distasteful; but -students, whether beginners or those who have already acquaintance with -the game, may rest assured that a careful consideration of them can do -no harm and may be of much advantage; for practice is assisted by an -intelligent appreciation of the behaviour of balls under certain -conditions; in short, by a consideration of cause and effect. - -For practice: place ball 1 on the centre of the =Ｄ= on the baulk-line, -put ball 2 a foot up the table in the central line, play 1 full on 2 -with varying strength, at first with strength to carry 2 to the top -cushion; the truth of the stroke will be shown by 2 passing over all the -spots in the central line and 1 following slowly in the same line for a -short distance. When tolerable certainty is acquired play the same -stroke harder, and if correctly struck ball 2 will return from the top -cushion and meet ball 1, kiss as it is called, in the central line. The -stroke can be made more difficult by placing ball 2 further up the -table, say on the centre spot, and playing as before, and again by -placing it on the pyramid spot. This practice, though it may seem -uninteresting, is most useful; it combines and continues that -recommended for one ball with that required for truth of stroke on -another. It also, as will hereafter be shown, is directly useful in the -matter of cannons, hence it should be assiduously practised. - -[Illustration: - - Fig. 5 -] - -Next set ball 2 upon the central line at such a distance from the -baulk-line as the player can imagine its division described on page 133, -and play ball 1 so as to make three-quarter, half, and quarter-ball -strokes with some confidence. This distance will no doubt vary with the -stature and sight of the player, but 2 feet may be tried as about -average. If P, P′, P″ be the points of impact for the various divisions, -ball 2 will, after the strokes, travel in the directions R, R′, R″, each -being the prolongation of a line from the point of impact through the -centre. Ball 1 will behave differently according to the strength with -which it is struck; what is always true is that it will travel in a -contrary direction to ball 2. If the one ball goes to the left after -impact the other will go to the right. Played with strength 1 or 2, -impact being at P, ball 1 will follow through the space which ball 2 -covered, and will stop slightly to the right of the line A B. With -impact at P′ or a half-ball stroke, ball 1 will deviate further from the -line A B, and travel in the direction D, A C D being the half-ball -angle; when played quarter-ball, impact being at P″, ball 1 will deviate -less from A B and travel towards E. The object of this practice is to -accustom the eye to recognise approximately the directions taken by both -balls after impact. - -A small matter which is a little obscure connected with the language of -billiards should here be noticed. In placing ball 1 for a stroke, it is -usual, and generally desirable, to select a spot from which the angle 1 -C D shall be what is known as the half-ball angle, and certainty in play -is greatly based on the power of recognising this position. Consequently -in time players, perhaps unconsciously, refer almost every stroke to -that angle as a standard. If a hazard or cannon is on the table, they -consider for a moment whether the angle contained between the two paths -of ball 1 is greater or less than the half-ball angle, and to the best -of their ability they apply compensations to meet the difference, -playing fuller and harder when the angle is less, finer and slower when -the angle is greater, until a following stroke becomes necessary. -Nevertheless, the universal custom is to define the situation when the -angle is smaller as _wider_, and when the angle is greater as -_narrower_. Thus the position 1 C D is called wider than 1 C E. Clearly -it is so only as regards the deviation of ball 1 from the prolongation -of its original path—that is, from the path which would have been -followed if there had been no impact—consequently the angle of deviation -must be defined as that between the new actual path of ball 1 and the -path that would have been described if the deviation had not taken -place. This being accepted, the ordinary use of the terms _wider_ and -_narrower_ is appropriate. - -In this and in all diagrams as far as possible the lines followed by the -centres of balls are shown; hence, as the centres cannot touch each -other or the cushions, the lines do not reach to the surface of either, -but are necessarily short of the point of impact by the length of the -ball’s radius. Ball 1, after impact other than full, describes a curve -due to the forces to which it is subject; this is greater in proportion -to the strength of stroke, and though in practice its effect must not be -neglected, it is not ordinarily shown in the diagrams, which do not -pretend to absolute accuracy, but merely to such measure of correctness -as is required for practical purposes. An illustration of the curve, and -a warning when its existence must not be overlooked, will be found in -Chapter V. - -[Illustration: - - Fig. 6 -] - -From the strokes recommended in Chapter III. for practice it will have -been learnt that in a general way a ball played against a cushion will -return therefrom, so that the angle of reflexion shall be nearly equal -to the angle of incidence. A useful two-ball practice based on this is -to place balls 1 and 2 on the table and endeavour to play on 2, having -first struck a cushion. The difficulty is to determine the point on the -cushion on which 1 must impinge so as to rebound on 2. - -The solution is approximately:—From ball 1 let fall 1 A perpendicular to -the cushion A C D; produce 1 A to B, making A B = 1 A. Join B with the -centre of 2; where that line cuts the cushion at C is the point -required. Play 1 so that it shall strike C and it will rebound on 2. -Similarly, if the second ball occupy the position 2′ the line from B to -its centre intersects the cushion at D; ball 1 played to touch the -cushion at D will travel to 2′. In a game of course the cushion must not -be marked, but in practice it will at first be found advantageous to -mark the spot sufficiently to guide the stroke and educate the eye. This -is easily done by placing a piece of chalk on the wooden frame of the -cushion just behind the spot to be hit, thus doing away with the need of -marking the cushion with chalk, which it is well to avoid. When it is -necessary to mark the cloth of bed or cushion, pipeclay such as tailors -use is preferable to chalk. Special attention is necessary to two facts: -first, the angle of reflexion varies with the strength; that is, a soft -stroke will come off very nearly at the same angle as that of incidence, -whilst with a hard stroke there is a perceptible difference; second, the -point on the cushion which should be hit must not be aimed at. This is -merely a modification of what has already been explained with reference -to the points of aim and of impact. Fig. 7 shows how very far a ball on -the line 1 P played, _i.e._ aimed at P, is from hitting that point; -instead of doing so it strikes the cushion at T; hence allowance must be -made in aiming, the length allowed on the cushion diminishing as the -angle approaches a right angle. When the stroke is at a right angle to -the cushion the points P and T coincide and no allowance is required. - -One reason why the angle of reflexion varies with the strength is that, -on impact with the cushion, the ball, being harder than the rubber, -indents it—makes a sort of cup, in fact, deeper as the stroke is -stronger. Friction with the cloth of the cushion has also some effect on -the angle, and there may be other causes at work; fortunately, it is -probable that one to some extent counteracts another. This practice from -a cushion is interesting as well as useful; at first the beginner will -be satisfied if he hits ball 2 anywhere and anyhow; but soon he will be -able to hit it on one side or the other, as he may wish, when the -distance ball 1 has to travel is not very great. Hereafter both cannons -and hazards will be mentioned, which must be played _bricole_, or off a -cushion before ball 2 is struck, and the practice proposed will make -their execution fairly easy and certain. We conclude this chapter, which -has covered important ground, with four illustrations of the division of -ball 2 at the moment of impact. A shows ball 1 applied to 2 for a -quarter-ball stroke, B for a half-ball, C for a three-quarter-ball, and -D for a full ball stroke; the phases varying between partial and total -eclipse. - -[Illustration: - - Fig. 7 -] - -[Illustration: - - Fig. 8 -] - - - - - CHAPTER V -PLAIN STROKES, WINNING AND LOSING HAZARDS, CANNONS: THREE-BALL PRACTICE - - -By the practice already recommended, the beginner should have become -fairly able to strike ball 1 in the centre, and familiar with the -divisions of ball 2; he may therefore with advantage proceed to play -natural or plain strokes. We prefer the term plain, partly because, ball -1 being struck in the centre, no rotation beyond that which is -self-acquired or spontaneous is communicated by the cue, and partly -because one stroke deserves the name natural as much as another. It is -as natural for a ball struck on its side to rotate round its vertical -axis as it is for a ball struck in the centre to have no such rotation. - -In billiards plain strokes cover a vast field; most of the certainties, -or strokes which should seldom be missed, come under that definition. -Their number is infinite, and it is impossible to give diagrams of more -than a few typical examples. The student can, without great effort, -multiply and vary them at will, and it is desirable that he should do -so, altering the strength and noting the behaviour of each ball after -the stroke. He will thus learn more than he can possibly acquire from -any book, however excellent, and will profit much if his practice is -occasionally supervised by a competent instructor. - -Let us begin with winning hazards. Place ball 2 on the centre spot; it -is then opposite the middle pockets. Choose one of them into which the -ball is to be played. From what has already been explained, it is known -that the ball should travel on a line drawn from its centre to the -centre of the pocket—that is, from C to A (fig. 1); also that the point -of impact must be where that line prolonged meets the circumference at -B, and that the centre of ball 1 must therefore, at the moment of -striking, be at P, B P being equal to B C, or the radius of the balls. -No matter where ball 1 may be situated, its centre has to be played on P -in order that the winning hazard may be perfectly made. - -Set ball 1 on the prolongation of A C, which is the line of the cue’s -axis. The player must place himself accordingly, and aim full at ball 2. -The stroke is precisely similar to that recommended for practice over -the spots, but easier, as the distances are shorter. It should be played -with various strengths. With a soft No. 1, ball 2 will roll into the -pocket, ball 1 following a few inches on the same path. If it diverge -there is error in the stroke, and endeavour should be made to correct -it. That is, the player should not be satisfied with the mere winning -hazard, which is very simple, but should by watching the path of the -balls, satisfy himself that the stroke was true. With No. 2 strength, or -a free No. 2, ball 1 will follow on, and eventually drop into the same -pocket. - -When tolerable certainty has been acquired, ball 1 may be moved to 1′, -1″, &c., either to the right or left of the original position. No good -can result from giving precise measurements for the various situations -of ball 1; it does not, indeed, greatly matter where it is set, so long -as the player can reach it with comfort; what is obligatory is that its -centre must pass over the point P. The limit of the stroke is when the -position 1^n is reached; thence, if correctly played, point B will just -be touched, and no motion to ball 2 be communicated. Hence, when the -path of ball 1 before impact is at right angles to that which 2 must -travel, the winning hazard is impossible. In other words, a right-angled -cut is impossible; such strokes sometimes seem to be made, but the -explanation will, on examination, be found in the size and shape of the -pockets. These winning hazards should be practised into both middle -pockets till a tolerable certainty or confidence is acquired. Some -persons will make the full, whilst others will play the fine strokes -best; and again, it will often be found that, when playing into the -right-hand pocket, there is a tendency to error on one or other side, -but when playing to the left-hand pocket the mistake is just reversed. -If the strokes are taken too full to the right, they will be made too -fine to the left. The proper procedure is obvious: by making a very -small allowance each way the mistake will be corrected, the eyes will -become educated, and the tendency to error will diminish. It need -scarcely be added that the kind of stroke in which one has least -confidence should receive the most attention; failure indicates where -practice is required. - -[Illustration: - - Fig. 1 -] - -Also, let the path of ball 1, after impact, receive close attention, and -as soon as some certainty in making the hazard is felt, let the exercise -consist quite as much in playing to leave ball 1 in or near a desired -place as in the success of the hazard. The value of this is all but -self-evident, and it is as important in pool or pyramids as in -billiards. - -Similar practice may, with advantage, be made to the top corner pockets, -ball 2 being placed on the billiard, and afterwards on the pyramid spot. -The rules for finding what point of 2 should be struck and the points of -aim are, of course, unaltered, but attention may usefully be given to -the following hint, based on the construction of the cushions at the -neck of the pocket. Whether a pocket is easy or not depends, perhaps, -more on this than on the actual width at the fall. If the channel is -gradually rounded off, with but little rubber in the sides, a ball once -in the neck is nearly sure to fall into the pocket; but if there is much -rubber in the sides, the same ball would expend its energy in rebounding -from side to side, and have no disposition to travel forward into the -pocket. Cushions cut square, as it is called, make the pockets more -difficult than those sloped gently away; the channel is narrower. - -Let ball 2 be placed between the spot and the top cushion, or anywhere -on a line connecting a point so chosen and the corner pocket into which -it is proposed to play. In this case the point of aim is no longer the -true centre of the pocket, nor even the centre of the portion of the -pocket which is open from position 2, but a point so chosen that ball 2 -may impinge on the neck or side of the pocket entrance, and thence drop -in. The accompanying sketch will show what is meant. If ball 2 were -played on C, the centre of the pocket, it would strike the cushion A, -and very probably rebound to the opposite side, and the hazard would -fail: but if, on the contrary, it strike the cushion B at a point T, -inside the neck of the pocket, then, unless played very hard, the hazard -will to a certainty be made. - -[Illustration: - - Fig. 2 -] - -With reference to the position of ball 2, C is termed a blind pocket, -because the full width at the fall is not open. Hazards into blind -pockets are therefore more difficult than those into open ones; -nevertheless, if the player is careful to observe the required point of -impact, and to allow accordingly in aim, such strokes can be played with -considerable confidence. - -When measurements are given whereby the positions of balls on the -billiard-table may be found, they must not be supposed to be absolutely -accurate. They no doubt are nearly so for the table and balls with which -the stroke was played for the purposes of this volume; but tables, -balls, cloth, and climate are subject to variation which may make -modification necessary, and, moreover, each man has a mode of using his -cue as peculiar to himself as is his handwriting. Therefore, once for -all, let it be understood that the diagrams and descriptions must be -treated as but approximate. All measurements from a cushion are from the -edge on which balls impinge to the centre of the ball whose position is -to be fixed; those from a pocket are from the middle of the fall. The -dotted lines with figures marked in Diagram I., example A, show the -measurements whereby the position of ball 2 is determined. Many mistakes -are made by inaccurate reading of instructions, and by failure to use -the measure correctly, but the eye will prove a useful check; for if the -position of the balls, when placed on the table, does not nearly -coincide with that shown in the diagram, there is an error somewhere -which a little patience and consideration will cause to be discovered. - -A few typical strokes are shown on Diagram I.:— - -A. Ball 1, on or near the right corner of the =Ｄ=; ball 2 7½ in. below -the right middle pocket, and 8 in. from cushion 3. The measurements are -in this instance shown on the diagram as a guide in other cases. - -Play a free No. 1 strength. Ball 1, after pocketing 2, should travel to -the top cushion, and so far back as to leave an easy winning hazard on a -ball on the billiard spot. With slight variation of the position, the -stroke may be played slower or faster, as may be desired. If the -strength is misjudged, and ball 1 should stop somewhere between the top -cushion and the desired position, a losing hazard in the left top pocket -may not improbably be possible. The positions of both balls may be -considerably varied, whilst the stroke remains virtually unchanged. The -further ball 1 is brought to the left along the baulk-line, the fuller -is the hazard, and the position of ball 1 after the stroke will be more -to the right of the spot than that shown in the diagram. - -B. Ball 1, 25½ in. from cushion 2, and 10 in. from the top cushion. - -Ball 2, touching the top cushion and 12 in. from the right top pocket. -Play a gentle No. 1, which will leave ball 1 about 7 in. from cushion 2 -and 14 in. from the top cushion. - -In this stroke ball 2 and the cushion are simultaneously struck, as will -be apparent if ball 1 be placed against ball 2 at the proper point of -impact; hence a very common rule is to direct the player to aim between -ball and cushion. The general rule however for finding the point of -impact holds good, and the fact that under the circumstances the cushion -is struck at the same time as the ball is merely a coincidence. - -[Illustration: - - Instead of Long Rest -] - -C. Ball 1, 3 in. from the left side cushion, and 9 in. from the left top -pocket. - -[Illustration: - - A DISPUTED SCORE. -] - -[Illustration: - - Diagram I. -] - -Ball 2, touching the left side cushion and 4½ in. from left top pocket. -Play a very soft stroke so that ball 1 may be left at 1′; a losing -hazard from the spot is then open. This stroke is best made if the -player stand close to the balls and lean over the table, making his -bridge for the cue _bouclée_—_i.e._ the forefinger bent round the cue. -If played in the usual way the stroke could not be reached without the -long rest, and the eye is then so far from the ball that error and -failure are probable. Any ordinary player can show the stroke, which is -quite easy and very useful. - -D. Ball 1, 5 in. from cushion 5 and 17 in. below the left middle pocket. - -Ball 2, 6 in. from cushion 5 and 7 in. below the left middle pocket. - -This is an example of a hazard to a blind pocket. Ball 1 should be -struck gently, and its position after the stroke will be in the -direction of the right top pocket. It is, in fact, a fine cut, and if -played with sufficient strength ball 1 may probably go into the right -top pocket. If ball 1 be placed 6 in. from cushion 5, the stroke is -slightly fuller and may be played slower; after impact the ball will -travel in the direction D E. - -Diagram II. shows positions for doubles, with which it is well to -accustom the eye. Though such strokes are not very much used in -billiards, they are occasionally of great value, and their principle is -based on the equality of the angles of incidence and reflexion. It is -clear that a double may be set up at almost any part of the table, and -it is well that several positions should be selected and played from -till some certainty is obtained; those shown in the diagram are merely -types. In these cases ball 1 is played full or nearly so on 2, and -position for a further score may with attention to strength be attained. -Doubles are used more in pool and pyramids than in billiards, and will -be treated in detail when the two former games are described. - -[Illustration: - - Diagram II. -] - -It may be as well to make a few remarks explanatory of the diagram. A is -an example of a double in baulk where the balls are easily reached. The -point A on the cushion where impact with ball 2 should take place is -half-way between the baulk-line and the bottom cushion. A ball played -from B to A should, if truly struck in the centre, fall into the left -bottom pocket. Place balls 1 and 2 as shown in the diagram on the line B -A, keeping 2 sufficiently far from the cushion to avoid a kiss; play -full, and 2 should be doubled. Again, let C be the middle point of -cushion 6, and imagine lines joining it with the right middle and right -top pockets. On these lines place the balls. A full stroke from ball 1 -to 2 should double the latter in the one case into the right top pocket, -in the other into the right middle pocket. - -Next, D is an instance of a simple double, from which in more ways than -one a losing hazard from spot may be left. Ball 1 is 24 in. from cushion -6 and 26½ in. above the middle pocket; ball 2 is 5 in. from the same -cushion and 20½ in. above the pocket. A full stroke will double ball 2 -into the right middle pocket, and ball 1 may be left near the line from -the left middle pocket to the spot. - -In the case marked E, ball 2 is just beyond the shoulder of the right -middle pocket, ball 1 being so placed nearly in a line from 2 to the -left bottom pocket that a full stroke about No. 1 strength will carry 2 -to the left top pocket. Ball 1 may be so played as to leave a losing -hazard into the left top pocket from a ball on spot. - -All these strokes should be played medium strength, say No. 1 or 2; in -practice it will be found that the angle of reflexion varies somewhat -with the strength, and in a less degree with the table. - -As great accuracy is of the highest importance in playing winning -hazards, it is evident that, when either ball has a considerable -distance to travel, the stroke should not be played too slowly; for in a -very slow stroke imperfections of ball or table tell more than when -greater strength is used. Also, before leaving the subject, it is -desirable to impress the reader strongly with the importance of the -remarks on pages 145–6 respecting play into a more or less blind pocket. -Attention to them is essential to good spot play and also to what is -called play at the top of the table. Clearing the dangerous shoulder of -the pocket is the secret of success. - -We now proceed to losing hazards, which with most amateurs form the -mainstay of the game; partly because being easier than winning hazards, -they are usually taught first, but mainly because they are possible with -a slovenly style and inaccurate striking which effectually prevent -success with winners. In reality, however, they will repay care and -accuracy as much as any other stroke, because, unless ball 2 be struck -in the proper place, it will not travel in the desired path, and the -result of a poor stroke may be success as regards the hazard, coupled -with leaving ball 2 hopelessly safe. When played with intelligence and -with due regard to the position of ball 2 after the stroke, they form -most excellent practice. Following the usual custom, these strokes may -be divided into short and long losers, and each will be separately -treated; at present, of course, plain strokes only being considered. It -is convenient to take the half-ball hazard as the standard or typical -stroke; it is the easiest for the reason given at p. 133, because aim is -taken at the edge of ball 2, a well-defined mark, instead of at an -indefinite point on the ball’s surface. Moreover, on billiard-tables -certain positions are recognised as affording half-ball losers, and -these are most valuable to a player as supplying the means, during play, -of testing and correcting his strokes or his judgment of angles. It -often happens from many causes that a man’s eye or nerve partially -fails, which failure destroys confidence and begets still worse play; he -probably before long gets a stroke from one of the many positions which -should be played half-ball. The mere effort to recognise the situation -tends to arrest demoralisation, whilst the success which follows correct -recognition goes far to restore equanimity and confidence. That is one -reason against wantonly altering the positions of the spots on the -table, the size of the =Ｄ= and such matters; though, no doubt, if the -game can thereby be certainly improved, the alteration is justified, and -in time players will learn similar positions under the altered -circumstances. Hitherto such changes have been made rather with the view -of cramping the play of one or two men, and so placing others less able -or less diligent on a par with them, than with the object of making an -undeniable improvement in the game. Such modifications under the pretext -of reform are much to be deprecated. - -Taking the billiard, pyramid, and centre spots as fixed points on the -table, Diagram III. shows with sufficient accuracy the lines of -half-ball strokes to the top pockets. Let the billiard spot be -considered first. From either top pocket there is a half-ball stroke to -the opposite one; also from either middle pocket there is similarly a -half-ball hazard into the opposite top pocket. Next, from a ball placed -on the pyramid spot there are half-ball hazards from either corner of -the =Ｄ= into the top pockets; and, lastly, from a ball on the centre -spot, half-ball strokes to either top pocket may be made from positions -about 7½ in. to the right and left of the centre spot of baulk. Precise -accuracy in definition of these strokes is not attempted; tables and -balls vary, whilst no two men strike exactly alike; hence each must work -out for himself the exact position for a half-ball stroke; it will in -every case be reasonably near the lines indicated. - -Diagram IV. illustrates several losing hazards, all good for practice. -For the group marked A, place ball 1 on an imaginary line from the -centre of the red spot to the upper edge of the shoulder of the left -middle pocket about half-way between them, where it can be conveniently -reached by the player; it is then in position for a gentle half-ball -stroke to the right top pocket. When correctly played, impact with ball -2 takes place on the central longitudinal line of the table, and -consequently 2 travels to the top cushion on that line, and returns on -the same path a shorter or greater distance according to the strength of -stroke. A very gentle one will bring ball 2 back to the spot; a medium -stroke will result in leaving it near the pyramid spot, and it can be -brought further down the table if desired; but for practice at this -stage endeavour should be made to leave ball 2 between the red and -pyramid spots on the centre line. If this is effected, ball 2 has been -truly struck; should it return to the right of the line it has been -struck too full, and if it rests to the left of the line too fine. So -that here again we have an index which points out error and shows what -is required for its correction. The hazard is so easy that after a -little practice it will seldom be missed, and for that reason it should -be worked at till it becomes what is called a certainty. - -[Illustration: - - Diagram III. -] - -Then from A lay off, in the direction of the right middle pocket, a -series of positions marked A′ A″ A‴ A⁗, each about 1¾ in. from the -other, and from each of these play the hazard. The point of impact -should be the same in every case, therefore the point of aim will vary -slightly with the change of position; but the chief variation in the -stroke lies in the strength employed. - -For the position A′ the strength is about No. 2, and ball 2 should be -left on the central line L L between the centre spot and the bottom -cushion. For A″ the same stroke a little stronger, ball 2 returning from -the bottom cushion towards the centre spot: and so on. It is seldom -necessary to practise beyond A‴ in dealing with plain strokes. The -strength required for this stroke is considerable approaching No. 4, and -ball 2 should travel beyond twice the length of the table. In all these -strokes endeavour should be made to keep ball 2 travelling on the line L -L; this will be found not quite an easy matter, and sometimes divergence -may not be from any fault of striking, for an imperfection in the ball -which might account for an error of half an inch or less in 6 ft. would -produce a perceptible deviation during a journey of 24 to 30 ft. -Nevertheless, the prime source of failure is to be looked for in a -faulty method on the part of the player, who, if he cannot easily remedy -what is wrong, should without hesitation revert to the practice -previously prescribed. After some work at this he will probably find -that ball 1 was not being truly struck, and will amend the fault. These -strokes should then be transferred to the other side of the table, -making the hazards into the left top pocket. They are very conveniently -played with the left hand, and the player who can use both hands almost -indifferently has a great advantage over a purely one-handed performer. -It is entirely, we think, a matter of resolution and of practice. At any -rate, these strokes should be played from both sides of the table till -they can be made without difficulty. - -[Illustration: - - Diagram IV. -] - -Example B exhibits a valuable stroke of common occurrence. Ball 1 is on -the line from the left top pocket to the spot. That line should be taken -from a point nearer the top than the side cushion. Ball 2 should be -struck so as to drive it as indicated, half a foot or more above the -right middle pocket on to the cushion, whence it rebounds and comes to -rest conveniently over that pocket. A similar stroke should be played -from the right top pocket, and there is as usual a little license as to -the position of ball 1; it may be further from or nearer to the pocket -than is shown in the diagram, and also a little above or below the line -indicated, and still be a plain stroke; when the divergence is greater, -side is required, and the methods of play will be hereafter explained. - -The strokes marked C on this diagram afford admirable practice for -middle pocket losing hazards; for their results record plainly the -errors committed. They have been selected because the point of impact on -ball 2 is in the central line of the table; therefore, as has been -already shown, its path should lie on that line. Another advantage these -strokes possess is that from each position of ball 2 precisely similar -hazards may be made into the right and left middle pocket. - -Place ball 2 in the central line of the table, 24 in. from the -baulk-line. A half-ball hazard is open from either the right or left -corner of the =Ｄ=. Ball 2 should pass up and down the central line, the -distance varying with the strength; for simple hazard practice it should -be brought back to its place before the stroke was made. Next bring ball -2 1½ in. down the central line; place ball 1 10 in. from the centre of -baulk; play as before. - -This stroke may be repeated by bringing ball 2 down the central line 1½ -in. each time, till a position 18 in. from the baulk-line is reached. -When nearer than this the stroke is so far changed that the strength -must be reduced, so that ball 2 shall not return from the top cushion, -but shall be cut towards one of the top pockets, and as the position of -ball 2 approaches the baulk-line it will be found desirable to place -ball 1 further and further back in the baulk within the limits of the -=Ｄ=. Ball 1 is placed 1½ in. towards the centre for each stroke up to -the fifth when ball 2 is 18 in. from baulk. Whilst accuracy should be -aimed at, its perfect attainment is impossible; in playing these strokes -occasionally a very good one may be made, and ball 2 may keep very close -to the central line. Oftener, however, there will be divergence, and -hence it is well to recognise limits within which the stroke, though not -very good, may yet suffice to leave ball 2 in play. In the diagram the -lines P M and Q N, drawn from the corners of the =Ｄ= parallel to the -sides of the table, form such boundaries. If ball 2 be left anywhere in -the space so enclosed, and as far down the table as the spot, there is -almost certainly a plain hazard to be made off it from baulk into either -top or middle pockets. - -Other and easier middle pocket hazards may be indefinitely multiplied, -and should be practised till the person playing acquires confidence, not -merely that he can make the stroke, but that he can vary the strength at -will from such delicacy as scarcely to move ball 2 to one which will -bring it in and out of baulk. A few examples are given in Diagram V. - -A. Ball 2, 16½ in. from cushion 3, 12½ in. below right middle pocket; -ball 1 on right corner of the =Ｄ=. Play half-ball about No. 2 strength, -leaving ball 2 placed for a hazard in the left middle pocket. Ball 2 can -be brought back nearly over the centre spot, and the danger of the -stroke is that, if played too fine, ball 2 will lie near cushion 6 and -be practically out of play. - -B. Ball 2, 15½ in. from cushion 3, 6 in. below right middle pocket; ball -1 on baulk centre spot. Play half-ball No. 2 strength, leaving ball 2 -with hazard into right middle pocket. - -C. Ball 2, 21 in. from cushion 5, 10 in. below left middle pocket; ball -1 on baulk centre spot. Play half-ball No. 2 strength, bringing ball 2 -back over or near the centre spot of the table. With slight variation of -strength and aim ball 2 can be brought back into almost any desired -position on the table. - -D. Ball 2, 9 in. from cushion 5, 23½ in. below left middle pocket; ball -1, 5½ in. to the right of the centre of baulk, or on position 5 of -Example C, Diagram IV. Play a half-ball slow No. 1. Ball 2 will travel -to the side cushion on a line at right angles to its face, or, in other -words, parallel to the baulk-line, and will return on the same line to a -distance varying with the strength. A medium No. 1 strength will bring -the ball back from 24 to 30 in. from the side cushion. There is great -latitude in placing ball 1 for this stroke, which can be made as far as -8½ in. to the right of baulk centre, the difference in play being merely -in strength. The further ball 1 is placed from 2 the greater is the -strength required, and as a consequence the further does ball 2 return -from the side cushion. This stroke is of the class called ‘jennies.’ -Each stroke here recommended for practice can be played from either side -of the table; and this should always be done in order that the eye may -become equally familiar with the angles into either side pocket. - -The next two examples (Diagram VI.) are of an importance which the -beginner may not at once realise, but which is abundantly clear to a -professional or to an advanced amateur. The hazards are in themselves so -easy that a very poor player can have no difficulty in making them; but -mark the difference between the right and wrong method of play. In the -first example the paths of ball 2 after impact are drawn, both when -rightly and when wrongly struck; and an examination of them will show -that if the proper method is followed, error in strength has much less -effect in leaving the ball out of play, and if the stroke is wrongly -played the margin for such error is comparatively small. The principle -here illustrated applies to many positions, and consequently the strokes -deserve close study. - -[Illustration: - - Diagram V. -] - -Example A.—Place ball 1, 40 in. from the top cushion, 7 in. from cushion -6; ball 2, 16 in. from the top cushion, 11 in. from cushion 6; play a -free stroke rather finer than half-ball; it is a bad stroke indeed which -leaves ball 2 out of play. Another good example is shown at B; ball 1, -24 in. from cushion 4, 4½ in. from cushion 3; ball 2, 13 in. from -cushion 4, 9 in. from cushion 3. Play a free stroke finer than half-ball -on 2, which will follow a course somewhat resembling that indicated. - -Diagram VII. may be thus set up:—Ball 2, 5 in. from left middle pocket, -½ in. above a line joining the centres of the two middle pockets; place -ball 1 7 in. to the right of the centre spot in baulk; play half-ball on -ball 2 a free stroke. Ball 2 must be very badly struck if it is left out -of play; it should strike the left side and top cushions and return to -position. If played improperly, it returns from the top cushion only, -and unless the strength is very exact is probably lost to play. Many -accidents may happen; it may be holed in the left top pocket, or, still -worse, catch in it and run safe under the top cushion; it may return -close to cushion 6 and come to rest either above or below the middle -pocket; in each case it is left in a more or less undesirable position. -If played too full, ball 2 will probably be left safe near cushion 2; -hence there are at least two types of wrong paths which might be shown, -but they have been omitted to avoid complicating the diagram. - -Having fairly mastered short losing hazards, the next step is to study -similar strokes into the top pockets from baulk. They are called long -losing hazards, and form an excellent test of a performer’s capacity at -the game of billiards, in which they fill an important part. They -require greater accuracy than the short hazards, because the balls have -to travel over a greater distance, so that correctness in placing ball 1 -for a plain half-ball stroke on ball 2 is of the greatest consequence. -Smoothness and truth in the delivery of the cue must not be lost sight -of, and a short reversion to the practice recommended in Chapters III. -and IV. for the attainment of these objects will prove to be of much -benefit. - -[Illustration: - - Diagram VI. -] - -The typical long losing hazard is made from ball 2 on the centre spot, -ball 1 being about 7½ in. from the centre of the baulk. Differences in -the elasticity of the balls will make a slight alteration in the best -position for ball 1; where it is considerable, 8 in. may not be too far -from baulk-spot, and where it is less 7 in. will suffice; the position -also varies with the strength of stroke. This hazard is rightly -considered a difficult one, and it cannot be mastered without much -application; it is indeed now of more value than of old, because in a -break when ball 1 is left touching another ball, the game is continued -by placing the adversary’s ball on the centre spot, the red on spot, and -playing from baulk. - -The stroke can be made with considerable difference of strength, which -varies of course with the position desired for ball 2. Ball 1 should be -struck in the centre (not below) about No. 2 strength; this will bring -ball 2 back over the middle pocket, the stroke being played half-ball. -If it be made ten or twelve times in succession on a clean table, the -path travelled by 1 after impact will be fairly visible, and it is an -instructive subject of study. First there is a straight line to within -the length of a radius of the point of impact, next there is a somewhat -violent curve, the result of the forward course suddenly modified by -impact, the rebound due to elasticity and the frictional action between -ball and cloth, and this in turn is merged into a second straight line. -The action described is not peculiar to this stroke, but is visible in -many others, and exists more or less in all, but this one forms a -favourable opportunity for observation. The path travelled by ball 1 is -roughly indicated in fig. 3, and the practical lesson to be learned -therefrom is that in playing cannons the curve must never be overlooked -or forgotten when the third ball lies within the sphere of its -influence. Reference has just been made to the impact of two balls and -the rebound which follows, a subject which was referred to in the last -chapter; it is of interest, and at this moment appropriate, to consider -the matter a little further. - -[Illustration: - - Diagram VII. -] - -[Illustration: - - Fig. 3 -] - -In fig. 3 ball 1 played on 2 impinges at T; 2 travels from T as shown by -the arrow. B C shows the line travelled by 1 after impact as it is -exhibited in the diagrams; but the true path is more nearly B D. Hence -it is clear that a cannon on ball 3 would just be missed, the position -of 1 being indicated in the act of passing 3. The tendency of the lines -B D and B C to approach each other and ultimately to coincide is -apparent. It is also clear that the magnitude of the curve B D depends -on the strength of stroke as well as on the elasticity of the balls. If -played very hard, it will be greater; if very soft, it will almost -disappear, the line of travel approximating to B C, in which case it is -evident the cannon would be made. - -The balls may for our purpose be assumed to be of equal density and -perfectly elastic; that is, they are equally hard, equally heavy, and -when they receive the shock of impact they recover their figure or shape -with a force equal to that which caused the momentary compression. What -happens more or less in every stroke in which one ball is made to strike -another is that at the moment of collision the round surfaces are -flattened by the shock, and impact is not confined to what is accurately -called a point, but is extended to this flattened surface, which varies -in size according to the strength of the stroke, the hardness of the -balls, and the part of ball 2 struck. In using a very perfect set of -ivory balls 2³⁄₃₂ in. diameter, in a stroke rather fuller than half-ball -with strength from No. 3 to 4, this temporary flattening was found to -extend to about the size of the head of a small tin-tack, say ⅒ in. in -diameter; nearly but not quite as large as the billiard balls shown in -the diagrams. The rebound is due to the reaction whereby the balls -recover their normal shape; in the case of ball 2, which was at rest -before impact, the effect is to make it travel on a line from the point -of impact through its centre; the effect on ball 1, which was not only -moving forward but also revolving, being to check its velocity, some of -which is imparted to ball 2, to rebound, and to assume a new path, the -first part of which is curved as a result of the blending of the various -forces to which it is subjected. In this explanation no pretence to a -mathematical solution is made; it is simply the result of watching the -behaviour of the balls and endeavouring to account for it by an exercise -of common-sense. Most persons who have played much must have noticed -occasional stains of red on the white ball; these were the results of -impact, and if carefully examined would be found to be small circular -spots; similarly all persons are familiar with the fact that the red -ball gradually loses its colour, which it parts with in the way here -noticed. - -Now to return to the long losing hazards; the usual mistake is to place -ball 1 for a stroke finer than half-ball, the result being that it -strikes the side cushion on the dangerous shoulder; therefore, when in -doubt, allow for this and place the ball for a full rather than for a -fine stroke. The hazard from ball 2 on the central point of the table -should be constantly practised, first into one top pocket and next into -the other, till it can be made with considerable facility and with -varied strength. Then let ball 2 be placed on the pyramid spot and ball -1 on or near the corner of the =Ｄ=; a half-ball stroke will make the -losing hazard into either top pocket. Care should be taken not to hit -ball 1 above the centre, and the strength should be about a soft No. 2. -Ball 2, after striking the top and side cushions, should come to rest so -that a middle pocket hazard may be left. - -Between these two hazards a number of others may be interpolated, the -most satisfactory plan being to set ball 2 at intervals of 6 in. from -the centre spot up the central line towards the pyramid spot as shown in -Diagram VIII. By this means six separate hazards are provided for -practice, or four are inserted between the two already described. Taking -these four 6 in. in succession above the centre spot; for the first, -ball 1 should be placed about 7 in. from baulk centre; for the second -about 5 in.; for the third about 2½ in.; and for the fourth on the -centre spot of the baulk. As before explained, these positions for ball -1 are but approximate; they require modification proportioned to the -elasticity of the balls, the personality of the player, and the strength -used. For example, from the position when ball 2 is on the centre spot -and for the next two positions, in playing with bonzoline balls it would -be prudent to place ball 1 from ½ to ¼ in. further from centre of the -=Ｄ= than the positions indicated. - -[Illustration: - - Diagram VIII. -] - -When the eye has become acquainted with the half-ball angle, ball 2 -should be set up anywhere within the lines P M, Q N (Diagram IX.), -between the centre and billiard spots, and practice continued. Unless -for some special purpose, endeavour should be made to leave ball 2 -within the space enclosed by these lines. - -On Diagram X. two hazards, when ball 2 is further up the table than the -pyramid spot, are shown. They are types of two classes, either soft or -strong strokes—forcing hazards, as they are called. A is of the latter -class; that is, though the hazard can be played quite gently by the use -of side, yet as a plain stroke from the left corner of the =Ｄ= the -strength required would be such as to make it probable that ball 2 would -be left in baulk after the stroke. To avoid this, place ball 1 so that -the hazard may be played with strength sufficient to bring ball 2 in and -out of baulk. Place ball 2 about 16 in. from the top cushion, and 26 in. -from cushion 2; ball 1 should be played from baulk 8 in. to the left of -the centre, a free No. 2 or No. 3 strength. Ball 2 will travel somewhat -as shown by the dotted line; if struck fuller it will go further and -keep better within the lines P M, Q N. - -[Illustration: - - Diagram IX. -] - -B is an example of a gentle stroke, and of a type which frequently -occurs in the course of a game. Ball 2, 4 in. from the left side cushion -and 4 in. from the top cushion. Place ball 1 on the baulk-line on the -left corner of the =Ｄ=. Play on to the left top cushion so as to rebound -on 2 about half-ball. As in most other strokes, there is considerable -latitude both as regards strength and the fulness or fineness with which -ball 2 may be struck. A few trials will show where it is desirable to -place ball 1 if a very gentle stroke is required, and where it should be -put if a stronger one is wanted. That the latitude both as to the -position of ball 2 and to the point of aim is great is clear from the -results of a number of trials, ball 1 being played at a point on the -left side cushion about 18 in. below the top cushion; the path taken by -ball 2 varied generally between the two shown on the diagram; when it -was struck full or nearly so, it impinged on the top cushion at R, and -travelled towards the pyramid spot, and sometimes beyond it; when struck -fine it was cut towards M, and of course did not travel so far. It is -useful to be able to play this stroke when ball 2 is at some distance -from the pocket until, in fact, the direct losing hazard becomes -possible, and therefore it should be practised till the eye can select -with tolerable accuracy the point of the cushion at which ball 1 should -be aimed. This method of playing by first striking a cushion or -_bricole_ is too much neglected in the English game, which suffers -thereby; when played it is often considered a fancy stroke, whereas -numerous plain strokes, specially cannons, are advantageously made by -its judicious use. Seeing that play from a cushion is sometimes -imperative, as, for example, when player’s ball is in hand and a -certainty left in baulk, _bricole_ practice from a variety of positions -will well repay the labour bestowed. - -What has been mentioned about the elasticity of balls and the consequent -rebound after impact has a special importance in treating of cannons. -This class of strokes has a tendency in the recent development of the -game of billiards to supersede in a measure losing hazards which -formerly, without doubt, were the mainstay of our players. The -inferiority of losing to winning hazards in respect to influencing the -game was conclusively shown when the spot stroke was played, but that -stroke was rarely formidable save in professional hands; the amateur, as -might be expected, clinging to the easier losing hazard. When the spot -stroke was barred, a substitute had to be found, and in a great measure -this has been supplied by the cannon, chiefly, no doubt, in runs or -series of strokes called nurseries (of which more will be said -hereafter), but also by strokes which have the result of leaving the -three balls close together, _gathering_ them, as the Americans say. To -deal fully with these involves the use of side and of other refinements -of play with which as yet the student is not supposed to be familiar; at -present attention is confined to plain strokes, which include those made -direct from ball to ball and those made after impact with one or more -cushions, but all played without side. - -[Illustration: - - Diagram X. -] - -[Illustration: - - Fig. 4 -] - -The general rule to be observed as to strength is to make it -proportional to the distance to be traversed and to the angle between -the paths of ball 1. That is to say, the smaller the angle between balls -1, 2, and 3, the greater the strength required. Figure 4 shows at a -glance what is meant. Ball 1, played half-ball on 2, cannons on 3, as -indicated by the lines. The nearer 3 approaches the position 3′, which -is nearly at right angles to a line joining the centres of 1 and 2, the -harder must the stroke be played. When it passes the right angle and -approaches to 3″, screw is required in addition to strength; that is, -ball 1, though still truly struck in its vertical central line, must be -struck below its true centre. Hence it may be said that, the greater the -angle or the finer the stroke, the more gently should it be played; the -smaller the angle, or the fuller the stroke, the greater is the required -strength. - -The other point of importance is common to all plain strokes, but may -here be usefully repeated; the player should stand for the stroke so -that the line from 1 to 2 prolonged through 1 backwards shall form the -axis of his cue. - -Another matter never to be forgotten is that the finer the stroke the -less velocity ball 1 loses, and consequently the less is imparted to -ball 2; the fuller the stroke the more 1 loses and 2 gains. - -[Illustration: - - Fig. 5 -] - -It is evident that, in every instance given of losing hazards, if ball 3 -be substituted for the pocket the stroke will be converted from a hazard -to a cannon; indeed, if that ball lie on any part of the path of ball 1 -after impact or within the distance of a radius (1¹⁄₃₂ in.) on either -side of the path, a cannon must result. Hence the examples for losing -hazards are equally available for practice cannons, the eye-training for -the requisite angle being the same. The cannon is in fact easier than -the hazard, the target being nearly equal to the width of two balls, as -fig. 5 shows; 1 played on 2 may just touch 3 to the left, when it would -occupy the position 1′, or it may just touch the other side as shown, -1″. The width of this target varies with the distance between balls 2 -and 3; at greatest it may be taken as double the size of a ball, or 4⅛ -in. The pocket on the other hand is usually 3⅝ in. at the fall, the -target it presents being under the most advantageous circumstances -somewhat larger; on the other hand, when it is blind the target is -reduced. - -A few cannons useful for practice, which if properly played result in -gathering the balls, that is in leaving the three balls together, or so -placing them that another stroke is left, are shown in the accompanying -diagrams. In every case when indication is desirable the path of ball 1 -is marked by a thin line; that of ball 2 by a dotted line; and that of -ball 3 by a line consisting of a dash and dot alternately. In some cases -the positions of the balls after the stroke are indicated thus:—1′, 2′, -3′; 1′ being the position which 1 has taken, and so on; in other cases -this is not done because the situations are somewhat indeterminate, and -also when the balls are but slightly moved the diagram would be confused -and needlessly complicated. - -The cannon shown in Diagram XI. is not merely an excellent plain stroke -for practice, but the position is not infrequently met with or played -for in a game, and is of a type which will repay close attention. As in -all other cases, the measurements are merely approximate, and it is -evident that a great variety of similar cannons can be set up simply by -varying the position of ball 2. For ball 3 is supposed to be on the -spot, and ball 1 in hand, so that a slight change in the position of -ball 2, either up or down the table or in its distance from the side -cushion, merely entails a corresponding move of ball 1, so that the -cannon on ball 3 may always be played a soft half-ball. In the present -instance, ball 2 is 18 in. from cushion 6, and 6½ in. above the central -transverse line of the table. If ball 1 be placed a little to the left -of the baulk centre, say from 1 to 2 in., and played half-ball, so as to -do little more than reach ball 3, and cannon on its right side, ball 2 -will be brought towards the spot from which ball 3 has not been far -removed. The balls may not improbably be left in the positions 1′, 2′, -3′, in which case there is an excellent opening; but it must not be -expected that in every instance fortune will be equally favourable. -Still, unless the stroke is very badly played, the three balls will be -left not far from each other, and at the top of the table, and that is a -sufficient recommendation. The stroke, when correctly set up, simply -requires a true half-ball plain stroke, with attention to strength. If -ball 3 is sometimes hit on one side, sometimes on the other, and -occasionally missed altogether, the inference is that accuracy in the -half-ball stroke is wanting, and it is well to try and recover that by -the methods previously recommended; when confidence is restored, then -pay particular attention to the strength. Do not be satisfied till ball -3 is displaced from the spot not more than a few inches, say under six. -Hence, in this class of cannons, which, like all other strokes, should, -whenever possible, be practised under professional supervision, the -first thing to do is to place ball 1 correctly for the half-ball angle; -the next is to strike 2 precisely half-ball; and the last is to regulate -the strength so that ball 1 shall strike ball 2 very gently. These -remarks are to some extent general, and may be usefully applied, at the -reader’s discretion, to many strokes. - -[Illustration: - - Diagram XI. -] - -Diagram XII. shows a variation of the stroke just described; ball 2 is -still 18 in. from the left side cushion, but is 3 in. below the central -transverse line. There is, it is clear, a losing hazard into the left -middle pocket from about the right corner of the =Ｄ=; but it is a better -game in this position to place ball 1 2½ to 2¾ in. left of the baulk -centre, and play the half-ball cannon. If ball 2 were further from the -side cushion, the losing hazard would become the better stroke, and this -example may be considered as almost the limit at which the cannon is to -be preferred. The balls will approximately follow the paths indicated, -and their positions after the stroke may be about 1′, 2′, 3′, a fair -chance remaining for continuing the break; and if, as will often happen, -ball 1, placed a little wider or played a little finer, should strike -ball 3 on the other side, _i.e._ on the side next the left top pocket, -then ball 3 is driven towards the right top pocket, leaving a hazard (a -winner for preference) into it, ball 2 is left, as before, near the -spot, and the situation is still eminently favourable. If played a great -number of times, some unfortunate results will occasionally happen; the -three balls may be left in a line, all nearly touching the top cushion, -and ball 1 between 2 and 3; even then a way may be found out of the -difficulty, but at present the plain cannon is being considered, and it -is difficult to set up on the table a better practice stroke. - -[Illustration: - - Diagram XII. -] - -The cannon shown in Diagram XIII., though apparently a little different, -is, in reality, played precisely like the others; the results, too, are -in a way the same, for the three balls are gathered at the top of the -table. The main difference is that, the cannon being made off the top -cushion, ball 1 is generally left above ball 3—a situation not so -favourable as when ball 1 is below the other two balls. It often -happens, however, that ball 2 is so left that a losing hazard from it -into the left top pocket can be made, and the break may be thus -continued. The further it is desired to bring ball 2 towards the left -top pocket, the more towards baulk centre should ball 1 be placed; and -the nearer to the spot it may be wished to leave it, the finer should -the stroke be set. One advantage of practising this stroke is that -confidence is acquired in making the cannon from the cushion, which is -in this instance greatly preferable to playing a forcing stroke direct, -though many persons, thinking of the cannon alone, would erroneously -select the latter mode of play. A substantial gain is made when the -player has recognised that the stroke is almost exactly like the two -just described, and that the top cushion may, save in a small extra -allowance of strength, be completely ignored. - -On Diagram XIV. two cannons are shown; to that marked A special -attention is invited. The position, or a similar one, often occurs, and -is as often incorrectly played by amateurs, when balls 2 and 3 are on -the table, and 1 in hand. Thinking solely of making the cannon, the -player usually spots 1 towards the right of the baulk for a half-ball -stroke. Result, a cannon and separation of the balls, 2 being doubled -towards baulk, 3 carried up the table and not improbably lodged in -safety under cushion 6. - -Place ball 2, 14 in. from cushion 5, 30 in. below the left middle -pocket. - -Ball 3, 11 in. from cushion 5, 17 in. below the left middle pocket. - -Ball 1, 9 in. to the left of baulk centre. Play a gentle stroke on 2 so -as to double it from the cushion to 3 and with strength sufficient for -ball 1 to reach 3. The three balls will be left close together and not -far from the left middle pocket. Care must be taken to prevent the balls -being left in one straight line, and also to avoid a kiss between balls -1 and 2 before the cannon. - -[Illustration: - - Diagram XIII. -] - -Example B, though not of so common occurrence as A, is also an excellent -practice stroke. - -Ball 1, 5½ in. from cushion 3, 21½ in. from the bottom cushion. - -Ball 2, 4 in. from cushion 3, 33 in. from the bottom cushion. - -Ball 3, in front of the left top pocket, 3 or 4 in. from it. Play a -centre ball stroke, about half-ball on 2, with strength to carry 1 to -3—say a free No. 1. Ball 2 will double from cushion 3 and join 1 and 3 -near the left top pocket. - -In this stroke accidents may happen, and if it be missed by a hair’s -breadth the adversary will rejoice. Ball 3 may be cannoned into the -pocket and ball 2 may also go in; but, if played often, the result will -generally be satisfactory and the stroke is therefore a fairly sound -one. If ball 3 were the red, it would be prudent to play so as to leave -ball 2 somewhat behind and thus reduce the danger of losing it in the -pocket. A little consideration will show that the varieties of this -stroke are numerous, and that by means of some of them the three balls -may be brought to the top of the table. - -The strokes shown in Diagram XV. exemplify that most useful class of -cannons in which the velocity of ball 1, struck often with considerable -force, is almost wholly transmitted to ball 2, and 1 retains little more -than is required to reach 3. This is achieved in the first place by -playing as full as the cannon will admit of on 2, and next by a peculiar -use of the cue, which the French term _arrêté_ because it is grasped and -not permitted to follow the ball more than an inch or two after -delivery. The stroke is a stab, and its intensity can be varied by -raising the butt of the cue. The point of ball 1 to be struck is, as -before, the centre, but delivery instead of being horizontal is at a -smaller or greater angle with the surface of the table. The stroke is -made as though the striker desired to stab the ball through its centre -to the table. It springs away with more life than can be communicated by -a horizontal stroke, and parts with that life on impact with 2 more -readily, and therefore expires or comes to rest on reaching 3 with -greater certainty. The stab is not required in every case, but where -ball 2 has a long path to travel and ball 3 is at a right angle from 2 -or less, it cannot be dispensed with. Classified as a stroke, it may be -placed between the horizontal centre and the screw, which will be -described in the next chapter, whereby ball 1 is made to return towards -the point of the cue after impact with 2. - -[Illustration: - - Diagram XIV. -] - -A simple form of these cannons is shown at A on this diagram. No -measurements are required, as the position is perfectly simple and -equally good for practice when varied according to pleasure. It can be -conveniently played when ball 3 is on the pyramid spot, ball 2 about 6 -in. from it and rather nearer the player, ball 1 being between the -player and 2 near the latter as shown. Play ball 1 nearly full on 2 with -strength sufficient to cause its return from the cushion to 3, which 1 -should reach but scarcely move. When played as shown across the table -the stroke is always a gentle one, and when the balls are close to the -cushion from which 2 has to return it must be played very softly indeed. -The usual faults made in playing are that 2 is struck too hard and too -fine, the result being that the three balls separate instead of coming -together. - -For B, a pretty little stroke useful in turning the corner at the left -top pocket, the following measurements will help in placing the balls, -which can however be set up from the diagram with sufficient accuracy. - -Ball 1, 5½ in. from cushion 6, 22½ in. from the top cushion. - -Ball 2, 3½ in. (full) from cushion 6, 16½ in. from the top cushion. - -Ball 3, 8½ in. from cushion 6, 13 in. from the top cushion. - -Play a gentle stroke on 2 from ¾ to ½ to the right so as just to reach -3; 2 will return from side and top cushions, and the three balls will be -left together. It is evident that this stroke may be adapted to any -corner of the table, an exercise which may be left to the student. - -[Illustration: - - Diagram XV. -] - -Example C. - -Ball 2, 19 in. from cushion 6, 16½ in. from the top cushion; ball 3 on -the spot; ball 1, 18 in. from cushion 6 and 12 in. from the top cushion. - -Play a little less than full on 2 with strength to bring it back from -the bottom cushion to the neighbourhood of the spot; ball 1 to travel to -3, which it moves slowly towards the right top corner pocket. - -This stroke as exhibited at C is not very difficult, though some -moderate execution is required, and an intelligent application of the -stab will give more perfect control of the balls. As ball 3 is placed -further from 2 and nearer the top cushion, so does the stroke require -greater skill and judgment, the stab then becoming more necessary, as -the energy or life of ball 1 must expire about the moment it reaches 3, -otherwise the success of the stroke is much endangered. - -Diagram XVI. shows a position of the balls which at first sight is apt -to be regarded with dissatisfaction by the player. - -Ball 2 is too near cushion 2 and too far from the right top pocket for a -certain losing hazard; say 28 or 29 in. from top cushion and 5½ in. from -the side. - -Ball 3 is 3 in. from cushion 6 and 12 in. above the middle pocket. - -Ball 1 is in the central line of the table, from 9 to 13 in. below the -pyramid spot. - -Play No. 1 strength finer than half-ball on 2, which strikes cushion 2 -and travels towards ball 3; ball 1 makes the cannon off cushions 2 and -1, and sometimes off cushion 6 as well. - -[Illustration: - - Diagram XVI. -] - -The danger of this stroke is that balls 1 and 2 may kiss just before -ball 3 is reached, the result being disappointment for the player and a -good opening for the adversary. In the modern game, however, a man -should look for success to skill and enterprise which, though not -without risk, lead to rapid scoring, rather than to tactics of -obstruction, so dear to the heart of respectable mediocrity. The results -of this stroke will be found to vary considerably. Sometimes ball 3 will -be placed over the left middle pocket with a winning or losing hazard -for next stroke. Again, if the cannon is made on the right side of ball -3, ball 1 will travel below the pocket, and the next stroke will -probably be another cannon. It is clear that this type of stroke can be -modified at will; ball 1 may remain fixed whilst ball 3 is moved up the -left side and 2 down the right side of the table, or ball 1 may be -shifted a little up or down the central line; the limits being when -losing hazards become preferable to the cannon. - -[Illustration: - - High Bridge for a Cramped Stroke -] - - - - - CHAPTER VI - ON THE ROTATION OF BALLS - - -The subject of this chapter is a very difficult one to deal with in a -manner at all satisfactory, and the writer is conscious that the want of -minute knowledge, both theoretical and experimental, must render the -task before him formidable in every way. Yet there is no intention of -evading it, for the remarks which will be offered for consideration are -based on a lengthened observation of the behaviour of billiard balls -under various conditions, and will, it is believed, prove of interest, -if not of use, some to one person, others to another, even though put -forward in an unscientific manner. - -In most books on billiards the subject is avoided; a chapter (of a page -or two) is devoted to side, and those writers who have dealt with it -most briefly have probably made the fewest mistakes. An exception, -however, must be made in the case of M. Vignaux, in whose ‘Manual’ -endeavour is made, with considerable success, to explain many phenomena -in a homely way; and as the observations and deductions therein recorded -often agree with those arrived at in this book independently, it is not -remarkable that the courage which the Professor has shown in attempting -a difficult subject should be admired, and that the skill which has led -him to no small measure of success should be praised. Besides, in trying -to convey instruction the teacher is much assisted, and the learner -finds his task more easy, in proportion as the reasons for orders are -understood. A rule whereby a player is desired to use right-hand side -for a certain stroke from baulk to the top of the table, and left-hand -side for a similar stroke from the top to baulk may be perfectly -correct; but it is much more likely to be remembered and put in practice -at the moment of need if the reason why has been explained and is known. -Hence, some space will be devoted to the consideration of rotation, and -it may be that when attention is drawn to the various effects, or some -of them, due to this cause, a better qualified writer may be induced to -study and deal with the subject in a more scientific and satisfactory -manner. If this should happen, the remarks now made, however imperfect -and conjectural, will not have been thrown away. - -It has already been brought to the reader’s notice that a ball, when set -in motion by the stroke of a cue, does not merely slide forward, but at -once commences to rotate round its horizontal axis, which is at right -angles to the axis of the cue, or the path of the ball. That is, in -addition to the movement of displacement, or movement from one place to -another (which can be effected by taking the ball in one’s fingers and -placing it down in its second position), called by the French -‘translation,’ there is generated a distinct movement of rotation, which -is for the most part latent and invisible till after impact with another -ball or with a cushion. - -That the motions are distinct is evident; for a ball or a cube may be so -pushed or removed from one spot on the surface of the table to another -that no rotation results. Again, the same ball may be made to spin or -rotate by the action of the fingers, and dropped vertically on the -table, so that no impulse forwards or backwards is communicated, and yet -no sooner does the ball fall on the cloth than it will commence to -travel in a line at right angles to the axis of its rotation. Hence, -both motions may produce displacement or translation, and when both are -at the same time active in a ball the path travelled, whether straight -or curved, is the resultant of the two movements. - -[Illustration: - - In Or Out Of Baulk? -] - -Now at p. 132–3 the divisions of balls were explained, and the same -figure will suffice to assist in defining the various classes of -rotation used in the game of billiards to effect different purposes at -the discretion of the player. There are four main divisions, -corresponding to the four sectors into which the lines H B and G D -divide the ball. - -(1) Forward rotation, or follow, is communicated by striking the ball on -the line C H above the centre C. - -[Illustration: - - Fig. 1 -] - -(2) Backward rotation, retrograde, or screw, is obtained by striking the -ball on C B below the centre. - -(3) Right side,[15] or rotation round the vertical axis H B from left to -right, is attained by striking on the line C D; whilst - -(4) Left side,[15] or rotation from right to left, results from striking -on C G. - -And these can manifestly be combined; thus, the ball struck in the -sector C H D has both follow and right side; struck in C D B the -combination is screw and right side; in C G B screw and left side; and -in C G H follow and left side. These are the practical divisions for -purposes of play, but it must be borne in mind that so long as the cue -is delivered horizontally the path travelled is the prolongation of its -axis, of a line parallel to that axis, and the effect of the rotation -communicated does not show itself, save to a very minute extent, till -after impact with a ball or cushion. Then it becomes immediately -apparent and often bewildering in the strangeness of its results. Who, -for example, has forgotten the feeling of awe with which he first -contemplated the result of a well-executed screw, ball 1 striking ball 2 -smartly and thence returning to the point of the cue? And to this day -the most consummate masters cannot explain some of the strange results -whose practical effects are sufficiently well known. - -Before passing from this figure it may be as well to explain that the -maximum of rotation can best be effected, or most side given, by -striking at the ends of the diameters H B and G D, on the principle of -the lever being longest at those ends; but practically the limit is -reached at the point on either line beyond which a miss-cue would -result. Each player will in time find out this point for himself, and it -is remarkable how practice improves the power. With it a man can hit -clean and sharp further out on the arm of the lever—that is, further -away from the centre—than is possible for an untrained person, and it -will be found, moreover, that in time and by practice a delicacy of -touch and increase of effect are acquired. - -But what is this rotation, what causes it, and how is it regulated? - -The main factor, or at any rate the main reason whereby its effects -become visible and are regulated, is friction with the cloth or bed of -the table. If balls were perfectly smooth, the bed also being equally -hard and smooth, and if they were unaffected by the resistance of the -air and the force of gravity, once set in motion they would continue to -slide along for ever within the limit of the length of the bed. They -would not roll, but would slide as a curling stone does on smooth ice. -But the practical condition of affairs is different. In the first place, -the surfaces of the balls, be they never so finely finished, instead of -being smooth, are if examined under a microscope found to be palpably -rough. The cloth, too, no matter how well stretched or of how fine a -texture, is both soft and rough. A ball at rest on it is standing in a -little cup, whilst one travelling forms a narrow groove, along which, it -is plain, resistance will vary according to its direction and that of -the nap of the cloth. If with the nap the friction will be less, if -against it more. - -[Illustration: - - Fig. 2 -] - -Hence it follows that in considering the motion and rotation of billiard -balls on a table, we must picture to ourselves a toothed-wheel working -on a toothed-plane, and one toothed-wheel working into another, rather -than a perfectly smooth surface on a similarly perfectly smooth plane, -or two perfectly smooth spherical surfaces in contact. - -The accompanying drawings, in which the roughness is purposely -exaggerated, will convey the idea better than much elaborate -description. No. 1 shows a ball in contact with the cloth, and No. 2 one -ball in contact with another. From these it is easy to realise that a -ball rotating has a bite of the cloth, and will travel along it in the -direction of the rotation, and also that a ball rotating round its -vertical axis brought into contact with another must transmit a portion -of its rotation, the effect of which is to make the second ball revolve -in the opposite direction, precisely after the manner of one -toothed-wheel working into another. Such transmitted side is no doubt -very small and difficult to perceive, save in the matter of results -which cannot otherwise be accounted for. It is indeed probable that side -can in this way be communicated to a third ball provided it be touching -the second ball. By its means certain kiss strokes can be made which -without the use of side are impossible. The subject is undoubtedly -complicated, and the suggestions here offered may be wrong; they are -those which, after much consideration, have commended themselves as most -in agreement with known facts concerning the rotation of bodies, and as -accounting for the behaviour of billiard balls in a manner which is not -repugnant to common-sense. Nevertheless it must be admitted that -absolute proof of transmitted side can scarcely be said to exist, that -many experienced persons deny its existence, and, moreover, it is never -safe to jump to conclusions. - -Let us now consider the four classes of rotation which have already been -defined, and begin with forward rotation or follow. This is the most -important of all; for, as will be seen, it is present and active in -almost every stroke unless special means are employed to counteract it. -It is generated in two ways—spontaneously, and by striking the ball -above its centre. - -When a ball is struck by a cue in the centre, no rotation is thereby -communicated. Its first impulse is to slide along with a velocity and -for a distance proportionate to the force employed. But the instant that -motion is communicated, resistance to sliding forward is experienced. -The ball then is subjected to two forces, one from the cue impelling it -forward, and the other a retarding force caused by the friction of the -cloth. The impelling force drives C in the direction M, and the friction -or retarding force acts on B in the direction B N. The point B is -thereby retarded, and the result of the two forces is that C travels -towards M, whilst A advancing, B being retarded, a rotatory motion is -produced whereby A at the top gradually lowers its position till it -reaches the bottom and rests on the cloth. It is evident that this -spontaneous rotation exists in every plain stroke; it is separate from -the mere displacing or translating force, and has a separate life. One -may outlive the other; an ordinary example of this is when ball 1 is -played full on ball 2. When the distance between them is small, little -or no rotation has been acquired and the force of ball 1 is transmitted -to ball 2, the former remaining nearly stationary, or dead, after -impact; but when there is considerable distance between 1 and 2, -rotation is well established and asserts itself after impact, which -destroys the life of the force of displacement or translation. Thus ball -1 on impact stops merely for a moment, for rotation coming into play -carries it forward on its original path. A very common illustration of -this is unpleasantly familiar to young pool players. They cannot prevent -their own ball from following into a pocket after a long straight -hazard. - -[Illustration: - - Fig. 3 -] - -But follow can be increased or accelerated artificially, and the object -of doing so is to augment the progress of ball 1 after impact. No gain -in propulsion results from hitting a ball over the centre, for what -rotation gains translation loses, and when there is no obstacle to run -or follow through it is a mistake to strike above the centre, for a ball -will travel less truly when so struck, and further, should it encounter -unperceived obstacles, such as grit, or dust, or tobacco, the tendency -to leap is enhanced by follow, and the result is greater or less -deviation from the true path. - -The chief use, then, of follow is to control deviation and prevent -stagnation after impact. When a fine stroke becomes dangerous a follow -may not only be safe, but may be played so as to leave a good game. The -stroke should be delivered gently, smoothly, and the cue should be held -as horizontal as possible, the butt being lowered, and the bridge raised -so as to bring the tip opposite the part of ball 1 to be struck. After -impact the point of the cue should be permitted to follow on with a -flowing motion. Another and at first sight quite different use of follow -is to decrease the velocity of rebound from a cushion or from a ball -touching a cushion. The reason is that after impact rotation is -reversed, and a stroke which reaches a cushion with follow rebounds with -retrograde or drag. If played with strong follow, the ball will not -improbably leap in the air after impact, and either stop short on -reaching the bed or even return towards the cushion. As is perhaps -evident from what has been explained, follow is very useful when balls 1 -and 2 are so close that little or no rotation can be spontaneously -acquired; its absence is supplied by striking ball 1 above the centre. - -The next rotation to be considered is round the same axis—horizontal—as -follow, but is in the opposite or backward direction, whereby what we -call ‘screw’ and ‘drag,’ the French ‘retrograde,’ and the Americans -‘draw,’ are effected. The point of aim is on the line C B (p. 191, fig. -1), and the lower the ball is struck the greater the rotation, the limit -being as usual where a miss-cue would ensue. To ensure striking low, the -cue should be made to bear somewhat heavily on the bridge between the -thumb and forefinger, and the butt should be slightly raised. The result -of the stroke is that ball 1 is forced forward but does not acquire -spontaneous rotation, that being counteracted by the inverse rotation or -screw communicated by the cue. If the stroke be played the length of the -table close observation will disclose a different behaviour of the ball -from that which results from a plain stroke. In the first place, the -ball will start for an equal transit or length of path with greater -initial velocity, it will slow down much more abruptly, will apparently -stop for a moment, and then continue its course till it comes finally to -rest. Analysing this path, the first portion is traversed by the ball -with inverse rotation and under the influence of a stronger stroke than -would have been necessary had it been struck in the centre; the slowing -down is the struggle between the screw or backward rotation artificially -given and the spontaneous or forward rotation naturally acquired; the -momentary check or stop is when the one rotation exactly counterbalances -the other, and the ball on an instant slides forward without any -rotation; and the final part of the course is when (the backward -rotation being dead) the spontaneous rotation has conquered, and in turn -dies with the force of displacement or translation. That is what is seen -when a master of the art plays with drag. He uses it to overcome -irregularities in the ball or bed, and is by its means enabled to -combine the advantages of a strong and of a gentle stroke. If ball 1 -cannot be trusted the length of the table for a slow hazard or cannon, -the player strikes it comparatively hard with drag; the ball then runs -fast over the greater length of its course, but pulls up in the manner -and for the reasons above described, and reaching ball 2 with gentleness -does not displace it to any great extent. - -That is the complete stroke; but if it should happen that ball 2 is so -near ball 1 that impact takes place before the backward rotation is -dead, if the stroke be full the whole of the forward motion -(translation) is communicated to ball 2, and ball 1, which has -apparently stopped for a moment on the spot which ball 2 occupied, will -return towards the point of the cue by reason of its inverse rotation or -screw. The result is what is known as a ‘screw back stroke.’ The more -full ball 1 is played on ball 2, the further will that ball travel and -the greater will be the recoil and screw back. The finer ball 2 be -taken, the less velocity will be imparted to it and the less will be the -return of ball 1. Screw back is not possible, unless, perhaps, the balls -are very near each other, if ball 2 be struck half-ball or finer. - -When the student has acquired confidence that he can play ball 1 on ball -2 direct and full and screw back, he may with advantage study the -various angles at which ball 1 will come off ball 2 when hit at certain -divisions between full and half-ball. A convenient mode of practising -these strokes is to place ball 2 on the baulk-line, and ball 1 6 in. to -8 in. below it. - -Thus, if ball 1, struck three-quarters low, or wherever the player can -communicate most screw, be played full on ball 2, the latter will travel -up the table parallel to the cushion, whilst ball 1 will return over the -position it occupied, also parallel to the cushion, in the direction of -the bottom cushion. The distance travelled will depend on the strength -and truth of the stroke as well as on striking ball 1 so as to obtain -the maximum reverse rotation. That is the limit in one direction of the -screw stroke; the other limit is to aim at the edge of ball 2, ball 1 -being, as before, struck three-quarters low. In this instance the path -of the latter after impact is along the baulk-line, or, in other words, -practically perpendicular to its path before impact. That is what is -known as a ‘right-angled screw,’ a most useful stroke to master, as is -evident after a moment’s consideration. In the first place, if ball 3 -were situated anywhere along the baulk-line, a cannon becomes a -reasonable probability; and next, if there were a pocket at either end -of the baulk-line, the losing hazard would be far from impossible. The -way to acquire confidence in this right-angled screw is to begin softly, -but always endeavouring to give ball 1 the maximum of screw. The beauty -of the stroke is that it is impossible to give ball 1 too much screw, -and that its path, when struck truly, must lie on the baulk-line; if it -leaves the baulk-line and goes up the table, then ball 2 has been struck -finer than half-ball, or ball 1 has had insufficient screw given, or -both; if it comes back from the baulk-line, ball 2 has been struck -fuller than half-ball. So here, again, is an example of a practice -stroke which records exactly the causes of failure, thereby saving much -time in fruitless inquiry, and pointing directly to the required remedy. - -Now, having acquired the power of bringing ball 1 back from ball 2 in a -direction perpendicular to the baulk-line, and also of screwing off ball -2 along the baulk-line, it follows that by subdividing ball 2 between -full and half-full, and by regulating the strength used, the path of -ball 1 after impact can be foreseen, and it may be made to travel -thereon with some certainty. Thus 1 played full on 2 returns towards A; -1 half-ball on 2 travels towards L or B; when struck fuller than -half-ball it returns towards C or K; fuller still towards D and H; and -so on in succession towards E, F, and G. Now the acquisition of these -strokes is not nearly so difficult as it seems, specially when a cannon -is played for, and the power and confidence acquired by knowing that -wherever a ball is situated—for example, anywhere on or near the various -lines drawn on fig. 4—there is a reasonable prospect of scoring, are of -great advantage. - -[Illustration: - - Fig. 4 -] - -In the example just explained ball 1 is supposed to be near ball 2, say -from 4 in. to 8 in. distant; when they are further apart the stroke must -be played with greater strength, and ball 2 must be struck fuller to -compensate for the tendency of ball 1 to travel past the position which -was occupied by ball 2 before the screw takes effect. As the distance -between the balls increases so must the strength of the stroke be -greater, and so also must ball 2 be struck more nearly full. - -This question of regulating the strength of screw strokes is of great -importance. The general rule is as above stated, but there are many -instances when a player, to obtain position, will vary the stroke. Thus, -in order to make ball 2 travel he will play fuller on it, reducing the -amount of screw, though the stroke might be equally certain if played -gently, half-ball, but with more screw. There must be no slavish -adherence to any one division of ball 2; the screw must be made at will -off a full, fine, or intermediate ball, and the strength must be varied -to suit the division of the ball, and the distance between the two -balls. - -At the risk of incurring the charge of repetition, let it be further -explained (for this elementary fact should never be forgotten) that the -reason why greater strength and more screw must be used as the distance -between the balls is increased is because of the tendency ball 1 has to -develop rotation in the direction of its path. When the balls are near -each other but little spontaneous rotation can be acquired, and -therefore ball 1 need not be struck hard or very low; when they are very -near, the spontaneous rotation is so slight that in order to screw it is -unnecessary to strike ball 1 below the centre. On the other hand, when -the distance between the balls is increased, the opportunity for -acquiring forward rotation or follow is greater; and greater, therefore, -must be the strength and screw used for its conquest. That being so, it -is further necessary to abandon attempts to screw off the finer -divisions of ball 2. Endeavours to do so will end in failure, for the -needful strength will carry ball 1 past ball 2 and the screw will be -overcome. Hence the necessity for playing more and more full on ball 2 -as the strength of stroke is increased. The fuller the stroke the more -is forward motion transmitted to ball 2, and the less is the screw -imparted to ball 1 interfered with. These matters, which are very -difficult to deal with in a lucid way on paper, can be plainly -demonstrated on the table without much trouble; there the student should -repair with his instructor, and soon what may seem confused and useless -in the above remarks will appear plain and of great value. - -[Illustration: - - Fig. 5 -] - -The consideration of regulated screw leads to the insertion of fig. 5, -in which a class of strokes of common enough occurrence, but little -relished by players whether amateur or professional, is illustrated. -They are intermediate between the path of a forcing stroke and that of -the right-angle screw. Now the latter, though decidedly difficult when -the balls are far apart, say 2 ft. or so, yet admits of some certainty -in playing, for it represents about the maximum of most men’s power; but -the intermediate strokes, though they require less execution, are yet -oftener missed, because the player has no definite measure of them, no -guide or clue to which he can trust. - -If the paths represented from ball 1 to ball 2 and then to ball 3 be -those of a hard forcing stroke, and the paths 1 to 2 and 2 to 3A those -of a right-angle screw, the strokes referred to lie between the two, and -may be represented by the dotted lines from 2 to 3B, 3C, &c. The balls -may be set up as shown; ball 1 on the right spot of the =Ｄ=; ball 2 at -the same distance from the side cushion line and opposite the centre of -the middle pocket; ball 3 anywhere between the pocket and the limit of a -forcing stroke in the positions marked 3B, 3C, &c.; or ball 1 may be -advanced nearer to ball 2, in which case the strokes are easier. In -either case practice at these intermediate angles will not have been -thrown away if the remarks and advice respecting screw be appreciated -and followed. Do not forget that when played with strength ball 1 will -pass beyond ball 2 before the screw takes effect. - -In practising the straight screw back it is advantageous to keep the cue -exactly in position after the stroke, which, if true, will result in -bringing ball 1 back to the tip. Also the behaviour of ball 2 after each -stroke should be noted, in order that when playing in a game its -position may be approximately foreseen. Always chalk the cue before -attempting a screw. - -Rotation round a horizontal axis having been considered, it is necessary -now to examine side, or rotation round a vertical axis. This is -communicated by every stroke of the cue which is not delivered precisely -on the vertical line H B (fig. 6), and is, as may readily be conceived, -generally applied unintentionally. In fact, much of the preliminary -practice has been recommended in order that the power of striking a ball -without side might be acquired. Still, when intelligently used, side -gives great additional scope to a player and will well repay attention -and study. To discuss right side and left side separately is -unnecessary, for the one is simply and solely the reverse of the other. - -Side, or rotation round the vertical axis, does not convey to a ball a -movement of displacement or translation; on the contrary, its tendency -is to bring the ball to rest, precisely as a top when thrown with heavy -spin at first gyrates or travels a little, but soon comes to rest, or -sleeps, whilst revolving at a great rate. Hence it follows that some -compensating strength has to be used when playing with side. - -Now, the student cannot have got so far, supposing that the various -strokes have been practised, without having acquired some knowledge of -the effect of side. He has learnt, for example, that the more out of the -centre his ball was struck, the more did the angle of reflexion vary -from the angle of incidence; if struck on one side, the angle of -reflexion was enlarged; if struck on the other side, it was diminished. -Side also makes some, though less evident, modification in the angle of -deviation after impact with another ball. The proper mode of -communicating side to a ball by means of a cue must now be considered, G -H D B is a ball standing on the table T T; H B is its vertical axis, C -its centre, E and F represent the cue-tips at the moment of striking the -ball: E for right side, or side which tends to take the ball towards the -right, and F for left side, which will carry the ball to the left. It -will be observed that the cue is delivered on the central horizontal -line, for on it the maximum of rotation round the axis H B can be given; -in other words, the height of the stroke is precisely the same as that -for a plain or true centre stroke, and is equal to half the height of -the ball. - -[Illustration: - - Fig. 6 -] - -The next point is the proper alignment of the cue. In a plain stroke it -has been shown that the path of ball 1 previous to impact is the -prolongation of the line of the cue’s axis. For a side stroke, the point -of aim being the same, the only difference is that ball 1 must be struck -on the side instead of in the centre. Hence, to preserve the same path, -the cue’s axis must be parallel to that in the plain stroke and distant -from it in proportion to the amount of side to be given. - -Fig. 7 illustrates the chief points connected with side strokes, and -admits of comparison between them and an ordinary plain stroke. Ball 1 -played half-ball plain on ball 2 travels the path shown by the -continuous line 1 1′ 1″ and 1‴, and the angle at which it comes off the -cushion is nearly equal to that of approach. The position of the cue is -the central one on the prolongation of the path 1 1′. The same stroke -played with right side is thus effected: the cue is moved to the right, -its new axis being parallel to the original axis. The stroke is -delivered in precisely the same way and in the same direction, save that -the point of ball 1 struck by the cue is to the right of the centre. -Ball 1, if struck with the strength of a full No. 1 or more, travels -practically the same path until it strikes ball 2, after which it -deviates slightly to the right, following the path marked by dot and -dash alternately, and reaches the cushion at R, whence it flies off at -an enlarged angle in the direction of R′. Right side for the stroke -figured increases the velocity of ball 1 after impact with the cushion, -from which it shoots perceptibly faster than does a ball plainly played. -Hence, this side is termed direct, being given in the direction that the -ball is intended to travel. - -Played with left side, the cue is shifted to the left of the centre, but -is still parallel to the original direction. As before, on delivery of -the stroke ball 1 travels to ball 2, but after impact follows the dotted -line 1′ L L′, returning from the cushion at once more perpendicularly -and with reduced speed, the left side with which ball 1 is charged -tending to reduce velocity, specially after impact with the cushion. In -respect to this stroke, left side, conveying as it does rotation in a -direction contrary to that of the ball’s path, is termed reverse. Of -course, if the other side of ball 2 were played on, the left side would -become direct and the right side reverse. - -[Illustration: - - _EDGE OF CUSHION_ - - Fig. 7 -] - -There, in a nutshell, lies nearly all that is essential in the matter of -side. A man with ordinary powers of thought can for himself apply the -lesson either to cannons or to losing hazards, and nothing but practice, -as far as possible under the supervision of a master, will suffice to -produce the confidence and certainty which is necessary to good play. Be -careful about the alignment of the cue; see that the left hand, which -forms the bridge, is so placed that the part of forefinger and thumb on -which the cue lies is precisely opposite the point on ball 1 to be -struck, and as there is special danger of a slip or miss-cue when much -side is used, never neglect to chalk the cue carefully before the -stroke. Attention to this, though it seems but a small and self-evident -matter, will save many a game and much temper. - -There are, however, certain other matters connected with rotation which, -though not so important as what has already been explained as far as the -game of billiards is concerned, are yet of considerable interest, partly -as they affect the game, but chiefly in so far as they may add to our -knowledge of the various forces which affect a ball in motion. Amongst -these is the side which may be acquired from friction with the cushion. -The probability that such side is so acquired is understood, but the -conditions are little known. M. Vignaux remarks that it depends on the -angle of impact, on the velocity, and on the strength; and he gives as -an example a plain stroke played gently in a corner of the table, when -the ball always has a tendency to come off at a diminished angle of -reflexion, specially when the angle of incidence is about 45. The side -acquired is probably greatest when a ball is played along and touching a -cushion; if played from baulk up the left cushion the tendency would be -for the ball to acquire right side, and up the right cushion left side; -but all such strokes are complicated by the much more important friction -with the cloth on the bed of the table. It is unnecessary here to -speculate further on a matter which so slightly influences the game. Of -vastly greater significance, though its action is still most imperfectly -apprehended, is the effect of the nap of the cloth on the rotation and -path of a ball. Amateur players scarcely understand the subject at all, -and no doubt the habitual strength with which they play in a great -measure destroys or smothers the effect of the nap, which tells more -when the execution is delicate. There is also another reason why they -are ignorant of its effect, which is that markers, to please the great -majority of their patrons, smooth and iron away the nap in order to make -the table faster. By this means they ruin it for the very few who can -play, for without plenty of nap the slow screws and gentle side strokes -will not tell, the ball, so to speak, cannot obtain a bite or grip on -the cloth, and the result is that strokes which should be played softly, -and from which the position of the balls can be foreseen with some -accuracy, have to be forced, and an ignorant hard hitter may on such a -cloth defeat a player of a much higher class. Thus the common fault of -amateurs, in attempting by strength results which should be effected by -skill, prevents them from acquiring a practical knowledge of the use of -nap, which is consequently sacrificed, to the detriment of the game. It -is scarcely an exaggeration to say that there are but few tables in -London clubs the cloths of which are in fit condition for play. - -Now, though the professional scarcely understands better than the -amateur why the game can be more scientifically played on a cloth with -nap, yet from practice, and because of his habitually gentler touch, he -prefers a slower table and a cloth with proper nap. For all serious -matches a new cloth is used; and in some cases when the game is very -long, extending for two weeks, a condition is made that one player shall -supply the cloth for one week and the other for the next. Of course -there is a limit to the amount of nap which is desirable; it is quite -possible to have a cloth which is too coarse and rough, but the usual -mistake is the other way. Persons are apt to think that the more -friction is reduced the better; but it is not so, and even an average -club amateur would find if he tried to play on glass or ice how -impossible many ordinary strokes would become. - -In a general way, in very delicate strokes side should be reversed when -playing against the nap. Many examples can be shown, and a good -professional will easily set them up on the table. One may be mentioned -here, as it affords an excellent illustration of the general principle. -If ball 1 be in baulk, almost touching the left cushion, and it be -desired to run a _coup_ in the left top pocket, a gentle stroke with -side next the cushion, or left side, will cause the ball to hug the -cushion and fall into the pocket. But reverse the stroke, play from the -top of the table down the same cushion; if cushion side, or right side, -be used, the ball will run fairly straight as long as the forward force -(translation) overcomes or neutralises the side; but whenever the latter -can assert its power the ball will show a distinct tendency to leave the -cushion altogether. It will even strike the bottom cushion 6 in. away -from the side cushion, and return towards the latter by reason of the -side. Play the same stroke with left side—_i.e._ side away from the -cushion—and as soon as the side tells the ball will most distinctly hug -the cushion, and if repelled from it will endeavour to return again. At -present the full effect of playing with or against the nap is neither -understood nor practised, but it has attracted attention, and the more -skilful and thoughtful players are studying and utilising its effects. -It is sufficient here to notice a refinement of play from which -considerable development may confidently be expected. - -[Illustration: - - Fig. 8 -] - -Many diagrams are unnecessary for this chapter, which is rather an essay -or series of suggestions on matters connected with rotation than part of -a manual of billiards; examples of following, side, and screw strokes -will be dealt with in the next and subsequent chapters. Still, practice -is useful at this stage, and some strokes are accordingly indicated. The -opening stroke of a game may be taken as the first example. Place ball 1 -in baulk on or close to the baulk-line A B and at a convenient distance -to reach, say, the centre spot, or, perhaps better still, an inch or so -beyond it, in order to avoid playing from a spot which, however thin, -must on a new cloth, at any rate, be raised above the general level. If -the player stands at A, he should strike ball 1 with right side and -strength sufficient to take it to the cushion above B and back as nearly -as possible to the central longitudinal line of the table, or below the -centre baulk-spot, thereby securing a good position, marked P, and -making his opponent’s next stroke, also usually a miss, as difficult as -possible. If played from B, left side must be used, and the stroke must -be practised till complete confidence as to angle and strength is -acquired. Then marks should be set up at C, D, E, F, and each stroke -practised till ball 1 can be brought with fair accuracy to follow the -lines B C, B D, B E, and B F, which, as is seen from the figure, will -result in a _coup_ in the left bottom pocket. At first this is about the -maximum of side a beginner can command, but after some practice he will -succeed in striking the bottom cushion near G, a stroke which is useful -when a ball is left over the pocket, as a losing hazard may be made with -sufficient strength to bring ball 2 out of baulk. These strokes should -be played from B as well till some certainty is acquired. They are very -useful for disturbing a double baulk, and even for scoring from one, and -a good break so made has a somewhat disconcerting effect on the -adversary. - -A side stroke played back to baulk is shown in Diagram I. Place ball 1 -on the right corner of the =Ｄ=, and play on the left top cushion 14 in. -above the middle pocket with a little right side a free No. 2 strength; -the ball should follow approximately the course indicated, and run into -the left bottom pocket. Similarly played from the other corner of the -=Ｄ= to the right top cushion, the ball should fall into the right bottom -pocket. These strokes are often useful in a game when a double baulk is -given and one or both balls are over a pocket. A little modification -too, either by aiming higher or lower on the top side cushion, or by -using more side, makes this stroke available for cannons in the -neighbourhood of the bottom pockets, and for disturbing the balls when -the adversary has left a certain score for himself in the corner. - -[Illustration: - - Diagram I. -] - -The next stroke is also well worth acquiring. It is differently played -by different people, but the main point is to bring the ball on to the -bottom side cushion a few inches below the middle pocket. If that is -done the path thence is practically a straight line to the centre of the -bottom cushion. It is interesting to practise thus: place balls 2 and 3 -as shown in Diagram II. on the central longitudinal line of the table, -ball 3 near the bottom cushion, and ball 2 immediately above, but not -necessarily touching it. Set ball 1 on the baulk-line about the centre -spot, play at the side top cushion, 30 in. from the pocket, a free No. 2 -with a little direct side. The stroke can be played off either right or -left side top cushion, and should be tried from both. It can also be -made from the corner spot of the =Ｄ=, aiming at a point 15 in. above the -pocket, if the stroke be played more gently and the side correctly -regulated. It follows, therefore, where there is so great possible -divergence in the manner of play, that each person should find out that -mode which best suits him, and practise till confidence is gained. The -cannon may be made in many ways, sometimes as indicated, on other -occasions ball 1 will strike the bottom cushion first and thence cannon -from 3 to 2, and so on, showing that there is considerable latitude for -error in striking. Once the player realises the path of ball 1 from -below the middle pocket to the centre of the bottom cushion, it is clear -that many possibilities of scoring cannons in baulk are opened. The -reader can no doubt supply them for himself, and it is well that he -should take the necessary thought to do so; but one example is -indicated. If balls 2 and 3 occupy the positions 2′ and 3′ the same -stroke will probably result in a cannon. Mr. John Roberts often uses -this stroke or a modification of it, and when the result is successful -the delight of the spectators is unbounded; they applaud and regard him -with the awe and respect due to supernatural power. Yet there is nothing -remarkable in the stroke. Mr. Roberts knows approximately the course of -the ball after it has struck the bottom side cushion, he sees that ball -2 is on or near that path, and therefore that there is a fair certainty -of his hitting it, and if he does so on the proper side the cannon on 3′ -or 3″ is probable. It is well to be conversant with strokes of this -nature, though as a rule they should only be resorted to when clearly -necessary, and never used simply to show off or to bring down the -gallery. - -Other examples might obviously be added, but these are sufficient to -illustrate the principle, which is, when learning the stroke, always -play it as nearly as possible in the same way and under the same -circumstances. The result is that the eye becomes familiar with the -tracks of the ball, and then moderate ingenuity and observation will -serve to guide the player when he may make use of his knowledge to -advantage in a game. - -This chapter, wherein are raised interesting and suggestive questions -which may hereafter be more thoroughly investigated and applied to the -game, may be appropriately closed by an illustration, the idea of which -is borrowed from ‘Modern Billiards,’ the text-book of the American game, -prepared by the Brunswick-Balke-Collender Co. of New York. - -[Illustration: - - Diagram II. -] - -Place fig. 9 so that A is in position for reading, and _follow_ is -illustrated. Reverse it, bringing B into position, and _screw_ or _drag_ -is shown. Bring C into position for reading, and a _side stroke_, in -this case right side, is represented; and if this be reversed, D being -brought into position; the _massé_ stroke, which will hereafter be -explained, is seen. - -[Illustration: - - Fig. 9 -] - - - - - CHAPTER VII - MISCELLANEOUS STROKES - - -Under the above heading it is proposed to describe a variety of strokes -many of which may be played in different ways, according to the position -which it is desired to leave. Some of these are genuine strokes, whether -plain or whether rotation is applied; others partake rather of the -nature of tricks, but as they do not contravene existing rules they must -be treated as legitimate, and their effect on the game is so important -that they must not be neglected in any manual. Following strokes belong -to the former class, and are of much importance to the game; the -principle involved in playing them was explained in the last chapter. -The number of such strokes which may be set up on the table is infinite, -whilst the examples here given are necessarily few. They have, as in -other cases, been selected after much thought, and being in some -instances strokes commonly met with in a game, similar diagrams will be -found in other books on billiards. Yet this does not involve plagiarism, -for in many instances repetition cannot be avoided, as will be apparent -when the spot stroke is described. - -Endeavour has been made to give examples which may readily be varied at -the will of the player, and so that slavish adherence to the -measurements given may be unnecessary. This is important, for not only -do tables vary slightly in make, but persons vary the manner of -measuring. The diagrams, as before, must simply be considered -approximate, but are, it is hoped, sufficiently correct and intelligible -to enable a careful reader to set up the strokes when disposed for -practice. - -Diagram I., stroke A. - -Ball 1: 34 in. from cushion 2; 23 in. from cushion 1. - -Ball 2: 30½ in. from cushion 2; 37 in. from cushion 1. - -Ball 3: 24½ in. from cushion 2; 50 in. from cushion 1. - -Strike ball 1 one-half above the centre, a free No. 1 strength, play -nearly full (between three-quarters left and full) on ball 2, and cannon -gently on ball 3; ball 2 will follow the course indicated or some -modification thereof, and after contact with two cushions rest near the -middle pocket; ball 3 will also be driven gently in that direction, and -the situation of the three balls after the stroke may be as indicated by -the figures 1′, 2′, and 3′, leaving, as is evident, an excellent -opportunity for further play. Played fifty times, this stroke may never -result twice precisely alike; yet it is scarcely possible to make the -cannon and fail to leave a good opening. That is one beauty of the -stroke. Even if, as will happen occasionally, ball 1 cannons fine on -ball 3 (which it may easily do in a slight variation in the stroke) and -runs into the pocket, ball 2 comes up from the bottom cushion and there -is a fair chance of scoring from baulk. There may, of course, sometimes -be an unlucky leave, but if the stroke be played with freedom this will -rarely happen. The general fault made in all following strokes is to -play too fine on ball 2, specially when some strength is used; hence it -is prudent to play what seems to be rather too full. This should never -be forgotten; ten strokes are missed because they are played too fine -for one that fails because it was played too full. - -Another set of measurements which may be substituted for those given, -and which will exhibit a somewhat similar stroke, are here appended. -They are taken from the same cushions, which are not therefore again -indicated. - -Ball 1, 33 × 27½ in.; ball 2, 31 × 36 in.; ball 3, 20 × 52½ in. This -stroke and many variations of the same type will suggest themselves to -the player, and may with much advantage be practised. At first sight -position A might seem to an amateur a rather unfortunate conjunction of -the balls; yet see what an excellent opening may be left in one stroke! -It is the power to recognise such situations and to profit by them which -makes the great difference between players. - -[Illustration: - - Diagram I. -] - -Diagram I., stroke B. - -No measurements are needed. Ball 2 is on the spot, and balls 1 and 3 as -indicated. Ball 1, struck slightly above the centre, aimed at ball 2 -about ¾ right, medium No. 1 strength, will cannon on ball 3 and scarcely -disturb it, whilst ball 2 will return from the side cushion and the -balls will be gathered about ball 3. This is a very common position from -which endeavour is made to start a series of nursery cannons; but if -this is not desired, and if ball 2 be the red, then a winning hazard to -the left top pocket will leave a good opening for continuing play at the -top of the table. - -When balls 2 and 3 are touching the cushion, as shown in Example C, ball -1 being in hand or suitably placed on the table, the cannon can best be -made as a simple following stroke, because aim is easier when no side is -used. - -Play thus: Ball 1, ½ to ¾ high, No. 2 strength full on ball 2, which -will escape in the direction shown by the dotted line, whilst the follow -will cause ball 1 to run up the cushion and make the cannon. The stroke -may be played with left side and slower, with the advantage that the -position of the balls afterwards may be roughly foreseen, and that if -the cannon be missed direct it may be got off the top cushion. If the -losing hazard into the left top pocket be desired, then left side must -be used, for the pocket is as blind as possible, and the side is -necessary not so much to keep ball 1 close to the cushion on its way to -the pocket, as to cause it to enter the pocket after contact with the -shoulder of the top cushion. For the cannon, the further ball 1 is from -ball 2 the safer is it to dispense with side and trust to follow. - -Diagram II. shows types of losing hazards made by use of follow. Example -A may be set up by eye, measurements not being required. Play ball 1, -striking it about one-half left and over rather than under the height of -its centre; impact with ball 2 should be about three-quarters left or -fuller, and the latter ball will take a course somewhat as indicated by -the dotted line, on which it is evident that once out of baulk there is -a considerable margin as regards strength within which the ball is left -in play. If there is a heavy nap on the cloth, and if for some reason it -may be desired to play this stroke very gently, the reverse side may be -used, ball 1 being struck one-quarter right. The side acting against the -nap and outliving or predominating the forward motion (translation) will -powerfully draw the ball into the pocket. It is understood, of course, -that the reverse side is only used when playing against the nap of the -cloth. - -Example B,—Ball 1: 30 in. from cushion 5, 15 in. from cushion 4. Ball 2: -12 in. from cushion 5, 3 in. from cushion 4. This is a useful stroke for -practice, and may be played in many ways, either without side or with -it, either gently or with considerable freedom, according to the -position in which it is desired to leave ball 2. - -For a plain stroke deliver the cue medium No. 1 strength on ball 1 -rather over centre than under, striking ball 2 three-quarters right or -fuller; ball 2 will rebound off two cushions towards the centre of the -table, leaving the path of ball 1 to the pocket clear. This stroke may -be varied by advancing ball 1 on the line 1, 2; but as the distance -between the balls decreases strength should be reduced and follow -increased, the reason being that there is less space within which ball 1 -can develop rotation, which, therefore, must be artificially supplied. -Ball 1 may be retired on the same line, in which case the stroke is -plain—_i.e._ the cue is delivered on the centre of ball 1. - -It may also be played with side, which has two effects, both beneficial. -If ball 1 be struck one-half left on ball 2, as before, nearly full, the -side used tends to prevent the common error of playing too fine on that -ball, and further it enlarges the pocket, or, in other words, will cause -ball 1 to drop into the pocket even if it may have touched the dangerous -shoulder, as that corner of the cushion is called which partly blinds -the pocket. - -As a variation of this stroke, place ball 1 30 in. by 13 in., and ball 2 -12 in. from cushion 5, and touching the bottom cushion—_i.e._ ball 1 is -moved 2 in. nearer the bottom cushion and ball 2 is set touching it, the -other measurements being unchanged. Play with strong left side, striking -ball 1 above the centre; impact with ball 2 as before. The stroke may be -played with almost any strength desired, and the distance between the -balls may be varied; the usual error is to play too fine on ball 2, -probably from forgetting to allow for the difference between the points -of impact and of aim. As certainty is acquired ball 2 may be placed -further from the pocket, when the stroke, though otherwise similar, -requires greater accuracy. - -Example C is not of uncommon occurrence in a game, and is specially -useful when 2 happens to be the adversary’s ball which would be lost for -play if dropped into the pocket. By playing a free stroke with strong -left side full on ball 2, the latter is driven along the cushion, -catches in the shoulders of the pocket, and travels down the table, -leaving an open path for ball 1 to the pocket. Ball 1 should be struck -above the centre to secure follow, and with plenty of side, to cause it -to cling to the cushion. The stroke is an easy one, soon acquired; but -the same can scarcely be said respecting Example D, which, though merely -a variation, yet requires more judgment and accuracy. The difficulty, of -course, is how to give ball 2 time to take the corners of the pocket and -get out of the way. Solution is simple, and might be correctly arrived -at by a careful student who has read thus far; but the stroke requires -some neatness, and time and temper will be saved by watching an expert -and by playing before him. It is far from easy to describe such a stroke -so as to make its execution by another person certain; all that will be -said here is that, to give ball 2 the required time, ball 1 must after -impact travel very slowly, whilst ball 2 has considerable velocity, and -this is effected by delivering the cue slightly under the centre. If it -be struck too low or too sharply, it will stop altogether; and if struck -true centre or above, it will follow too soon and again collide with -ball 2, the result in both cases being failure. - -[Illustration: - - Diagram II. -] - -Diagram III.—Measurements are not required, as the balls can be placed -from the diagram with sufficient accuracy. From position 1″ the stroke -can be made by a well-executed screw either direct or off the top -cushion, but it is easier and more certain if played as a following -stroke; but from positions 1 and 1′ the screw is all but impossible, -whereas the high follow offers a reasonable prospect of scoring. Let the -cue be well aligned and let the player stand carefully, so as to ensure -free delivery. Get well down to the stroke; play ball 1 a free No. 2 -strength, three-quarters high, nearly full on ball 2; after impact ball -1 will follow a path somewhat as indicated, the curve being usually very -pronounced. The first and sharper curve is apparently due to the rebound -after impact modified by the strong follow, whilst the second and more -gentle curve is the result of impact with the cushion. The tendency of -the latter is, of course, to reverse the follow and send the ball down -the table; but the strong follow appears to fight with this, and to -prevail so far as to maintain its bias for the cushion and its -disposition to return towards it. Ball 1 may almost be placed anywhere -towards the left side of the table, and the stroke remains much the -same. As the distance between balls 1 and 2 increases, follow becomes -less necessary, its place being supplied by naturally developed -rotation. - -The variety of strokes which may be played on this principle is very -great. Too much force should not be employed, or that will in the final -conflict defeat the follow, of which it is ordinarily impossible to give -too much. - -Fine strokes should rarely be attempted unless ball 1 is near ball 2; -they are, then, however, often of great value, because, being played -gently, the positions of the balls after the stroke can be foreseen with -tolerable accuracy. The great secret of success is to stand properly, so -that the edge of ball 2 may be clearly seen. A few examples are shown on -Diagram IV. They can be set up without measurement. - -[Illustration: - - Diagram III. -] - -Example A.—A fine stroke on ball 2 will make the losing hazard and leave -that ball about 2′ . - -Example B.—Ball 1 played fine on ball 2 will make the losing hazard and -leave an opening from baulk. - -Example C.—A very useful stroke. Ball 1 played fine on ball 2 will -cannon rather full on ball 3, which it will drive as shown by the -dot-and-dash line; ball 1 will stop between the other two, and a winning -or losing hazard will almost certainly be left in either top pocket. - -In playing nursery cannons fine strokes are often useful; indeed, a -player who possesses great delicacy of touch may make a series of -strokes yet scarcely move balls 2 or 3. These cannons will be considered -hereafter, and, therefore, are not at present further noticed. - -Fine strokes have the following drawbacks: they must usually be played -so softly that the least obstacle or untrueness of ball will cause -deflection from the proper path; the target presented by ball 2 is -small, sometimes merely an edge; and an error so slight as to be -imperceptible in the division of ball 2 may result in leaving the balls -safe. - -[Illustration: - - A Push Stroke -] - -The next variety of strokes to be considered are those in which the ball -is pushed rather than struck; they are usually subdivided into _push_ -and _half-push_ strokes. Great difference of opinion exists as to -whether push strokes should be lawful in the game, but at present we are -not concerned with what should be, but with what is allowed. The -question whether, in the interest of billiards, the stroke should or -should not be foul will hereafter be considered; at present, it is -permitted by the rules, and without it much delicate play and many long -breaks would be sacrificed, consequently a few examples are introduced. -In learning this stroke, instruction from an expert is indispensable: -there are various ways of playing it, some grasping the cue tightly with -both hands to secure rigidity and sliding the bridge, which is -_bouclée_, the forefinger being hooked round the cue and the other -fingers shut on the cloth; others somewhat shorten the cue, or hold it -further from its butt and play over a bridge in the usual way; but in -any case the cue-tip should be brought as close as possible to ball 1, -short, of course, of touching it, and not withdrawn before the stroke, -but pushed gently and steadily forward. Contact between cue-tip and ball -1 must be preserved till the position occupied by ball 2 is passed, and -ordinarily no more strength should be employed than is necessary to -carry ball 1 either to ball 3 or to the pocket. The idea of the stroke -is that, by dint of steady pushing, ball 2 is removed from the path of -ball 1, which is more nearly unaltered on impact the more perfectly the -stroke is made. In practice, if the distance between ball 2 and the -pocket or ball 3 is considerable, some allowance must be made, and the -player cannot safely ignore ball 2; he must not push exactly for the -part of ball 3 he desires to hit, or straight for the pocket, but -compensate for the throw-off from ball 2 by aiming somewhat fuller than -would be necessary were it removed. The more perfect the performer, the -more may ball 2 be neglected, and the less compensating allowance is -necessary. For example, if the cue-tip were stuck to ball 1, so that -interruption to contact was impossible, ball 2 might be wholly -neglected; ball 1 could be pushed through a pyramid of balls and made to -enter a pocket, or cannon simply by aligning correctly and pushing -straight for the object. By common consent, however, long push -strokes—_i.e._ when ball 1 is far from ball 2—are avoided; it is very -difficult, if not impossible, to make them without interruption to the -contact between cue-tip and ball, and consequently they either fail if -the cue be withdrawn, or are foul if it be reapplied. - -Some cases when the push stroke is specially useful are shown in Diagram -V. A is an example of the commonest and simplest type. Ball 1 pushed on -the alignment shown will move ball 2 slightly to the left (thereby -opening the losing hazard from baulk), and cannon full on ball 3, -leaving a losing hazard in the middle pocket. - -B. Ball 1 pushed gently through ball 2 on the alignment shown, will -enter the pocket and leave a losing hazard from baulk. - -C is a _bricole_ push, a useful and very pretty stroke. The three balls -are so nearly in a straight line, so near each other and so near the top -cushion—which, however, they do not touch—that a score by an ordinary -push or stroke is impossible. If, however, the cue be aligned as shown, -and ball 1 be pushed without touching ball 2 on to the cushion, it will -escape between the cue-tip and cushion in the direction of ball 2, and, -entering between it and the cushion, will push it out of the way and -make the cannon. - -This stroke is made easier and more certain if the cue is applied to the -left side of ball 1; if by chance it was applied to the right of the -centre, there would be much probability of the ball becoming jammed -between cue and cushion. - -D is another ingenious adaptation of the push stroke. Ball 1 pushed -gently on ball 2, which touches the cushion, is slightly kissed and -travels quietly to ball 3, whilst ball 2 squeezed between ball 1 and the -cushion indents the latter slightly and escapes to rejoin the group at -ball 3. Some players, perhaps Mitchell specially, use this stroke with -great effect in nursery cannons. - -[Illustration: - - Diagram IV. -] - -In Example E the situation is shown when assistance cannot be got from a -cushion. The balls are too nearly in a straight line for the ordinary -push, it being impossible to get 2 out of the way before 3 is reached; -if, however, the cue be carefully aligned on the right edge of ball 3, a -steady push will result in 2 striking 3 on the left, causing it to -travel to the right, where it meets ball 1, which has been slightly -deflected in the same direction. This is a pretty example of a class of -strokes which requires great accuracy of eye and a wonderfully just -judgment to invent or to modify in a game; of course, when a situation -somewhat similar to that now shown occurs, and a player profits by the -advice given here, he may not necessarily possess these qualities in an -eminent degree, but his recognition of the stroke and its successful -execution will encourage him to try modification, and may elicit the -sound judgment which is so greatly to be desired. - -On Diagram VI. A is an example of as easy a push hazard as can be found -on the table. Ball 1 is very close to or touching the top cushion, ball -2 partly masks the pocket. Align the cue parallel to the cushion, and -push ball 1 along its edge past ball 2, which may be wholly neglected. -The cushion forms a guide to both cue and ball, and the stroke can -scarcely be missed. - -B is a modification of the cannon already explained (Diagram V., Example -C). In this case, ball 2 is too immediately in front of the pocket and -too nearly equidistant from the top cushion with ball 1 to permit of the -treatment just recommended for A. It is necessary to align the cue as -shown, and to push ball 1 on its right side to the cushion. The squeeze -between cue and cushion will cause that ball to remove ball 2 and enter -the pocket. - -The half-push is quite a different stroke from the push; it has always -been considered a fair stroke, whilst some years ago the push stroke was -held to be foul; but both are open to the same objection. - -[Illustration: - - Diagram V. -] - -When balls 1 and 2 are very near each other, their surfaces being not -much more than an inch apart, and ball 3 is so placed that the cannon -would ordinarily be made by use of follow, but so far away that -sufficient follow cannot be communicated to ball 1, the stroke may be -made by the half-push. C is a favourable example. Ball 1 is on the right -corner of the =Ｄ=; ball 2 immediately in front of it, slightly nearer -cushion 3; ball 3 is placed, say, 30 in. from the top cushion, and so -near cushion 2 that a ball cannot pass between them. Imagine a straight -line through the centres of 1 and 2 prolonged to P, a point equally -distant from 2 with ball 3. Halve the space between P and ball 3, and -let Q be that point. Strike ball 1 in the centre about No. 3 strength, -aiming at Q, or slightly nearer ball 3, as a precaution, because there -is a large margin for error on the right of that ball; it will deflect -sufficiently to make the cannon. Similarly, it is evident losing hazards -can be made by the half-push, the pocket being substituted for ball 3, -but they are seldom useful and will not be further considered. - -In making push strokes, good players often apply the cue to the side -instead of to the centre of ball 1, with the view of supporting it and -of modifying its escape on that side. This precaution is often required -in order to obtain position. - -_Kiss Strokes._—In the English game the term kiss is used rather -vaguely, so that precise definition is difficult if not impossible. It -includes the strokes which the French call _coups durs_, in which ball 2 -is touching a cushion and cannot give way as usual, but throws off ball -1 with the recoil of balls and cushion combined, as well as those termed -_rencontres_, or the meeting of balls 1 and 3, the former having been -put in motion by the cue and the latter by collision with ball 2. - -Of the former kind examples are shown in Diagrams VII. and VIII. In -playing these strokes recollect that screw or retrograde rotation -augments the velocity of ball 1 after impact, whereas follow has the -opposite effect. - -[Illustration: - - Diagram VI. -] - -[Illustration: - - A Push (_bouclée_) -] - -[Illustration: - - Diagram VII. -] - -Example A, Diagram VII., is the simplest form of the stroke, the three -balls being in one line—ball 2 against the cushion, and ball 1 between 2 -and 3; a stroke full on ball 2 will result in a cannon. B is a -modification, for ball 3 is out of the straight line; the cannon is made -by a slight division of ball 2, say ¾ right; if ball 1 be played on that -spot it will cannon on ball 3. The student can set up examples for -himself, and by careful division of ball 2 make many cannons. The -greater the distance ball 1 has to travel, the lower and harder must it -be struck. A very excellent practice to train the eye to the angles and -the hand to control strength is afforded by Example C, which is -otherwise not of much use in a game. Mark the positions of balls 1 and 2 -slightly with pipeclay, and try to make losing hazards into every pocket -on the table. After each stroke the balls are replaced, and the number -of strokes taken to make the six losing hazards is the measure of -accuracy in play. The first stroke into the right bottom pocket is easy; -it will soon be made in one trial, for it is almost a plain half-ball -stroke. The second into the left bottom pocket is perhaps the most -difficult of all, for not merely has ball 2 to be correctly divided but -strong left side is used; the left middle and top pockets are made -direct, accuracy depending solely on the correct division of ball 2, -finer for the former, fuller for the latter pocket. The right top and -right side pockets are made off the cushion, and in the last-named side -is used. This hazard may be made without a kiss; ball 1, played a free -No. 1 strength half-ball on ball 2, will touch bottom and side cushions -and travel towards right middle pocket. It is needless to enter into -further detail, for the advantage of the stroke is to accustom the eye -to the angles at which ball 1 comes off the various divisions of ball 2, -and that is learnt solely by practice. To try for the pockets merely -gives an object or interest to the stroke, and, if further incentive be -required, back yourself to complete the hazards in fewer strokes than -another person may require. The practical application of the knowledge -thus obtained is that, should ball 3 happen to be on the lines 2P, 2P′, -2P″, or 2P‴, the cannon may be played with some confidence, and if it be -anywhere else on the table, a reasonable attempt to score may, if -needful, be made, and a game _in extremis_ may thus be saved. - -Diagram VIII.—Example A is an easy and useful stroke. Ball 1 is 30 in. -from cushion 3, 15 in. from bottom cushion; ball 2 on the baulk-line -touching cushion 3; ball 3 is as shown in the neighbourhood, say 18 in. -from the right top pocket and within 2 in. of cushion 2. Play ball 1 -with high right side half-ball or slightly fuller on ball 2, free No. 1 -strength. - -Example B is, in its way, a curiosity, but the stroke is by no means -devoid of use. First, suppose ball 2 on the baulk-line touching the -cushion at its left extremity. Place ball 1 for a half-ball kiss hazard -into the right top pocket. This is squarer than an ordinary half-ball -angle, because ball 2, being against the cushion, cannot give way; but -the difference is not as great as might be imagined, and the stroke is -not very difficult. What is curious, however, is that, if ball 2 be -moved a certain distance up the cushion to positions 2′, 2″, &c., a -half-ball cannon will be made on balls placed 3′, 3″, &c., at exactly -the same distance along the top cushion. That is, if ball 3 be placed at -the centre of the fall of the pocket, the distances between 3 and 3′, -and 3′ and 3″, shall exactly equal those between 2 and 2′, and 2′ and -2″. - -[Illustration: - - Diagram VIII. -] - -The other class of kiss strokes is illustrated in Diagram IX., from -which it is seen that ball 2 is in no case touching the cushion, but -that (except in case E) it is used to kiss or plant ball 3 in such a -direction that it advances to meet ball 1, and the cannon is thus -effected. In case E the course of ball 1 is modified by a second impact -with ball 2. - -Example A. The three balls are in a straight line perpendicular to the -cushion. If ball 1 be played absolutely full on 2, that ball will strike -3 full also, and no score will be made; but if ball 2 be struck slightly -out of the centre—that is, between centre and ¾—a cannon will result. -Play ball 1 a soft No. 1 strength slightly to the right of the centre of -ball 2, which will travel proportionately to the left and strike ball 3 -to the left of its centre. Ball 3 will strike the cushion slightly to -the right of the perpendicular line, and, returning therefrom, will meet -ball 1 when the cannon is complete. Ball 2 may be struck similarly on -the left of its centre, and the stroke be made on the same principle as -before. - -Example B. Balls 2 and 3 touch, and the line through their centres is -slightly inclined to the cushion. Ball 1 is so placed that the fine -cannon is either impossible or dangerous. Play a gentle No. 1 centre -stroke on ball 2 about three-quarters left; ball 3 will be planted on to -the cushion, and, returning, will meet ball 1. The general fault is to -play too fine on ball 2, but the stroke is easy. - -Example C. Place the balls as shown; do not attempt the fine stroke, but -play half-ball on ball 2; the cannon is inevitable. - -[Illustration: - - Diagram IX. -] - -Example D partakes more of the nature of a fancy stroke than of one -useful in games; nevertheless, it illustrates in a striking way what may -be done by means of the kiss or plant. Set up the balls as shown in a -straight line. Balls 2 and 3 should touch, and ball 1 should be a little -apart, to permit of a stroke on ball 2. The balls should touch or be -very near the side cushion. Play ball 1 one-quarter right, No. 2 -strength on ball 2, so as to impinge on the side cushion above the right -middle pocket. Ball 2, being thus struck rather fine, causes ball 3 to -travel at a moderate pace down the table towards baulk, whilst ball 1, -travelling faster, comes off cushion 2 and meets or catches ball 3 -generally in baulk. A similar and easier stroke may be from positions -1′, 2′, 3′, near cushion 5, ball 1 being played on ball 2 to strike -cushion 3. - -Example E is a very pretty little stroke, which may be thus placed. - - Ball 1: 6½ in. from cushion 6, 7 in. from top cushion. - Ball 2: 11½ in. „ 6, 2½ in. „ - Ball 3: 19½ in. „ 6, 7½ in. „ - -It will be observed that there is no direct stroke whereby ball 2 may be -kept at the top of the table, nor is the fine side stroke (ball 1 with -strong right side played fine on the left of ball 2) possible; in fact, -the position seems far from being desirable. Yet, if the directions for -playing this stroke be followed, the cannon will be found almost a -certainty, and the balls will generally be well left for further play. -The stroke is made thus: play ball 1 centre, a soft No. 1 on ball 2, -three-quarters right, which will return from the cushion, kiss ball 1 on -to ball 3, and often remain between ball 1 and the pocket. Hence, if -ball 2 be the red, a better opening for a break could scarcely be -desired. The stroke should first be practised from the positions -indicated until fair certainty is acquired, then the positions may be -slightly varied, and it may with advantage be set up without -measurement, so that the eye may become trained and able to recognise -the situation should it occur in a game. - -Example F happens occasionally, and, therefore, it is well to be -prepared. The three balls are in one straight line, and the situation -generally comes about thus: the red ball being on the spot, the -adversary’s ball happens to stop directly above it, between the red and -the top cushion, ball 1 being in hand. The easiest way to score is to -place ball 1 in line with balls 2 and 3, in this case on the centre spot -of the =Ｄ=, and play full on ball 2. Personal inaccuracy will in this -case insure the score, for ball 2 will rarely be struck so full as to -impinge on the centre of ball 3; it will strike it on one side or the -other, and a cannon will result on the same principle as that explained -under Example A. - -The general warning as to kiss strokes should be remembered. Avoid -attempting doubtful strokes, specially when the balls are not close -together. - -_Jennies._—In Chapter V. p. 160, an example of the plain half-ball -stroke was described, and whenever the pocket is fairly open these -strokes can be best made without side; but when the pocket is very -blind, the losing hazard cannot be thus made, and side, which takes ball -1 into the pocket after touching the farther shoulder, must be employed. -The nearer ball 2 is to the side cushion the more difficult is the -stroke and the more side is required. The general fault in playing these -strokes is that ball 2 is struck too full, a natural result of the use -of reverse side, of which it is impossible to put on too much, specially -for long jennies. - -Diagram X.—Example A. - -Ball 1: about 1 in. behind and right of the centre spot of the =Ｄ=. - -Ball 2: 22¼ in. below the left middle pocket, 6¼ in. from the side -cushion. - -Play ball 1 one-quarter left medium No. 1 strength on ball 2, half-ball -or rather finer; the hazard will be made off the far shoulder of the -pocket, and ball 2 will rebound nearly perpendicular to the side cushion -towards the centre of the table. - -Example B. - -Ball 1: on baulk-line, 8 in. to the right of centre. - -Ball 2: 10½ in. below the right middle pocket, 4 in. from cushion 3. - -Play ball 1 one-quarter right free No. 1 on ball 2 half-ball or finer. -The more side the stroke is played with the better; it will often -compensate for inaccuracy of aim. - -Example C. - -Ball 1: as in last example. - -Ball 2: 9 in. above the left middle pocket, 4 in. from cushion 6. - -Play ball 1 one-quarter left No. 1 strength on ball 2 from half-ball to -quarter-ball. - -Jennies are not nearly so difficult as they seem at first sight. The -general rules for playing them are, for middle pockets, plain wherever -possible, ball 1 being struck rather below than above the centre. But -when ball 2 is so near the side cushion that the hazard cannot be made -by a plain stroke, and for long jennies, use as much side as possible -and endeavour to aim on ball 2 finer than half-ball. - -In Diagram XI. a few examples will be found of _bricole_ strokes, or -those in which ball 1 strikes a cushion before impact with ball 2, side -being used. Plain strokes of the sort have been mentioned in Chapter VI. - -Example A. - -Ball 1: on baulk-line a little to the right of centre. - -Ball 2: over the left bottom pocket as shown. - -Play ball 1 one-quarter right, aiming just out of baulk, No. 1 strength; -the side, if correctly judged, will bring the ball back as indicated, -and the losing hazard may be made. - -Example B. - -Ball 1: on the centre spot. - -Ball 2: on the centre transverse line of the table overhanging the -pocket, with just room on either side for ball 1 to pass without -touching it. - -[Illustration: - - Diagram X. -] - -The losing hazard may be easily made as shown from either side of ball -2. Take first that from the left side. Play ball 1 one-quarter right, -medium No. 1 strength, so as just to pass ball 2 to the left without -touching; ball 1 will return from within the shoulder, strike ball 2, -and fall into the pocket. For the hazard from the right of ball 2, ball -1 is played one-quarter left, to pass the right of ball 2. - -Example C is precisely the same stroke into a corner pocket. - -Example D may occasionally be of use, though generally a miss would be -the proper game under the circumstances. Ball 1 is supposed to be in -hand, ball 3 having stopped near ball 2 on the spot, but not -sufficiently straight above it to warrant playing for the kiss cannon. -In this case the knowledge acquired by playing an old fancy stroke—to -make the losing hazard off ball 2 from baulk by playing _bricole_—is -utilised. In that stroke an approximate guide as to the point of aim on -the side cushion was obtained by aligning the cue so as to pass over the -left bottom pocket, and the left corner of the =Ｄ=: the prolongation of -that line indicated the point. Hence, by aiming a little above the point -thus found, ball 2 is struck on the right side, and the cannon is -possible. Place ball 1 on the left corner of the =Ｄ=, play a free No. 1 -strength at the side cushion, aiming as directed. One or two trials will -determine the correct point of aim with a given strength; if the -strength is altered, the angle of reflexion will also alter. - -Example E, on the other hand, is perfectly simple and most useful. -Measurements are unnecessary. Play ball 1 to the cushion with slight -right side; ball 2 will be pocketed, and ball 1 will rest in a good -position for a losing hazard from spot into the right top pocket. - -Example F.—Ball 1 in hand, balls 2 and 3 as shown about the diameter of -a ball or a little more from the side cushion, so placed that the fine -cannon from 2 to 3 would be very difficult. By placing ball 1 on the -baulk-line as shown, and by playing with a little right side behind ball -2, ball 1 will, after impact, run down the cushion and make the cannon. -When the eye is trained, ball 2 may be a considerable distance—say six -or eight inches—from the cushion, and the stroke may be made with a -reasonable chance of success, whereas played in any other way the result -would almost certainly be failure. - -[Illustration: - - Diagram XI. -] - -_Plants_ (see definition in Chapter III.) are perhaps more connected -with pyramids and pool than with billiards; nevertheless, they may be -occasionally used, and, therefore, must be briefly considered. The -simplest form is when the centres of balls 2 and 3 are on a straight -line which leads to the centre of a pocket. (See Diagram XII.) - -Example A.—Balls 2 and 3 are on the line P Q and touch each other. Ball -1 may be on any part of the table from which ball 2 may be struck save -the small corner cut off by the line R S perpendicular to Q P, and if -played on ball 2 with sufficient strength ball 3 will run into the left -bottom pocket. It is hardly possible to miss the winning hazard, and -hence, whenever two balls touch and are so aligned, a very easy stroke -is presented if ball 1 be suitably placed; for, no matter how badly it -may be played on ball 2, ball 3 must of necessity travel to the pocket. - -So far the matter is simple enough; but the next example, B, at once -introduces difficulties which it is proposed to observe and notice -rather than attempt to explain. A glance at the diagram will show that -in this case G H, the alignment through the centres of balls 2 and 3, -does not terminate in the pocket, but falls slightly without; hence, if -the plant were played in the ordinary way, ball 3 would impinge near the -shoulder at H. In the first place, let ball 1 be removed from the table, -and let the problem be to play ball 2 with the cue so as to put ball 3 -into the pocket. If this stroke be presented without explanation, nine -men out of ten or more will attack ball 2 from the baulk side, playing -towards the top of the table. The more they do this the further up the -table will ball 3 strike the cushion; but let the player go round and -place his cue on the alignment shown so as to strike ball 2 on its side -towards the top of the table—that is with right side—a medium No. 1 -stroke, when, wonderful to relate, ball 3 will travel to the pocket in -the most docile manner. That having been established to the satisfaction -of the player, let him replace ball 1 on the table anywhere as -shown—that is, in any of the positions marked 1 or in any intermediate -position. For the stroke as now set up, play ball 1 one-half left, No. 1 -strength, on ball 2 half-ball or fuller to the right; again ball 3 will -roll obediently to the pocket. If by an error of judgment ball 2 be -played on to the left, ball 3 will strike the cushion above the point H. - -[Illustration: - - Diagram XII. -] - -Example C is merely an amplification of the same stroke. Ball 2 is -conveniently placed in front of the pocket, and ball 3 is placed -touching it first on the line P R, when the straight plant is to the -left of the pocket, and next on the line P S, when it is to the right; -ball 1 being somewhere as shown, an exact position for it being of no -consequence. Now, when ball 3 is on the line P R, to the left of the -pocket, play ball 1 on the left side of ball 2; when it is on the line P -S, to the right of the pocket, play to the right of ball 2; in both -cases the winning hazard will be triumphantly made. - -These strokes are capable of ready demonstration on a table, but the -laws which govern them are not certainly known. The results seem to -point partly to transmitted side, but that is scarcely sufficient to -account for so considerable a deviation from the straight plant, -specially if it be considered that such side can hardly be detected by -the unassisted human eye. Very likely, when once it is understood, the -explanation will seem simple enough; at present, so far as is known, the -result has not been accounted for in a satisfactory manner. - -Example D is worth mentioning and worthy of practice; like most other -strokes, it can be far more satisfactorily explained on the table by a -man who can play it than by the most careful description on paper; yet, -as in spot play and possibly in other circumstances it may be useful, an -attempt to convey an idea of the stroke will be made. Ball 2 is on the -spot; ball 1, too near it for any ordinary stroke with fair chance of -success, but not necessarily touching, is first on the line T U, the -straight plant being therefore on the point U. Now, if the cue be -aligned as shown on the right side of ball 1, pointing towards X, and a -medium No. 1 strength be delivered, ball 2 will be deflected into the -pocket. Conversely, when ball 1 is on the line V W, close to ball 2, the -cue must be aligned on a point Y below W, and a stroke on the left side -of ball 1 will, as before, result in sending ball 2 to the pocket. The -principle is apparently the same in all oblique plants, if those may be -so called whose path is not the prolongation of the straight line -through the centres of the two balls. - -In Example C ball 3, and in Example D ball 1, are not drawn, in order to -avoid complicating the diagram; their positions are indicated by the -figures. - -The subject of screw strokes was fully considered in last chapter, and -practice was recommended with the view of facilitating the acquirement -of the stroke rather than of illustrating its application to the game; -hence it is now appropriate to give some useful examples. - -Diagram XIII. Example A.—Balls 1, 2, and 3 as shown. This stroke may be -played in many ways, depending on where it is desired to leave the -balls. If ball 2 is to be brought back, play ball 1 one-quarter low -about No. 2 strength nearly full on ball 2, which will travel to and -return from cushion 1; ball 1, having parted with its velocity, will -return slowly to ball 3, and the three balls should be left together. It -might be desirable to play the stroke in a totally different manner if, -for example, 2 were the adversary’s ball. In this case it would suffice -to send ball 2 up the table towards spot, and cannon on ball 3 so as to -leave a winning hazard in the left bottom pocket. To do this the -strength communicated to ball 2 must be diminished, and this may be -effected by playing finer on that ball and by using more screw in -compensation. - -Example B is a good practice stroke, and may be played harder or softer -at will. It does not require to be laid down by measurement, and may be -set up wherever convenient. Play ball 1 about one-half low and left, -medium No. 1 strength on ball 2, about three-quarters right. - -Example C, a screw back losing hazard, is often useful, ball 1 being -between ball 2 and the pocket; no instruction is required beyond that -given in last chapter for playing the stroke. It may be varied by moving -ball 2 round ball 1 as far as the cushions will permit; the stroke is -always possible, and in trying to make it some practical lessons in the -matter of compensation will be learnt. - -Example D.—Place the balls as shown. Play ball 1 three-quarters low on -ball 2, half-ball or rather fuller, but avoid the kiss. Ball 1 will -travel up cushion 2 and make the cannon or hazard, whilst ball 2 will -escape towards the left middle pocket. - -Example E is a screw off a fine ball, a stroke at which many amateurs -fail chiefly because they do not stand properly for it—do not usually -align their cue fine enough on ball 2. If played very slowly, very fine, -and with the maximum of screw, the stroke is perhaps more certain of -execution, but ball 2 will probably be left in baulk. To obviate this, -play rather fuller, with less screw, and with more strength. The stroke -is conveniently made from the spot, ball 1 being placed variously -between the angle at which a losing hazard with side can be made and the -vertical, or when the ball 1 is directly above the spot. The position -shown in the diagram is a fair one, the stroke being not very difficult; -it becomes more so as ball 1 approaches the position above the spot. It -may be thus played: Align the cue as shown for a fine stroke, play ball -1 one-half low No. 2 strength on ball 2, one-quarter right. It is -difficult in a stroke of this nature to give precise instructions for -making it, because it varies with every slight variation of the position -of ball 1 and with the power of each player to communicate screw; hence -it is advisable at first to get the assistance of a competent person, -and then to practise before minor details are forgotten. - -Example F is well worth mastering; it is easier the nearer ball 2 is to -the pocket. Play ball 1 one-half low and right on ball 2 about -three-quarters left a free No. 1 strength. Ball 2 may thus be brought -out of baulk, whilst the reverse side carries ball 1 into the pocket. In -strokes of this kind care should be taken to avoid the kiss. - -[Illustration: - - Diagram XIII. -] - -Close screws, when ball 1 is so near ball 2 that the stroke cannot be -made in the ordinary way, are worth mastering, but as some execution is -required, they should at first be played under professional supervision. -The chief point about them is to convey to ball 1 a maximum or nearly so -of screw and side; the cue has to be delivered with great freedom, and -ball 1 passes well beyond the position occupied by ball 2, then the -forward force (translation) having been chiefly transferred to ball 2, -the screw and side conquer the small balance left and ball 1 returns -more or less towards the player. A rather neat example of a close screw -is shown on Diagram XIV., and may be set up on the table without -measurements. Play ball 1 one-half low and one-half right, a free No. 2 -strength on ball 2 between three-quarters left and centre, so as to -cause its return after impact with cushion 1; ball 1 should make the -cannon off cushion 4 and perhaps cushion 5 as well, and the three balls -should be gathered at the left bottom pocket. This kind of stroke is -useful for losing hazards also, but should not be practised until the -player has acquired much confidence in the delivery of his cue, lest -accidents should happen. - -Another stroke which must be noticed, though it should be rarely -employed, is that known as the _leap_ or _jump_, whereby ball 1 leaves -the bed of the table during part of its course. It is made in two ways: -either by laying the cue on the table, aligning it as usual in the -direction desired for ball 1, and striking that ball so low that the tip -touches the cloth before it reaches the ball. This is practically -equivalent to putting the cue under the ball and throwing the latter -upwards; but there being at the same time a forward motion, the result -is a leap higher and longer in proportion to the strength of stroke. -Played in this way there is no danger of cutting a sound cloth, and the -ball may be made to jump higher with less strength, and to be better -under control than when the leap is otherwise effected. - -[Illustration: - - Diagram XIV. -] - -Ball 1 may also be made to leap by striking it down towards the bed, the -cue being oblique, its butt elevated—in fact, by an exaggerated stab. -The ball is thus momentarily squeezed between cue-tip and bed, and leaps -as it escapes from the pressure. This stroke should be practised with -the greatest moderation; indeed, not at all until the player is well -experienced and confident in handling the cue, for it commonly results -in knocking the balls off the table and damaging them, and may further -cut the cloth. The stroke is sometimes of use, and, therefore, must not -be ignored; but it is safe to say that no one who valued his table or a -good set of balls would willingly see them used for this class of -practice. - -[Illustration: - - The leap or jump stroke -] - -Diagram XV. shows a few instances in which the leap stroke is -legitimate, and as safe for the balls and table as is possible under the -circumstances. - -Example A.—It is desired to play the winning hazard on ball 3 without -disturbing ball 2. Align the cue on the table in the direction required -for the hazard, see that the tip is on the cloth and kept there, and -play a medium No. 1 strength. Ball 1 will leap over ball 2 and make the -winning hazard. - -[Illustration: - - Diagram XV. -] - -Example B.—The three balls as shown are in a straight line with no -reasonable chance of a score. The situation happened at a critical -moment in a match which the writer played many years ago, and a -successful leap cannon enabled him to win. Place the cue in alignment -with the three balls, and play the stroke as directed for the previous -example; ball 1 should jump on ball 2 and roll off to ball 3. The -difficulty, of course, is to control the strength used; the top of ball -2 must be cleared, and yet the ball must not be wholly missed. It is a -question of nerve and judgment tempered very considerably with good -luck. There is little or no danger to cloth or balls in practising this -stroke. - -Example C is one which is not infrequently played in exhibition games. -Ball 2 is so placed that it cannot be got rid of by means of the -shoulders of the pocket, and there is not sufficient room for a cushion -or _bricole_ hazard. A delicate leap stroke played between ball and -cushion will make the losing hazard. It is not a desirable stroke for a -beginner to practise, for he will inevitably cause ball 1 to jump beyond -the pocket and roll away till brought up by some obstacle more or less -destructive. - -Example D is of a class which occurs occasionally in actual play. Balls -1, 2, 3 are nearly in a straight line, ball 3 being about 2 in. from the -side cushion, so that a ball cannot pass between. An ordinary following -stroke is difficult and uncertain, so usually the best play would be to -give a miss; but the state of the game may render that impossible or -undesirable, in which case the best chance of scoring is to strike down -on ball 1, causing it to leap on to ball 2, which in turn bounds away, -leaving the course clear for ball 1 to reach ball 3 and make the cannon -either direct, off the side cushion, or even possibly from the top -cushion. - -The effect of ball 1, so struck, causing ball 2 in turn to leap, is -prettily shown by placing the pool basket and balls as drawn in Example -E. A smart stroke down on ball 1 will cause ball 2 to jump into the -basket. - -Many examples of fancy strokes made by means of the leap could be given, -but they are purposely withheld, as there is no wish to encourage -experiment as useless to the game as it is detrimental to the -implements. - -[Illustration: - - Fig. 1 -] - -_Piqué_ and _massé_ are not often used in English billiards; the latter, -indeed, seldom or never, whilst the former, when used, is miscalled -_massé_. They form in reality a continuation of the series of strokes -which, departing from the normal or horizontal, culminate in one -delivered vertically on the top of the ball. Thus, in fig. 1, Q, Q′, -&c., represent the axes of a cue presented at various angles to the ball -whose centre is C on the table T T. It has already been explained, but -may without harm be repeated, that, the strength of stroke being equal, -the maximum forward motion to the ball, or translation, is given by the -horizontal delivery of the cue on the line Q C. As the angle of delivery -increases, so does the forward impulse decrease until the limit 90°, or -a vertical stroke, is reached, when there is manifestly no forward -motion communicated to the ball, the entire force of the stroke being -counteracted by the rigidity of the table. Now, without any attempt at -fine distinction or any claim to precise accuracy, it may, in a rough -way, be said that plain strokes are delivered on the axis Q C; that -stabs lie between that and Q′ C, which is at an angle of 45° with Q C, -or half-way to the vertical; that _piqué_ commences at Q′ C and ends at -Q″ C, beyond which the strokes are termed _massé_. This is not exactly -correct, for there may be a _massé_ with less inclination than Q′ C, the -real distinction between _piqué_ and _massé_ being that in the former -the cue’s axis is directed to the centre of the ball, and therefore the -effect is to drive it straight with reverse or retrograde rotation; in -the latter, the cue’s axis is not directed through the centre, but on -one side or other of it, with the consequence that the path of the ball -is no longer a straight but a curved line. This is the case to such an -extent that the rotation round an oblique axis will often conquer the -small measure of translation or displacement conveyed by the stroke and -produce some beautiful curves. - -Now, so long as the push stroke is allowed, _massé_ will not be much -attempted; it is difficult of execution at any time and in any position, -impossible on a large English table save when the balls are near a -cushion. It further has the great disadvantage, when played hard, of -causing a dent or pit in the cloth sufficient to deflect or arrest a -very slow ball, and therefore soon spoils a cloth near the cushions on -the very part most used for nursery cannons. It is also doubtful whether -with the most skilful manipulation effect can be got with small balls -and fine-pointed cues at all equal to that which is obtained in the -French game. Hence for many reasons we are indisposed to recommend the -study and practice of this undoubtedly beautiful stroke. - -Quite otherwise, however, with _piqué_, which may often be used with -advantage in the English game and without harm to the table. The stroke -is indispensable when ball 1 is so near ball 2 that the screw back -cannot be made in the ordinary way, or when the cushion prevents the -application of the cue to the proper part of the ball. In Diagram XVI. a -few examples are shown. A learner should get some person who can make -them—and they are all very simple—to play the strokes before him once or -twice, when he will observe that no great strength is required: the -weight of the cue let drop on the right part of ball 1 will almost do -what is needed, and by restraint of force the danger of cutting the -cloth is greatly reduced. More harm is done by hitting the ball hard -vertically, for then the cloth is damaged in the same way, though not so -badly as when a careless or thoughtless person in spotting the red ball, -finding that it has a tendency to move on the spot, hammers it down with -force, thus in a very short time forming a cup sufficient to ruin all -delicate play from the spot, and with a hard stroke very likely to cause -the red ball to fly off the table. The practice is most reprehensible, -and persons doing it should invariably be remonstrated with, for they -are ruining the table for more intelligent players. - -[Illustration: - - Diagram XVI. -] - -Example A. Balls as shown. Play ball 1 a gentle _piqué_, the cue at an -angle of about 60°, inside, _i.e._ to the left of the centre of ball 2; -ball 1 will return and cannon on ball 3; ball 2 will be left in the -neighbourhood of the left bottom pocket. If it be desired to move ball 2 -very slightly, the stroke may be played _massé_, the cue being nearly -vertical, and ball 1 struck slightly to the right of the centre, nearer -ball 3 than the centre. This mode of play gives greater rotation but -less forward motion to ball 1. - -Example B. Balls as shown. Play ball 1 _piqué_, cue from 50° to 60° -according to the distance it is desired to make ball 2 travel; aim at -ball 2 about three-quarters right, a clean gentle stroke, say equal to a -medium No. 1. Ball 1 will make the losing hazard. - -Example C. Balls as shown. Play ball 1 _piqué_ 45° to 50° nearly full on -ball 2, which will cross the table and return or remain near the spot as -may be desired. The strength employed should be almost entirely -communicated to ball 2, whilst the rotation will make the cannon. If -ball 2 be the red, it may be as well to bring the balls together for the -next stroke; if it should be the adversary’s ball, it would be better -play to leave it near the spot and pocket the red next stroke. - -Example D. Balls as shown. Ball 1 is too near the top cushion for a -screw in the ordinary way, whilst ball 3 is so placed that a ball cannot -pass between it and the cushion. Play ball 1 _piqué_ 55° to 65°, so as -to bring it well on the right or cushion side of ball 3, which is by its -situation what is termed in billiard language greatly enlarged. A few -remarks respecting this term will be found a little further on. - -Respecting _massé_ proper, it is not proposed to write in detail. Those -who desire more information are referred to ‘Le Billard,’ by M. -Vignaux,[16] from which excellent work, though on the French game, much -may be learnt by players of the English game. Two of his remarks may be -quoted:—‘No stroke is more difficult. Good players hesitate to attempt -it, for the slightest inadvertence causes failure. The fault of amateurs -is always to play too hard, a stroke which requires the greatest -delicacy and the lightest possible touch.’ - -This chapter may be suitably closed with a few remarks on what are -called precautions and compensations. In certain situations we have -already frequently remarked that a pocket was blind—that is, was more or -less narrowed by one of its shoulders, and as a precaution, if a hazard -is desired the player has been warned to avoid the dangerous shoulder. -Sometimes it is sufficient to play inside the other shoulder; at other -times, when the pocket is more blind or less open, reverse side has to -be added in the case of losing hazards to induce the ball to enter the -pocket after contact with the far shoulder. The side so used is said to -enlarge the pocket, and the expression is appropriate, for if the ball -struck the part of the shoulder which is exposed and had no side it -would simply rebound and remain on the table; the side overcomes this -tendency and the hazard is made. Again, in case of cannons, a cushion or -two cushions, if judiciously made use of, similarly enlarge the size of -a ball. When ball 3 is near an angle of the table so placed that another -ball cannot pass between it and either cushion, a very large target is -presented, and there is room for much inaccuracy without imperilling -success. The thoughtful player will avail himself of this when it is of -paramount importance to make the stroke, as, for example, when it is the -game stroke, and so aim as to have the widest margin for error on either -side. This is an instance in which there are many chances whereby a -cannon may be made direct or off either cushion, so that ball 3 has for -practical purposes a size equal to three or four balls. - -Similarly, when a ball is within a diameter of a cushion, it may be -enlarged by judicious precaution. - -[Illustration: - - Fig. 2 -] - -Thus, in fig. 2, C C is the cushion, 1, 2, 3 are the balls. If it were -the last stroke of the game, and therefore the cannon were of chief -importance, the stroke should be played to make ball 1 after impact with -ball 2 travel towards a point P between ball 3 and the cushion, and not -direct on that ball. If ball 1 should strike the cushion anywhere from -P′ to a point opposite the centre of ball 3, the cannon is certain; -hence, aiming at P, a convenient spot between P′ and ball 3, a margin -for error is left on either side. - -The subject of compensation is very interesting, and its proper use is -one of the refinements of play. Certain elementary forms will be -described, but the application of the principle to the execution of -strokes must be left to the intelligence of the player; and this may -with safety and a clear conscience be done, for the less ambitious and -clever player will not concern himself with the question. - -Perhaps the simplest form with which ordinary amateurs are familiar is -that whereby the angle between the paths of ball 1 before and after -impact with ball 2 is diminished or enlarged by side which compensates -for strength. Thus, taking plain losing hazards of the simplest type -(Diagram IV. p. 157), side may be substituted for strength, and the -angle of deviation altered so that with the strength prescribed for the -first hazard the second and even the third hazard may be made. -Similarly, reverse side will compensate for fine striking; it will, in -other words, decrease the angle of deviation. - -These remarks of course apply equally to cannons, and with them also -compensation is used in order to control the movement of ball 2. Without -a knowledge of the motions which may be communicated to a ball by a cue, -and the skill to apportion them at will, no long break can be continued. -For the power to leave ball 2 in a certain position or direction is -often a necessity; hence, whilst the actual stroke is made, that ball -must be struck sometimes on one spot, sometimes on another, and -therefore compensation must be supplied for the variation of aim. - -[Illustration: - - Fig. 3 -] - -Consider a right-angle screw stroke. - -In fig. 3 let 1, 2, 3 be the balls; if played half-ball, R will be the -point of impact between balls 1 and 2, therefore the path of ball 2 will -be in the direction R P. But suppose for some reason it is desired that -ball 2 should travel towards P′. Then impact must be at R′, and, this -being fuller than before, ball 2 will travel faster and ball 1 slower, -if the strength of the two strokes is the same. But as ball 2 is struck -fuller, less screw is required, and therefore ball 1 need not be hit so -low. Here the additional fulness on ball 2 is compensated for by a -diminution of screw, and the cannon is made; were the screw kept the -same as that necessary when impact was at R, ball 1 would return to some -such position as 1′, and the cannon would be missed. - -Again, suppose that it is wished to send ball 2 towards P″; R″ must be -the point of impact, and that makes the stroke so fine that ball 2 will -travel much more slowly, and ball 1 as much faster; hence, to get the -cannon, ball 1 must be struck extremely low to compensate for the loss -of recoil occasioned by taking ball 2 so fine. So, if it be desired to -make ball 2 in this case travel as far as before, additional strength -must be used to compensate for the fineness of the stroke. This example -shows the principles involved; working them out and applying them -correctly to particular strokes is a matter of practice and experience, -without which theoretical knowledge is useless or nearly so for purposes -of play. - -Another common illustration of the principle of compensation is the drag -stroke, which was explained at p. 197. As the ball is hit more and more -below the centre according to the length of the path to be travelled, so -must greater strength be used to compensate for the loss of naturally -developed rotation; and, conversely, when that rotation is too powerful, -or when there is special need for accuracy of path, or necessity for -diminishing the travel after impact with ball 2, compensation is given -in the form of retrograde rotation by striking ball 1 below the centre. - -It is hardly necessary to give more examples, the great matter being to -direct attention to the general principles which govern the conversion -of strokes, and to make the player inquire why he attempts a stroke in a -certain way. When he begins to do this and can solve such questions -satisfactorily, the power will soon follow to realise at sight the -compensations which he must apply to each stroke as it occurs in order -to continue a successful break; and then, as in other matters affecting -us, the value of calm sound judgment becomes apparent. - -In almost every stroke in a break some compensation or other is used in -order to control the paths of the balls. Strength is substituted for -side or _vice versâ_; screw is increased or diminished according to the -fineness or fulness of the stroke, which in turn involves variation in -strength, and so on; substitution of one element of a stroke for another -is constant, even though the player may scarcely appreciate the fact. - -[Illustration: - - When player’s ball is near a cushion -] - - - - - CHAPTER VIII - THE SPOT STROKE - - -Hitherto the theory of the game and the strokes recommended for practice -have been such as are required in learning to play a sound and perhaps -old-fashioned game, that of an amateur in distinction to that of a -professional player. But in dealing with the spot stroke a wholly new -field is entered; much more severe and constant practice is needed if -any real measure of success is to be attained, and if this cannot be -bestowed the amateur would act wisely in never sacrificing an opening at -the ordinary game for the sake of the spot. If he does so he will -assuredly verify the truth of the old saying, that the spot has lost far -more games to ordinary players than it has ever won. Still, it stands -unrivalled as practice in winning hazards combined with getting position -for another similar stroke; and even moderate familiarity with its -variations and their results is of much advantage to the average player -who cannot give the time and attention needed for their complete -mastery. Hence he is recommended to practise the stroke as much as -possible, and when some certainty in its execution is reached to take -advantage of his knowledge and skill when favourable opportunities -present themselves in games; but cautioned not to neglect ordinary -openings for the sake and on the chance of making a few spots. It is -difficult to say when that stage is reached at which it may be sound -policy to throw up an ordinary for the sake of a spot break. -Circumstances vary so much (and prudence must take them all into -consideration) that what is wise in one case may be foolish in another, -whilst it should never be forgotten that, as a rule, failure to make the -hazard results in an easy break for the adversary. Taking a considerable -class of amateurs, those who can occasionally make breaks of thirty, and -who perhaps once or twice in a season make fifty, their average score is -probably nearer four than five—that is, they take nearer twenty-five -than twenty innings to score a hundred. Now at first sight it would seem -that as soon as a player of this class was fairly certain of making -three or four hazards he might reasonably discard the ordinary for the -spot game, because such a break would be double or treble his average; -but he would scarcely find it advantageous to do so; for, having made -say four spots and failed at the fifth, he would leave the red ball over -a pocket, so that an equal opponent was nearly sure of three, and might -get six, in addition to the chance of making his average four. Hence the -advantage is largely discounted, but very little more than four hazards -as a measure of spot play will give the man who can make them a distinct -superiority. He does not play the all-round game worse because he can -make from six to ten spots; quite the contrary, and soon experience will -act as a safe guide when to make use of them and when to play the -ordinary game. If an amateur improves on this and becomes capable of -making ten spots commonly and twenty occasionally, he passes into a -higher class; the average of such a player would probably be seven or -eight, and he has reached a stage to maintain which constant practice is -required. Beyond this the amateur becomes gradually so merged in the -professional that it is difficult to define the differences in their -play, the excellence of which mainly depends on their state of training. -This is specially true in respect to spot play; the late William Cook, -whose delicacy of touch was unrivalled, has recorded that if he ceased -to practise even for a week his execution suffered. So it will be -readily understood that an inferior player, whose practice is much less, -soon loses touch, and is very apt to hurt his game rather than benefit -it by too persistent employment of this particular stroke. - -[Illustration: - - The Long Rest. -] - -On the other hand, the general game is greatly assisted by improvement -in making winning hazards, and hence practice of spot play, though -wholly insufficient for producing a spot stroke player, may yet vastly -improve the all-round game. Without it the modern game played at the top -of the table is impossible; that being, in fact, merely a development of -spot play into which the element of cannons has been introduced, whilst -the number of consecutive winning hazards is limited. - -Again, of all breaks made on the table none is more genuine, none owes -less to chance, than a series of spots; and it is far from impossible -that its monotony, as it is called, does not in a great measure arise -from the absence of luck. Partly, at any rate, from this, and partly -because the complaint of monotony was judiciously fanned by those whose -performances at this stroke were not of the highest order, spot play -fell out of fashion, and in the present state of public knowledge and -education in matters concerning billiards it is not likely to resume the -position it legitimately held for many years. As has happened to the -spot stroke, so in course of time and with far more reason will cushion -nurseries of cannons be in turn abandoned; but what will take their -place it is difficult to say. It may, however, be safely affirmed that -the former, having genuine value, will continue to influence the game, -and consequently will be practised; whilst the latter, being made by -trick, of little service beyond the continuation of the series, will -when once discarded perish for ever. - -The positions and their variations from which the spot stroke should be -practised have been defined in most books on billiards, amongst which -the treatises by Bennett, Cook, and a small volume by Mr. J. P. Buchanan -may be mentioned. There is no new position to illustrate, and even the -modes of play do not greatly vary, though where one player will elect to -get position from two cushions, another will obtain it from one. And it -is well to remark here that perhaps in no strokes do the different -qualities of ivory and bonzoline balls make themselves so evident; -whilst with ivories in a certain position a following stroke off two -cushions would be the preferable mode of playing, with bonzoline balls -it would undoubtedly be better to play a stab from one cushion only. In -some strokes the advantage clearly lies with ivory, in others as clearly -with bonzoline; and so it may be said than on the whole the merits of -either sort of ball are about equal. But bonzoline is cheaper, and can -be got more uniformly accurate in shape and weight, hence it is not -unlikely to supersede ivory in a great measure; therefore, a mention of -the differences of behaviour as a warning to players is not out of place -in this chapter. It is of course understood that some sets of bonzoline -balls are more like ivory in behaviour than others, and then the warning -is scarcely required; but in other sets the difference is marked and -cannot safely be neglected. When playing it is better to adhere to one -or the other sort of balls, and to practise with the kind selected. It -is also desirable to practise each position and variation separately -till confidence is acquired, and then gradually try to make breaks. It -will often be found that, after certain positions have been fairly -mastered, the work at a new one will cause the student to forget what he -has learnt, and to fail when an old position recurs. For this there is -no remedy save practice. The same thing occurs in other strokes, and -those whose memory is retentive have no doubt a great advantage over -those who soon forget, and the only way in which the latter class can at -all compensate for their defect is by working harder and longer at each -stroke. By resolute labour they may bring themselves on a par with their -more fortunately constituted brethren. It is an ordinary experience that -at one time a player excels at winning hazards, at another he succeeds -with every follow, whilst he fails with every screw; again, he will find -much certainty in playing fine strokes one day, whilst the next he can -do none but the simplest of that sort. So it is with the spot stroke, -and against failure there is no remedy but hard work, involving not -improbably a return to the simplest one-ball practice to correct -inaccurate delivery of the cue. In playing or practising the spot, the -cue should be constantly chalked, or the requisite delicacy of touch -will be lost, and miss-cues will result; side should never be used when -the stroke is possible without it, for the actual hazard is by its use -at once made a difficult stroke. Stab or screw are much safer because -the cue is delivered on the central vertical line of ball 1, and they -can in a great measure supersede side, but there are strokes in which -the latter is obligatory. Again, contrary to what is often recommended, -a free style of stroke is, we believe, to be preferred to very great -delicacy. The latter is often the result of timidity or nervousness, -which is sure to be soon fatal to accuracy; it also places the player -far more at the mercy of untrue balls or table. Readers whose experience -dates from the early seventies will understand precisely what is meant -if they recall the play of William Cook and John Roberts, junior. When -balls, table, and player were all that could be desired, Cook’s delicacy -of play gave him a distinct advantage at the spot; but let any little -disturbing element intervene, and Roberts’s freedom of stroke carried -all before it. It was a far better style for lasting, and rendered him -far less dependent on absolute perfection of implements. It is just the -same in other strokes—trying to be too clever, too delicate in strength, -is not to be recommended; in nursery cannons it results in leaving the -balls touching after every third or fourth stroke, whereas a firmer -delivery of cue will result in a far longer break. No doubt the general -fault of beginners is to play too hard, and the reason is obvious; brute -force in all things precedes science. But excessive strength is found -often to cause disaster, and when that is realised, and the student has -learnt how to compensate for strength, he is very apt to fall into the -opposite extreme, and to play in too slow and hesitating a manner. Of -two players, there is more hope for the one who strikes rather too -freely than for the other who just fails from want of strength, for the -man who is too quick rather than for the man who is too slow. - -[Illustration: - - Fig. 1 -] - -The limits within which it is prudent to confine spot play may be -roughly ascertained from the accompanying figure. S is the spot, S P and -S P′ being the paths which the red ball should travel, in order that the -pocket, which is somewhat blind, should be enlarged as much as possible -by directing the red ball to the shoulders of cushions 2 and 6, thereby -avoiding the dangerous shoulders of cushion 1. A A′ is a straight line -passing through the spot parallel to cushion 1. S B and S B′ are -prolongations of the paths of the red ball, so that if ball 1 be placed -on either line, the hazard is played full ball, S C and S C′ are each -60° from A A′, leaving an angle of 60°, C S C′, in which the spot cannot -be played. Within the remaining angles, A S C and A′ S C′, the stroke -may be considered possible, but the practical limits are much smaller. -It is unwise to attempt to lay them down dogmatically, for those which -are right for one man are wrong for another, and therefore advice must -be general. Perhaps the simplest definition is to recommend that play be -confined within the dotted lines S D and S E on one side and S D′ and S -E′ on the other; D, D′, it will be seen, are but very slightly below the -line A A′, and S E, S E′ are at angles of 50° with A A′, the arcs D E, -D′ E′ being 18 in. from S. Within these limits endeavour should be made -to leave ball 1 after each stroke as nearly as possible on the lines B S -or B′ S, and from six inches to a foot distant from S. It is just as bad -a fault in spot play to get too near the red as to get too far from it; -in fact, of the two, it is, in the same way as the extremely soft play -already referred to, the more objectionable, for a very slight error of -strength will result in the loss of position. - -Spot hazards may be conveniently divided into those above the full ball -strokes on the lines B P′, B′ P and those below. Of the former there are -two classes, the drop stroke and the stab follow. The limits are marked -as before, D, D′ and E, E′. - -Commence with a stroke on the limit line from D to S, and place ball 1 -about eight inches to a foot from the spot, ball 2 (the red) on the -spot. - -[Illustration: - - Fig. 2 -] - -Play ball 1 rather below centre, a gentle No. 1, the strength being just -sufficient to carry ball 2 into the pocket; ball 1 after the stroke will -rest in a position near 1′. - -This stroke can be played in a variety of ways, but the plain stroke is -unquestionably the best. If there is much nap on the cloth, right side -may be used in the hope that the ball’s path will curve towards cushion -1, and if there is little nap the reverse or left side will have a -tendency to keep ball 1 up the table; but in either case the difficulty -of making the hazard is greatly enhanced by the use of side, and the -advantage is microscopic in the extreme. - -The next stroke is an easy one, consequently the position is good for -play. Instead of placing ball 1 on the limit line from D to the spot, -place it above, between the lines D S and B S. This is also a plain drop -stroke, but as ball 2 must be struck fuller, it may be played with -greater freedom. Place ball 1 as directed, eight inches to a foot from -the spot, ball 2 on the spot. - -Play ball 1 centre, a gentle stroke on ball 2; the former will follow -through and come to rest about 1′, a position somewhat similar to that -played from, but on the other side of the table. - -The first point to ascertain is the correct division of ball 2, and the -next is so to regulate the strength that ball 1 should remain within a -foot of the spot. - -[Illustration: - - Fig. 3 -] - -The stroke shown in fig. 4 is played differently from the preceding -ones, and requires a little making. Ball 1 is placed between its -position in the last stroke and the line B P′ for a full ball. It is, -indeed, only so far from that line that a screw back would cause -position to be lost. - -Place ball 1 as directed at the same distance from ball 2 as before. -Play a gentle stab on ball 1 rather below centre; ball 2, being struck -nearly full, will acquire most of the velocity, whilst ball 1 will -follow slowly through and obtain position on the other side of the -table. The further ball 1 is from 2 the harder must the stroke be -played, and the nearer the softer; indeed, when ball 1 is within six -inches the stab is scarcely required; a medium No. 1 strength -one-quarter low will suffice. The stab or screw corrects the tendency -ball 1 has to follow straight after ball 2. If it did so position would -be lost. - -[Illustration: - - Fig. 4 -] - -When ball 1 is moved further down the table than the position described -in the previous example, so as to be on the line B P′, the stroke is -evidently full, as the hazard is perfectly straight. Position is -retained by screw back. - -Place ball 1 as shown eight to ten inches from ball 2, and in direct -line for the corner pocket. Play ball 1 one-half low, a medium No. 1 -strength full on ball 2, which should be pocketed, whilst ball 1 should -return on the line S B. - -[Illustration: - - Fig. 5 -] - -Though this stroke seems very easy, yet no position for the spot -requires longer and more careful practice. At first, beginners will find -that they cannot make two similar hazards in succession; either ball 1 -will have left the line S B, or it will have travelled on it too short -or too great a distance from the spot. These errors can only be cured by -practice. If the screw back is not straight, ball 2 has not been struck -full, and for correction it is as well to remove ball 2 to another part -of the table, say the pyramid spot, where there is no question of making -a hazard, and there playing solely for trueness of screw back. After -delivery, keep the cue exactly in position; it should then point -absolutely to the centre of the pyramid spot, and ball 1 should return -to the tip. Strict practice in this way is not wasted; the power of -regulating the screw to compensate for strength is most valuable, and in -time the student will find, to his satisfaction and profit, that with a -very gentle stroke he can screw far enough back for another chance, and -that the certainty of the hazard is greater as the strength decreases. -As in other similar strokes, the further ball 1 is from ball 2 the more -strength is necessary. When by misadventure ball 1 remains on the -straight line, but very near ball 2, play may be continued by a _piqué_; -struck gently down, the cue’s axis being 60° or more with the surface of -the table, ball 1 will return as before along S B or sufficiently near -that line to leave another spot stroke. Again, if similarly left very -close to ball 2, but slightly out of the straight line for the pocket, -the hazard may be made and position even may not be lost by use of the -plant stroke described at p. 246, and exhibited on Diagram XII. (p. -245). We do not think this has ever been mentioned in any treatise on -spot play, and many persons who can make a considerable number of spots -would consider the position lost were ball 1 left as described and give -a safety miss. Yet a little practice will prove that the hazard, at any -rate, is not very difficult; it is less easy to retain position, for -freedom of stroke, amounting to double strength, is generally required. - -Of the straight screw back there are two variations which require great -delicacy of touch and accuracy of appreciation, for side has to be used -in compensation for a minute division of ball 2. They occur when ball 1 -is left at a suitable distance from ball 2, say, from 4½ in. to 9 in., -not precisely on the straight line B P′, but very near it. Being off the -line, it is clear ball 2 cannot be struck full, but impact must be -slightly to one side or other of the centre according to whether ball 1 -is above or below B P′. The divergence of return due to this slight -division of ball 2 may be counteracted by a minute allowance of side, -and the straight path may thus be regained. Or the screw back may be -made without this compensation, in which case ball 1 will return either -above or below the line B S, whence, though position for screw back may -be lost, spot play may be continued. It has generally been usual to -dismiss this straight screw back spot stroke somewhat contemptuously, as -too easy to require much comment, an assumption which cannot be -conceded. The stroke has to be played harder than many other spot -strokes, and, therefore, greater accuracy is required. The slightest -inaccuracy or imperfection of balls is fatal unless the player is a -master of no ordinary capacity, and can, by his skill, apply the -required compensations. What can be done with it alone has been -conclusively shown by the best performers of the day, some of whom -exhibit a marvellous power of retaining position directly behind the -spot. The writer has seen Roberts do so with great ability; but his -performances at this special stroke have been eclipsed, notably by Sala, -who has made 186 consecutive screw backs, Peall, who has made 184, and -we believe Memmott to have wonderful skill, and to have made a much -greater number of these strokes than any other player.[17] - -When ball 1 is below the line B S, and just so far from it that position -cannot be retained by screwing back, the stroke must be differently -played. Place ball 1 as shown below B S, and distant a foot or so from -the spot. If the stroke were played full, ball 2 would just hit the -dangerous shoulder of cushion 1. That will suffice to give alignment, -which is of considerable importance for this hazard, as freedom of -stroke is required. Play ball 1 one-half high, free No. 1 strength or -No. 2, on ball 2; ball 1 should follow through, and, returning from -cushions 1 and 2, regain position on or near the line B′ S. That is the -simplest form of the stroke, which is never an easy one, and seems -decidedly more difficult with bonzoline than with ivory balls; the -former requiring a stronger stroke to recover position, and therefore -endangering the success of the hazard. When even thus but slightly out -of the straight line, some of the best players use side to compensate -for strength, an advantage, doubtless, if the hazard striking be very -perfect. Yet for ordinary persons nothing is more difficult than to -strike ball 2 truly when ball 1 is played with side; hence we counsel -practice of this position with follow, but without side. - -[Illustration: - - Fig. 6 -] - -A very small variation of the stroke, however, makes the use of side -imperative. If ball 1 is near ball 2, sufficient follow cannot be got -on, and position can only be retained by the use of direct side—that is, -playing from cushion 6, right side; this causes ball 1 to shoot from -cushion 1 with increased velocity, and at a different angle from that of -incidence, thereby impinging on cushion 2 at a point above or nearer the -pocket than it would otherwise have done. The compensation for the side -is a reduction of strength. - -Again, if ball 1 is a shade further from B S than the position shown and -described for the plain follow, the use of side becomes obligatory. As -ball 1 is further from ball 2, follow is less necessary, or rather it -becomes unnecessary to strike above the centre, as developed rotation -supplies the necessary follow. This stroke, and specially the variations -which demand the use of side, require long and constant practice, and -are always difficult. - -[Illustration: - - Fig. 7 -] - -The position indicated in fig. 7 shows ball 1 further down the table, or -from B S, than that exhibited in the previous figure. Here, with ivory -balls it may still be possible to play off two cushions with a great -deal of side; but it is generally better, certainly with bonzoline -balls, to obtain position from cushion 1 only, by means of a stab. Place -ball 1 as shown about eight to twelve inches from the spot; play a stab -through the centre downwards, the angle of the cue being ten or fifteen -degrees with the bed, a free No. 1 strength. Ball 1 will impinge on -cushion 1, and return in the direction indicated. This stroke is not -easy and requires considerable practice. It is also difficult to -determine when it should be played as a follow off two cushions and when -as a stab from one. No exact rule can be laid down; one player will -adopt one way, another will choose another method. It is clear that -where follow with side off two cushions ends stab begins, and therefore -there is one position exactly between the two which may be played either -way. One’s first impression or impulse is often a good guide, with the -reservation that ivory favours the follow, whilst bonzoline favours the -stab. - -[Illustration: - - Fig. 8 -] - -Similarly the stab is gradually merged into a perfectly plain stroke. -With ball 1 further down the table than in the last example the stroke -becomes easier. As it is represented in fig. 8 nothing is required -beyond the winning hazard and such regulation of strength as shall -result in leaving another hazard from the opposite side of the table. -Place the balls as shown; play ball 1 centre, No. 1 strength, on ball 2, -so as to make the winning hazard; ball 1 will return to position from -cushion 1 somewhat as indicated. If it returns too straight back—that -is, too near the spot—in all probability ball 1 has been struck either a -little below the centre or slightly to the left. The correction is -obvious, and a very small allowance will cause ball 1 to come off the -top cushion at a wider angle. The stroke becomes more difficult the -further ball 1 is from ball 2, because it must be played with greater -strength, which in turn may have to be controlled by delivering the cue -rather under the centre. - -As ball 1 is placed further down the table, it is evident that the -winning hazard becomes finer till a point is reached at which position -cannot be got from cushion 1 by a plain stroke. At first all that is -required is to play the hazard with a little right side, which causes -ball 1 to leave the top cushion at a sufficient angle; but as that ball -approaches the line E S (the limit we have proposed for the spot stroke) -various modifications of play are introduced. So long as the distance -between balls 1 and 2 does not exceed a foot, and the former is within -the angle E S D, the fine stroke with right-hand side may be played; -when the distance is greater, or ball 1 is on or very close to E S, -position is best gained by a gentle stab-screw, whereby the ball returns -from cushion 1, as shown in fig. 9. Different persons play this stroke -and its variations—which are many—in different ways, and it would be -gratuitous to say that one way was right and another wrong. So long as -the hazard is made and a good position is left no one can condemn the -stroke, though one man may get position on one side of the spot and -another man on the other side. Some players habitually use the reverse -or left side if the stroke is played from cushion 6, in order to keep -sufficiently away from the spot; but for reasons already given the use -of side when attempting winning hazards is unadvisable. Sometimes it is -obligatory, and then the risk of missing the hazard must be taken, for -there is no doubt that even for the most accomplished hazard striker -side greatly enhances the difficulty of the stroke. - -[Illustration: - - Fig. 9 -] - - -It is doubtful whether any further drawings are necessary to illustrate -the spot stroke; they could no doubt be multiplied almost indefinitely, -and one would be found to approach its neighbour so closely that even an -educated eye and a much more elaborately drawn set of plates than those -possible on the present scale would fail to detect the difference. The -stroke must be taught by a master, and should occasionally be practised -under his supervision, when much that is difficult to make clear on -paper will at once become evident, and the variations of strokes (that -is, those which are intermediate between the examples here given) may -usefully be set up and played. It may be desirable to say that in each -of the figures the nomenclature of fig. 1 has been retained: the letters -D, D′ and E, E′ representing the limits within which the stroke lies, -and B P′, B′ P are always the straight lines through the spot to the -pocket. The lines D S, E S, &c., have been omitted in order that the -figures may not be needlessly complicated. It is of course understood -that the strokes should be made from both sides of the table, and it -will very likely be found that whereas, playing from one side, there is -a tendency to strike ball 2 rather full, from the other side the error -is just reversed. This may partly arise from physical peculiarity—may -be, in fact, an evidence of the personal equation or error of -observation which everyone has to some extent—but it will often arise -from error in the cue’s delivery, and, if so, will be greatly improved, -if not wholly eliminated, by reversion to one-ball practice to secure -truth of the centre stroke. - - -Before leaving the spot stroke the methods usually adopted to continue -the break or to obtain safety must be noticed. - -[Illustration: - - Diagram I. -] - -[Illustration: - - Diagram II. -] - -When ball 1, failing to regain position, is left above the spot, or -nearer to the top cushion than the spot, several alternatives are -presented. If for any reason it is wished to continue spot play, the -hazard may be made with strength to cause ball 1 to return to position -after going round the table and striking at least three cushions. This -stroke, though not so difficult as it may at first sight seem, is not to -be recommended, chiefly because getting the exact strength must be to a -great extent a matter of luck. Also when the necessary strength is used -the hazard is very uncertain. It is more or less a fancy stroke which -greatly delights the gallery, and is illustrated in Diagrams I. and II.; -Peall usually plays off three cushions, whilst Mitchell generally uses -five. It is much sounder play, when possible, to drop the red into the -pocket and lie near cushion 2 for a losing hazard (see fig. 10); and if -that be impossible or very doubtful, then a miss in baulk or a double -baulk should be played. The latter stroke, or one of the same type, will -be hereafter explained when dealing with safety. - -[Illustration: - - Fig. 10 -] - -This chapter may be closed—as, indeed, it was commenced—by reiterating -the opinion that, whether the all-in game be tabooed as monotonous or -not, the spot stroke is, and, as far as can be seen, must remain, of -first-rate importance in modern billiards, and its study and practice -will well repay such thought and work as may be bestowed on it. - - - - - CHAPTER IX - SAFETY AND BAULK PLAY - - -The subject of this chapter, though of very great importance, is -unquestionably of much less interest than the consideration of making -strokes, just as in war attack is preferred to defence. Yet no general -is fit for command who does not well understand defensive tactics, and -in the same way a billiard-player must often play a defensive game. In -the first place, such a game is advisable when the adversary is a -stronger player; he presumably will give points, and almost certainly -will try to force the game, which may often be saved by prudent play. -Again, when in possession of a great lead a defensive rather than an -enterprising game is to be recommended; whereas, if behind, every -reasonable endeavour to score and get a break should be made. It is a -difficult matter to say how far a cautious game should be advised, for -whilst prudence is praiseworthy, timidity, or cushion-crawling, as it is -termed, is contemptible. Speaking generally, and considering average -people, it may be said that if there is a small stake on the game, or -if, what is in effect the same thing, the loser has to pay for the -table, quite sufficient caution will usually be shown: whereas where -there is neither stake nor payment great laxity in playing is likely to -result. The same thing is seen in professional play; nowadays there is -rarely a genuine match, the stakes are more or less imaginary, and the -consequence is that the strict game suffers if it seems to interfere -with taking gate-money. One evil effect of general laxity of play, -neglect of etiquette, and so on, is that if occasion should arise for a -serious game caution is very likely to be completely overdone, and a -better player may, by adopting over-cautious tactics, actually throw the -game into the hands of a more ignorant performer. No doubt, as in most -other things, a middle course between temerity and timidity is best. It -may be said that safety should be played for when there is no reasonable -chance of making a score; and from this it follows that an inferior -player should often content himself with giving a safe miss when a -superior player may try to continue the game. - -Safety is sought for in many ways, but with the majority of amateurs is -more often the result of accident than of design. The simplest form, and -that which is most familiar, is exhibited at the opening strokes of a -game. The person who commences has the red ball on the spot, and may -play at it if he please; but he rarely does so, preferring to give a -miss in baulk. The adversary then has all the chances which the other -player had, with the addition of those of a cannon; yet, unless the -latter be very tempting, he too follows suit with a miss below the -middle pocket, choosing the right or left so as to leave the squarer -angle and more difficult score. Sometimes there is a good deal of -fencing for the first opening, and whenever a miss is given endeavour -should be made so to place ball 1 that not only is it difficult to score -off, but that at the same time the adversary is forced to try for a -stroke beyond his powers, or at any rate to disturb the position. He is -then at a disadvantage, for he cannot give a miss because the other -player has an easy stroke on the balls, and if he fails to score a good -opening may be left. In giving a miss endeavour should always be made to -place ball 1 in a commanding position, as well as in safety. All misses -must be played with the point of the cue, and it is often advisable, if -a careless player gives the miss otherwise, to insist on his making the -stroke over again in the proper way. Another general rule is that when -playing a miss back into baulk it is advisable to play from one or more -cushions rather than direct for the desired position. The stroke may -thus be played stronger, and the danger of failing to reach baulk is -avoided. Another mode of playing for safety is to make a double or -single baulk when the opponent’s ball is in hand; and there is yet a -third mode, respecting which it is difficult to write, but which exists -none the less, and that is so to regulate play that if failure to score -should result as little as possible is left. Such a game, though fatal, -we imagine, to anything like free play and long breaks, is yet very -effective amongst players of moderate capacity. It will not, however, be -seriously disputed that excessive safety play and use of obstructive -tactics tend to alienate the sympathy of spectators, often most -unjustifiably; witness the delight with which the public welcome a score -in baulk from a safety miss, even when success is gained by the most -palpable fluke. They seem to say, ‘Serve the cautious man right for his -timidity’; and the only persons who appear to hold other views are those -who have backed the prudent though unfortunate player. - -Whilst on the subject of safety, it is well to consider the question of -pocketing the adversary’s ball, and giving a miss in baulk. This mode of -play is generally resented, and it is at best a confession of weakness; -yet there are times when it is the game, and should be played, and the -outcry against it should be promptly put down. It is one of those -matters in which sentiment is allowed to outweigh expediency. Yet no -wise man will neglect sentiment; and it is probably better to lose a few -games by not availing oneself of the unpopular stroke than to gain them -and lose the goodwill of the company. Nevertheless, there are times when -a man may be greatly blamed for omitting to take advantage of the -opening; for example, if his score is 95 out of 100, and he has the -opportunity of putting his adversary down and giving a double baulk, -should he neglect to do so and, in consequence, lose the game, neither -he nor his backers are likely to be pleased. So, perhaps, though -sentiment is strong, business is stronger, and each may prevail at -different times and under different circumstances without offence. - -A few examples of safety and baulk strokes will be found in the -following diagrams: - -Diagram I.—Ball 2, say the red, safe near cushion 1; ball 1 as shown -near cushion 6, ball 3 in hand. Play ball 1 a plain medium No. 1 -strength against cushion 3, whence it will impinge on cushion 4, and -travel in the direction indicated. Even if ball 1 occupy the position -1′, it is still advisable to give a miss in baulk by striking cushion 3 -in the first instance. - -Diagram II.: Example A.—Ball 1 in hand; ball 2 over right top pocket; -ball 3 or 3′ angled for ball 2, which is supposed to be the red. Ball 1 -should be played a No. 1 strength to the top cushion to rest near ball -2, where it cannot be directly struck by ball 3. The best chance of -disturbing the arrangement is to play ball 3 off cushion 5 or 6. - -Example B.—Balls 2 and 3 as shown, the former being the red; ball 1 in -hand. There is a certain winning hazard from ball 3 on ball 2, and if -ball 1 has to play he should give a miss out of baulk, but directly in -line with balls 2 and 3, and as close to the latter as possible. The -hazard is then much cramped. Unless the balls are all close, a miss of -this sort would be imprudent, for several solutions of the difficulty -would present themselves to the player of ball 3. - -Diagram III.: Example A.—Ball 2 near or touching cushion 1 as shown; -ball 1 conveniently near it; ball 3 in hand. Play ball 1 a low screw on -ball 2, rather fuller than half-ball, but carefully avoid a kiss, with -strength about No. 2. Ball 1 will remain under cushion 1, whilst ball 2 -is doubled to baulk. This is an excellent type of stroke, for by means -of the screw ball 1 returns to the cushion further from the pocket than -ball 2, and is almost always perfectly safe. - -Example B.—Balls 1 and 2 as shown; ball 3 in hand. Play ball 1, with -right side, a gentle stroke on ball 2, fine, so as to cut the latter -towards the right bottom pocket; ball 1 will come off cushion 3 and rest -in baulk. - -[Illustration: - - Diagram I. -] - -[Illustration: - - Diagram II. -] - -[Illustration: - - Diagram III. -] - -Diagram IV.—A very useful type of stroke is here exhibited. When playing -the spot stroke, position is often practically lost by ball 1 remaining -very near the line A A′ parallel to cushion 1, either above or below it, -at such a distance from ball 2 as to make the hazard very dangerous. -Similarly, in top of the table play, the loss of the adversary’s ball, -whilst ball 1 is left somewhat as shown, necessitates safety play. Ball -3 being in hand, two courses are open for ball 1; either it may be -played into baulk in the way shown on Diagram I., or the double baulk, -which is not difficult, may be played. It is thus made: ball 1 -three-quarters right about No. 3 strength on ball 2, one-quarter right; -the paths indicated will be approximately followed. The usual fault with -this stroke is to play too full on ball 2. If played fine with freedom -and a little right side to ensure impact on cushion 5, and to avoid -cushion 6, the stroke will generally be successful. A little difference -in the position of ball 1 does not materially alter the stroke, which -should be played until the winning hazard and position may be tried with -reasonable chance of success. Play the stroke from both sides of the -table till confidence is gained. - -Diagram V.—What is said of the last stroke applies for the most part to -this one, the difference being that ball 1 is above the line A A′. To -make a double baulk, play ball 1 one-half low and right, about No. 3 -strength, on ball 2, between one-half and one-quarter left. A little -practice will show that there is considerable margin in the division of -ball 2, within which the double baulk may be made; consequently the -paths travelled by the two balls will diverge materially from those -shown, which are for ball 2 about one-quarter left, or a rather fine -stroke. Ball 1 may be moved either nearer the spot or nearer cushion 1, -and the stroke may still be made, its limit being, of course, when the -winning or losing hazard into the right top pocket becomes worth -playing. - -[Illustration: - - Diagram IV. -] - -[Illustration: - - Diagram V. -] - -Diagram VI.—Two very useful and very common types of double baulk -strokes are here shown; they should, like most of the other strokes, be -practised on either side of the table till they can be made with -certainty. Ball 2 need not be touching the cushion; some variation of -play is required as it is moved away, but not more than may be left to -the intelligence of the reader who has thus far followed the advice -given in this volume. In practice it will be found that the method of -play shown for Example A holds good when ball 2 is close to the -baulk-line, and for a certain distance above it when the other mode of -play comes in. With ivory balls 18 in. above baulk may be considered the -limit within which the stroke A should be confined; after that, and up -to the middle pocket, the double baulk should be made as shown at B. -With bonzoline balls the limit of the former stroke is considerably -extended, but the 18 in. limit, though it may easily be passed, will be -found safe with any balls. The double baulk may be made with -extraordinary differences of stroke; the ball which has to travel round -the table may impinge on cushion 1 anywhere from the point P towards the -right; but it is advantageous so to play that impact with the cushion -shall be to the right of the spot in order that the chance of the ball -catching the corners of or entering the right middle pocket may be -avoided. - -Example A.—Ball 2 (the red) near cushion 5 as shown, within 18 in. above -the baulk-line, ball 1 in hand. Place ball 1 towards the right of baulk; -play one-half right No. 3 strength on ball 2 one-quarter right; it will -return from cushion 5 towards the right bottom pocket; ball 1, after -impact with cushions 5, 1, and 2, will enter baulk towards the left -bottom pocket. The finer ball 2 is struck, the nearer to cushion 5 will -it come into baulk, and the less strength is required, which, however, -must be compensated for by more side. - -Example B is in a way the converse of A, for ball 1 performs the short -and ball 2 the long journey to baulk. Place ball 2 as shown 18 in. or -further from the baulk-line, ball 1 towards the left spot of baulk. Play -ball 1 from one-half to three-quarters low No. 3 strength on ball 2 -about three-quarters left (as full as possible without the kiss); it -will rebound from cushion 5, and after touching cushions 1 and 2 will -enter baulk in the direction of the left bottom pocket; ball 1 will -return from cushion 5 towards the right bottom pocket. This stroke can -be made when ball 2 is a little above the middle pocket, but it requires -execution and is too risky to be recommended. - -[Illustration: - - Diagram VI. -] - -Diagram VII.—When the red represented by ball 2 is above the middle -pocket as shown, a double baulk may be made, and the stroke is worth -working at for the sake of acquiring some certainty in striking ball 2 -with freedom fuller than half-ball. It is not in reality a very -difficult stroke, but it is not one to be recommended at critical -moments, when the simplest solution would usually be to play back into -baulk. Yet there are times when it is obligatory to hit the red ball, as -for example when the adversary is within one point of game; and since -with practice the stroke may be successfully made three out of four -times, and a person who has once mastered it is, even if out of -practice, more likely to make it than to fail, it should in such a case -be played. - -Suppose ball 2 to be placed as shown, exact position by measurement -being unnecessary; balls 1 and 3 are off the table and the former is to -play. Place ball 1 on the baulk-line for a three-quarters follow stroke -on ball 2, so that it may strike cushion 1 well to the right of the -spot. The diagram, though without pretension to absolute accuracy, will -serve as a guide. Play ball 1 centre or rather higher a free No. 3 or -No. 4 strength on ball 2 three-quarters left, or slightly fuller, which -will then impinge on cushions 2, 1, and 6, entering baulk in the -direction of the right bottom pocket. Ball 1 will after impact follow -through ball 2 to cushion 1 and return thence to baulk. The stroke is a -pretty one, and its practice is interesting. - -Another type of baulk stroke is shown in Diagram VIII. It is clear that -the single baulk would be simpler than the double, for by playing a more -or less full stab on ball 2 it would of necessity run into baulk, whilst -ball 1 would remain near the position which ball 2 occupied. But the -double baulk is not difficult. Place the balls as in the diagram, play -ball 1 one-half high with left side, a free No. 2 full (if anything to -the left of full) on ball 2, which will after striking cushion 6 travel -towards the right bottom pocket; ball 1, following through ball 2, will -strike cushion 6 at the same place, but by reason of the follow and side -will shoot off at a different angle, keeping nearer cushion 5. When ball -1 approaches position 1′, the stroke is similarly made, but must be -played a little harder, for ball 2 will strike cushion 3 near P, and -thence enter baulk. This class of stroke may be set up on either side of -the table almost anywhere between baulk and the top. - -[Illustration: - - Diagram VII. -] - -[Illustration: - - Diagram VIII. -] - -[Illustration: - - Diagram IX. -] - -There are, of course, numerous other positions whence a double baulk may -be played, either with or without the help of a cushion; but the -examples given will, it is hoped, be sufficient to show how in positions -where the mode of play is not self-evident the strokes should be -attempted. As a general rule, endeavour should be made to leave the -player’s ball and the red some distance apart, in order that the -adversary may find it difficult to score from a cushion, or to disturb a -comfortable arrangement. A useful set of strokes for such score or -disturbance is shown in Diagram IX. The three variations should be -practised, and then if in a game some intermediate stroke may be -required, the player will be able to judge where to place his ball. The -angle of return can also be controlled by the strength. - -Let balls 2 and 3 be in baulk as shown, and ball 1 be in hand. It is -desired to disturb balls 2 and 3 with the chance of scoring. Play ball 1 -from the right corner of the =Ｄ=, centre on a point P about seven inches -from the right top pocket, No. 2 strength; it will rebound from cushions -1 and 2, and following a path similar to that shown have a very fair -chance of cannoning from ball 2 to ball 3. Again, place ball 1 on the -centre spot of the =Ｄ= marked 1′; play as before on P a free No. 2, and -it will arrive at a point about 2′. - -And, lastly, place ball 1 on the left corner of the =Ｄ= marked 1″; play -No. 3 strength on P, and it will return to 2″ and have a chance of -cannoning on 3″. If these strokes are mastered they give a wide scope -for the disturbance of certainties left in baulk, for they can be played -from either end of cushion 1, and if balls 2 and 3 are missed, ball 1 -has generally sufficient strength to carry it some distance up the -table. - - - - - CHAPTER X - BREAKS - - -In Chapter III. the term _break_ was explained as a continuous score, or -one made in unbroken succession, and the definition is in a general -sense accurate; nevertheless, it has amongst the better class of players -a higher signification. With them it means a succession of strokes each -of which has been played for, and so played that the next has been -foreseen, calculated, and left as desired by the player. That is to say, -a break to be perfect includes not merely making a stroke, but the -preparation for another to follow. Hence the difficulty of making any -given stroke is enhanced by the need of thought and of modification in -play, in order that the balls may be favourably placed for the next -attempt; but, on the other hand, making the next stroke, that is, -continuing the break, is so much more certain after reasonable -preparation, as in the hands of even a moderate performer to more than -counterbalance the drawback. Indeed, in many cases it is as easy to play -the stroke in the right way as in the wrong, and the eye once educated -selects the proper method without conscious effort, so that the -difficulty referred to is reduced to a minimum, and the advantage -correspondingly preponderates. - -[Illustration: - - A SERIOUS GAME: NURSING THE BALLS. -] - -On the other hand, the great majority of amateurs, for whom the game is -one of chance rather than of skill, either will not or cannot give the -necessary attention to master its rudiments; consequently, they cannot -be said to play for breaks, nor is it desirable that they should make -the pretence. They will score faster by concentrating their attention on -the stroke before them, and by implicitly trusting to Providence for the -next. It is true that they never make a break in the higher sense of the -word; nevertheless, they often succeed in putting together considerable -scores and in defeating better players. For persons of this class—and -let it be clearly understood that there need be no cause for shame in -belonging to it, because many cannot give the time nor afford the money -required for practice and professional supervision—a few general hints -will suffice. What is ridiculous is when they pretend to a knowledge -they do not possess, and ascribe their failures to playing for position, -a crime of which they are wholly guiltless. Beyond these there are an -increasing number of persons who have grasped the idea of playing a -break, who desire to do so legitimately, and who can give some time and -attention to the game, and now and then get a little professional -instruction. Though such are undoubtedly in a higher class than the -former, it by no means follows that they invariably defeat them. Their -breaks though played for may very probably not equal by half the scores -made by the others; indeed, until decided progress has been made the -difficulty before alluded to of providing for the leave will result in -the immediate stroke being missed so often, as to more than neutralise -the benefits which arise from occasional success. In time, however, the -average play and rate of scoring of this higher class will surpass the -performances of those first mentioned to such an extent that they can -give a start of from one-fifth to one-fourth of the game. The best -players of this higher class soon reach the standard of what for want of -a better definition may be called good club play. That is to say, few -players in London clubs can give them points, they make consistent -scoring, and under favourable circumstances may play 250 points in an -hour. This means a considerable aptitude for the game, as well as some -knowledge of it, and more or less education. In fact, a standard has -been attained which will be lost unless kept up by steady work. -Comparatively speaking, very few gentlemen pass beyond this stage, and -when they do they seldom play in clubs. The reasons are obvious; in the -first place they cannot get the tables for sufficiently long games, and -they are liable in club-rooms to all manner of interruption fatal to -continuity of play; they further meet no opponents from whom they have -anything to learn. Hence naturally they prefer to play elsewhere, and -they often attain to a very high standard of excellence in cases -rivalling not without success high-class professional form. It must not -of course be overlooked that certain natural qualities should be -possessed by the student if he is to become a fine player, and also that -men in every class as players may be fortunate enough to enjoy them. -They will always be useful, and will often lead their possessor to -victory when contending with a harder working but less gifted opponent. -The most important of all is perhaps good health, for that covers a -multitude of excellences; good nerve, good sight, quick and sound -judgment, good temper. A good figure, too, is of great advantage, and it -is better to be tall rather than short; yet how many short men have been -and are fine players. - -But these advantages will not of themselves suffice to make a player; -intelligent practice and plenty of it are required, and the fewer or -weaker the natural qualities may be the more must they be reinforced by -work—‘_à force de forger en devient forgeron_.’ - -The system of classifying a player by means of his average break is a -safe one, provided that the average is calculated from a great many -games, and that the other person with whom comparison is made is -averaged from the same number of games played under the same -circumstances. Unless this is attended to results may mislead. The -average break is found by dividing the points scored by the number of -visits to the table. Thus if a player scores a game of 100 in 10 -innings, the initial miss of course counting as 1, his average is 10; 20 -innings give an average of 5; 25 an average of 4; and so on. This -process if continued over a large number of games will give a result on -which dependence may be placed. But a little consideration will make it -plain that unless the circumstances are very similar comparison between -players based on their averages may be misleading; one table is much -easier than another; one adversary plays an open game and gives many -chances, another plays for safety and leaves no opening time after time; -the size of the balls, the temperature of the room and the light, the -order maintained, and a variety of circumstances will affect the -average, and moreover affect it differently in different men. Hence care -is necessary before assuming as a result of one or two observations that -the average derived from them is trustworthy. Still it is less liable to -mislead than unassisted observation, and a man who desires to play a -match with another and who knows his own average is considerably helped -by taking the latter’s average, even if only from one or two games. If -prudent he will allow a good margin in his favour to meet the -unforeseen, for few things are more difficult to explain than personal -questions concerning play and that most potent factor which we call -luck. - -As regards the first of these, it is a matter of common experience that -men play differently—indeed, very differently—with different opponents. -One man’s manner, or style of play, or what not, is aggravating and -irritating to another, and the feeling need not be mutual; yet the man -affected will play many points behind his real game. It is no -exaggeration to say that there may be three men, A, B, and C, equal -players, yet a record over a great number of games might show that -whereas A generally beat B and lost to C, B on his part generally -defeated C. Such an anomaly is of course more likely to be found where -men are acquainted with each other—indeed, without acquaintance personal -peculiarities would not count for so much. - -The second subject, that of luck, must be approached with much caution. -One person, generally that one who is enjoying fortune’s favours, will -say that in the long run, as between man and man, luck is even. Indeed, -he may go further and practically deny its existence, affirming, what is -no doubt true, that the laws of nature are not altered or suspended in -favour of any player, and that effect follows cause irrespective of -personality. Another will declare that some men are habitually lucky, -and that with certain players his chances are better than with others. -There is truth probably in both contentions; luck is more likely to be -evenly divided between the players in a long than in a short game, yet -we think no close observer would care to deny that some men seem -habitually lucky at billiards, just as it is generally admitted that -certain persons are good cardholders, and, again, that other men appear -to be more than averagely unfortunate. The better the player the more -ready is he usually to admit his obligations, but as a rule, though no -less valuable, they are not so evident as the palpable fluke of the -weaker performer. They consist of trifles, so to speak, which are summed -up in the phrase ‘a kindly run of the balls,’ and enable the fortunate -man to compile breaks and play with confidence, feeling that nothing can -go wrong, whilst all the time, no evident fluke being made, he is -credited with playing a fine game. His unfortunate antagonist meanwhile -can do nothing right; even when by dint of cue power and science he -pulls off one difficult stroke after another, each leaves a more -difficult one to follow, till failure is inevitable. And this is not all -nor the worst; for whereas Fortunatus on failing to score leaves the -balls safe or nearly so, our unlucky friend can scarcely touch them -without leaving one certainty after another; finally, when attempting -some impossibility, he makes the most undeniable fluke, at which the -spectators smile in appreciation, whilst he is engaged in trying to -solve the problem of why a fluke even should leave nothing to follow. - -Luck plays an important part in most breaks, more in those all-round and -what are called ‘out in the country’ than in top-of-the-table play, and -least of all in spot breaks. With professional players it affects the -results of games less evidently, and probably absolutely less than with -amateurs, yet even with the former its power is immense. If they fluke -seldomer, they make far more of each piece of luck. For example, the -writer saw a match of 1,000 up between two very fine players, one of -whom conceded the other a start of 100. He gave the usual miss in baulk, -and his opponent attempted to screw in off the red. He failed -egregiously, but drove the red round the table into a pocket, whilst his -own ball after a strange career settled down beautifully for spot play. -From this opening 100 spots were made, and the game when he broke down -was called love, 404. Though play on both sides was of a very high -order, the lead thus obtained made the final result almost a certainty. - -In dealing with breaks, one other matter must be kept in mind; it is -very important, and must influence anything we have to offer in the way -of advice, making that of necessity general rather than particular. This -is, that what is the game for one man is not necessarily the game for -another, and that no very moderate break can be twice played alike even -by the same man. Still there are general principles which cannot be -neglected with impunity, and attention to them will without doubt -improve the chances of the most moderate performers. More experienced -players adhere to them almost unconsciously, and some even are disposed -to push them too far, thus occasionally sacrificing the break in -attempting too minute and too perfect control over the balls. This is a -rock on which many a game is wrecked, specially by players of great -delicacy of touch. A freer player, who recognises the futility of -attempting too great precision, but who at the same time never loses -sight for an instant of the general principles which should guide him, -and whilst obeying them leaves minutiæ to take care of themselves, is -far more likely to steer clear of trouble and to get home first. - -A few words may suffice on the subject of nerve, a quality which is -intimately connected with making breaks. All men at times suffer from -nervousness, and its effect is paralysing; judgment, sight, and muscular -control are all affected, in some instances one might say arrested. -Nerve is probably closely allied to courage, yet in many respects it is -quite distinct; and very often a player at billiards who is nervous has -his failure unwarrantably attributed to what is expressively though -inelegantly called funk. Yet the man is no more a coward than the -hundreds are who if called upon to make a speech suddenly find their -tongues if not their ideas paralysed; he would face danger, moral or -physical, with average intrepidity, but still under certain -circumstances his play breaks down and he collapses. In so far as the -question is between man and man—one person’s nerve being greater than -another’s—we have nothing useful to say: one man is taller or healthier -or stronger than another, so much the better for the fortunate man; but -much that is set down by thoughtless spectators to fear is in reality -want of confidence, which happily may be supplied by intelligent work. -That, with ordinary care in living and with a resolution never to play -for stakes which cannot be lost with complete equanimity, is the remedy -which will be found most effectual. - -Allied to this gain of confidence is the consideration of whether -beginners should select for purposes of play a difficult or an easy -table. The question is open to argument, and perhaps what may suit one -man may not suit another. But judging from personal experience and from -professional advice respecting training for a match, we should counsel -commencing to learn on an easy rather than on a difficult table. Many -persons have doubtless experienced the feeling that when they have made -20, 30, 40, 50, or some greater number of points, they are on the way to -making a break, and therefore must be careful lest they should fail. The -thought is fatal, and is quickly followed by collapse. The best -prevention is to become accustomed to making such breaks, and that is -most easily managed on a table where the pockets are not very difficult. -As one’s powers improve so may tighter pockets be encountered, but if -the same game be played the limits of divergence of tables must be -small. Half an inch or less in the width of a pocket necessitates a very -material alteration of the game, which need not at this moment be -further particularised. - -A point of interest concerning breaks which may just be mentioned is -that, although the tables and method of scoring in the French game are -different from ours, yet the standard attained by amateurs is, compared -with professional form, much the same in each country. In a rough way -professionals may be said to score from ten to fifteen times more than -amateurs: that is, of course, comparing class with class in this way; an -indifferent amateur occasionally makes 25 or 30 points, so a -professional of not very high class may sometimes make 250 to 450, -whilst the amateur who can occasionally make 100 to 150 is to his -fellows what the professional is who can score from 1,000 to 2,000. A -series of 100 cannons is a very fine break for a French amateur, so may -100 points be said to be a long break for an English amateur, though -there are a few gentlemen of whom it may fairly be said that such a -break is by no means unusual; they, however, have decidedly passed from -amateur to professional form. - -Now as regards playing for a break the way for instruction is cleared by -the system on which practice has been recommended and strokes have been -explained in previous chapters. A careful reader cannot fail to have -noticed that in almost every type of stroke described, the position of -the ball or balls after the stroke has been considered in a way second -only to actual execution. The application of the knowledge thus acquired -must chiefly be left to the intelligence of the player, who will, when -several strokes present themselves, at once select either the easiest, -or that which promises to leave most, according as he plays for a score -or for the break. Still a few remarks may be of use to the very large -class of players who cannot undertake close study of the game, and if -they seem to more advanced readers self-evident and unnecessary, we must -crave their indulgence and try to be brief. An important point to keep -in view is as far as possible after a losing hazard to leave the balls -within the parallel lines P M, Q N (see Diagram I.), and then they will -usually be well in play. Very often, however, one of the balls will be -left beyond these lines and virtually safe; when that is so, an -opportunity should be watched for, and may sometimes be made, to bring -the other ball near to it, so that by means of a cannon it may be moved -from its unprofitable situation. - -Thus if the result of a few strokes has been to leave ball 3 out of play -near a side cushion, ball 2 being near the centre of the table and ball -1 in hand, the game is to continue the losing hazards till ball 2 is so -left that the cannon on ball 3 bringing it into play is easy. Suppose -ball 2 to have been left exactly on the central longitudinal line of the -table, in which case it is clear that the losing hazards into the top -pockets are exactly alike. Yet, if ball 3 is in the position shown, play -into one pocket will result in leaving the balls together, whilst if the -other pocket be thoughtlessly selected the balls will be separated. -First as a typical stroke let ball 2 be placed on the centre spot; the -losing hazard into either top pocket is a known practice stroke (see -Chapter V. p. 164). Place ball 1 for the half-ball hazard, and play the -stroke in the usual way, when ball 2 will stop near the left middle -pocket, and it is probable that either a hazard or cannon will be left. -The one serious danger of the stroke is that ball 2 should run into the -middle pocket and the break be lost; even then a miss in baulk would -leave its player with the best of the deal; besides, the mishap can be -guarded against by being careful not to play on ball 2 fuller than -half-ball, and with rather less strength than is required if a middle -pocket loser were desired. But if the hazard be made into the right top -pocket, then ball 2, after contact with cushions 6 and 1, would stop -near the right middle pocket on the opposite side of the table from ball -3. - -This type of stroke or break should be played as indicated, so long as -ball 2 strikes cushion 2 first; when ball 2 is so far up the table that -(when the half-ball losing hazard is played) it strikes cushion 1 first, -then the hazard should be made into the right top pocket. This will be -at once seen by placing ball 2 on the pyramid spot, ball 3 being as -before. Place ball 1 on the left spot of the =Ｄ=, and play the usual -half-ball hazard into the right corner pocket; ball 2 will return from -cushion 1 towards ball 3. Place ball 1 on the right spot of the =Ｄ=, and -play into the left corner pocket, and ball 2 will return towards cushion -2 away from ball 3. - -[Illustration: - - Diagram I. -] - -Again, with ball 3 as before, but ball 2 below the middle pockets, with -a hazard from baulk right and left, ball 1 in hand. If the right middle -pocket loser be played, place ball 1 for a fine rather than for a full -stroke, in order that ball 2 may be cut towards ball 3; if the left -middle pocket be selected, place ball 1 for a full rather than for a -fine stroke, so that ball 2 after impact with cushion 1 may return to -the left side of the table, and admit of bringing ball 3 into play. - -[Illustration: - - Fig. 1 -] - -An excellent rule is to play known strokes in preference to inventions -of the moment. Those who have practised the examples previously -recommended will know with tolerable accuracy where ball 2 is likely to -stop, at any rate in the commonest sort of plain strokes, and it is well -to profit by this knowledge. Thus with the balls as shown in fig. 1, -where 2 is the red, and 3, 3 are positions for the opponent’s ball, it -is better, at any rate for those who are not considerably advanced, to -play the half-ball losing hazard into the left corner pocket, than to -endeavour to secure a chance of a top of the table break by making the -cannon. For the hazard is more certain to most persons than the cannon, -and if the stroke is made balls 2 and 3 must almost inevitably be left -in play. Similarly in the positions shown in fig. 2, although the -cannons from 1 to 2 and 3 are perfectly easy, yet it is better to play -the known losing hazard 1 from 2 (which is supposed to be the red on the -spot) into the right corner pocket. Ball 2 will then be left over or -near the right middle pocket, into which a hazard will be left, or if -the stroke has been played without enough strength there may remain a -cannon from which the balls should be gathered at the top of the table. - -[Illustration: - - Fig. 2 -] - -With balls 2 and 3 so left that there are plain losing hazards into the -middle pockets whilst at the same time, ball 1 being in hand, a cannon -is as easy or easier than either hazard, there is some difference of -opinion as to which stroke a moderate performer should play. In case of -being within two points of game the cannon may be chosen as rather the -easiest, but except in that case we recommend playing the losing -hazards. For at the worst there are two easy strokes on the table -against one if the cannon were played, totalling five against two. If, -however, the balls were so placed that one of them was too far up the -table for a plain hazard, then it is possible that the cannon might pay -better. - -[Illustration: - - Fig. 3 -] - -For the class of players to whom these few hints are specially offered -it is, we believe, sound advice to say—do not vary your strength of play -greatly, accustom yourself to a free No. 1 or No. 2, and do not -ordinarily depart from it; avoid extremes of strength and the use of -side, specially with winning hazards; master the plain half-ball stroke, -and many other things shall be added to your score. Do not concern -yourself more than you can help about your adversary’s good or your own -bad luck, and do not think it incumbent to explain for the instruction -of spectators (some of whom at any rate presumably know more of the game -and understand it better than yourself) the reasons of your failures. - -Now in addition to the players just referred to—and they form the great -majority—there are those who can devote considerable time and attention -to the game, who can play the spot stroke in the sense of knowing how -each position should be treated, and can usually make from five to ten -spots, besides having a fair general notion of the game. Such persons -represent the better class of club play, and from among them at rare -intervals a few appear whose form approaches that of the professional. -For their special behoof little need be said; they have acquired and -practise unconsciously the principles already recommended; in order to -improve in the matter of breaks they must work on professional lines, -and may, within the limits which their powers prescribe, follow -professional play. That is to say, it is not desirable to try to -prescribe a separate style of break for persons who are fairly grounded -in the grammar of the game, even though they may never attain great -excellence. As a rule, they owe the length of their scores, which are -often considerable, to small genuine breaks connected together by -providential bounty; every now and then in a score they are obliged to -give sole attention to making the stroke, and what is left is therefore -due to luck, which may be good or bad. The truth of this becomes -apparent if they are set to a break which must be thought out and which -does not often admit of adventitious aid, such as the spot stroke or a -nursery of cannons. They will rarely make more than ten or twenty -consecutive strokes, and how often not more than five. Nevertheless, -their profit will lie in trying to follow the lead of the masters, -modified, as may be required, by personal proficiency. - -[Illustration: - - Preparing to play behind the back: _the right way_ -] - -And here, lest it may be justly said that the interests of the vast -majority of billiard-players and of our readers are in danger of being -somewhat neglected in favour of a small minority who alone may -reasonably aspire to professional form, we have much pleasure in -introducing a paper by Mr. A. H. Boyd, who is well qualified to deal -with the subject, on ‘Every-day Billiards.’ From his paper, which is -commended to the careful attention of readers, it may be gathered that -he has successfully passed through many of the sorrows of the -self-taught student of the game, and is now enabled to attain to a -measure of his legitimate aspirations. - - - EVERY-DAY BILLIARDS - - BY A. H. BOYD - -As a great deal of the instruction contained in this volume may be too -scientific for the ordinary amateur, it has occurred to me that a few -simple hints, from a moderate player, who has experienced, and is daily -meeting, difficulties which possibly a brilliant performer hardly -understands, may be of some assistance to those who, like himself, are -fond of the game, appreciate its fascinating variety, and are honestly -anxious to improve. - -The correct method of playing almost every stroke that is likely to -occur in a game has been so lucidly laid down in previous chapters, that -my efforts will be limited to pointing out where moderate players are -apt to go astray, and to dealing with a few salient points, in the hope -that I may be able to show what to avoid, rather than what to do or how -to do it. - -By the moderate player I mean the average player as found in the average -club billiard-room, a man who is capable of running up 20 or 30, and who -has on certain happy days passed the Rubicon of 50. - -I believe the use, and particularly the abuse, of the expression ‘power -of cue’ has led to more slipshod play, and done more harm to young -players, than anything else. In ninety-nine billiard-rooms out of a -hundred a steady, unpretending player, who makes simple strokes with -tolerable certainty and with fair strength, is considered a far inferior -performer to the gentleman who plays _every_ hazard with side on his -ball, who delights in extravagant screw shots, but who is supremely -indifferent to the subsequent career of the object ball. ‘Power of cue’ -unfortunately, as understood by ordinary billiard-players, means _want -of command_ of cue. The mere power of imparting side, or making screws, -though valuable enough in itself, falls very far short of ‘power of cue’ -as rightly understood. The real meaning of the expression is the ability -to combine the various elements, such as side, screw, follow, or stab -with varying strengths, so as to convert a forcing shot into a soft -screw, or a gentle stroke into a fast and fine shot, always with a view -to improved position. - -Without the power of control or combination, the power of imparting side -may be and very frequently is positively harmful. An enormous number of -young players with a certain amount of aptitude for the game become so -enamoured of this showy gift that they insensibly drift into the habit -of playing every stroke, however simple, with side, and become -absolutely incapable of striking their ball in the centre, thus -increasing their difficulties at the outset. It is comparatively easy to -strike a ball in the centre as often as may be desired; it is next to -impossible to strike it on the side in the same place a dozen times -running. Hence, players who habitually use side constantly miss simple -shots, because the amount of side they put on is continually and -involuntarily varying. - -The worst case I ever met was that of a man who had allowed the habit to -grow upon him so far that he could only strike his ball on the right -side. The natural consequence was that half the table was practically -closed to him: he would not attempt a jenny into the left-hand top -pocket, and his long losing hazards were of course very uncertain. Many -others there are, however, who, even when playing from hand, evince a -decided preference for playing to a particular side of the table, and it -is evident that, although possibly they don’t realise it themselves, -they have more command of one side than of the other. If this -inclination is felt, it should be fought down at once by playing for the -opposite side of the table; and a little resolute discipline of this -kind will soon eradicate the fault. - -Curiously enough, moderate players rarely use side for following hazards -near a cushion, although a liberal use of it converts an extremely -difficult stroke into a comparatively easy one. The explanation, I -imagine, is, that when they began billiards, they were told to hit their -ball high in order to follow, and it is of course a difficult operation -to put side on a ball that is struck near the top. They, therefore, do -not choose to increase the risk of a foul by aiming at the side of the -top, and take some pains to strike their ball on or near the vertical -centre line. Did they but know it, the same pains expended upon the same -object, when playing ordinary losing hazards, would rapidly improve -their game. - -It is easily understood that from near a cushion a pocket is a very -small target, and the margin of error in aim reaches the irreducible -minimum. So that this follow is rightly considered by moderate players -who play it in the way I have described as difficult, dangerous, and -hardly worth attempting. If, however, there is plenty of reverse side on -the ball, and it strikes anywhere on the shoulder of the pocket, it is -sure to go in. - -Another fault very commonly committed is, where there are two ways of -playing a stroke, men take the way they fancy rather than the way which -will pay them best. Nothing stands more in the way of improvement than -this habit. Very likely games may be lost by trying for a little more, -and spectators are often too severe on what they consider as want of -proper caution. But let them say what they like. If a player is honestly -anxious to improve, he can afford to let the particular game take care -of itself, and even if he lose a dozen games running, patient practice -will bring its reward in the end. - -I do not wish to be misunderstood. I am not advocating ‘playing to the -gallery,’ merely for the sake of bringing off a showy stroke, but -playing out on purpose to try for position. There is, of course, a time -for everything. In a match involving a stake, or when competing in a -club handicap, a player should throw no chance away, and play carefully -and cautiously, especially near the end of the game _with the lead_. But -in an ordinary game he should play out and try whatever comes. Though -many shillings may be thus lost, it is comforting to reflect that they -are really the fees for learning, and they will ultimately prove to have -been well spent. Nothing is more melancholy than to watch a couple of -men who have devoted many hours daily for many years to their favourite -game, poking about with safety misses, white winners and double baulks, -and spinning out a game of 100 to a weary length. In all those years -they have not added one stroke to their battery, and they will go on to -the end of the chapter, unimproved and unimproving, confirmed -cushion-crawlers. - -Just as at whist, there is such a thing as playing to the score, so -there is a time to be bold as well as a time to be cautious; and many a -match has been lost by over-caution. I once saw a game in a club -tournament, where one of the players was immeasurably superior to the -other, and, although he had given his opponent a long start, he had -caught him 100 from home. He then took it into his head that his proper -tactics were to play for safety on every occasion. The result was what -might have been expected. His antagonist took a clearer view of the -situation, saw that the game was desperate, and played out every time -after the other’s safety stroke. There were many occasions when the -better player, if he had taken the least risk, would probably have run -up a nice break, and possibly have finished the game; but he waited and -waited, and his antagonist got home. Clearly, with 100 to be made and -playing on level terms, his proper course would have been to play his -usual game, when his superior skill must have brought him in an easy -winner. A player must remember that it is not enough to hamper the -enemy’s chances of scoring; he has _got to make the points_ himself. - -The four-handed game, which is a very popular institution with the -cautious, is one of the very worst schools for a young player with any -enterprise. He will be drilled into everlasting safety, and if he is at -all ambitious of playing a good game, he should avoid it as he would the -plague. On the other hand, he should never lose an opportunity of -playing with better players; for, although at first he will find the -rapid scoring of his opponent very disconcerting, still, in time, the -feeling will wear off, and the necessity for doing better will of itself -induce improved play. - -The tactics of the over-cautious school lead one to consider the -question of ‘leaves’ as generally understood. The hard-hitting, -slap-dash player, after having sent all the balls flying in various -directions, will often bitterly bewail his luck if nothing is left after -what he considers a brilliant stroke; and amateurs are prone to look for -this chance-leaving as a fairly earned reward of their skill. The less -one looks for this sort of thing the better. A leave which has been -carefully planned and successfully engineered is more meritorious than a -dozen of such, and will, in the end, bring a more certain reward. -Nothing is more mortifying to the player who is honestly trying to place -the balls than to find, as he often will at first, that time after time -he has just failed, perhaps by a few inches, to attain the desired -position; while a hard-hitting, careless friend is merrily scoring all -round the table after strokes which have apparently hopelessly scattered -the balls. Curiously enough, a large share of this particularly -exasperating form of luck falls to the lot of the careless. I once saw a -man make 62 without a fluke as popularly so-called, and yet every leave -was the result of accident rather than of design. This is what one must -be prepared for, and suffer gladly. Don’t be cast down or disgusted if -the adversary drives a ball anyhow to the baulk end and finds an easy -losing hazard left. It is all the more annoying because one cannot call -this sort of thing by its true name—viz. a fluke. - -Another form of annoyance is the fluked safety, which will sometimes run -almost through an afternoon. It is very hard to bear, especially when -the adversary takes spurious credit for playing a wonderfully safe game. -If under these trying circumstances the temper can be kept, things will -not only right themselves eventually, but a reputation for good-nature -and saintliness may be earned. - -That these things worry is not wholly discouraging. Unless one is -absolutely indifferent to the game they must be felt, and the keener one -is the more must their injustice be resented. But, after all, they teach -patience and coolness—two very valuable allies—which have many a time -pulled a game out of the fire, after it has seemed utterly and -irretrievably lost. - -Careful students of Chapter V. will have realised that perhaps the most -important thing for the learner to devote his attention to is the -winning hazard; but that stroke, at once the most difficult and the most -important at billiards, is sadly neglected by the vast bulk of amateurs. -Seldom, or never, is a break of over 40 made which does not involve a -winning hazard, which must be accomplished in order to continue the -break. All strokes are largely a matter of confidence, and this is -especially true of the winning hazard. Unless it is played with the -confidence which practice alone can give, the stroke seldom succeeds. -Here pool comes in as an excellent training school. It is wearisome -drudgery practising these strokes simply; but in the friendly rivalry of -pool, with the added zest of a prospective sixpence, the winning hazard -becomes quite attractive. - -In a long spot-barred break a spectator, if his attention has never been -directed to this point before, will be astonished at the number of times -the red is holed, and, of course, the immense possibilities of the -‘all-in’ game are obvious to everyone. It is the spot practice, and -nothing else, which has given the leading players their complete mastery -over winning hazards; and though it is the fashion nowadays for even the -most moderate players to declare ‘the spot’ tiresome to watch and not -worth their attention, yet a little quiet spot practice will not be -thrown away. Although the learner may not attain sufficient proficiency -to justify him in going for the spot in an important game, still he will -pick up almost unconsciously a notion of the right place to strike the -object ball for a winning hazard, and, in addition, one or two little -wrinkles as to ‘touch’ and ‘strength’ which will stand him in good stead -in other parts of the table. - -Another great point in winning hazard practice is that it directs the -learner’s attention, forcibly and practically, to the dangers and -disadvantages of misapplied side. In the first place, the hazard itself -is rendered more difficult, and repeated failures will compel a learner -to take pains to strike his own ball in the centre. And, in the second -place, the run of ball 1, after impact with ball 2, will be checked or -accelerated, as the case may be, to an extent which may lead to -disaster. Young pool players, when playing from baulk on a ball at the -top of the table with their player in hand, frequently experience the -mortification of seeing their ball, after an unsuccessful shot, come -back into baulk a helpless prey to the next player. It may very well be -that they have not put too much force into their stroke, but they have -probably struck it off the centre. In this, one of the commonest of pool -strokes, it is of the last importance to avoid putting on side. - -It is worth remembering, too, that it is not necessary, as so many -amateurs appear to think, to make all winning hazards at forcing -strength. As a matter of fact, the pocket is considerably larger for a -stroke played at drop strength, although of course it requires some -nerve to play the hazard in that fashion. - -Losing hazards have been so exhaustively dealt with in Chapter V. that -nothing need be said here concerning them; but there are two faults very -commonly committed by amateurs which are fatal to accurate hazard -striking, and the first of these is pointing the cue at one part of ball -1 and striking another. Some men habitually aim with the cue-tip -pointing over the top of their ball, others again with the tip almost -touching the cloth, no matter whether the stroke they intend to play be -a follow or a screw, a centre stroke or a stroke with side. Those who -are familiar with golf are well aware that in those places where -grounding the club behind the ball is not allowed it is exceedingly -difficult to hit the ball cleanly and truly, because there is nothing to -guide the aim. Similarly, at billiards, if the cue be aimed exactly at -the point on the ball that it is intended to strike, the stroke is more -likely to be accurately delivered than if it be pointing at some other -spot or be brought down or up, to the left or to the right, at the last -moment. It is a rare occurrence to find a moderate player who aims as he -should aim. - -The second fault is the widespread belief among inexperienced players, -that in order to impart the maximum amount of side to a ball the cue -should move in a horizontal curve—that is to say, that believers in this -strange theory (and they are legion), when they are attempting a stroke -involving, say, right side, sweep the point of their cue to the right as -they deliver the stroke. Students of Chapters III. to VI. will readily -see that the theory is absolutely fallacious, and fully understand that, -the straighter the cue is pointing along the path of ball 1 or parallel -to it, the more power it has over the ball. But, as the theory is firmly -maintained, it may be worth while to draw attention to it in order to -emphasise the instructions contained in Chapter III. - -In most billiard-rooms the balls receive somewhat severe treatment, and -of necessity are constantly travelling to the makers to be adjusted or -turned down. Therefore, it often happens that they are smaller and -lighter than they should be. Now, such balls are more easily sent flying -up and down the table, and they are not quite so liable to catch in the -jaws of a pocket and stop outside as full-sized ones. Hence they are -popular with free hitters; but in other ways they are very -objectionable. Being light, they are more liable to turn aside over any -slight obstruction on the table; and, as they start away after contact -faster than heavy balls, it is a difficult matter to play quietly with -them and keep the balls together. It may be that at first, with heavy -full-sized balls, the breaks are neither so many nor so long; but -perseverance will result in more command over the heavy balls than was -possible with the light ones. The very fact that continual slogging with -heavy balls is arduous work, and distinctly damaging to the top of the -cue, will of itself induce a quieter style of play and more thought for -the hereafter. - -Simple as it may seem, very few men know how to practise. It is a common -experience to walk into a billiard-room and find a player idly knocking -the balls about—now a losing hazard, now a cannon, all too rarely a -winning hazard, with no method, and with no attention to the run of the -balls. Nothing is really more useless. To practise properly, one should -have a distinct idea of what is wanted and how to set about getting it. -Chapter VIII. clearly shows the great merit of the spot stroke as a -means of practice. The combination of strength and accuracy is most -important training. One or other position will probably prove more -difficult than the rest. Practise that particular stroke till it is -mastered—_i.e._ till not only is the hazard made, but position is -obtained for the next stroke. - -Many, of course, there must be who have not got the time or the patience -for such practice as this, and to them I offer an alternative. Spot the -red, put the white on the middle spot (the position after the balls have -touched), play from the =Ｄ=, and see what the break will run to. At the -outset the white long loser is an admirable practice stroke, for it must -be played freely, and its successful manipulation will engender a -feeling of confidence in long losers which will be worth a great deal. -There are some players who find when they make this hazard that the -object ball runs perilously near to the middle pocket; others find with -their normal stroke that the ball usually strikes the side cushion about -a foot or eighteen inches above the middle. Players of the former class -generally gain position off two cushions; players of the latter class -off three; but in each case the object is to leave a cannon up the table -on to the red on the spot. - -Long losers from baulk are most excellent practice, and would be more -popular were it not for the nuisance of having to go and fetch the ball -from the other end of the table every time. The new tramway arrangement, -patented by Messrs. Orme & Co., whereby the ball returns automatically -from the top pockets to the bottom of the table, does away with this -drawback, and is therefore a distinct advantage where there is no -marker. - -There is an exercise, invented I believe by a weather-bound golfer, in -which the red is spotted on the centre spot, and the player starts from -the =Ｄ= and tries to hole the red in all the pockets in turn in as few -strokes as possible. The red is re-spotted on the centre spot every time -it is holed, and the player plays on each occasion from where his ball -has run to. This game is really excellent practice, for it involves -accurate winning hazard striking, combined with delicate strength and a -knowledge of angles. I believe that 20 is considered what golfers would -call the ‘bogey’ score; but I fancy it is placed a little too high, and -I think 16 would be nearer the mark. As the learner improves he can -lower the bogey to suit himself. To sum up, the whole art of successful -amateur billiard-playing is almost all contained in the accurate -delivery of the cue, division of the object ball being a comparatively -simple matter. - -[Illustration: - - Preparing to play behind the back: _the wrong way_ -] - -Chapters III., IV., V., and the valuable memorandum contributed by Mr. -Pontifex, should be carefully studied. The learner will find that if he -once masters cue delivery many other things will be added unto him. He -will discover that it is just as easy to screw to any angle, when the -balls are close together, by playing softly as by hitting hard, and will -learn the valuable fact that screw and side are easier to apply softly, -because with a gentle stroke he can make more certain of striking where -he intends, and thus he will have found out the whole secret of screw. -It is the spin on ball 1 which causes it to spring off square, and the -force of impact has comparatively little to do with altering the angle -of deviation. - -And yet I fear that no printed instruction will teach everything in the -way of making strokes, because the sense of touch enters so largely into -the question of execution. A good player with a cue in his hand can show -more in an hour than the best book will in a month; but the former is -not always attainable, whilst the latter may be the student’s constant -companion. Hence it will be seen how advantageous it is to play as much -as possible with better players, and also to practise carefully the -strokes recommended in a sound manual. - - * * * * * - -By all who are interested in the higher aspects of the game the -following memoranda by Mr. R. H. R. Rimington-Wilson on breaks -generally, and on top-of-the-table play specially, will be welcomed. He -brings to the subject great experience, gathered from every available -source, and to masterly execution adds soundness and accuracy of -judgment, which give peculiar value to his remarks. - - - SOME NOTES ON ‘THE TOP-OF-THE-TABLE′ GAME - - BY R. H. R. RIMINGTON-WILSON - -No practice by oneself at billiards can be more fascinating than this -modern development at the top of the board; it has also this advantage, -that in the absence of a marker it does not often entail journeys to far -distant pockets in search of a ball. Furthermore, it is an art which -makes as many calls on the head as it does on the hand and eye. Many -little problems have to be solved, and many a solution, sufficiently -obvious when pointed out, fails to present itself after months of -solitary work. - -The following notes presuppose the student to be well beyond the novice -stage, and well up in the ‘out in the country’ game. He must have -thoroughly mastered moderately easy short winning hazards, with and -without side, also slow screws off fine and full balls under the same -conditions. Failure in the former is absolutely fatal, and execution in -the latter essential to due control over the object ball. - -It is hardly necessary to say that a good spot stroke performer starts -with a great advantage, many of the strokes being spot strokes pure and -simple. Conversely, it follows that a good top-of-the-table player must -of necessity be a fair spot stroke performer. To anyone who is uncertain -of his short winning hazards there is only one course open—to work at -them till he can do them, or to leave the top-of-the-table game severely -alone. Breaking down at this game is usually even more expensive than -failure at the ‘spot,’ as in the latter case all three balls are not -necessarily together at the top. - -To a master of the art there is no question but that this method of -scoring presents the easiest and quickest way of making a break. Given -the requisite knowledge, the strokes are generally not very difficult, -and there is the enormous advantage of being close to the work—in -addition to which the player adopting this style of game is much less -affected by the conditions of the table. - -Nursery cannons are of course a great feature of play at the top of the -table, and must be made a separate study. They are much easier than is -generally supposed, and require really more knowledge than execution, -especially with the push stroke allowed as in the English game. The -writer has several times seen fifty consecutive cannons made with no tip -on the cue, which is strong evidence in favour of not much execution -being required. - -The chief difficulty lies (1) in getting position; (2) in turning the -corners. Getting past the middle pocket is rarely attempted, and would -generally defeat the best players. It is almost impossible to illustrate -these ‘nurseries’ by means of diagrams, as often a difference of a -hair’s breadth in position will determine the way of playing the stroke. -To anyone wishing to make a study of nursery cannon play Vignaux’s ‘Le -Billard’ (Paris, Delarue), an admirable work on the French game, well -illustrated with diagrams, is strongly recommended. - -Now, unless the opponent has been kind, before one can play the -top-of-the-table game it is obviously necessary to get there; -consequently diagrams are given to show some of the readiest means of -obtaining the desired position. These do not, of course, pretend in any -way to exhaust the subject, but merely indicate the general idea. Each -diagram is accompanied by some simple instructions for play. - -It will be seen that the commonest mode of getting position is by the -long cannon (Diagram II.), played either to collect the balls in the -region of the spot, or—with a slight variation of position—to double the -red towards the top pocket, driving the opponent’s ball spotwards. - -While mentioning this cannon it will not be out of place to call -attention to a very important point, one of general application, but -especially valuable in this type of stroke. - -It is of the first importance that after cannoning the _striker’s_ ball -(ball 1) be left in a commanding position; in fact, in such a position -that a score will almost certainly be left wherever the other two balls -may come to rest at the top of the table. - -In a general way this is effected by two opposite methods. We will first -consider a case where the cannon ball (ball 3) lies well away from a -cushion, and in an uncramped position, which it would be desirable for -the striker’s ball to occupy. In this case the cannon should be made -dead full on ball 3. Ball 1 will be stopped comparatively dead, and will -occupy the other’s place, which is what is required. - -It follows from this that in the event of ball 3 being close to a -cushion or in some other undesirable place, the opposite method should -be employed, and the full ball cannon avoided. - -There are cases, of course, when it is desirable to cannon full on a -ball touching or nearly touching a cushion, with a view of utilising the -kiss, but this is not the class of stroke under discussion. - -The main point it is hoped the previous remarks may convey is, the great -importance of leaving the striker’s ball in a commanding position. The -player’s attention is called to this as one of the chief points to be -considered in this class of stroke. - - -Reference will be made in the diagrams to this method of play. - -In conclusion, one word of warning. On arrival at the top of the table -do not straightway become a player with one idea—to stop there. - -Remember that a little exercise ‘in the country’ is often required, and -often more profitable than a risky attempt to prolong the stay ‘at -home.’ The return home is by no means hopeless. Not only is there every -chance of it if a man is in good form, but under any circumstances no -undue hurry should be shown to get position either for the spot or for -play at the top of the table. It is better to plod along quietly with -long losers and ordinary strokes till a favourable conjunction of the -balls presents itself than to risk failure by attempting to get -immediate position by means of complicated strokes full of -compensations. No doubt if they come off successfully the triumph is -great, but the method is unsound, and will not bear the test of time; it -will fail far oftener than the less ambitious mode, which waits a bit on -fortune, instead of trying to force her favours. It is usually the -comparative novice who is in the greatest hurry—‘_Chi va piano va sano, -e chi va sano va lontano._′ - -Probably the most favourable open position for commencing the -top-of-the-table game is when the red is on the spot, the striker’s ball -in position for an easy spot hazard, and the opponent’s ball in close -proximity to the red, above or below it, and more or less in the central -line of the table. We may borrow a French expression and call this -position the _position mère_. This position in the hands of an expert is -most prolific, admitting as it does of a system of play consisting -ideally of alternate winning hazards and cannons, but varied by -‘nurseries’ and incidental play. The great feature of the modern game is -to obtain and regain this _position mère_. - -The diagrams that follow are given with a view of illustrating some of -the commonest methods of leading up to this position and suggesting -others. - -In supplementing previous remarks the student’s attention is invited to -the importance of being constantly on the look out for an opportunity of -playing the opponent’s ball spotwards when there is a probability of the -succeeding stroke being a red winner. Even in the event of a red loser -being left—instead of the winner as intended—the opponent’s ball can -hardly occupy a more favourable position, as the balls probably can be -gathered at the top of the table in the course of a stroke or two. - -It will be noticed that in the examples given the play recommended is of -the simplest and most natural description, calling for a little -forethought, but for little or no execution. They also in nearly every -case represent the simplest way of leaving a break even to a player who -is not a proficient at the top of the table. - -[Illustration: - - Diagram II. - - Remember to be full on ball 3 with the view of stopping your own ball. - Compare also Diagram p. 177. -] - -[Illustration: - - Diagram III. - - Play half-ball on the red, driving it towards the right-hand top - pocket. Full - on ball 3 to stop your own ball and drive it spotwards. With ball 2, - the white ball, be careful not to play too hard for fear of losing it. -] - -[Illustration: - - Diagram IV. - - Half-ball on ball 2, sending it spotwards, nearly full on ball 3, - which will stop - your own ball and leave it near the pyramid spot. -] - -[Illustration: - - Diagram V. - - Be careful to be fine enough on ball 2 to keep it at the top of the - table; a half-ball - would bring it down the table out of play. -] - -[Illustration: - - Diagram VI. - - (I.) Make the loser off the white, driving it spotwards. (II.) Hole - the red, and - get position either by the slow drop or off the top cushion, - preferably the latter. -] - -[Illustration: - - Diagram VII. - - (I.) Make the loser off the white, leaving it near the spot. - (II.) As in previous diagram. -] - -[Illustration: - - Diagram VIII. - - (I.) Make the white loser gently. (II.) Hole the red as before. -] - -[Illustration: - - Diagram IX. - - Screw back on to the white, bringing the red round. With the white as - object - ball, care must be taken in this class of stroke not to hole it in the - top - pocket. -] - -[Illustration: - - Fig. 4.—Play to cannon full and slowly on ball 3, leaving the red - winner and\white near the spot. With balls 1 and 2 further apart, - the strength would be too difficult to play as here given, and the - play would be as in Diagram No. I. -] - -[Illustration: - - Fig. 5.—Play the white spotwards and be full on the red. -] - -The diagrams and remarks just given having led us up to the top of the -table, those that follow will attempt to illustrate on broad lines some -of the play when there. Niceties cannot be touched upon, and it is -thought more convenient to give individual strokes of common occurrence -rather than the consecutive strokes of a break. - -In some cases the stroke given might be played differently, in order to -collect the balls for nursery cannons; but as the diagrams are intended -to illustrate the more open game, the position for nurseries will not as -a rule be taken into account. In other instances the stroke given admits -of different treatment from that shown, the choice being frequently -determined by the player’s preference for a particular class of stroke. -The chief aim of the diagrams is to suggest ideas. - -[Illustration: - - Fig. 6.—Play ball 2 behind the spot, cannon full on ball 3 (the red), - leaving\the winner, which when made with a stab leaves the _position - mère_. Guard against losing the red first stroke, in which case the - break would very likely be lost. -] - -A common fault in playing at the top of the table consists in -endeavouring to bring the balls together, when the better game would be -to leave them farther apart. In playing to bring them together a dead -cover often results, very possibly bringing a promising break to a -close. Of course in many instances to bring them together would be the -game, but frequently it is not, and the reader should be on his guard -against the above-mentioned cause of breakdown. - -[Illustration: - - Fig. 7.—Hole ball 2 (the red), and get position for a cannon either by - the\screw back or stab follow. -] - -[Illustration: - - Fig. 8.—Play a three-quarter ball on ball 2 (the red), dropping gently - on\ball 3, in such a way as not to interfere with the red winner to - follow. -] - -[Illustration: - - Fig. 9.—Remember to make use of the screw back in these positions. -] - -[Illustration: - - Fig. 10.—Drop very gently between the balls; when making the - second\cannon, push through and get above them. -] - -[Illustration: - - Fig. 11.—Practise these strengths till you are sure of them. -] - -[Illustration: - - Fig. 12.—White spotwards and leave red winner. -] - -[Illustration: - - Fig. 13.—Play here to cannon, and leave the red winner, barely - disturbing\the white. -] - -[Illustration: - - Fig. 14.—Play very fine on the white so as not to disturb it. Avoid - the run\through in this very useful class of stroke. -] - -[Illustration: - - Fig. 15.—Gently here to leave red winner. Forefinger bridge. Better - than\trying to bring them together. This is a stroke which requires - some delicacy of execution; it should be practised till the red can - be left near the corner pocket with certainty. -] - -[Illustration: - - Fig. 16.—Push dead full and slowly, bringing the balls together for - nurseries.\There must be more than the diameter of a ball between - ball 3 and the cushion. The stroke is often assisted by pushing ball - 1 on the left side, which ensures its free escape from the squeeze - between cue-tip and cushion. -] - -[Illustration: - - Fig. 17.—Study the position with the opponent’s ball on either side of - the central\line of the table. In the one case when it lies on the - player’s side, hole the red by the slow drop, stopping about B. In - the other case play freely off the cushion to A. -] - -[Illustration: - - Fig. 18.—Play rather fine on both balls, and come back a little way up - the\table. In playing this class of stroke, the object being to send - ball 3 to the spot and leave red winner, it is often useful to - employ side, which taking effect from the cushion after the cannon - is made, enables the player to keep near the object ball or away - from it, as desired. The stroke can hardly go wrong. -] - -[Illustration: - - Fig. 19.—Red touching cushion 1. Play slow, kiss cannon, leaving red - winner.\Not too full on the red. -] - -[Illustration: - - Fig. 20.—In this sort of position, the game is to cannon and drop - slowly and\full on the red. A screw back cannon the next stroke - played with good strength will probably permit of the top of the - table game being continued. The strength for the return of the - object ball, whether off one or more cushions, must be constantly - practised. It varies considerably on different tables, and possibly - with the weight of the balls. -] - -[Illustration: - - Fig. 21.—There is no better practice for touch than these slow screws - off a fine\ball; played off too thick a ball or too hard the break - is lost at once. The object, of course, is to play the red over the - top pocket for the winner and cannon slowly on the white. -] - -[Illustration: - - Fig 22.—Beware in playing this cannon of leaving the red close to the - cushion,\as a cover often occurs. Keep the red several inches from - the cushion, either by finer cut or bringing it back from cushion. -] - -[Illustration: - - Fig. 23.—Fine on ball 2 (the red) to leave winner. Cannon gently on - inside of\ball 3, leaving it near the spot. -] - -[Illustration: - - Fig. 24.—Stab the red in and stop close to it, taking care, of course, - not to\stop on the spot. This leaves the stroke shown in fig. 15. -] - -[Illustration: - - Fig. 25.—Play ball 2 back to the spot, leaving red winner. -] - -[Illustration: - - Fig. 26.—Hole the red and play to leave your own ball for the push. - Get a\shade above the white if possible to enable you to keep it - near the spot. -] - -[Illustration: - - Fig. 27.—Cannon fine on both balls and get above them. -] - -[Illustration: - - Fig. 28.—White spotwards and leave the winner. -] - -[Illustration: - - Fig. 29.—Play the white spotwards and leave the winner. -] - -[Illustration: - - A Nursery -] - -Much advantage will result to the thoughtful reader from a careful study -of the foregoing remarks on breaks, specially if they are read beside a -table on which the strokes may be played; but the same can scarcely be -said with regard to any instructions we have seen for playing a break of -nursery cannons. Of all strokes on the billiard-table they lend -themselves least to description, and the distances between the balls -being so small and the paths travelled so very short, that illustration -by diagram is at once difficult and of doubtful use. Even if the writer -or draftsman thoroughly understands each stroke, it is nearly impossible -to convey his knowledge to the reader. As Mr. Rimington-Wilson has -remarked, the student cannot do better than consult M. Vignaux’s manual -as far as book study is concerned, for the principle underlying the -break is the same on French and on English tables. There are, however, -practical differences, such as the pockets on an English table, which -interfere with the continuation of a long series, and the size of the -balls and table, all of which make the break more difficult for us than -for the French. On the other hand, our rules permit the push stroke, -which is not allowed by French or Americans, and this makes a long break -easier for us. Hence it is necessary to endeavour to give some idea of -this style of play on our tables, the more so as nurseries form a large -part of most long spot-barred breaks. - -The only nurseries of cannons that have as yet played an important part -in the English game are those made in such a way that the three balls -are kept travelling in front of the player, and seldom further than from -four to eight inches from the cushion. The series was invented in -America under the name of Rail play, and brought to France by Vignaux, -where though quite modern it is already barred in match games. -Theoretically it consists of the repetition of one simple stroke, -whereby the balls are moved slightly forward, the only check to -uniformity being when a corner has to be turned or a pocket passed; -practically, this normal stroke, _position mère_, as the French call it, -is seldom preserved for any length of break, and the art of continuing -to score consists greatly in the skill whereby it is recovered. - -A notion of the ideal path of the balls may be gathered from fig. 30, -that of ball 2 being a zigzag parallel to the cushion, and that of ball -3 a straight line also parallel; 1′ 1″ 1‴, 2′ 2″ 2‴, 3′ 3″ 3‴ are the -positions of the balls after each stroke. In fact the relative position -of the three balls remains the same, whilst they are all moved short -distances along the cushion at each stroke. Of course to attain this -result absolute perfection of manipulation and of implements is -necessary, and equally of course, no such conditions exist; after a few -strokes the relative position is altered, even if certain requirements -of the series be preserved. These mainly are, that a line passing -through the centres of 2 and 3 must be inclined, not parallel to the -cushion; that ball 3 (of fig. 30) shall never be nearer the cushion than -a diameter (2¹⁄₁₆ in.), so that there may be room for ball 2 to be -played between it and the cushion, but ball 2 must never pass ball 3; -that ball 1 also should never pass ball 3; and that each should follow -its rail. These are the chief considerations to be kept in mind when -playing the series, the next point of importance being how to continue -the break when the relative positions of the balls to each other is -modified by various imperfections of play. - -[Illustration: - - Fig. 30. -] - -[Illustration: - - Fig. 31. -] - -A few of the commonest variations will be mentioned, the object of the -strokes being to recover the _position mère_ as soon as possible. - -If ball 1 be played with a little right side or screw or too full on -ball 2, or a combination of these errors, it will strike ball 3 too fine -and come to rest below it, as shown in fig. 31. Ball 3, by having been -struck too fine, has not travelled sufficiently, whereas ball 2 may have -gone too far, so that the tendency of the error here represented is that -the three balls should be left in line, and the series be lost; being -only recoverable by a perfect _massé_—a stroke so rare in the English -game that it may be neglected. - -In the case supposed it is clear that following the usual nomenclature -ball 3 would become ball 2 for the stroke about to be played, but would -again become ball 3 in the next stroke after, and confusion might -result; hence, for these nursery cannons the cushion is assumed to be -cushion 1, or that at the top of the table, and the balls retain their -numbers 1, 2, 3, as in the _position mère_, fig. 30. The player is -standing at cushion 6, looking towards cushion 2. First let ball 1 have -its centre at A. Play a very fine ball on 3, scarcely moving it and -cannoning tolerably full on 2, coming off it to the left; a gentle -stroke will leave something like the original position. If ball 1 has -its centre at B, and occupies the position of the dotted circle 1′, then -in the English game the break is continued by a gentle push very fine on -3, and as full as practicable on 2. One of the chief difficulties of -this and other similar strokes when ball 1 is decidedly below the other -balls is the correct alignment of the cue. Different persons meet the -difficulty in different ways; the majority, who are tall enough and not -too stiff, bend over reversing the cue so that its tip points towards -instead of away from themselves, the elbow being raised; whereas others -lay the cue on the table in the right alignment, then standing as before -at cushion 1, raise the tip, having taken hold of the cue about 6 or 8 -in. further back between the thumb and forefinger, and leaving the butt -on the table, bring the tip forward for a stroke or push as the -situation may require. Occasionally a short, stout man is put to -considerable inconvenience and disadvantage in playing these shots, and -has after each cannon to walk round and play the next with the rest; at -first sight the hardship may not be apparent, but if the value of -keeping the eyes close to the balls in such delicate work, and the -additional labour in walking round a corner of the table, and taking up -the rest, say twenty times in a series of forty cannons, be considered, -the serious nature of the drawback will not be denied. - -[Illustration: - - Fig. 32 -] - -[Illustration: - - Fig. 33 -] - -The next position (fig. 32) is just the reverse of the preceding. Play a -fine delicate stroke on 2, cannoning gently on 3 also rather fine, and -getting a position similar to that shown in the previous figure. If ball -1 is nearer the cushion and nearer ball 2, the cannon must be pushed, -care being taken to push fine on 2 so as not to remove it further down -the table than need be, and to get below 3, that is further from the -cushion, for the next stroke. The stroke left being that of fig. 31, -suppose it to be played too fine on ball 3, getting so full on ball 2, -that it is left behind as in fig. 33. The stroke as shown is a screw a -little further back, or less, than a right angle; but if played plain, -ball 2 will return from the cushion at right angles, or perhaps to the -left of the perpendicular, and there is much probability of ball 1 -remaining between the other two and the break being lost. Whereas if -ball 1 be played with left side, ball 2 will come off the cushion to the -right and rejoin 3. If by error ball 1 be played with right side, ball 2 -will return from the cushion straighter or more to the left. This use of -side is very pretty, and its effect seems to point to the transmission -of rotation to the second ball, reversed of course, as it should be, -according to the theory put forward in Chapter VI. - -[Illustration: - - Fig. 34 -] - -[Illustration: - - Fig. 35 -] - -Again, if instead of being left behind, ball 2 is rather too far -forward, by playing ball 1 with right side and gentle screw ball 2 will -be kept back and the relative position recovered. In playing this, -however, a slight error may result in leaving the balls as shown (fig. -35), from which position the break should be continued by a kiss; ball 1 -played just right of the centre of ball 2 should be kissed back on ball -3 fine. - -[Illustration: - - Fig. 36 -] - -These kiss strokes should be practised till they can be done with great -exactness. Usually the player being afraid of missing the cannon causes -ball 1 to strike ball 3 too full, and thus drives it down the table, -very likely so as to lose the break. Another type of stroke which easily -results from nursery play is that wherein ball 2 has got too far forward -and is left very close to ball 3. If ball 1 is favourably placed, a -series of fine cannons may be played irrespective of the cushion, the -secret being not to be too fine on the third or cannon ball, and so to -avoid the danger of leaving all three balls in a straight line. In -trying to continue cushion nurseries from a position such as is shown -(fig. 36), the point to bear in mind is that ball 3 is too far back, -relatively; therefore, it must be struck as full as possible without -sending it cushion-wards, cannoning gently on ball 2. If 1 should occupy -the position 1′, a push on the left of ball 1 for its support fine on -ball 3, will result in the latter escaping off ball 2 in the proper -direction, whilst ball 1 will cannon on ball 2, and by means of a few -careful strokes the _position mère_ may be recovered. - -[Illustration: - - Fig. 37 -] - -[Illustration: - - Fig. 38 -] - -In playing cushion nurseries even after sufficient confidence is -attained, and series of twenty or thirty cannons are not infrequently -made, great trouble is found in continuing the break round a corner of -the table. That the difficulty is real is apparent from watching -professional play under the circumstances; very often it will be seen -that when the balls have been worked into a corner, the player will -seize the first opportunity of so striking his adversary’s ball as to -leave it near the spot, and cannoning on the red with the view of holing -it next stroke. In other words, the nursery is abandoned and a -favourable position for the top-of-the-table play is selected. This, we -venture to think—for to write dogmatically on such a matter is -foolish—is generally sound play; it makes use of the pocket, which is a -serious obstacle to continuing cannons. Nevertheless, by careful -watching and sometimes by slight modification of play, the opportunity -of turning the corner may be recognised or created. Two examples are -shown in the following figures of positions, in which it is worth while -to try to continue cannons; the balls should not be allowed to get too -near the pocket before trying the strokes, otherwise success is -endangered by the shoulders. The sketch, which has been made without the -advantage of a table on which the balls might be set up, is therefore, -no doubt, faulty, but may serve to convey the desired idea. The position -shown is a modification of the normal one, and the player’s object is to -cause ball 2 to strike cushions 1 and 2 clear of the shoulders of the -pocket, with such strength as to leave that ball near cushion 2. -Further, he must so cannon on ball 3 as to drive it towards the path of -ball 2, if possible slightly ahead of it, when either the _position -mère_, or one not differing very widely from it, will be left, and the -series may be continued along cushion 2 towards the middle pocket. Play -ball 1 a screw stroke about three-quarters right on ball 2, whence it -will return on ball 3, moving it slightly towards cushion 2 and away -from cushion 1. The relative positions of the balls to each other after -a well-played stroke is roughly indicated at 1′ 2′ 3′; their actual -position on the board cannot be shown, as it would confuse the original -drawing. - -[Illustration: - - Fig. 39 -] - -Fig. 39 shows another type of stroke for turning the corner. In this -case ball 1 must be played with a little right side, the measure of -which is the quantity of ball 2 taken so as to make it travel as -desired. If fuller, more right side is required; if finer, less. - -[Illustration: - - Fig. 40 -] - -A person practising these strokes will be able to interpolate many -variations between the screw and the follow as here exemplified, and -perhaps the best way to make good use of these types is to set up the -balls in normal position for cushion nurseries within a few inches of -the corner pocket, and then try in one or two strokes to leave a variety -of one or other of the examples. In this way the eye becomes accustomed -when playing a series to gauge the distance from the pocket and to seize -a favourable opportunity for passing it. - -Another way of turning the corner is shown in fig. 40, whereby as will -be seen use is made of the jaws of the pocket to bring ball 2 down the -table into the desired position. The stroke is so simple as not to need -detailed description; it may be set up by sight, and a few attempts will -reveal what compensations should be applied to insure to ball 2 the -required speed and to slow ball 1, so that it may be left above the -other balls. This diagram was sent by Mr. W. J. Peall, who, moreover, -has kindly read these remarks on ‘cushion nurseries,’ and expressed his -approval of them. - -It is right that advice on the subject of cannon play should be given -with caution and hesitation, for the science is far from understood even -by our best players, and further knowledge may put our present ideas -into the background, if not show some of them to have been founded on -misapprehension. Hence but little more will be added on this subject, -and that must be general. Avoid excessive use of the push stroke; it is -commonly employed when quite unnecessary, and is more likely to result -in leaving the balls touching than when an ordinary stroke is used. -Next, play freely rather than over gently, and if possible under the -close supervision of a first-rate performer, and one who can and will -detect every small imperfection. Replace the balls after failure, and -repeat the stroke till certainty is acquired; an hour’s practice daily -is about what is required to keep up the necessary touch after the -various positions have been mastered, but recollect that too much -practice at close cannons is apt to cramp and destroy the freedom needed -for general play. - -These notes on nurseries may be appropriately closed by the following -remarks kindly furnished by Mr. Rimington-Wilson, who, it is permissible -to observe, can play such cannons with a speed and certainty as greatly -to be envied as they are difficult of attainment, and in a style -professional rather than amateur. - -‘Nursery cannon play in England is still in its infancy, and the writer -cannot help expressing a wish that it may never see full maturity. The -possibilities of this style of game were well illustrated by the visit -of the American champion Ives to this country, when he played a match -with Roberts under unusual conditions. - -‘It is true that Ives made his gigantic break in a way that would be -impossible with the ordinary sized balls and pockets—viz.: by jamming -the balls, which were an intermediate size between the American and -English, in the angle of a table with very tight pockets. While -maintaining the position in which he made his break, the balls were not -jammed in the jaws of the pocket as they may be in the English game, but -rather in the angle of the corner where, owing to the large balls and -small pockets, there was very little danger of losing a ball. In fact, -the break was played very much as it would be on an American table with -no pockets. - -[Illustration: - - Playing behind the back -] - -‘Independently of this break Ives’s cannon play was very superior to -anything of the kind in this country, and the writer has seen him in -practice make a break between 600 and 700 without ever getting the balls -angled, and this with the push stroke barred. Of course the _massé_ -stroke came into play, but not very frequently. - -‘From the spectators’ point of view long series of nursery cannons soon -become wearisome, perhaps even more so than the spot stroke. In many -instances also a large proportion of those present are unable to see the -play at all, as the body of the striker blocks their view. So wearisome -and monotonous did the breaks become in the French and American game -that it was found necessary to legislate against them, and in -first-class play a line is now usually drawn fourteen inches from the -cushions and parallel with them, inside which cannons, except under -certain restrictions, are barred. It is not improbable that in the -future some sort of restriction will have to be imposed in our game. -Gate-money, however, with professionals settles these questions very -satisfactorily; amateurs may be allowed to do as they please.’ - - - - - CHAPTER XI - THE CHAMPIONSHIP AND THE THREE-INCH POCKET TABLE - - -Hitherto what has been stated about the game of billiards in this -volume, whether generally or in the description of strokes recommended -for practice, has been on the supposition that the table was of the -ordinary make, the pockets being either those known as the standard of -the Billiard Association, or of those patterns used by the best makers, -both sorts being 3⅝ in. wide at the fall. As the game is played at the -end of the nineteenth century this size of pocket is sufficiently -difficult for amateurs as a class; and spectators of public play, by -whose patronage professional players are mainly supported, have so -greatly preferred the freer game and longer breaks possible with it, -that the three-inch pocket or championship table may almost be said to -have become obsolete. We believe, however, that this disappearance is -merely temporary, due to a combination of circumstances which may not -continue for long, and may be longer still in recurring. Further, if it -was absolutely necessary when the conditions were drawn up to have what -was called the championship of the game decided on a table different -from that on which it is usually played—an anomaly greatly to be -regretted—then the simple tightening of pockets was a device open to as -little objection as any other. It is certainly preferable to barring -this stroke or that on an ordinary table, an arrangement in which there -may always be the suspicion that limitation is made in favour of a -certain player or of a certain class of players, which is of itself -sufficient condemnation. Whereas when the same result is obtained by -making the pockets more difficult, that objection cannot be urged with -equal force; the table is the same for all, and if a man can bring any -stroke to such perfection that he can continue his break to great -length, so much the better for him; he will remain champion till another -arises who can go on longer. - -[Illustration: - - A DIFFICULT STROKE. -] - -No stroke admissible in the ordinary game should be barred when the -championship is played for, because the champion ought to be the -greatest master of all lawful strokes; and if hazards are found to -predominate unduly the remedy lies in tightening the pockets. But before -the next game for the championship is played, cannons and not hazards -bid fair to exercise too great an influence. If that match were played -to-morrow in this year 1896 on a three-inch pocket table, it is safe to -predict that victory would be gained by the man who was best at cushion -nursery cannons; of this there is no question, ‘no possible shadow of -doubt.’ What man in his senses would court constant failure at hazards -when success with cannons was within his grasp? Here, therefore, we are -again face to face with a question similar to that which arose on the -ordinary table when the spot stroke was brought to perfection; with this -difference, that whereas the strokes in a spot break are each genuine, -easily seen and watched by the referee and spectators, and therefore -fair, in a break of cushion nursery cannons the reverse is more than -probable. Made by trick or sleight of hand rather than by an open -stroke, with balls so close that even when the break is stopped and the -referee summoned he cannot readily decide whether they touch or not, and -when promptly continued remonstrance or complaint is too late to be of -use, with the push stroke permitted, such a break is open to objections -much graver than any ever urged against spot play. The scoring is faster -far than is possible with the spot stroke, and play is often obscured -for many spectators by the performer himself. In this case as in that of -hazards no lawful stroke should be barred; it would seem preferable to -draw lines round the table parallel to and at a fixed distance from the -cushions, and to make rules somewhat similar to those in force for the -_Partie Américaine dite du Cadre_. In this game, when balls 2 and 3 are -in the same compartment, that is in one of the rectangular spaces -between the lines and the cushions, and therefore are not separated by a -line, only one cannon is allowed without making at least one of the -balls pass the boundary. There is, in fact, no great difficulty in -making rules to defeat tricks which are favoured by obscurity; no cannon -otherwise lawful need be barred, and as the breaks must be slightly -slower time is afforded for inspection, and if necessary for appeal to -the referee. Moreover, the cannon game would be improved, for greater -skill is required to continue the series when one ball at least must be -some distance from the cushion, and therefore this suggestion has the -merit of inciting players to greater exercise of skill in every lawful -stroke, whereas the policy of barring certain strokes tends to their -neglect and to a corresponding loss of execution. - -The objections to having one pattern of table for ordinary play and -another for championship matches are obvious, for the games being -different the champion may not be the best player on the easier table, -even when the spot stroke is barred; and to style a man champion of one -game because he has beaten all comers at another is scarcely logical; -but the remedy is not so apparent. Two solutions present themselves, -only to be dismissed on consideration. First, that amateurs should adopt -the three-inch pocket table, in which case there would be one game and -the champion would ordinarily be the best player of that game; next, -that the championship should be decided on an ordinary table and the -three-inch pocket be abandoned. In both cases the difficulties seem -insuperable; the game on the 3⅝-inch pocket or ordinary table is the -better game for the vast majority of persons, if not absolutely the -better game of the two, because of its greater variety, in that hazards -play their part more equally with cannons, and because scoring is faster -and a freer and better style of play is possible. Indeed, if the -three-inch pocket table were introduced to clubs and public rooms, it -would probably be found desirable to reduce the length of the game from -one hundred to fifty points, whilst maintaining or only slightly -reducing existing charges, because inferior players who form the -majority would score so slowly. Again, if the championship matches were -played on an ordinary table, success would depend mainly on mastery of -the spot stroke, which is held to be undesirable. There is, of course, -another alternative—to have a table with smaller pockets than the -ordinary but larger than those of the championship table, and perhaps -also to increase the size of the balls. It is not safe to be too sure of -anything, but at present, so far as is known, such an arrangement has -not been tried—save perhaps when Roberts played Ives, and the result was -not encouraging; it may, therefore, be neglected on this occasion. - -In short, the difference between professional and amateur play must -remain so great that in spite of disadvantages the arrangement which -seems open to fewest objections is to have two tables, an ordinary one -for amateurs and for exhibition games, and another with three-inch -pockets for the championship. The latter, with the lines already -recommended for regulating cannon play, or with the push stroke -considered to be foul, would form an excellent field whereon the battles -of professionals might be decided. - -But even supposing the question of the table to be settled, there is -another formidable difficulty in the way of reviving satisfactory -matches—namely, how to insure that the game is genuine and that each -competitor is trying to win. The great games of old days were for the -most part honest, the stakes were real, the rivalry of competitors was -evident, and these facts added greatly to their attraction. Men paid a -guinea gladly enough to see a game of that sort in comfort who would -hesitate to pay five or ten shillings to see a mere exhibition game, -although the play in the latter is certain to be more brilliant because -it is unfettered by caution. Two causes are apt to have a malign -influence on the genuineness of the game; one, that gate-money is often -of more importance than the stake, and the other we may call the -weakness of human nature. Both are somewhat thorny matters to deal with, -the latter specially so; but those who know most will most readily admit -the difficulty. In time there is reason to hope for improvement; the -change of status and character of professional players during the last -forty years amply justifies this; but, as in other ways of life, some -men are more worthy of confidence than others, and that course in -arranging for a competition is preferable which shall tend to strengthen -the idea that honesty is the best policy. To help this the influence of -gate-money should be reduced to a minimum, possibly by making the game -short enough to be completed in one day if not at one meeting. The -stakes should be substantial, and it is worth considering whether other -advantages could be added to make the position of champion more -attractive. But its reward must lie chiefly in the honour and -distinction it confers rather than in money, and therefore no -opportunity should be lost of adding to the dignity and consideration of -the post; whilst even as regards remuneration it must have value, for -its possessor will command the highest rates of payment which obtain in -his profession. - -These remarks concerning the championship are agreed to by Mr. -Rimington-Wilson and by others who have studied the subject; they may -not improbably before long have to be considered by those entrusted with -drawing up conditions for the next match, which in the ordinary course -of things is unlikely to be greatly delayed. For if youth does not -advance with the speed which might be expected, age will inevitably tell -and lessen the distance between first and second, till a combat on even -terms is waged, or the elder retires and allows younger rivals to -contest for the position. - -Persons interested in the subject of this chapter will welcome the -following memorandum kindly furnished by Mr. Russell D. Walker, the -well-known sportsman, who, amongst other accomplishments, is a player of -much merit on a championship table, although in places it repeats what -has been already told in other parts of this book. - - - THE BILLIARD CHAMPIONSHIP - -It is a matter of regret to many lovers of billiards that they never now -see a match for the professional championship. The obvious reason, of -course, is that there is at the present time one player so far superior -to all the rest that it would be useless to challenge him without the -slightest chance of success. At the same time, there would be a great -deal of interest aroused if a second prize was instituted, as it is in -several amateur competitions in different branches of sport; and with -such brilliant players as Diggle, Dawson, Mitchell, Peall, and Richards, -excitement would run very high as to their respective chances. Up to the -year 1849 Jonathan Kentfield was universally allowed to be the greatest -exponent of the game, and it was not till the following year that the -North-countryman from Manchester, John Roberts, father of the present -champion, gradually made his way to the front. He never met Kentfield in -a match, the latter declining the contest, but they did in that year -play a few friendly games together at Kentfield’s rooms at Brighton. -From that date, 1850, till 1869 John Roberts was admittedly the -champion, and during this period he was able to, and did, give -habitually 300 in 1,000 to the next best players, who were Bowles, -Richards (elder brother of the present D. Richards), and C. Hughes. -During 1869 a young aspirant, Wm. Cook, a pupil of the champion, was -being much talked of, and it was said that his admirers thought he had a -great chance of defeating John Roberts if a match could be arranged, -especially as he had developed wonderful skill at what is now -universally known as the spot stroke (of which the champion himself was -the introducer, and up to the present the chief exponent), and would be -able to make so many consecutive hazards that Roberts’ supposed -superiority all round would be more than counterbalanced. In fact, so -strongly did this idea prevail that at a meeting of the leading -professional players, convened to draw up rules for the proposed -championship match, it was agreed that the pockets should not exceed -three inches, and that the spot should be placed half an inch nearer the -top cushion, thus making it twelve and a half inches distant instead of -thirteen. The history of the match, played on February 11, 1870, at St. -James’s Hall, has often been related, and, as all the billiard world -knows, the younger player succeeded in, winning the proud position of -champion. From that date up to the year 1885 there have only been three -players who have won the title. The number of matches played in these -fifteen years amounts to sixteen (a list of which with dates and results -is given on p. 373), and from the last match[18] up to the present time, -a period of ten years, John Roberts, junior, son of the John Roberts -whom Cook defeated, has been in undisputed possession of the title of -champion. I say undisputed, because no one has challenged him to play -under the rules governing the championship matches, which were drawn up -for the express purpose of deciding the title, under which all the -sixteen matches have been played, and which have never been abrogated or -altered. It has been urged by many that the table is too difficult, -inasmuch as experts at the spot stroke are precluded from making any -large number of their favourite hazards; but it is evident that the -intention of the framers of the rules was to render the pockets more -difficult, and not only make the spot stroke, but every hazard, whether -winning or losing, require the greatest care; and no further proof of -their discretion is required when we see that all ordinary matches -between the leading players are always now, and have been for some time, -played with the spot stroke barred, the fact being that the public soon -got wearied of the monotony of the stroke, and would not pay to see it. - -Now to bar a legitimate stroke is an absurdity, except in the case of -the balls getting ‘froze’ (as our American cousins say) in the jaws of -the pocket, as happened at the Aquarium on April 24, 1891, when T. -Taylor made 729 consecutive cannons (and more recently at Knightsbridge, -on June 2, 1893, when Frank Ives made 1,267 somewhat similar[19] -strokes); but this position is so rare and so difficult to attain, that -the case could be met by merely declaring that, should such a -contingency arise, the balls should be broken in the same way as they -are when touching. To return to the question of the spot stroke, it is -_not_ barred on the championship table any more than a difficult losing -hazard, such as a short jenny; it is merely rendered more difficult, and -the greatest accuracy is required for its successful manipulation; but -there can be little doubt that Peall, with his extraordinary power of -perseverance and unfailing accuracy, would, with practice, in a very -short time make fifty consecutive hazards, and probably more. It must -not be thought for one moment that the three-inch pocket table is -advocated for general use in exhibition matches; for, though caviare to -those who have really made a study of the game, the scoring is not rapid -enough to satisfy the palate of the majority of the public, whose great -idea is to witness something big in the way of figures, and who would -prefer to see a break of several hundreds amassed by the repetition of -one particular stroke to an all-round break of various strokes from -different positions, however masterly the execution, which might not -even reach three figures. Still, in spite of this hankering after -sensational scoring, if we compare the number of spectators at the -fifteen matches for the championship played from 1870 to 1885 inclusive -with the attendances at the ordinary spot-barred exhibitions of to-day, -and at the same time take into consideration the enormous extent to -which the game of billiards has developed during the last decade (I -speak only from personal observation), the balance would probably be in -favour of the former period. - -It must not, however, be forgotten, on the other hand, that there is a -great difference in interest to the spectators between a _bona-fide_ -match for a stake and an ordinary exhibition game, where there is no -other incentive than the glory of winning. Who does not remember with -delight the wonderful strengths and neat execution of W. Cook, and the -losing hazard striking of Joseph Bennett, and the keen rivalry which -prevailed between these players and the present champion in their -contests? Roberts declares that he attributes the height of excellence -he has reached to be mainly owing to those years of play on the -championship table; and though not himself an advocate for it as far as -ordinary exhibition matches are concerned, yet, if called upon to defend -his title, he considers that the table which has always been used -according to the championship rules should still be adhered to, an -opinion in which he is supported by other well-known players of the past -and present. - -We have some reason to hope that before very long we may perhaps see a -challenge issued to the champion, so great are the strides that the -younger generation are making at the game; and though to those who watch -John Roberts play it seems almost impossible that they will ever see his -equal, it must not be forgotten that in one remarkable week when giving -Diggle more than one-third of the game, viz., 9,000 out of 24,000, the -latter absolutely scored more points in the first six days’ play than -the champion. There can be no doubt that, within reasonable limits, in -all games the greater the difficulties presented the greater is the -satisfaction in overcoming them, and the higher is the standard of -excellence attained; and it is much to be hoped that we may again see -such interesting and scientific matches between our leading players as -we used to have from 1870 to 1885. - -One word more: is it not high time that the push stroke should be -abolished once and for all? It is not allowed by any other -billiard-playing nation, and is equally unfair with the so-called quill -or feather stroke, which was tabooed years and years ago. - - R. D. W. - -Regarding play on a championship table, little need be said; the -practice prescribed for an ordinary one for the most part holds good, -and diagrams of strokes, such as accompany Chapters IV., V., VII, and -the figures of nursery cannons in Chapter X., are applicable with but -little alteration. As regards cannons generally, it is of course evident -that the stroke is the same on both tables, and as to hazards the only -real difference is that with easier pockets there is a larger margin for -error. Hence a few words of caution as to the execution of strokes and -the policy of play are alone required. For making easy losing hazards, -certainty is most readily assured by striking ball 1 a gentle strength -rather under the centre; this has the effect of slightly diminishing the -natural development of rotation and of decreasing the rebound due to -elasticity after impact. A ball thus struck seems to travel on straight -rather than on curved lines, and the stroke is specially useful for -short jennies. Similarly for long losing hazards drag with strength -rather under No. 2 will be found very useful: but hazards should be -subordinated to cannon play; they should be chiefly used as a means of -getting cannon breaks. When, however, they have to be played and are not -certainties, it is better to strike with freedom than to attempt to -secure success by extreme gentleness and caution; for accuracy is more -probable when the stroke is played with customary strength than when -great softness necessitates placing the ball at a strange angle. In case -of failure also the freer stroke is less likely to leave an easy opening -for the adversary, whilst at the same time it may be usefully kept in -mind that if somewhat more caution in attempting a hazard is necessary, -less apprehension need be felt as to leaving balls near pockets. It is a -matter of common knowledge that on an ordinary table the better the -stroke for a hazard, that is, the nearer it is to success (so long as -that is not obtained), the greater is the penalty for failure. Realising -this, many persons play with more strength than is necessary, in the -hope of bringing the ball away from the pocket in case of a miss, which -often results in consequence of the precaution. When pockets are -difficult this consideration may to a great extent be neglected, and -attention may be concentrated on making the hazard. Another point which -should be noticed is that amateurs are more nearly equalised on a -championship than on an ordinary table. A man who on the latter could -give his adversary thirty points in a hundred, would probably find that -on the former he could not give more than twenty points. The usual fault -is that persons accustomed to the 3⅝ inch pockets are afraid of the -smaller ones, and try a great deal too much for absolute accuracy, a -procedure which is simply fatal to success. Hence strength approaching -to that generally used by each person will be found best. Should the -stroke be missed the balls will come reasonably away, whereas if it -should be made, the player has presumably some idea of the position to -be left, and a fair chance of continuing the break. By following that -policy and by determinedly playing for cannon breaks, specially -nurseries, success may reasonably be expected. Do not break your heart -over difficult hazards, leave that to the adversary; but hold -tenaciously to every chance of cannons. Play, in fact, as Ives did with -Roberts. The latter could very possibly give the former half the game in -one of the usual spot-barred exhibitions, but when the pockets were -reduced in size and larger balls were brought into play, the American -had the best of the deal and won accordingly. - -From the preceding remarks it will be gathered that whilst for practice -the manual prescribed for an ordinary table may be followed, in a game -the player must pursue a different policy. Hazards which require -strength greater than No. 2 should be avoided, and the ordinary idea of -bringing the object ball back to the middle of the table after a -middle-pocket hazard, half-ball or finer, should be superseded by -playing with reduced strength, and, when the object ball is the red, -being contented with leaving it in play, that is, between the lines PM, -QN, laid down on many of the diagrams. When ball 2 happens to be the -opponent’s ball endeavour should be made to leave it in the -neighbourhood of the spot. With these qualifications the advanced player -(and we think no other should use three-inch pockets) will find the -directions for making breaks in Chapter X. useful, specially those which -refer to play at the top of the table and at cushion nurseries; practice -will soon result in a very considerable modification of the ordinary -game, but the changes will vary with the personal qualities of the -player, who will soon adopt those which suit him best. As scoring on a -tight-pocket table is decidedly slower than on an ordinary one, it -follows that safety and cautious play have more effect in the former -game. Hence potting the opponent’s ball and leaving a double baulk, and -similar tactics, are more likely to be rewarded with ultimate success -than when that style of game is followed on a table with 3⅝-inch -pockets. Whether that is or is not an advantage is a question for the -reader to decide for himself; one good result with which it may be -credited is to encourage the practice of strokes for the purpose of -scoring from, or at any rate of disturbing, a double baulk. - -It is, we think, unnecessary to say more at present respecting play on a -championship table; in time, perhaps, improvement in amateur form may be -so great and so universal as to make the more difficult supersede the -easier game; but that day is distant, and speculation as to its -requirements is under existing circumstances unprofitable. - - _Billiard Championship Matches_ - - ┌──────┬────────────────────────┬──────────────────────────────┬──────┐ - │Points│ Date │ Players │Won by│ - ├──────┼────────────────────────┼──────────────────────────────┼──────┤ - │1,200 │ Feb. 11, 1870 │Cook b. Roberts, senr. │ 170│ - │1,000 │ April 14, 1870 │Roberts, jun., b. Cook │ 478│ - │1,000 │ May 30, 1870 │Roberts, jun., b. Bowles │ 246│ - │1,000 │ Nov. 28, 1870 │Jos. Bennett b. Roberts, jun. │ 95│ - │1,000 │ Jan. 30, 1871 │Roberts, jun., b. Bennett │ 363│ - │1,000 │ May 25, 1871 │Cook b. Roberts, jun. │ 15│ - │1,000 │ Nov. 21, 1871 │Cook b. Jos. Bennett │ 58│ - │1,000 │ Mar. 4, 1872 │Cook b. Roberts, jun. │ 201│ - │1,000 │ Feb. 4, 1874 │Cook b. Roberts, jun. │ 216│ - │1,000 │ May 24, 1875 │Roberts, jun., b. Cook │ 163│ - │1,000 │ Dec. 20, 1875 │Roberts, jun., b. Cook │ 135│ - │1,000 │ May 28, 1877 │Roberts, jun., b. Cook │ 223│ - │1,000 │ Nov. 8, 1880 │Jos. Bennett b. Cook │ 51│ - │1,000 │ Jan. 12 13, 1881 │Jos. Bennett b. Taylor │ 90│ - │3,000 │ Mar. 30 and 31, and │Roberts, jun., b. Cook │ 92│ - │ │ April 1, 1885 │ │ │ - │3,000 │ June 1, 2, 3, 4, 1885 │Roberts, jun., b. Jos. Bennett│ 1,640│ - └──────┴────────────────────────┴──────────────────────────────┴──────┘ - - - - - CHAPTER XII - THE RULES OF THE GAME OF BILLIARDS - - -In a game so scientific and at the same time so popular as billiards, -played, as it is occasionally, for important stakes, the rules evidently -should be clear, precise, and sufficient. That those in force in 1895 -fulfil these conditions will not be affirmed by any person of -experience; indeed, more versions than one exist and are current, whilst -the opinions of experts even do not coincide as to the provisions which -should be included. Hence, it is evident that the problem cannot be -satisfactorily solved until the various matters have been fully -considered by a carefully selected body of men, in which the -professional element is sufficiently but not predominantly represented, -and which should contain persons capable, from habit and training, of -recording the decisions arrived at lucidly and in good English. The work -to be done is in many respects similar to that of drafting an Act, and -similar qualifications are required for doing it well. - -In this book, however, in dealing with rules, the main question is, What -version at present existent has the best title to the obedience of -players? This, we think, can only be answered in one way if we deal with -things as they are, not necessarily as they should be, and that is by -accepting as valid the rules prepared by the Billiard Association of -Great Britain and Ireland. They were compiled by the chief professional -players of the day, who do not appear to have had the advantages of -educated amateur criticism or of the services of an expert to draw them -up in a satisfactory manner. Under them, however, the principal games of -recent years, both exhibition and those for genuine money, have been -played, and therefore they have perhaps the best title to be considered -as the laws of the game. Sold, too, by the Association at half a crown a -copy, they form, it is believed, its main source of income. But both -title and income are held on a precarious tenure, for there is little -doubt, the present code being so imperfect, that if a committee of -suitable persons were formed an improved set of rules might easily be -framed which would supersede existing ones, and might be sold at a price -more nearly approaching to their cost of production. - -In an article written for the first number of the ‘Billiard Review,’ at -the champion’s request the present writer thus summarised the needs or -wants of the Association rules:— - - Considered generally, the code requires rearrangement on a system. It - should begin by defining the game and implements, by prescribing the - positions of the spots, the baulk-line, the =Ｄ=, and so on, keeping - such preliminary matters at the commencement, and not scattering them - broadcast.... Then the code should proceed step by step, one leading - to another; explanation or definition should precede, and not succeed, - reference to terms.... Again, some of the rules seem superfluous or - capable of being embodied in other rules, thus reducing the number and - tending to their simplification. - -In commenting on this, John Roberts remarked that it was high time that -the rules were recast, and he has kindly offered to give any assistance -in his power. - -As a general guide to the preparation of a code it was stated in the -article already quoted that the rules should be as few, as simple, and -as clear as possible; of a nature general rather than particular; and -that for one offence one penalty, ample, but never vindictive, should -suffice. Inquiry was suggested how far accidental may be distinguished -from intentional offence. Further, the principle that the struggle for -victory ought to be strictly confined to the players, no one under any -pretence soever being permitted to assist or advise either, must be -recognised; - - and provision should be made for offences, recollecting that very - often the offenders are spectators, and that in dealing with them it - may be difficult, if not impossible, to enforce a penalty. Again, ... - knowing, as all do, how the custom of different rooms varies, and how - habitually in certain places great laxity prevails, how far is it wise - to make laws with the full knowledge that they will be broken with - impunity and by common consent? - -All will agree that unless such rules are plainly required in the -interests of the game they should be cancelled; but when they are -beneficial and necessary they must be supported or provided, and it -would seem best that the option of enforcing them should be left to the -non-striker. Each rule should have a brief marginal reference to its -subject, and when explanation is difficult or doubtful it should be -illustrated by examples. As these considerations may help the framers of -the next set of rules, it seems right to include them in this chapter, -in which, however, it is not proposed to discuss minor matters in -detail, for that can be better done when the amendment of the code is -undertaken; but there are certain questions connected with the rules so -important to the game that their examination here is appropriate. These -are: - -1. The desirability or otherwise of attempting to discriminate between -the act of aiming and the act of striking. - -2. The necessity for a special penalty for playing a miss otherwise than -with the point of the cue. - -3. Playing with the wrong ball. - -4. Foul strokes. - -5. Procedure when player’s ball touches another ball. - -6. Offences committed by persons other than the players. - -7. Obstruction of the striker by the non-striker. - -8. How far the marker may assist either player; and, finally, - -9. The push stroke. - -In offering remarks and suggestions on these matters there is no desire -to arrogate any superiority of judgment or any right to decide. It is -fully understood that opinions will differ, and that those brought -forward here may not commend themselves to the majority of experts; but -they are the result of study and of consultation with persons well -qualified to be heard on such matters, and, therefore, they are put -forward as of sufficient importance to warrant their receiving due -weight when action is taken in respect to the rules. - -Dealing with the questions in their numerical order, let us examine: - -1. The results of trying to discriminate between the act of aiming and -the act of striking. Now, these two together constitute a stroke, the -first being the preliminary, the second the final part; and it is not -always easy to say where the one ends and the other begins. Here, -therefore, there is an element of uncertainty which if possible should -be eliminated, the more so because argument as to a fact of which no one -but the striker can be really cognisant is avoided. The matter can be -satisfactorily settled by simply ruling that if a player touches his -ball his doing so shall be considered a stroke. In addition to removing -a somewhat thorny subject of discussion, which in itself is sufficient -recommendation, such a provision is very much sounder than any attempt -to divide a stroke into its component parts and to treat each -differently. Why should carelessness during the first part of a stroke -be pardoned whilst during the last it is punished? It is not unusual for -a striker who inadvertently touches his ball to remark that he was not -in the act of striking, and to proceed to give a safe miss. This often -happens when a difficult stroke is attempted and the safe miss is -unquestionably his best game and the worst for his adversary, who, -realising the fact and perceiving the opening for profitable generosity, -begs the striker not to mind the little accident, but to replace his -ball and play the stroke again. With a young player this -disinterestedness is usually rewarded, but an older one will decline to -take advantage of such good-nature and will adhere to the safety miss. -Now, if the touch was held under the rules to be, as it is actually, a -stroke, there would be no inducement for this little by-play, and the -offender would not have the option of embarrassing his opponent and -escaping from the effects of his blunder by playing for safety. A stroke -is a stroke whether played hard or soft, whether intentional or -accidental, and the rules should uphold this fact. If they did (and this -is a further recommendation), several rules or provisions in the code of -the Association might be expunged, and it would thereby gain in -clearness and simplicity. - -2. Playing a miss otherwise than with the point of the cue. The general -rule is that all strokes must be played with the point of the cue, and -that they are foul if otherwise made. This perhaps meets all cases -sufficiently save that of giving a miss for safety. Some players, from -carelessness or in order to assume a _dégagé_ style which they consider -to be attractive and indicating that they do not need to stand on much -ceremony with their opponent, give the miss with the side of the cue, -and if they have made the ball travel too fast they have no hesitation -in stopping it. As matters stand, all that can be done in such a case is -to insist on the person playing the stroke properly; but this is -insufficient, and it is not absolutely clear whether he can be forced to -do so. Distinct provision for this should be made and a sufficient -penalty provided, so that this practice, which is discourteous to the -adversary, and which, if the ball is stopped, involves two offences, may -be prevented. It is a bad practice, too, for the man who indulges in it, -for he may do it on some occasions when unpleasantness would result, -and, moreover, indulgence in the habit is likely to lead to loss of -power to give a miss in the proper way. - -3. Playing with the wrong ball. Under the Association rules, if the -striker plays with the wrong ball the opponent has the choice of three -penalties and the option of claiming them. He cannot, however, enforce -any unless the error be discovered and claimed before the next stroke. -This rule seems objectionable in more ways than one. Unless there are -very cogent reasons for ruling otherwise, one offence should have but -one penalty, and the adversary, who is an interested party, should not -be permitted to decide what measure and form of punishment are -appropriate. Surely an adequate penalty could be devised the infliction -of which would have no suspicion of vindictiveness. The limitation, too, -is not very fortunate, and usually leads to discussion, for the offender -often avers that he played with the ball which the non-striker did not -use; this of course is really no argument, but it is often successful, -for men generally prefer to avoid dispute. - -4. Foul strokes. The Association Rule 30 is incomplete and badly worded. -Presumably, all strokes which are not fair are foul, and if a list is -given it should be as complete as possible. Were this attended to, and -were the recommendations under 1 accepted, the result would be to -decrease the number of rules and to simplify the code. - -5. When player’s ball touches another ball. In old days, if under these -circumstances a score was made, the stroke was held to be foul and the -opponent broke the balls. This was apparently thought to bear too -severely on delicate play, specially as the touch was often the result -of imperfection in the balls or table; and the present rule was -introduced, which provides that the red be placed on the spot, the -non-striker’s ball on the centre spot, whilst the striker may play from -baulk. This change enormously improves the value of close positions for -cannon play, and one of its results is the fearless cultivation of -nurseries; but whether that is a benefit to the game of billiards is -another matter. The question how to deal with the case of balls which -touch is really surrounded with difficulty. It has always appeared hard -that if at the end of a stroke fairly made the striker’s ball should -touch another ball, his next stroke should be foul. He has not offended, -and why should he be punished for playing with exact strength? The only -apparent reason for ruling the next stroke foul is that it is a -certainty; the striker, if he can play into any pocket or on the third -ball, must score, and he cannot give a miss. What is the objection to -this? Is not the object of all work at billiards and the measure of -success thereat to be able to leave a certainty to follow each stroke? -In the case of close cannons the stroke is practically no more certain -if the balls touch than if they are the conventional small distance -apart. Other unknown considerations may affect the question and make the -present or former ruling fair and advantageous for the game, but in -their absence no sufficient case is made out against abolishing the -rules respecting balls touching and permitting the striker to play on. -Possibly the objections to this in nursery cannon play are so great as -to make the arrangement undesirable, but it is open to question how far -it would materially affect the length of the series. At any rate, whilst -expressing no strong opinion, it is clear that the proposal merits -consideration. A collateral advantage would be doing away with the need -for a reference to the umpire or marker on a point often most difficult -to decide, and one concerning which mistake is frequent. - -6. Offences committed by persons other than the players. These are not -easily dealt with, chiefly because of the difficulty of enforcing a -penalty; and many of them, moreover, are rather the result of bad -manners, want of observation of the etiquette of the room, and -ignorance, than of intention to offend. - -Perhaps the commonest and one of the most offensive errors a spectator -can be guilty of is offering advice to a player. This is of course -promptly resented if there is money on the game. That, however, is not -enough; the mischief may be done, and no amount of penitence can then -compensate. But the practice is equally reprehensible if there is no -money at stake; the competitors should have a fair field and no favour. - -Another offence is obstructing a player, and this expression covers -accidentally coming against him, or being in his way when striking a -ball, or doing any other act which interferes with his stroke—moving in -his line of sight, scratching a match, or extinguishing it by waving it -up and down in front of him, entering or leaving the room on the stroke, -speaking to a player or conversing in a loud tone sufficient to distract -his attention. Want of the certainty that these matters will receive -consideration, and of all power to enforce them except at the risk of -being considered unreasonable, is one of the reasons why really good -amateurs abstain so largely from playing in clubs. It is worthy of -consideration whether a spectator who sees the game wrongly marked -should be allowed to state the fact. We think that he should not have -this permission, on the principle that the struggle should be strictly -confined to the players, and that they, and they only, should be allowed -to question the score. The spectator is almost as likely to be wrong as -right, and an interruption is caused which had better have been avoided. -Lastly, it has been usual to provide that in case the marker or referee -could not decide a point, the majority of spectators might be appealed -to. As a rule, the majority of spectators know so little about such -matters, and, not being so well placed as the marker or referee to judge -of questions of fact, it would seem in every way preferable in case of -doubt to produce a coin and leave the matter to the arbitrament of -chance. - -7. Obstruction of the striker by the non-striker. The intention of the -rules whereby deliberate obstruction or wilful interference with the run -of the balls shall be punished by the loss of the game is excellent, as -also is the provision that the non-player shall leave the table and -avoid the player’s line of sight; but the rules are not very definite. -In the first place, what is deliberate obstruction? Clouds of tobacco -smoke blown across the table interfere with sight, and pieces of tobacco -and ashes obstruct the run of the balls; a remark which distracts the -player’s attention is an obstruction as much and as deliberate as if the -opponent laid his cue on the table, but it is less tangible and more -difficult to deal with. What is desired is complete liberty and freedom -for each player when in possession of the table; it matters -comparatively little whether the offence is accidental or intentional, -for the penalty should be sufficient to meet the graver case. If a seat -is available for the non-striker, it is surely not much to ask that he -should occupy it and remove himself to a fair distance from the table. - -8. How far the marker may assist either player. Regarding this an -opinion has already been plainly expressed that the struggle should be -strictly confined to the players, neither of them being allowed to -receive extraneous advice. It is no argument, or but a very poor one, to -contend that the same advice is open to both players; and no such -sophistry can make it right that the judgment and eyesight of the marker -should be at the disposal of an adversary who is either too lazy or too -blind to see for himself how far the cue-tip is from the ball. When two -men are playing billiards, he who helps the one injures the other, and -the more careless and lazy the performer, the more help will he receive, -a result clearly injurious to the best interests of the game and unfair -to the attentive man. The latter will seldom err as to which ball he -should play with, whilst the former after almost every break will -commence by inquiring which is his ball or play with the wrong one. -Again, strokes with the half or long-butt are fruitful causes of -failure. Is it right that a player should be permitted to ask the marker -whether the cue-tip is within proper distance of the ball? Certainly -not. If one of the players’ sight is better than the other’s, he should -profit thereby, just as he may lawfully profit by any other advantage he -is fortunate enough to possess. Believing, as we do, that it is most -important to let the struggle lie absolutely between the two combatants -and to preserve the strictest neutrality, and that advice or assistance -of the nature indicated should, if asked for, be refused, it follows -that the custom some markers have of offering the rest or the half-butt -is at least equally objectionable. It is often done in perfect -innocence, but it may have a most undesirable effect on the game, and -the impulse to take the initiative should be restrained. - -9. The push stroke. The vexed question whether this stroke is to be -permitted or to be prohibited will, we think, have to be arbitrarily -decided—decided, that is, not on its real merits, but on the -consideration of expediency. It is always rather a pity when this is so, -and with the view of laying before those interested matters concerning -the stroke which might escape notice, we shall endeavour to collect them -and to assign to each its due importance. - -To begin with, those who assert roundly that all push strokes are foul -because there are several impacts between cue-tip and ball are -practically wrong. In very close pushes, such as those employed in -nursery cannons, or in any stroke when balls 1 and 2 are nearly -touching, if played by a person who has mastered the art, the vast -majority are fair strokes—that is, they are made with the point of the -cue, and ball 1 is not twice struck. In other words, it is possible to -push a ball for some distance with the point of the cue without losing -touch. It is dangerous to drive any argument to extremes, and for -practical purposes it is well to bear in mind that _de minimis non curat -lex_. Against the opinion just expressed that it is possible to push a -ball for a short distance fairly, those who contend that such is not the -case base their view on the fact that as soon as the ball begins to -travel it also begins to rotate, and that when rotation is established -continued impact is impossible. They contend that though it may appear -to be continuous it really is not so, and that the stroke consists of a -number of little blows, which might be represented by a dotted line, -instead of absolutely steady impact, which would be represented by a -line. It seems unprofitable to attempt to go into such minutiæ. If the -touches are sufficiently close together the result is continued impact; -in other words, if the dots are close enough together they cease to be -dots and form the line. A man who allows these minute matters to obscure -his judgment might equally well argue that a ball rotating quickly in -the direction of its path was not in constant contact with the cloth. No -doubt it is not, and but a small irregularity, an atom of dust, chalk, -or tobacco, will if passed over cause the ball to jump perceptibly; -contact with the cloth is visibly interrupted and again assumed, and the -ball for an instant is off the table, yet no one would dream of -inquiring whether the stroke was in consequence vitiated, or of raising -the question as to whether the ball was knocked off the table. So much -for those who base their opposition to the push stroke on the assumption -that it is always foul and, following timid or incapable referees, rule -it so invariably on appeal. Another so-called proof that the stroke is -generally foul is arrived at by either chalking a cue heavily and -pushing the red ball, when, it is argued, if contact is continuous, the -ball will show a line of chalk on its surface, but if impact has been -interrupted the line will be broken; or by pushing with a cue whose tip -has been removed, when the fact of repeated impacts is conveyed to the -player by the sense of feeling—in other words, he feels the friction -between the ball and cue. Neither of these tests is conclusive; in the -first it is manifest that sooner or later the expenditure of chalk on -the tip must result in none being applied to the ball, or a slight -variation in pressure or some other accident might account for the chalk -not adhering to it; in the second, all that need be said is, when it is -desired to play a fair push stroke do not select a cue without a tip. -Were the tip made of cotton or wool or a similar fabric, it is evident -that there would be no difficulty in keeping some part or other of it in -contact with the ball even over a long course. But the fact is these -far-fetched objections should carry no weight, and, as far as we can -judge, a practical and impartial person who desires to consider the -matter is justified in starting with the assumption that the push is not -necessarily foul. - -If, however, on theoretical grounds it were so ruled, it follows at once -that many other strokes hitherto unsuspected or uncomplained of would -for the same reason have to be prohibited. Of these the half-push (see -p. 230) is an example, and indeed it is not too much to say that in -every stroke in which balls 1 and 2 are close, and which has to be -played at all hard, whether a follow or a close screw, in both of which -the cue-tip follows up ball 1, the probability is great that there have -been at least two distinct impacts. Before going further it is -reasonable to inquire why a ball should not be struck twice. There does -not seem to be any special rule in the Association code prohibiting the -practice, the only one under which it can be brought being Rule 30, -wherein impeding or accelerating the progress of a ball is declared to -make the stroke foul; and this is an excellent example of how badly -those rules are drafted; for in every stroke played with follow the -progress of the ball is accelerated, whilst in every drag stroke it is -impeded, and yet both are fair strokes. However, as there is no other -rule on the subject, this must be accepted, it being conceded, for the -sake of argument, that subsequent impacts of the cue make the ball -travel faster. Now, it seems on consideration that the reason for -prohibiting a second impact is that a player is entitled to one stroke -only at a time; he must not, once he has set ball 1 in motion, take a -second stroke to correct deficiencies. These deficiencies are likely to -be of two kinds—either ball 1 is struck too gently, in which case there -is temptation to help it with a second blow; or it is sent in a wrong -direction, when there is inducement to correct the error by an -application of the cue. To condemn the push stroke as contravening this -rule seems somewhat far-fetched. - -But, granting all this, there are most serious objections to the stroke, -of which perhaps the strongest is the great difficulty of discriminating -between a fair and a foul push. In many instances it requires a man who -has mastered the stroke to judge, and in others markers and referees are -apt most unwarrantably to make up their minds that, if the push is -allowed, any stroke so made, however palpably foul, must be passed; -whilst others take precisely the opposite view, and on appeal rule every -push to be foul. The difficulty of judging is their only excuse, but to -rule any stroke as foul unless they distinctly saw and can name the act -which made it so is to prove themselves unfitted for the post of -referee. A vast proportion of amateurs cannot make the stroke, which -requires much determination and steadiness, as well as a good deal of -practice; they are most suspicious of those who can do it, and resent a -ruling that their clumsy endeavour is foul, whilst another smoothly made -by an expert is fair. Being ignorant of the difference, they feel -injured, and express their feelings more or less eloquently to the -marker, who to avoid such scenes rules all push strokes to be foul. - -Another important objection to the push is that it induces a slovenly -style of cannon play, and that, so far as we know, it is not permitted -by any other billiard-playing nation. This is a drawback when our -players compete with foreigners, not merely because the difficulties of -arranging the game are enhanced, but because our representatives are -wanting in the skill which is required to surmount obstacles usually -overcome by the push. - -The case for and against the push stroke was thus condensed in the -‘Times’ of December 17, 1894:— - - Opinions will vary, for there are many arguments on both sides. Those - opposed to it maintain, in the first place, that it is always foul, - because cue-tip and ball come in contact more than once; that it is a - slovenly mode of evading difficulties which should be conquered by - fair means; and that, therefore, its use is detrimental to the game, - players not being encouraged to acquire the skill possessed by foreign - exponents. On the other hand, those in favour of it will deny the - separate contacts or affirm contact to be so nearly continuous that - the difference between a push and an ordinary stroke is merely one of - duration; they will truly say that it is a stroke requiring much - skill, and greatly extending the possibilities of the English game, in - which _massé_ can never play the part it does in the French game; and, - lastly, that to abolish it would lengthen play, which is undesirable. - -We do not know that much more remains to be said; as far as can be -judged, the balance of opinion, professional and amateur, is in 1895 -perhaps in favour of its retention, and Roberts’s remark that he does -not think the time has arrived when it should be prohibited is doubtless -sound from the point of view of gate-money, which naturally influences -professional opinion, and is, moreover, a test of popularity which -deserves some consideration; but it is by no means conclusive as to what -is best in the interests of the game. And signs are not wanting that the -days of the push stroke are numbered. - -[Illustration: - - ARE THEY TOUCHING? -] - - - - - CHAPTER XIII - PYRAMIDS, POOL, AND COUNTRY-HOUSE GAMES - - BY W. J. FORD - - -When and under what circumstances winning hazard games were invented, -billiard history does not record. Every player, however, must have met -men with little aptitude for the more scientific game of billiards, who, -being blessed with good sight and sound nerve, play well at pyramids and -pool. For their benefit these games were doubtless produced, demanding -as they do considerable skill and knowledge, and lending themselves -especially to being played for money. It is an established fact that -persons will play billiards for nothing who would never dream of playing -pyramids, &c. for love; and also that many who would think twice before -risking a shilling or half a crown on a hundred game at billiards would -lightly and cheerfully take part in a game of pyramids or pool for -stakes at which a far greater sum can readily be lost or won. - -One thing the beginner must remember—that he will have to pay for his -experience. He may be a fair hazard striker, with a moderate power of -cue and sound ideas about strength and position, but until he has played -a good many games of pool and pyramids, with the money up, and has -overcome the nervousness incidental to playing in public for a stake, he -will never master the game. All must go through the fiery ordeal of the -public room, where every shot is fired in earnest and there are no blank -cartridges. The price to be paid must depend on the beginner’s nerve and -his aptitude for such games, but he will find that practice and -observation work wonders, and that when he has watched fine players and -played with them, his losses will begin to dwindle, and gradually -transform themselves into winnings. - -A few general hints may not be out of place before discussing the -different games in detail. It is really important to use the same cue as -far as possible; it is as essential as one’s own gun, bat, or racquet, -and as jointed cues can now be procured, which are easily carried in the -hand or packed in a portmanteau, it is prudent to get one. Some players -fancy a heavy cue, with a broad top, for winning hazards; but this is a -matter of taste, and it is generally wise always to use the same weapon. -It should be remembered, in playing pool or pyramids after billiards, -that the balls are usually smaller, lighter, and less true. Another -essential point is a strict adherence to rules. It is an unfortunate -thing for billiards that this principle is not observed with rigid -strictness, that fouls are often not claimed, that players are allowed -to get on the table, and so forth; but the curious thing is that, lax as -many men are on these points over a game of billiards played for -nothing, they are very strict when they are playing for money; so as -long as billiards is played, it is perhaps well that there should be a -small stake on the game, if only to induce _every one_ to make Sarah -Battle’s whist the model of what his billiards should be. Her celebrated -wish was ‘the rigour of the game. She took and gave no concessions. She -hated favours. She never made a revoke, nor ever passed it over in her -adversary without exacting the utmost forfeiture;’ and where she -emphatically asserted that cards were cards, I repeat that billiards is -billiards. Again, the etiquette of the room should be most carefully -observed, though it is frequently neglected. It is the duty of the man -who has played his stroke to retire ‘to a reasonable distance and keep -out of the line of sight’—the rules require this; but there are many -people, unfortunately, who think this a good time to light a pipe, talk -in a loud tone of voice to a bystander, give stentorian orders to the -waiter, and so forth, forgetting that a game is in progress which is -making every demand on the striker’s nerve and self-possession. Such -offenders are numerous, they are public nuisances in the room, and it is -small consolation to the persons disturbed to be assured that their -delinquencies were unintentional. Any game that is worth playing at all -is worth playing seriously and strenuously, and the cultivation of -habits of silence, decorum, and self-restraint is a duty we owe to our -friend the enemy and have a right to expect from him in return. - - - PYRAMIDS - -This game is played with one white and fifteen red balls, the latter -being set up in the form of a triangle or pyramid, with the apex-ball -nearest to the baulk-line and on the pyramid spot. As a rule, only two -players take part in a game, and the order of playing is decided by lot. -The first stroke is played from the =Ｄ=, as are all subsequent strokes -if the white ball has gone into a pocket or has been forced off the -table. The object of the game is to hole the red balls with the white, -each ball so holed counting as one; but, should the striker make a -losing hazard (notwithstanding that he holes a red ball with the same -stroke), or force a red ball or his own off the table, or miss -altogether, he loses a ball—_i.e._ one is deducted from his score and a -ball put up on the table. Any ball or balls he may have taken by such a -stroke are put up as well. If the striker’s score is love, and he incurs -this penalty, he is said to owe one (or more, as the case may be), and -no ball can be put up till he has made a winning hazard; if he owes more -than one, a ball is restored for each hazard he makes, until he has paid -off his debts. After a miss the next player plays from where the white -ball stops; but if the latter is pocketed or forced off the table he -plays from the =Ｄ= at any ball he chooses, whether in baulk or not. When -only two balls—the white and one red—are left on the table, the game -becomes single pool; after white has played on red, red plays on white, -and so on till one of the two is holed. - -These are the salient points of the game; other details may be gleaned -from the printed rules which should be in every billiard-room. Points -are scored (see Rules 4 and 5)[20] by giving balls or owing balls, or -both. When a player gives one or more balls, they are scored to his -opponent before the game begins, and are removed from the table. If he -owes one or more, the first time a winning hazard is made the ball is -put up on the table, and nothing is added to the striker’s score till -all the balls he owes have been put up. When the odds are combined, each -ball given is removed, and no hazard counts till all debts are paid; -_e.g._ if he gives one and owes two, one ball is removed (see Rule 4), -his opponent scores one, and the giver of odds cannot score till he has -holed two balls, each of which has to be put back on the table (see Rule -18). - -The rules for foul strokes are the same as at billiards, but if a player -_wilfully_ touch a moving ball, he loses the game;[21] to do so -accidentally makes that stroke foul (see also Rule 23). - -I once saw a pretty commentary on Rule 18, which directs that a ball -which has to be put up be placed on the pyramid spot. The player, who -owed four, made a hazard and got exact position behind the pyramid spot -in a line with the corner pocket, and, screwing back each time, holed -each ball as it was put up. - -Balls forced off the table are put up again, but the striker’s break is -at an end unless he also holes a ball (see Rules 18 and 19). - -Nothing can be said on the question of handicapping players. Of course -their relative skill at billiards affords no criterion of their relative -powers at pyramids. A few games will best decide the question; but it -may be remarked that to give a ball is a far higher handicap than to owe -a ball, as the adversary starts with a point to the good, and there are -only fourteen coloured balls on the table; whereas the player who owes a -ball only forfeits the first hazard he makes. - -Before the game commences the first step is to set up the balls -properly. In theory each ball should touch its immediate neighbours, but -in practice this is of course impossible. They should, however, be -collected in the triangle, and then rolled smartly up and down parallel -to the sides of the table, the apex-ball never going beyond the pyramid -spot. After this has been done two or three times the motion should be -sharply stopped when the apex-ball is on the spot, and the pyramid will -then be fairly correct. There are three ways of playing the first -stroke, two of them unsound. The first wrong way is to smash the pyramid -by a vicious hit from baulk, for which Captain Crawley, in ‘The Billiard -Book,’ recommends a mysterious ‘under-handed stroke;’ but in whatever -way the stroke is played it is unsound, as there are only two pockets -behind the pyramid into which to drive a ball. The second wrong method -is to play slowly up the table with a little side, missing the pyramid -on the upward journey, and just dropping on to it from the top cushion. -Old-fashioned players are fond of this opening, but it is not sound, as -the adversary can easily get safe, or, if he likes, he can smash with -four pockets open to him. Whether he be wise to do so is another -question; with a weak adversary, to whom he is giving odds, it may be -advisable. I have seen no less than five balls disappear after such a -stroke; but if a winning hazard is not made, the break of course goes to -the other side: it is a matter of speculation, the chances being -naturally in favour of the stronger player. At no time should a smash be -tried except when four pockets are open—_i.e._ from the top of the -table; a stab or screw back should be used, so as to avoid as far as -possible the mob of flying balls, which may kiss the white into a -pocket. The third and orthodox opening is to play at the end ball of the -row next the base of the pyramid with strength sufficient to leave the -white ball as near to the bottom cushion as possible. If the pyramid is -properly set up, the opponent has no easy stroke left, though -occasionally a ball is malignant enough to detach itself and come down -the table. This is generally the result of either careless setting up or -of striking too hard, but if this opening stroke is properly played, the -second player will have nothing better to play for than a more or less -difficult stroke for safety, and so the game will proceed till the -pyramid is gradually shaken and finally broken up; but in playing for -safety it is sometimes advisable to disturb the pyramid, if possible, it -being difficult for one’s opponent to steer a safe course when there are -rocks ahead in the shape of balls. - -It is often safe to leave the white ball near the pyramid, provided that -it has not been greatly disturbed; for, if the players are equal, -neither should risk a smash, for it is, after all, even betting which -player profits. The best safety of all is to leave the adversary far -away from a ball and as near to a cushion as possible; but if he can -retaliate in kind, not much good will have been done. Watch the score, -and play to the score. The leader should play a cautious rather than a -dashing game, as a losing hazard not only diminishes his score by a -point, but also gives his adversary the advantage of playing from baulk -with an extra ball on the table. ‘When in doubt play for safety,’ is a -golden rule, but a doubtful hazard may often be tried when one can get -safety as well. Beginners should be cautioned to watch carefully for -foul strokes, especially when the rest or spider is being used. A -knowledge of the spot stroke and its variations is invaluable, -involving, as this stroke does, every form of screw, stab, and following -stroke; while the stop stroke is also most useful—_i.e._ a sort of stab -that leaves the white ball on the place just vacated by the red. - -When a player is familiar with ordinary winning hazards, and can make -them with some facility, he should devote himself to the making of -breaks—_i.e._ a series of hazards. Diagrams I. and II. may serve as -examples, showing how position should be got so that one hazard may lead -on to another. - -[Illustration: - - Diagram I. -] - -Nor should the famous _dictum_ about the spot stroke be forgotten—viz. -that the first and most important point is to make sure of putting in -the red. Supposing, then, that the balls are left as in Diagram I., the -problem is to take them all in a break, which may be done as follows, -the figures representing the successive positions of the white -ball:—From position 1 there is an easy hazard, and position 2 may be -easily gained. The same remarks apply to the next stroke, but from 3 a -‘run through’ with right-hand side is required so as to get to 4. Here -there is the option of dropping ball X quietly into the middle pocket, -leaving an easy shot on Y, or of stabbing Y and getting position 5. If -the latter stroke is successfully played, the rule of ‘never play for a -middle pocket at single pool’ should decide the striker to drive X -gently down to the left-hand bottom pocket, leaving his ball safe under -the side cushion. - -The break shown in Diagram II. is by no means so easy. It may be played -as follows:—From position 1 a gentle stab, screwing back a little, -should be played; from 2 is required a semi-follow with left-hand side. -For the third stroke strong right-hand side is used, the top cushion -being utilised or not according to fancy; and the fourth also requires -some right-hand side, but the proper play is to try to get such position -as will leave a shot for a corner and not a middle pocket. It may also -be noted that by playing on ball Y first there will be but a poor chance -of getting ball X in the course of the break, as ball Z will clearly be -the next one to play at. These two breaks are only suggested for useful -practice, and to show the beginner some of the devices necessary for -success. - -[Illustration: - - Diagram II. -] - -I will now discuss certain strokes of frequent occurrence, for which -special hints are necessary, plants and doubles being among the most -important. They have been to some extent dealt with already,[22] but are -more common at winning-hazard games than at billiards, and consequently -not only do they demand careful attention, but also verification by -practice, the relative positions of the balls being frequently altered, -and the varieties in the results noted and studied. Another very -important class of strokes occurs when the object ball is under the -cushion, a common situation in all games of pool. Diagram III. shows two -examples, though stroke B is really only a modification of stroke A; -still, it deserves separate consideration, as the hazard is very -difficult, and the position of the striker’s ball after the stroke has -been played is most important. Example A may be considered typical; the -player’s ball is on the centre of the =Ｄ= and the object ball half way -up cushion 2. Play slowly, about No. 1 strength, so as to hit ball and -cushion simultaneously. Ball 2 will drop into the pocket, and ball 1 -will travel towards the spot. If position is desired to the right of the -spot, a little left-hand side should be used, and it even seems to make -the hazard easier; a sharper stroke with right-hand side will bring ball -1 towards the middle of the table. This stroke should be practised with -ball 2 at such positions as P, Q, R, and S, and the resting place of -ball 1 should be carefully observed. It is clearly not a good stroke for -single pool, as the balls are left too close together. Stroke B is not -at all easy, but it is worth playing for, as it cannot leave much. Ball -2 must be cut very finely—in fact, play just not to miss it. If it _is_ -missed on the upward journey, left-hand side, which is almost essential -to the stroke, will cause ball 2 to be hit from the cushion, X and Y -show the direction of ball 1 according as no side or left-hand side is -used. - -There are no strokes more common and none which require more care than -those in which the object ball is close to a cushion, nearly at right -angles to the path of ball 1 and a long distance from it. The paths of -both seem, from the mere proximity of the cushion, to be regulated by an -entirely new code of dynamic laws, the fact being that the whole -conditions of the case are not correctly realised. It is here that the -inestimable qualities of side, as an agent productive of pace, are -called in to assist; for by playing with direct side and cutting ball 2 -very fine, its course will be restricted, and the side will cause ball 1 -to travel freely down the table; but here, as in all things, an ounce of -practice is worth a ton of theory, and more can be learned by an hour’s -practice than a week’s reading. - -[Illustration: - - Diagram III. -] - -To the serious student the ‘R.-W. Billiard Diagram Notebook’[23] is -recommended, in order that the results of practice and observation may -be recorded, for, as Captain Cuttle might have said, ‘These things, when -found, should be made a note of.’ - -Diagram IV. shows a useful double in stroke A, ball 2 being some -distance below the middle pocket, and two or three inches from the -cushion. Ball 1 should be placed approximately as shown in the diagram; -but practice and experience can alone show the exact place, depending as -it does on the position of ball 2. To make the double, play full on ball -2. Ball 1 can be made to reach the top of the table, if desired, by the -use of strong left-hand side and follow. For single pool a stab is of -course the right stroke. If the top pocket is blocked, or if for any -other reason (_e.g._ for the sake of position) this stroke is -undesirable, there is a good chance of a double as shown in stroke B, -ball 2 being struck half-ball, and ball 1 following approximately the -lines terminating in X. For the sake of practice the position of ball 2 -should be shifted towards the pocket, and also further down the table. -The further it lies from baulk, the finer must be the cut, and the -harder the stroke. The position of ball 1 should be carefully noted each -time, and also the point at which the object ball having been gradually -moved _down_ the table, a kiss occurs and prevents the double into the -middle pocket. - -[Illustration: - - Diagram IV. -] - -The stroke shown in Diagram V. is of common occurrence in single pool, -and may appropriately be here explained, as every game of pyramids -eventually becomes one of single pool. The type of stroke is so -important that it should be practised from various positions—first -without side, and then with side both right and left, the ultimate -position of the striker’s ball being the main feature of the stroke. The -direct hazard is of course on, but only special circumstances would -justify any but a first-rate hazard striker in trying for it. In the -diagram P Z shows the course of ball 1 when no side is used, Q Y when -played with strong left-hand side, and R X when strong right-hand side -is employed. Strength is most important, and observation alone will show -when a kiss occurs as the balls cross each other’s track; but the -chances of this are much diminished when reverse side (in this case -_left_ side) is used. If ball 2 is near the cushion, a sharp stroke is -necessary, but the double shown in stroke A, Diagram VI., is the better -game. All the doubles shown in this diagram are useful, especially for -single pool. Stroke A is played with a stab, stroke B with follow, so as -to leave ball 1 under the top cushion. Stroke C also requires a stab, -strength being judged so as to leave ball 2 close to the pocket, if it -is not holed. In both B and C ball 2 might possibly be cut in, but the -double is, for pool at least, the safer stroke. - -The question of plants has been already alluded to in Chapter VII., -which should be carefully studied, as such shots are infinitely more -common with the fifteen-pyramid balls than at billiards. In the plant, -pure and simple, the balls are touching or practically touching; but if -what may be called the second object ball is fairly near to the pocket, -a plant is often worth trying, though some caution is necessary, as a -leave is very likely to result if the stroke fails. The principle may be -described as playing a ball on to a certain point in a third ball, this -point being on the line leading to the centre of the pocket. Thus, by -means of ball 2, ball 3 may be holed, though, with a view to a possible -leave for the adversary, the stroke is too risky to be recommended for -general use. - -[Illustration: - - Diagram V. -] - -[Illustration: - - Fig. 1 -] - -[Illustration: - - Fig. 2 -] - -It should be noticed that a pocket is considerably enlarged so to speak, -when there is a ball in the position shown by fig. 2, as from almost -anywhere to the right of the diagonal drawn through that pocket a ball -may be holed off ball 3, either directly or off cushion 2, or it may be -put in without touching ball 3, which will then be left for the next -stroke. - -[Illustration: - - Fig. 3 -] - -Fig. 3 shows a neat stroke. Balls 2 and 3 are touching. The line passing -through their centres is at right angles to the line drawn from ball 2 -to the centre of the pocket. Then from any point below P Q, and even -from some distance above it, a winning hazard on ball 2 is with ordinary -care a certainty. - -In fig. 4 a useful but rare stroke is shown. The two balls are touching -or nearly touching, but are not aligned on the pocket. By playing a push -shot, quite quietly, the point of the cue, never quitting ball 1, -gradually directs ball 2 towards the pocket. The cue should be directed -as much _above_ P as the pocket is _below_ it. A _stroke_ with left-hand -side will have the same effect, but to enter into reasons would be to -open up the whole question of push strokes. - -[Illustration: - - Diagram VI. -] - -[Illustration: - - Fig. 4 -] - -In Diagram VII. stroke A suggests a method of making a winning hazard -which, though in itself easy, may be dangerous when the player is in a -cramped position. Ball 2 is close to the pocket, and ball 1 is in a -straight line with it, but so hampered by the cushion that a stab shot -is out of the question. The hazard may easily be made by playing off -cushion 6, as shown, and ball 1 may be left in the direction of the -spot. This type of stroke, by the way, is capable of much development -and should be studied. The strokes marked B_{1}, B_{2}, and B_{3} -suggest three methods of play in case ball 1 should be angled, ball 2 -being in the jaws of the middle pocket. Fortunately such an occurrence -is rare; but I once saw it happen at pool, and the player—a very good -one—played the stroke marked B_{2} and brought it off. Experiment gives -the best results with B_{1} and the worst with B_{3}; but which of the -three should be essayed depends on the exact position of ball 2 and the -chances of making a loser. The point Q is about six inches below the -baulk-line, but a few trials will show the exact place. B_{2} is of the -nature of a _massé_, and even if ball 1 strikes the cushion above the -middle pocket, there is still a chance of success. Should ball 1 be -angled for ball 2, the latter being in a corner pocket, the _massé_ -stroke is the only chance; in fact, there is a very old trick stroke, -made when balls 1 and 3 are in the jaws of the corner pockets and ball 2 -in the jaws of the middle, all on the same side; by a similar species of -_massé_ ball 1 curves round and outside ball 2 and holes ball 3. - -[Illustration: - - Diagram VII. -] - -_A propos_ of stroke A, there is a useful method of getting position at -the top of the table, if ball 1 can be struck freely. If plenty of -follow is used, and ball 2 is struck nearly full, the striker’s ball -will rebound towards the middle of the table and then spring forward -towards the top cushion again. The stroke requires much freedom, and the -explanation of it is to be found in Chapter VI., On Rotation. - -Stroke C may be found useful at some time or another. The object ball is -resting against the upper jaw of the middle pocket, in such a way that -it is impossible to cut it in from baulk; but with a kiss the stroke is -absurdly easy. By playing from the end of the =Ｄ= with No. 1 strength, -and hitting the red about three-quarters right, the kiss will send it -into the pocket and leave ball 1 in the middle of the table. - -The question of occasionally giving a miss may deserve a word, but, as a -matter of fact, the opportunities of playing such a stroke with profit -are very rare. To begin with, the penalty is a very heavy one, and can -only be afforded by a player who has a most commanding lead and whose -adversary cannot dare to follow suit. With a score of, say, nine to one, -when the leading player has the game in hand, he may, if he please, -sacrifice a ball in the hopes of getting a break afterwards; but when -the scores are nearly equal, it is clear that if it is worth A.’s while -to give a miss, B. can hardly do better than follow his example. - -The highest possible break at pyramids (unless the striker owes one or -more balls) is, of course, fifteen; this number has frequently been -taken by fine players, but the chances of finding a full complement of -balls on the table and of being in a position to take advantage of the -opening are very small, always presupposing that the ability to clear -the table exists. In the quickest game I ever played, my adversary -managed to take a ball after the opening stroke, and, gradually breaking -up the pyramid, secured ten, and the last five fell to me in the next -turn, so that we had but three innings between us, one of them being the -break. A capital performance was once done at Cambridge by an -undergraduate whose adversary broke and apparently left everything safe; -however, eight balls disappeared, nearly all very difficult strokes, in -which the player had to consider safety as well as the hazard. In his -next turn he cleared the table by a series of similar shots, all, or -nearly all, so difficult that once more safety was his main object. This -was a very great feat; but the reader need hardly be reminded that at -pyramids, as at billiards, the art to be cultivated is the art of -leaving a series of easy strokes. I once saw a man who had just made a -break of 30 or 40 at billiards turn round and say, ‘What a good break! -There wasn’t a single easy stroke in it!’ The real billiard-player would -have described it as a series of well-made strokes, but as a _break_, -never. - - - SHELL-OUT - -This game is practically the same as pyramids, but more than two take -part in it. A stake, so much a ball, is agreed upon. The balls are set -up as at pyramids, but under no circumstances is a ball ever put up -after a miss, or when a ball has been forced off the table, or when the -white has run in. If any of these things has happened, a point is added -to every one’s score except the offender’s, who thus pays the stake to -the other players. The score is most conveniently kept on the slate, -each ball counting one, except the last, which is generally reckoned as -two; all penalties incurred off it are also double, but with the -exaction of the penalty the game is at an end. There is no single pool, -white always playing upon red. If a player plays out of turn, he has to -pay all round; he can gain nothing if he takes a ball, but the ball is -not put up. If he makes a foul when only one red ball is left and takes -that ball, he cannot score, but the game is at an end. The rules for -foul strokes are the same as at pyramids. At the end of the game each -player pays or receives the differences. Thus, if the scores stand A. 9, -B. 3, C. 4, A. receives 6 from B. and 5 from C., while C. receives 1 -from B. - -Everything that has been said about pyramids applies equally to -shell-out; but as it is a game of all against all, safety is not so much -an object as hazard striking, it being clearly useless for A. to leave -B. safe so that C. may profit by it. It may also be remembered that if, -say, four are playing, the individual has practically a bet of three to -one about each stroke. The game, in fact, is more for amusement than for -scientific play, though naturally the scientific player will in the long -run get more pleasure and profit out of it. - - - POOL - -Pool, the good old-fashioned following pool, is getting out of date. The -more racy games of black pool and snooker have jostled it from its place -in men’s affections, so once more Cronos has been deposed, and Zeus -reigns in his stead. As, however, no article on winning hazard games -would be complete without a detailed reference to it, if only because of -its antiquity, I will treat it as still instinct with life and energy; -and, indeed, as the parent of the more modern games, it deserves our -respect. The principles of the game are quite simple. - -Each player receives a ball by lot—any number up to twelve can play—and -starts with three lives. The order of play is decided by the sequence of -the colours on the marking-board, which correspond with the balls. White -is placed on the billiard spot and red plays the first stroke from the -=Ｄ=; yellow plays on red, green on yellow and so on, the same order -being kept throughout the game, unless an intermediate ball is dead -(_i.e._ has lost all its lives), when the ball that precedes it becomes -the object ball; _e.g._ if red is dead, yellow plays on white, or if -both red and yellow are dead, _green_ plays on white. If a player clears -the table—_i.e._ takes all the balls on it—his ball is spotted. - -The most important part of the game is to hole the object ball. When -this is done, its owner loses a life, and the striker continues his -break by playing at the nearest ball, and thus the game proceeds till -only one player or two are left. In the first event the survivor takes -the whole pool, which is called a maiden pool if he has his three lives -intact; in the second the two players play on till one kills the other, -or till each has an equal number of lives, in which case the pool is -divided. If, however, there are three balls on the table, say red with -two lives, yellow with one life, and green with two lives, then if green -holes yellow, he has a shot at red, though the number of their lives is -equal. This is obviously fair, as he is in the middle of his break. -Green, then, has this stroke called stroke or division; if he holes red, -the pool is played out to an end—_i.e._ till both are one-lifers or till -green kills red; but if green’s stroke fails, the pool is divided at -once. Each player pays the amount of his pool to the marker, this being -generally three times the value of a life, though, if lives are only -sixpence, the pool should be two shillings. The table-money, generally -threepence a ball, and the same for each star, is taken out of the pool -before it is given to the winner. A player who is unfortunate or -unskilful enough to lose his three lives early can come into the game -again by paying the amount of the pool a second time over. This is -called starring, as a star is put against his colour on the -marking-board, but he only receives the lowest number of lives shown on -the board. - -As the striker is compelled to play at a particular ball, he is allowed -to have any ball or balls taken up (to be replaced after the balls have -ceased rolling) which are nearer than the object ball and prevent him -hitting either side of it, or which in any way interfere with his stroke -(see Rules 20 and 21).[24] No star is allowed when only two players are -left in, but when more than eight are playing a second star is -permitted. Sometimes the game is played with an unlimited number of -stars, each costing the amount of the pool over and above the price of -the last star—_e.g._ at three-shilling pool the first star costs three, -the second six, and the third nine shillings, and so on (see Rules 8 and -9). The striker loses a life (Rule 13) if he holes his own ball, whether -he takes the object ball or not; forces it off the table; misses; runs a -coup; plays out of turn; hits a wrong ball first; or plays with the -wrong ball, except when he is in hand, in which case there is no -penalty. All penalties are paid to the owner of the proper object ball, -however incurred. If a player wishes to have a ball up, he should not -lift it himself, as such an act would be technically a foul stroke. -Should a player be angled, and wish to play off the cushion, he may have -any ball or balls taken up which interfere with his aim; but the old -rules allowed him to move his ball just far enough to get his stroke, -though he could not take a life by it. - -Rule 28 says: ‘Should a player be misinformed by the marker, he may play -the stroke over again, but cannot take a life.’ This seems hard, and is -perhaps an instance of _summum ius, summa injuria_; but the moral for -the player is that he must keep his attention fixed on the game and the -marking-board. To attempt to replace the balls, and to allow the stroke -to be played over again might give rise to much unpleasantness. By Rule -30, ‘Should the striker miss the ball played at, no one is allowed to -stop the ball, the striker having no option.’ The striker’s ball after -missing the object ball may still hit others, and materially affect the -subsequent progress of the game; hence a hard-and-fast law on the -subject is necessary. - -As it is to the survivor or survivors that the pool eventually comes, it -is of paramount importance to cling to life. Many things combine to -decide the striker whether to try for safety or for a hazard, or for -both together—his own temperament and skill, the state of the score, and -the position and skill of the next player and his other opponents. All -hands are against every man, so that general rules are impossible, but -‘When in doubt play safety’ is a capital rule. Another useful maxim is, -‘Play for safety with safety-players, play for hazards with hazard -strikers,’ as the latter, if they play out boldly, are sure to sell the -safety-player sooner or later—_i.e._ will leave his ball in a position -of great danger. But if the next player is close to the cushion, one is -justified in playing for a hazard when, under other conditions, safety -would be the right game. Again, a bolder style is right in a big pool -of, say, eight or ten players, as the chances of being sold are greater. -More boldness, too, in playing out for hazards may be shown by a player -who is left in with, say, three lives, while the others have only one; -but even then it is better to be cautious. - -It is generally good policy to star two; many things may happen before -it is star’s turn to play again, and he has the great advantage of -playing from the =Ｄ=. A glance should also be taken at the position of -the other balls, as the next player may have an easy stroke to play, and -every life taken is in star’s favour with a view to the pool. A -deliberate miss or coup, so as to be enabled to star well, is not -chivalrous, perhaps not fair, but there is nothing unsportsmanlike in -playing a more open game with a view to starring. With an unlimited star -the question is reduced to one of capital and temperament; but in any -case starring is an expensive luxury, and the player who is not -judicious may find in himself a parallel to F. C. Burnand’s heroine of -suicidal tendencies, of whom he wittily writes the epitaph, ‘In memory -of Itti Duffa, the ill-starred maid, who lost her one life in this -pool.’ - -One must play for one’s own hand, regardless of the other players, and -undeterred by chaff or sneer from trying for a plant or cannon; but it -is generally dangerous to play for a cannon unless very easy, as there -is always a chance of the player’s ball following the other into a -pocket; but it is no more bad form to try for such a stroke than to pot -the white at billiards; whether it is expedient or not, is another -question, which only the exigencies of the moment can decide. - -The marker is the proper person to measure distances when necessary, but -the beginner should learn the right way to do so. One player puts his -finger firmly on the striker’s ball, while another gently slides the -butt of his cue up to it, holding the other end between forefinger and -thumb, thumb uppermost. The point of the cue is then lowered till the -cue rests lightly on the top of the other ball, the forefinger being -slid up till it just touches the ball. A similar process is gone through -with the third ball, the striker’s being held steady the while, and the -question of which is the nearer is solved at once. Again, it is the -marker’s duty to tell the striker on which ball he has to play, and -which ball plays next, the formula being, _e.g._ ‘Green on yellow, -player brown,’ or, if brown is in hand, ‘Green on yellow, player brown -in hand,’ and if the striker has to play on his player, the marker must -inform him of the fact; as, however, the striker is the scapegoat even -if he acts on wrong information, he should keep his attention fixed on -the game. - -The opening of a pool is more or less stereotyped, all the players -endeavouring to lay themselves under the top cushion out of harm’s way, -the player being always in hand till white’s turn comes round; thus the -last player—brown, let us say, in a five-pool—has to steer himself round -the other balls that are clustered at the head of the table, and find -his way down to baulk, as white is nearly sure to be high up; in a big -pool the last player may have some difficulty, and it is well to -remember that, as he can have any ball or balls up that lie between him -and the object ball, he can, by selecting a good spot from baulk, have -one or two such obstacles removed. The orthodox opening shot for red, by -the way, is to play full on to white from a corner of the =Ｄ=, just hard -enough to find the cushion himself. Plenty of drag should be used and no -side. Side and screw are of no value except for position, or for playing -a slow stroke which is wanted to travel quickly off the cushion. - -The late William Cook once made a pool record. ‘Playing in a twelve -following pool at his own rooms’ (I quote the words of a fine amateur -player who took part in the game), ‘in 1881, he actually cleared the -table, playing always of course on the nearest ball. He had taken 20 to -1 five or six times from spectators, and the excitement was intense when -he performed this really phenomenal feat.’ As pool is limited to 12, -Cook, like Alexander, had no more worlds to conquer; but his hazard -striking and position must have been marvellous. - -Doubles are of the utmost importance, and the strokes shown in the -preceding diagrams should be noted. One may fairly play a middle-pocket -double with extra strength if by so doing there is a chance of the -double-double, though it is not strictly sound, and shows a certain -diffidence as to one’s accuracy. Plants are rare. - -_A propos_ of doubles, the following occurrence is probably without -precedent, but the story is absolutely vouched for. Three amateurs were -playing three-pool. Red opened by doubling white into the right-hand -bottom pocket. Yellow avenged white by doing exactly the same to red, -and white made matters even by treating yellow to a precisely identical -shot. Strange to say, red with his second shot holed white just as -before—four consecutive doubles into the same pocket—and, though yellow -spoiled the average by only doubling red into the right-hand _middle_ -pocket, white made things all square and yellow disappeared into the -original pocket. Thus six consecutive doubles were made, five of them -into one pocket! What are the odds against such a performance? - -As even in these enlightened days the confidence trick flourishes, it -may be worth while to warn beginners against innocent strangers. If -these win by sheer skill, there is nothing to be said against them, and -the best thing is to put down one’s cue; if they are sharps as well, -they will probably hunt in couples, on the chance of one playing next to -the other, when the first player, curiously enough, never quite gets -safety and always leaves a ball over the pocket. I remember just such a -pair, a good player and a duffer, turning up at some rooms I used to -frequent, and, though none of us were innocents, they played so cleverly -into each other’s hands, the apparent duffer making several slight -mistakes at critical moments, that the good player had a pretty good -time. Talking the matter over, we saw that we had been had, and, as we -were rather a snug little _coterie_, arranged with the marker what was -to be done if they reappeared. The pair had posed as absolute strangers -and had come in separately, so we told the marker that if the duffer -came in first he was to have a ball and we would try to warm him up, but -on the good player’s appearance he was to be refused a ball, while we, a -fairly sturdy lot, would see the marker through any trouble. All came -off splendidly. The duffer appeared first and lost two or three pools, -and when the crack walked in he was at once confronted by the marker -with ‘I am very sorry, sir, but I can’t give you a ball to-day.’ We -expected a row, but he took it like a lamb and decamped, and the duffer, -after losing another pool or two, decamped also. One of our party saw -them the same evening, hobnobbing together at the Criterion, so there -can be no doubt that it was a put-up job. The following occurred to a -friend of mine, a good billiard-player, a particularly good -pyramid-player, and well able to look after himself. After a couple of -games of billiards, on both of which he won a small bet, his opponent, a -stranger and apparently a Jew, suggested ‘just one game of pyramids.’ -‘What shall we play for?’ said my friend. ‘Three and one,’ said the -Semitic one, which means, as usually interpreted, a shilling a ball and -three shillings on the game. My friend won by thirteen balls, but his -opponent, after putting up his cue, offered him just four shillings and -threepence, being at the rate of three _pence_ a ball and one _shilling_ -a game! There was nothing to be done, but I wonder what the Jew would -have claimed had he won by thirteen balls. - - - THREE-POOL - -When four players only are left, and one of them is finally killed, the -marker should be careful to call ‘Three-pool.’ Why this is so may not be -apparent to the novice, and perhaps it will be cheaper for him to learn -from a book than to pay for the information over the table. When four or -more players are left in, the striker plays for a hazard, and, whether -successful or not, he has no further anxieties beyond the safety of his -own ball; but in three-pool a new element is introduced: he must -consider where the object ball will finally stop if his hazard fails, -and the middle of the table is the very worst position for it. A -moment’s thought will show the reason. A., B., and C. are three players: -B. plays on A., lays himself safe from C., and leaves A. in the middle -of the table. C. having to play on B., is now, in most cases, in a great -dilemma; he has no chance of taking B., and with A. in the middle of the -table may find it very difficult to get safety after he has played. If -he has a long shot from under the cushion, he will probably leave A. a -fairly easy stroke, in which case B. may suffer also, so that B.’s own -carelessness, or his indifference as to where A. was left, may -deservedly recoil on his own head. The amount of consolation meted out -to him for having been sold will be the cold comfort of ‘You ought to -have played three-pool;’ in other words, ‘You ought, while leaving your -ball safe, to have also left A.’s ball in such a position as to make -safety fairly possible for C.’ Again, it is only self-defence to leave -the object ball near a pocket, in case of a failure to put it in; -especially is this advisable when it is very hard for the striker to get -safety, for it is clearly to every player’s advantage to have, if -possible, a comrade in misfortune. - -The general principle of three-pool may be more easily understood from -Diagram VIII., which shows two cases in which the obvious stroke for -ordinary pool would be quite wrong in three-pool. In each case red has -to play on white, yellow being his player. In No. 1 red has a hazard in -the middle pocket, but it is not particularly easy, and must be played -slowly, so that if it fails white will very likely be thrown by the -lower jaw of the pocket to about A, while red drops slowly down to B. -Yellow has the poorest chance of escaping white next time, and, being -extremely indifferent to what becomes of red, will probably sell him, as -he deserves. If red plays the game he will dribble white down towards -the left-hand bottom pocket, and be himself safe at C, when yellow will -not be forced to run any risks. In stroke 2 it is tempting to play for -the double into the middle pocket with strong right-hand side and screw, -so as to get near the spot off three cushions; but as this would -probably leave white in the middle of the table, and yellow would be in -hopeless trouble, the right stroke is an attempted double into the -_bottom_ pocket, when left-hand side and screw will leave the striker -safe, and yellow will have no difficulty in getting safe also, while, -further, the striker will have the best chance in the subsequent -finessing. - - - SINGLE POOL - -Many of the more ordinary strokes required at this game have already -been discussed; but, as single pool is a most scientific and interesting -game _per se_, it deserves a few lines to itself. As the striker is -always playing on his player, the problem of safety is quite different. -Two general maxims should be writ large in the striker’s mind: (1) Leave -the balls as far apart as possible; (2) Never play for a middle pocket -unless it is a certainty. The first of these requires no comment: a -moment’s thought will show the importance of the second, which applies -equally to doubles and to direct shots, as a stroke for the middle is -sure, if it fails, to leave the adversary’s ball in the middle of the -table, when he will either have a good chance of a hazard or no -difficulty in getting safe. - -[Illustration: - - Diagram VIII. -] - -Reverting to Diagram VIII., stroke 1, at ordinary pool red may, -_caeteris paribus_, try to hole white in the middle pocket. The danger -of this stroke for three-pool has already been shown; at single pool it -is even more risky, as from A white would have an almost certain hazard -with red at B. The same remarks apply to stroke 2. - -For the opening stroke, again, it would be suicidal for red to drag -slowly up to white: an endeavour should be made to double the white into -one of the bottom pockets by a stab, for which object the white should -be driven against the top cushion, about four inches to the right or -left of the centre of it behind the spot, leaving the striker’s ball as -near the cushion as possible; but some players like to use a little -direct side while playing for the same double, leaving their own ball -under a side cushion. - -Two strokes are shown in Diagram IX. illustrating the difference of play -demanded by single pool. In stroke 1, at ordinary pool the striker would -try to hole white in the top corner pocket; at single pool he should -play a smart stab, being careful not to follow on, driving the object -ball all round the table towards the bottom cushion. Stroke 2, known as -the Z shot, separates the balls well and should be played with some -right side, white being cut very fine, so as to leave it high up the -table. It would be an equally sound stroke to play for a double in the -right-hand bottom pocket; but the reader is again warned that these and -all other sample strokes should be tried over coolly in private, and not -be essayed for the first time in the heat of actual conflict. - - - BLACK POOL - -Considering the popularity of this game, it is really surprising that no -regular and recognised code of laws exists. Some rules have been -published, it is true, but there are so many deviations from them, -almost every room having its own bye-laws, that the present state of -things is quite chaotic. Thus it is impossible to do more here than give -directions for the game as it is generally played; any one who is -playing in a strange room should inquire what the customs of the room -are. - -[Illustration: - - Diagram IX. -] - -The special feature of the game is the introduction of the black ball, -which may be described as public property, for every player who takes it -is paid by all the others the amount of the stake agreed upon, and all -penalties incurred when playing at it are also paid all round. It is -spotted on the centre spot; if that is occupied, on the pyramid spot; if -that is occupied, on the billiard spot; and if _all_ are occupied, it is -held up till one is vacated. Each player has an infinite number of -lives, and cannot be killed, however often he is put down. Each life -lost is paid for by a stake agreed upon. There is no subscribed pool. -Each game lasts half an hour; when time is up, directly after white has -played the marker announces the last round, white having always the last -stroke. Any number can play for whom balls can be found, but five -players make the most interesting game. At the end of a round a new -player can enter. His ball is spotted on the billiard spot, and he has -to stand fire till his turn to play comes. Similarly, any one can retire -by giving notice of his intention directly after he has played, but his -ball remains on the table till his turn comes again. In fact, the -spotting of the new-comer’s ball and the removal of a player’s ball may -be considered their first and last stroke respectively. Foul strokes are -regulated by the rules of ordinary pool, but after a miss the striker’s -ball is left where it stops and is not removed from the table. A life is -lost by playing with or at the wrong ball, or out of turn; if any one -plays at the black out of turn, he has to pay all round. The black ball -is never taken up, and no coloured ball can be taken up (except during -the first round) if it interferes with the striker. Baulk, as in all -winning hazard games, affords no protection. If the black ball is holed, -it must be spotted at once; if the striker play before it is spotted, -the stroke is foul. - -The first round is played exactly as at ordinary pool, the balls being -given out in the same way—white set on the billiard spot, and black on -the centre spot. After white has played—that is, after the conclusion of -the first round—red can play on any other player’s ball. - - By some rules he has to play on the nearest ball, by others the pool - order is observed. - -If he takes a life, he receives a single stake from the owner of the -ball and must then play on the black. - - By some rules he may take as many coloured lives as he likes before - playing on the black. This cuts both ways, as the striker may have a - better chance of getting position on black by taking several coloured - balls first, but, on the contrary, he is spoiling his chance of a - large break. - -If the coloured ball is holed and the black also (_e.g._ by a cannon or -plant), the black does not count, but is spotted at once and is the next -ball to be played on. - - Sometimes the black is allowed to count under these circumstances, and - can be played on again, after it has been spotted, the theory being - that, though black cannot be _played on_ twice running, it may, under - certain circumstances, be _taken_ twice running. - -If black is holed, the striker must play on a coloured ball, the rules -of the room deciding which one, but in most rooms he is allowed his -choice. - -If he takes this life too, he must again play on black, taking coloured -balls and blacks alternately till he breaks down, when the next player -proceeds. - -If the striker plays on black, and holes both black and a coloured ball, -both are counted; but if a coloured ball goes down and black does not, -the coloured ball does not count, and the break is at an end. If the -striker holes the black and no other ball is left on the table, his ball -is spotted. - -In a game of this kind, where all are playing against all, to play for -safety is mere waste of time; but when the next player has an easy -stroke waiting for him, with perhaps a good chance of black to follow, -the striker should sacrifice his own game (unless he has a reasonable -chance of scoring) to spoil the next player’s; _e.g._ if red has a -difficult stroke, and yellow, who follows him, has a good chance of -taking (say) brown, then red should knock brown away, as, if yellow -makes his first hazard and then gets black, red will have to pay with -the others. But as a general rule the striker must play for himself -alone, and play not merely for the first hazard but for the black -afterwards. At no time is caution so necessary as when the next striker -is in hand and there is a ball behind the baulk-line which is likely to -be holed. If the black is safe, no danger is to be feared; but if it is -anywhere in the middle of the table, some self-sacrifice may be -necessary, so that it behoves every player as his turn comes round to -think what kind of a stroke the next man is likely to have. - -Again, it is clearly useless to cower under a cushion; no one is likely -to play at a ball so placed, and its owner will have left his ball in a -cramped position. Hence an open game should be played, with the black -always in view, and the reflection that he whose ball is holed will have -the advantage of playing from baulk. To push the matter further, a coup -is often judicious, if such a course does not seem likely to sell the -table; a coup is often better play than a haphazard shot, which may cost -one or more blacks in the end. As a new-comer’s ball is spotted before -white plays, it is no good entering if white has a promising break; the -last arrival may indeed help him to get one, and in this case it is -prudent to defer one’s entry for another round. The player who leaves -before the pool is over has to stand fire for a round and is responsible -for any blacks that may be taken in the course of it. - -No hazards are so valuable at black pool as those into the middle -pockets, because of the position of the black. Practice consequently at -this class of strokes is sure to be profitable. - - - BLACK AND PINK POOL - -For science, changing vicissitudes, and general amusement, black pool is -greatly improved by the addition of the pink ball. It is always spotted -on the pyramid spot; if that is occupied, on the billiard spot; and -failing that one, it goes to the centre spot, if unoccupied. If all are -occupied, it is held up till one of the spots is free. The rules of -black pool apply both to the black and pink balls. In some rooms, -however, pink can be played on originally (after the first round), but -under all rules blacks and pinks can be taken alternately, without the -intervention of a hazard off a coloured ball. A double stake is -generally payable on black and a single stake on pink, this being levied -on all the players. The game is opened as at black pool; neither black -nor pink can ever be taken up if they interfere with the striker, nor -any coloured ball, except in the first round. When a coloured ball has -been taken, the striker must play on either pink or black. - - In some rooms this is optional, and he may play on a coloured ball if - he chooses. - -If the striker holes a pink or a black, he cannot play on that ball till -he has taken another life, but not necessarily a coloured ball, as he -can go from black to pink and from pink to black as often as he makes a -hazard. If he plays the first stroke of a break on a coloured ball and -holes either black or pink by cannon or plant, the rule of black pool -which provides for such a case is generally observed. - - In some rooms, if _pink_ goes down under these conditions, it is - allowed to count even if the coloured ball is not holed. If both are - holed, both count. - -It is usually conceded that black cannot be _played upon_ twice running, -nor pink, but every room should have a hard-and-fast law to settle -whether either or both can be _taken_ twice running; otherwise the -following is a _crux_. No balls are left on the table except pink, -black, and the striker’s ball. Pink is over the pocket; the striker -plays on black and ‘plants’ pink. If pink may not be taken again, the -break is at an end, and the coloured ball must be spotted; otherwise he -may play on pink and black alternately as long as he can make a hazard. - -The best break I ever heard of at this game was one coloured ball, -followed by ten pinks and ten blacks, a pretty series of twenty-one -hazards. A good way of collecting the stakes is to mark off with chalk -on the top of the cushion a compartment for each player; he can then lay -down his lives, on the _wooden_ surface opposite his compartment, and -the striker can readily collect the money when his break is over. This -saves a great deal of trouble in collection. No special hints are needed -for this game, as it is only a modification of black pool, but care is -necessary to avoid leaving an easy hazard for the next player if black -or pink is over a pocket. Especially is this necessary if the rule is -that pink may be played on originally. - -Another useful bye-law is that the striker may be required, before he -plays, to declare on which ball he is playing; if he declares to play on -black, misses it, and hits pink, then, though legally entitled to hit -pink, he must pay the full penalty for missing black. Such a law as this -may save many disputes. - - - SNOOKER - -Snooker—or, to give it its full title, Snooker’s Pool—is a hybrid game, -half pool and half pyramids. Any reasonable number of players, say five -or six, may take part; but it is best to play a single-handed game, or -for two to play against two. As is the case with black pool, there are -no accepted rules, the published code being of little use, so many are -the deviations from it. The general method of play is here laid down, so -that those who are unfamiliar with the game may make its acquaintance. - -The pyramid balls are set up in the usual way, and the striker always -uses the white ball. The black ball is set on the billiard spot, the -pink on the centre spot. Blue is placed just below the apex-ball of the -pyramid, brown on the centre spot of the =Ｄ=, with yellow and green on -the right and left corner spots. - - If pink and black are not introduced, blue is put on the billiard - spot, brown on the centre spot, green at the apex of the triangle, and - yellow on the centre spot of the =Ｄ=. The positions of pink and black - are sometimes reversed. - -A red ball counts one, yellow two, green three, brown four, blue five, -pink six, and black seven. The score, if two persons are playing or -sides are formed, may be marked on the board as at billiards. - -A red ball must be taken before a coloured ball can be played at; if the -striker, playing on a red, holes it, and takes a coloured ball also, the -latter does not count and is spotted. If, playing on red, he fails to -hole it, but holes a coloured ball, the value of the latter is scored to -the other side. - - In each of these cases the striker is allowed in some rooms to score - the coloured ball; the rule given is the generally accepted one. - -After taking a red, the striker must play on one of the coloured balls. -If he holes one of them, any other balls that go down by the same stroke -count to him. All coloured balls which are holed must be spotted -immediately; if the striker plays before all are spotted, the stroke is -foul. No red ball is ever put up. The rules for foul strokes are the -same as those of ordinary pool, and penalties are incurred in the same -way, but the amount of the penalty is the value of the ball played -at—_i.e._ to miss a red counts one, to miss the yellow two, and so -forth. If the striker, playing at red, hits a coloured ball, the penalty -is the value of the ball struck. - - The rule is not always as severe as this. In many rooms, to miss red - involves a penalty of one, to miss yellow of two, and so on, - regardless of the value of any ball that may be struck afterwards. - -If the striker gives a miss, the ball is left where it finally stops. If -the striker is by law obliged to play on a red ball or on a coloured -ball, but from the position of his own ball is unable to do so directly, -he is said to be snookered; he must then make a _bona-fide_ shot at the -proper ball off the cushion, the penalty if he misses being the minimum -penalty: _e.g._ if he is bound to hit a red ball, the penalty is only -one; if a coloured ball, two—the value of yellow. - - In some rooms, the striker is bound, when snookered, to play a - _bona-fide_ shot as described, and if he hits a coloured ball when - playing on red is mulcted in the value of that ball. In others, if he - has to play on a coloured ball and is snookered for them all, he has - to name the ball he intends to play on; if he misses all the coloured - balls, or hits one of a smaller value, he is debited with the value of - the one he plays at; if he hits a more valuable one, he is fined the - value of it; but as it is hard to define what a _bona-fide_ shot is, - these regulations lead to many disputes. A good rule is to allow the - striker to give a miss, the penalty being the lowest that can be - exacted, but he must not thereby snooker the next player. If he _does_ - snooker him, the stroke must be played over again, till the next - player has a clear shot at the right ball. - -When all the red balls have been holed, the others must be taken in -proper pool order—first yellow, then green, and so on. When holed they -are not put up. The striker, when snookered for his proper object ball, -must play a _bona-fide_ shot for it, being fined its value if he misses -it. - - Here again there are variations. In some rooms he may give a miss, - leaving the next player in a position from which he can play on the - proper ball, and being fined the value of the object ball; or he may - (sometimes _must_) play at that ball, and if he hits another he is - fined the value of it, which at this period of the game is always - greater than that of the object ball. - -When only white and black are on the table, white always plays on black. -If white misses black, or goes in off it, or forces it off the table, or -goes off the table himself, the game is at an end. - - In some rooms the game proceeds till black is actually holed. - -Of course the main object of the good player is to get behind a ball of -great price when he has taken a red, green and yellow being of no great -value, though their capture may lead on to higher game. As a rule, it is -wasted time to hole a red when there is no chance of a break to follow, -as by this means one of the preliminaries to a break is destroyed; but -at the same time the opponent’s chance is diminished, so that this -general principle may be laid down—that the player who is leading, or -receiving points, should get rid of the red balls, so as to reduce his -opponent’s chance of making a big score; but he who is giving points, or -is behind in the game, should abstain from taking a red ball unless he -has a fair chance of getting a coloured one afterwards. He should play -rigid safety, leaving the opponent long shots, from under a cushion if -possible. Safety is indeed one of the beauties of the game, misses and -coups being often good play; but when all the red balls have been holed, -the utmost accuracy of strength and direction is called into play, so as -to snooker the adversary, whose efforts to hit the proper ball may -enable the other to retrieve an apparently lost game. It must never be -forgotten that, as a break may run up to thirty or forty, or even more, -each point representing money, a single incautious stroke may cost the -loss of the game, and that care and thought are consequently of enormous -importance. - -The drawback to the game is the large part played in it by luck. There -are so many balls on the table that really excellent strokes are -incessantly being spoilt by a combination of kisses against which it is -impossible to provide. To this both sides are equally liable, but in a -game of skill the element of luck ought not to be too prominent, and it -is owing to the preponderance of luck in snooker that the game is, as a -game of skill, inferior to black pool. - - - THE MARKER - -As there are stakes depending on all these games, apart from other -general reasons, good marking is all but an absolute necessity; but good -marking is not compatible with the many services that some players, and -even some spectators, think they have a right to demand from the marker. -He is called upon to ring the bell, to give orders to the waiter, hand -the matches and so forth, at a time when his whole attention should be -concentrated on the game and the wants of the striker. Marking requires -great care of itself, but when there are rests to be handed, balls to be -spotted, foul strokes to be watched, and so forth, it is positive -discourtesy on the part of spectators to distract his attention. The -marker is the servant of the players—and of the players alone—as long as -a game of any kind is proceeding, and he ought to be regarded and -treated as such. Under the best conditions, however, players should keep -their eye on the marking-board, so that any error may be corrected -_immediately_: delay only leads to dispute. At pyramids the score on the -board _plus_ the number of balls on the table must always make 15, so -that a mistake can be detected at once. - -The marker himself may be reminded that distinct calling is as essential -as accurate marking. At pool each life lost must be audibly announced, -and the chance of starring offered to the player when it occurs. He -should never neglect to remind the striker that he is on his player, or -that his player is in hand, or, at the proper time, that it is -three-pool or single pool, as on all these occasions a different style -of play is required. But, once more, players should also be alive to -their own interests, and watch these points for themselves. The rests, -long cues, spider, &c., should be handed to the striker when asked for, -and not laid on the table, as, on the principle of _qui facit per alium -facit per se_, the striker is constructively liable for any foul made by -the marker when he puts these implements on the table. They should be -always ready to his hand, but he should never _offer_ them to a player; -it is often a distinct hint as to what the right game is when the marker -is seen to get the rest ready or move towards the half-butt. It is his -duty to be attentive but not officious. - - - COUNTRY-HOUSE GAMES - -I now pass on to a class of games in which ladies can take part, and -which provide plenty of amusement for those who do not care for a more -serious game. Not but that cork pool and skittle pool may not be made -highly scientific, but when ladies take a cue, such games are generally -regarded as a pleasant recreation _pour passer le temps_, or as an -excuse for a mild bet. - - - SELLING POOL - -This is an eminently simple game, in which any number can take part. -There are no lives, no pool, and no end, till the players are tired. Any -one who chooses to leave can do so by giving notice, and taking his ball -off the table when his turn comes round next. A small stake is agreed -upon, and it is lawful to play on any ball, but no ball can be taken up. -There is of course no safety and no star, but the usual rules of pool -govern the game in other respects. To make the game go, however, it is -well to have plenty of threepenny bits, sixpences, or shillings ready, -according to the stake, as giving change is always a trouble, and cash -down is necessarily the rule. - - - CORK POOL - -This is another amusing game, which admits of any amount of skill and of -any reasonable number of players. Two balls are used, white always -playing upon red. The cork is put on the centre spot (sometimes on the -pyramid spot), and on the cork the pool is placed. The object is to -cannon from red on to the cork. Sometimes it is obligatory that the -cannon be made off a cushion. Each player in turn—the order is decided -by giving out the pool balls—plays from where white stops, the first -playing from baulk, as is also the case if the white goes in. Each -player has only one stroke. If he cannons on to the cork and knocks it -over—it is not enough merely to shake it—he takes the pool, which is -then renewed. If he misses the red, holes the red or his own ball (even -after hitting the cork, so that white must never be stopped), or cannons -without first hitting a cushion (if this is the rule of the room), or -plays out of turn, he has to put the amount of his original stake on the -cork, in addition to what is already there. Sometimes he is only fined -for an illegitimate cannon, but in this class of game the more forfeits -that can be invented the better. - -Not a bad variety of the game is to make the red hit the cork, a sort of -winning hazard, any other way of knocking it over carrying a penalty; or -this may be further restricted by insisting that the red must hit at -least one cushion before it overthrows the cork. - -I used to play another excellent and really amusing variation of this, -which we dignified by the name of ‘bumble-puppy.’ A ring about three -inches in diameter was drawn round the cork with chalk. The pool was put -as usual on the cork, and each player who failed to hit the cork over—we -used to play the winning hazard game—was fined a penny, which was added -to the pool, and when the cork was hit the striker secured only as many -coins as fell outside the ring, those that were more than half outside -counting as over. The fun of this was that sometimes there would be five -or six shillings in copper and silver on the cork, and only a few meagre -coppers would fall to the successful striker, all that was left in the -ring being put back on the cork and a fresh stake added by each player. -I can strongly recommend this form of the game, as it is full of -incident and amusement. - - - NEAREST BALL POOL - -This may best come under the category of country-house games, though it -may be played with lives and a star and be treated as seriously as -ordinary pool, the rules of which apply throughout. The striker is bound -to play on the nearest ball, whatever the colour, under the penalty of -losing a life; but there is no particular science in the game beyond -that required in ordinary pool, except as far as spoiling an easy stroke -for the next player is concerned. - - - SKITTLE POOL - -This is another game admirably suited for after-dinner amusement in a -country house, and one in which ladies can take part. The arrangement of -the skittles on the table is rather elaborate, and can best be -understood from Diagram X. Ten white and two black skittles, each four -inches long, are used. A and E are on an imaginary line drawn through -the pyramid spot parallel to the ends of the table. D and H are nine -inches above the baulk-line. The distance between A and D and between E -and H is divided into three equal parts; B, C, F, and G are at the -points of division. All these eight points are four inches, one -skittle’s length, from the cushion. Another white skittle is on the -billiard spot, and the tenth at I, four inches from the right-hand -baulk-spot. When black skittles are used (they are sometimes left out), -one is placed at X, four inches from the left-hand baulk-spot, and the -other at Y, half-way between G and the cushion. The red ball is spotted -half-way between the billiard spot, K, and the cushion, white and -spot-white on the right and left baulk-spots respectively. Each white -skittle has a particular value, denoted by the figures in the margin; a -penalty is attached, as will be shown, to knocking down either of the -black skittles. The position of the skittles, when once found, should be -marked with discs of white paper, on which the value of the skittle may -be shown. The object of the game is to make cannons with one of the -white balls off the red or the other whites on to the skittles; when -such a cannon is made, the value of the skittle or skittles knocked over -is scored to the player. The rules are as follow:— - -I. The game is played 31 up, each player having one stroke alternately, -the order of rotation being decided by giving out coloured balls or -numbers. - -II. Any number can play in a pool, and in all cases the following order -is to be observed, viz.: No. 1 plays out of baulk with either the spot -or white ball from its respective spot, and he and the following players -must always hit a ball (even if it touches another) with his own before -striking a pin, or he cannot score. No. 2 plays with the remaining ball -from its spot in baulk, and at either of the other balls, except when -the one in baulk has been touched or moved, in which case he and the -following players can play at any ball they please during the game. - -III. Any pin or pins knocked down by a player must be replaced before -the next one takes his turn. - -IV. Any ball occupying the spot of a fallen pin must be placed on its -proper spot, and the pin also replaced. - -V. Should any ball stop on either of the spots of the other balls, each -must be placed on its proper spot. - -VI. Any player who knocks down a black pin (after making his stroke) -with a ball, cue, sleeve, or in any other way, is dead (_i.e._ is out), -but can star any number of times by signifying the same before the next -player has struck, but he comes in without any points he has previously -made. The purchase of a star to be the same amount as the pool. - -VII. Should a player stop a ball or alter its direction, he shall be -considered dead, but may star any number of times. - -VIII. Any pin is to be considered down if it has entirely left the spot -it occupied, or when leaning against a ball, cushion, or another pin. - -[Illustration: - - Diagram X. -] - -IX. Any one playing out of turn cannot score, and the one who should -have played continues, without replacing the balls; but the former has a -right to play in his proper turn, if he is not dead by knocking down a -black pin. - -X. Foul strokes are made as follows, viz.: by pushing a ball instead of -striking it; by knocking down a white pin without striking a ball first, -or before the balls have ceased running; by playing out of turn, or when -all the pins are not in their places, or when the three balls are not on -the table. Running in or jumping off the table is not foul. - -XI. If (by mistake) the black and white pins are wrongly placed, the -white scores and the black counts as dead if knocked down; but the pins -must then be replaced in their proper places. - -XII. Should the three balls be covered by the pins, so as to prevent -their being played at, the red ball can be spotted; and then, if they -are again covered, the spot ball can be spotted. - -XIII. Any one, not being present at the commencement of the pool, has -the right to join in it, provided that no player has had more than one -stroke, and that no one has starred. - -XIV. Baulk affords no protection. - -The usual way of playing this game is to agree that the pool goes to the -player who first makes exactly thirty-one, neither more nor less: if he -exceeds that number he is dead, unless he likes to star, the number of -stars being unlimited. Another method is to let the player who gets -beyond thirty-one score backwards: _e.g._ if his score stands at -thirty-four, he can win the pool by scoring three. Under either system -the other players endeavour so to leave the balls as to make it -difficult or impossible for him to knock down the skittle which will -give him the desired number. The game may, however, be played with a -sealed handicap, each player receiving a numbered counter at the -beginning of a game, which he keeps secret but adds to his score. Thus a -player whose counter was numbered six would produce it when his score -reached twenty-five, and would claim the pool; part of the game then is -to guess the handicaps of the other players, by observing which skittles -each is trying to knock over when within range of thirty-one. Thus, if a -player whose score on the board was twenty-four were seen to be -incessantly playing for one of the skittles at either B or E, counting -four, his handicap number would probably be three, and so on. This -innovation seems to have come from the Italian way of playing skittle -pool, which is very popular in Italy and Greece, and indeed in all the -Levant. Directions for this game may be found in Dufton’s ‘Practical -Billiards.’ - -The game may also be played without the black skittles, but there is -less fun and excitement, as their presence adds considerably to its -vicissitudes. - - - - - CHAPTER XIV - MISCELLANEOUS NOTES - - -Before finishing this book it is desirable to mention a few matters -connected with billiards which have not been dealt with in former -chapters, though some of them may have been more than once introduced. -To begin with, the question is often debated whether in the interest of -the game a stake is desirable. Undoubtedly, some advantages are gained -when money, however little, is played for; the rules are more strictly -obeyed, and the game is treated as serious. On the other hand, there are -drawbacks: certain players, often those most anxious to bet, cannot -afford to lose, and the miserable result is that the pleasure of the -game is sacrificed to money. When played on proper lines, no stimulant -beyond the honour of winning and the pleasure of making meritorious -breaks is needed for players who are devoted to billiards and have -attained certain excellence. In most clubs far fewer games are played of -late years for even the small stake of a shilling or half a crown than -was the case in the early seventies, but a little excitement is supplied -by an occasional handicap. From want of experience, however, the framers -often make serious mistakes, which deter persons from entering, and -these are perhaps less in estimating the start which should be allowed -than in general principles. Hence, with the view of helping framers, a -few remarks are offered. - -[Illustration: - - A winning game. -] - -A handicap, to be satisfactory, should be on the American principle: -each player should in turn play with every person who has entered, and -he who has most games to his credit is the winner. It follows that too -many entries should not be allowed, nor, if possible, should there be -too great a difference in the class of players. It is better to have -more than one handicap than to try to bring together men between whom -there is great difference of play. As a general rule, it is probably -safe to say that no two men should play in the same handicap when one -can give the other much more than a third of the game. In a short -game—and those of most amateur handicaps are from 100 to 250 points—more -than one-third of the game is so long a start that chance plays too -important a part. When there are many competitors, it might be desirable -to have one or more handicaps subordinate to the final one, played, if -preferred, on the English system, in which the loss of one game -disqualifies for further competition; but the final, amongst, say, the -best six players, should if possible be arranged on the American plan. -As a guide to handicapping, the following rule may be useful. The -question is, if A. can give B. twenty in a hundred, and B. can give C. a -like number of points, how many can A. give C.? Add the points, and from -the result deduct their product divided by the length of the game. Thus, -in the supposed case: - - 20 + 20 − (20 × 20)/100 = 40 − 4 = 36; - -or A. can give C. 36 points. - -Another sort of handicap is sometimes substituted for the ordinary and -uninteresting four game when it is wished that more than two players -should take part. The method followed is to agree about the points and -then string or toss for position—_i.e._ to determine who shall commence -and the sequence of play. Whoever first scores the agreed number of -points wins the game and takes the stakes. It has this advantage over -the four game that excessive safety play is useless or worse, and that -each competitor does his best to score. The luck is to follow a player -who leaves easy openings, but, as no one plays specially for safety, a -good player is as likely to leave an easy stroke as a bad one. - -A few words may be permitted on billiards as a game for ladies. With -their superior delicacy of touch and at least equality in all other -respects, save perhaps in brute force, there would seem to be no reason -why they should not greatly excel at the game. As a fact some, a very -few, do play almost as well as good club players; they can make from -twenty to forty points in a break, and, this being so, work is all that -is required to raise their standard. The game is a healthy one, calling -into play not merely the muscles but the mind; and, as to its -capabilities for showing a handsome figure to advantage, Mr. Davis’s -illustrations are sufficiently eloquent. - -Some readers may perhaps regret the absence of a chapter on the -French and American game. To them we would urge that a game so -beautiful, so scientific, and capable of such development, cannot be -satisfactorily treated in short space; and, therefore, it has been -thought better simply to refer inquirers to M. Vignaux’s book and to -‘Modern Billiards,’ the American text-book, published by the -Brunswick-Balke-Collender Co., New York. Comparison between the -English and French games is scarcely profitable; they differ widely, -and each has its advantages. Conspicuous amongst these in favour of -the foreign game is the small size of the table which may be set up -in ordinary rooms. It is cheaper and more easily lighted than that -used in the English game, and, although hazards are eliminated and -much interest is thereby lost, the cannon game can be brought on the -smaller table to a perfection of which we scarcely even dream. - -A matter which closely concerns the well-being of the game must now be -considered, and that is the behaviour of players and spectators; in -other words, the _etiquette_ of the room. Throughout this book, in one -part or another, the importance of maintaining order and the -impossibility of preserving a high class of play when interruption is -permitted have been clearly set forth. The orderly proceedings in -professional play, during which neither player smokes nor interrupts the -other, and spectators are generally courteous, silent, and impartial, -contrast, we regret to say, with the ordinary behaviour of amateurs in a -club billiard-room. Here, in general, players have to submit to all -manner of interruption, the result mainly of ignorance and inadvertence. -Consequently, the great majority play day after day, year after year, -and scarcely improve, whilst the few who get the length of thinking out -a break and working it out on the table are driven to play where they -are less liable to disturbance. - -[Illustration: - - A LADIES’ BATTLE. -] - -In a billiard-room the players for the time being should be considered -supreme; table, light, fire, marker, are theirs for the time; and a -little ordinary consideration will show any gentleman that he should -avoid interference with them during a game. Yet, how common it is for -persons to bounce up to the door, open it without waiting for the -stroke, march gaily along towards a seat irrespective of whether a -stroke is in progress or not, and then, as likely as not, commence an -animated conversation in a loud tone of voice with another spectator, or -in default even with the non-player. If conversation fails, they have no -scruple in lighting a lamp or in poking the fire and making a glare and -heat which is unbearable to the players. The opponent, too, is often an -offender in the matter of talking. No sooner has he missed a stroke than -he commences conversation, failing to see that, if his adversary is more -polite, he enjoys absolute quiet during his break, whilst the other has -to play under disturbing influences, a proceeding which is not merely -discourteous, but unfair. Then, again, a running commentary is often -kept up during play, the remarks for the most part being absolutely -foolish. A spectator who listens to them cannot fail to notice their -grotesqueness, and, if they could be fully reproduced, the offenders -themselves would scarcely credit that they could have acted such a part. -Sometimes a player volunteers on every occasion explanation of his -failure to score, at other times he passionately addresses the balls, -adjuring them to stop or come on; he seems to think he gains a -reputation for generosity when he praises his adversary’s efforts by -shouting ‘good stroke’ when satisfied that the hazard or cannon has just -been missed, and it is entertaining to watch his change of tone and -countenance should some unforeseen score be made. His nervous -contortions when a ball is approaching a pocket or likely to make a -cannon are often remarkable; head, hands, legs and feet, all coming into -play, and all impressed to indicate his sensations, which, to judge from -the display, must often be unpleasant. - -Smoking, too, requires regulation. Matches should not be lighted on the -stroke, nor should they be extinguished by being waved about; cues, -umbrellas, or sticks, should be kept perfectly still; in fact, every -care should be taken to avoid distracting the player’s attention. There -are many drawbacks to the game from players smoking; with every care, -ashes and tobacco fall on the cloth, the woodwork of the cushions is -blistered and disfigured because the ends of lighted cigars are -carelessly laid on it, and the striker is often hampered by clouds of -smoke poured over the table by his adversary in the line of sight. These -may be reduced to a minimum by the exercise of a little consideration, -and suitable metal trays should be provided on mantelpiece or side -tables on which lighted cigars may be placed whilst the player is at the -table. Another not uncommon but most offensive breach of etiquette is -for a spectator to offer either player advice; it often happens that -they see what a player has overlooked, but they should resist the -temptation to advertise their smartness, and recollect that the struggle -ought to be left entirely to the opponents, who are entitled to a fair -field and no favour. These are the main faults which are of common -occurrence: a little care and self-restraint will deter men from -offending, and gain for them an enviable character for consideration of -others and good feeling; whereas indulgence in them will sooner or later -cause transgressors to be considered as the pests of the room and to be -more or less avoided. It is true that endeavour has been made in -existing rules to control the behaviour both of players and of -spectators, and it is possible that some further steps in this way may -be taken; but much must be left to the good feeling of gentlemen, which -will not fail when they realise the value of a room in which good order -is kept; and the remarks here made are offered in the hope that they may -contribute to the desired result. - -With reference to the disputed question which was discussed in Chapter -VI. and has incidentally appeared elsewhere, whether side can be -communicated by one ball to another, there is a stroke which will repay -study. Place the red and another ball on the baulk-line about a foot -apart within the =Ｄ=. From the right-hand side of the table play a free -stab on the red with strong right side, hitting it almost full but -sufficiently on the left to just send it out of baulk. If properly -played, both balls will be left in baulk. The white going into baulk -shows that the red was struck on its left, and therefore must have gone -out of baulk, whereas its return to baulk would appear to be due to -communicated side. It is instructive to play this stroke first with one -side and then with the other, and to observe the difference of result. - -The practice of strokes as recommended throughout this manual may -occasionally be varied by trying breaks from some well-defined position -of the balls. Place a ball over each middle pocket for easy losing -hazards and play the break from hand. After each break record the score, -and after five or ten trials take the average. Anyone who can usually -score 100 points in six innings is more than able to hold his own -against good club form. The task is not so easy as it appears, as a few -trials will show. The gradual rise of this average is a good measure of -improvement. But too much time should not be spent in this way, for the -practice of strokes is far more profitable, specially if the maxim ‘Over -the easiest strokes bestow the greatest pains’ be always remembered. -Work at easy strokes till they can be so played as to leave another easy -one to follow; no practice is more remunerative. - -Intimately connected with the interests of billiards are the duties of -referees and markers. In important matches three persons are employed -besides the players—the referee, the marker, and a boy to hand the balls -and rests; in ordinary games all the duties fail on the marker. It is by -no means an easy matter to be a good referee; men are often selected -more because they happen to be connected with a sporting newspaper than -from any personal aptitude for the position. The qualities required form -a combination difficult to be obtained. The referee should possess a -strictly judicial turn of mind, perfect sight, developed accuracy of -observation, great calmness, rapidity of judgment, perfect and fearless -honesty; in addition to knowledge of the game, intimate acquaintance -with the rules, and correct appreciation of the duties he may have to -perform. Failure in any one of these qualifications may result in -erroneous decisions; but perhaps the last-mentioned is the one which is -most liable to be misunderstood. As a rule, the referee should not -interfere unless appealed to; it should be fully realised by him that he -can make no law or rule, and has for the time being no concern with the -justice or injustice of the code; his duty is simply to say whether a -rule has or has not been broken, and to declare the penalty. His -personal opinion as to whether a stroke should be fair or foul is of no -moment; all he has to deal with are matters of fact and the application -of acknowledged rules. Thus, until the push, for example, is contrary to -the rules, a referee is not justified in declaring every such stroke -appealed against to be foul; on the contrary, a competent man, whatever -his opinion may be as to the merit of the stroke, should declare all -strokes to be fair unless he actually saw a rule infringed. If he saw -the cue twice applied (which is common enough), he is justified in -ruling the stroke to be foul; if he did not (as he cannot in a -well-executed push) see two applications, he is bound to uphold the -stroke as fair. It is no argument to say that he knows the stroke to be -always foul; no one desires him to air his opinion on such a matter, and -a person who made such an excuse for his ruling would thereby -conclusively prove his unfitness for the post. - -The marker is a man for whom we have much sympathy; his duties are many -and trying, sometimes almost beyond human endurance. As a class, markers -are civil, well-behaved, and otherwise probably neither better nor worse -than their fellow-men. When asked for advice or instruction, they give -it cheerfully to the best of their ability, and in respect to play they -may be said to lie between amateurs and professionals. They have -occasionally a good deal to put up with, and their services are often -unjustifiably requisitioned; attention is invited to Mr. Ford’s remarks -(p. 428), which, though made with reference to pool, are in most -respects applicable to billiards. And when late at night or in close -rooms markers are occasionally drowsy, or make a mistake, let players -endeavour to realise the monotony of their lives. From their arrival in -the room before noon till their departure at, perhaps, three in the -morning, think of their average experience! The table has to be got -ready, the room dusted and preparation made for visitors. These appear -at first fitfully—the young, who are not good enough for the serious -business of the day, and the old, who are losing their game, meeting -together, followed later by the regular _habitués_, who play billiards -or pool as may be. Conversation is carried on as if the marker were both -deaf and dumb, a mere machine for returning the ball and handing the -rest. There is an admirable essay on this aspect of the marker in ‘The -Billiard Book,’ by Captain Crawley, written by the author of ‘Lost Sir -Massingberd,’ in which it is justly pointed out that the marker -moralises and is ‘daily the dumb witness of innumerable frauds.’ He is -made to say, ‘I know the real skill of every player to a hair, and how -much he conceals of it.’ I know the characters of nine-tenths of the men -who enter the room, and very indifferent they are—‘the man who plays for -a stroke only when it is a certainty preferring his own safety to his -enemy’s danger; the hard hitter, from whom no player is secure; the man -who is always calling his own strokes flukes; the man who is always -calling other people’s by that derogatory name; and the poor fellow who -is for ever under the cushion. My world, which is not a small one, is -mapped out for me, with all its different species of men, upon this -table; for I stand apart, and mark many things beside the score.’ - -Then think of the marker being obliged to constantly watch the -performances of those who take from half to three-quarters of an hour to -play a game of a hundred, the same bad form exhibited game after game, -by men who for one reason or another never improve; and judge leniently -of slight lapses of attention. - -It is expedient once more to emphasise the point that whilst a game is -in progress the marker’s services should be considered as wholly devoted -to the score and the players; no spectator should speak to him or -attract his attention, and markers ought to be instructed, in case of -breaches of this rule, to point out respectfully that they are -prohibited from entering into conversation during a game. The writer has -often seen spectators, and occasionally opponents, most unwarrantably -engage a marker in conversation when they failed to get anyone else to -talk to, thereby distracting his attention from the game to which it -should be entirely devoted. - -And now, as a last word, it is proper to explain that, though endeavour -has been made in the preceding pages to put amateurs in the way of -improving their game and of understanding its general principles, yet it -is not for a moment advocated that young men should devote to billiards -the time which might be more profitably employed in serious work. Except -for professional players and a very few specially circumstanced -enthusiasts, it is, after all, but a game and relaxation. Indulgence in -it should, therefore, be kept within strict limits; but, so regulated, -it will be found generally beneficial to mind and body. These -restrictions, it is evident, must almost to a certainty prevent amateur -form from ever seriously approaching that of professional players, and -one is warranted on meeting a youngster whose knowledge of the game and -handling of the balls have reached professional form in concluding that -his skill is evidence of a misspent youth. Still, there is a vast -difference, which may reasonably be lessened, between such perfection -and the average amateur performance; and it is hoped that this volume -may contribute to so desirable a result. - - - - - INDEX - - - Aberdovey slates, 73 - - Albert Club, 48 - - Albo-carbon light, 66, 67 - - American handicaps, 40, 43; - tournament, 41, 436 - - Angle, half-ball or natural, 101–103, 123–124; - of deviation, 138; - of incidence and reflexion, 139–140 - - Aquarium. _See_ Royal Aquarium - - Association, Billiard. _See_ Billiard Association - - Attitude, 107 - - - Balls, billiard, 86–92; - treatment of, 87–88; - weight, 87_n_; - gauge, 89; - tests of, 90; - bonzoline, 91–92; - cast steel, 92; - dummy, 101; - definition of, 105; - motion, &c., and division of, 130–141; - impact of, 164–168; - rotation of, 189–214; - surface of, 193; - friction of, on cloth, 193; - transmitted side, 194; 443; - different qualities of ivory and bonzoline, 266–267; - light, 322 - - Bartley, Mr., 6, 9 - - Basket, pool, 101, 253–254 - - Baulk, meaning of the term, 105; - doubles in, 150; - playing for safety in, 284; - double, 290 - - ‘Baynard Castle,’ 43 - - Bedford, Mr., 9 - - _Bell’s Life_, 19; - quoted, 20; 21 - - Bennett, Alfred, in handicaps, 36, 38, 40, 41, 47; - death, 38_n_ - - Bennett, Fred, 36, 38 - - Bennett, John, 36, 38 - - Bennett, Joseph 4; - his manual, 4; - in a four-handed match with John Roberts, sen., 26; 29; - beats Roberts, jun., and beaten by him, 34; 35, 36, 40, 41, 43, 44; - beaten by Roberts, jun., 50; - beats Cook for championship, 46; - defeats Taylor for championship, 47; - Shorter forfeits for championship, 47; - introduction of angle for private practice, 124; 266, 370 - - Bentinck Club, 24, 27 - - Billiard Association of Great Britain and Ireland standard tables, 70, - 71, 362; - rules of, 374; - revision required, 375; - examination of — rules, 376–386; - examination of — rules of pyramids, 390 - - ‘Billiard Book,’ Captain Crawley’s, on pyramids, 391; - essay on the marker, 445 - - ‘Billiard Review,’ quoted, on the Association Rules, 375 - - Billiard-rooms, 55–57; - in Oriental Club, 57; 58, 59; - Mr. W. H. Fowler’s room, 59; - Mr. A. Gibbs’, 55–56; - ventilation of, 61–66; - lighting of, 66–68; - Major Broadfoot’s note on, 67, 68 - - Billiard-tables, 5, 10, 11, 15, 69; - pockets, 69; - Billiard Association legislation, 70; - Standard Association tables, 71; - cost, 72; - ordinary, 73; - championship, 73, 83, 362–373; - frames, 73; - slates, 73–77; - plan of table in diagram, 74, 75; - cushions, 77–79; - cloths, 79–80; - setting up the table, 79–83; - brushing and ironing, 83–84; - undersized, 84; - spot stroke, 85; - French tables, 85; - hiring, 85; - automatic returner, 86; - few in London clubs fit for play, 207; - easy and difficult—in training, 306 - - Billiard terms in use, 105–107 - - Black and pink pool, description of game, 423; - variation in rules, 423; - collecting stakes, 424; - a useful bye-law, 424 - - Black pool, 408, 418; - no regular laws, 418; - the game as generally played, 420; - special features, 420; - variation in rules, 421; - points to be held in view, 422 - - Blind pockets, playing hazards into, 146, 150 - - Bonzoline balls, 91; - wear, 92; - playing hazards with, 170; - difference between ivory and, 266; - playing double baulk strokes with, 293 - - _Bouclée_, formation of the bridge, 109, 129 - - Bowles, Alfred, 23; - his matches with Roberts, jun., 23, 33, 367 - - Boyd, Mr. A. H., 3; - aid from, 3; - on implements, 55–103; - on ‘Every-Day Billiards,’ 315–325 - - Break, definition of, 105; - higher signification of, 300; - average—in classifying players, 302; - personal questions: luck and nerve, 303–306; - advice to players who cannot undertake close study, 307–313; - advice to a higher class of players, 313; - Mr. Boyd’s advice to moderate players, 315–325; - — at the top of the table, by Mr. Rimington-Wilson, 325–348; - nursery cannons, 348–361 - - Breaking the balls, explanation of the phrase, 105 - - _Bricole_, utility of, 172; - the push, 226, 240 - - Bridge, the term, 105; - a good, 108, 109; - a short, 127; - _bouclée_, 129 - - Brighton, Kentfield’s Subscription Rooms at, 10 - - Broughton, Tom, beaten by Roberts, sen., 16 - - Brunswick-Balke-Collender Co. the, cited, 212, 440 - - Brushing tables, 83 - - Buchanan, J. P., 266 - - Buckland, Frank, test for balls, 90 - - ‘Bumble-puppy,’ 430 - - Burners, gas, for billiard-rooms, 67 - - Burroughes and Watts, aid from, 4, 55; - first series of handicaps, 36; 40, 77, 98 - - Butts, 97 - - - Cannons, plain, 172–186; - tendency to supersede losing hazards, 172; - general rules for strength in playing, 174; - easier than the hazard, 175; - in baulk, 210–212; - use of compensation in making, 261–262; - nursery, easy of execution, 326; 348–361 - - Carr, John, 5; - sells twisting chalk, 7; 8; - backed against all comers, 9; - challenged by Kentfield, 10 - - Carter, Eugene, American player, 53 - - Cathire More, King of Ireland, his brass billiard balls, 4 - - Chalk, 83, 87, 98, 384; - St. Martin, 99 - - Championship, the, &c., 362–373; - Mr. Russell D. Walker’s memorandum on, 367–370 - - Championship matches, remarks concerning, 362–366; - list of, 373 - - Championship table, the, 73, 83; - pockets, 362; - play on, 370–373; - objections to different tables for ordinary play and for championship - matches, 364; - genuineness of game, 365; - equalisation of amateurs on a, 372; - record of championship matches, 373 - - Chimneys of lamps for lighting billiard-rooms, 66 - - Close screws, method of playing, 250 - - Cloths for billiard-tables, 79; - nap of, 193; - effects on rotation and path of ball, 207 - - Club billiard-rooms, 56; - over-ironing of cloth in, 207 - - Coles, Harry, 48, 49 - - Collins, George, 36, 38, 39, 48 - - Combination tables, 85 - - Compensation in play, 260 - - Composition balls, 91 - - Cook, William, 20, 23, 24; - Roberts, sen.’s opinion of, 25; - first match with and defeat by Roberts, jun., 27; - beats him later, 28; - rapid rise, 28; - beats Roberts, sen., for championship, 29–31; - remarkable breaks, 33, 34; - loses championship to Roberts, jun., 33, 41; - zenith of his career, 34; 35, 36; - wins handicap, 36; 39, 40; - beaten by Roberts, jun., 41, 42, 43, 46; - beaten by Joseph Bennett in championship match, 46; - beats and beaten by Roberts, jun., 47, 50; - unrivalled style, 120; - on the spot stroke, 265, 266, 268; - strength and execution, 370; - pool record, 412 - - ‘Cork Marker,’ the, his match with Carr, 9 - - Cork pool, description of, 429; - variation in play, 430; - bumble-puppy, 430 - - Corrugated iron billiard-rooms, 59 - - Cotton’s ‘Compleat Gamester,’ 5 - - Country-house games, 429–432 - - Coup, to run a, explanation of phrase, 105 - - _Coups durs_, 105, 230 - - Cover, meaning of the term, 105 - - Crawley, Captain, on pyramids, 391; - quotation about marker from his billiard book, 445 - - Cues, &c., 93–103; - French butt, 93; - English butt, 93; - tips, 95, 96; - jointed, 96, 388; - splicing, 97; - mechanical accuracy in delivering, 115–129; - hold of, 125; - use of — in the follow, 196; - in the screw back, 202; - in applying side, 203; - in the push stroke, 224; - ‘power’ of, 315; - necessity for accurate delivery of, 324 - - Cunningham, Colonel Allan, R.E., aid from, 3 - - Cushion-crawling, 283 - - Cushion nursery cannons, 348–361; - breaks of — often spurious, 363 - - Cushions, 77; - covering with cloth, 81; - difficulty of square-cut, 145; - side acquired by friction with, 206; - nurseries, 348–361 - - - Davis, George, 25 - - Dawson, Charles, 49, 51, 120; - simplicity of his game, 128; 367 - - Defensive play, where advisable, 283 - - Diagrams, explanation of, 138–139 - - Diggle, Edward, 51, 120, 367 - - Double baulk, 105 - - Doubles, value of, 150; - in baulk, 150; - simple, 152; 398, 400, 413, 416 - - Drag strokes, 116, 196; - used to overcome irregularities in ball or bed, 197 - - Dufton, John, 20 - - Dufton, William, ‘tutor to the Prince of Wales,’ 20; - match with Roberts, sen., 22; - his long jennies, 25; - an overrated player, 25 - - Dufton’s ‘Practical Billiards,’ on skittle pool, 435 - - Dummy balls, 101 - - - Egan, Pierce, 9 - - Egyptian Hall, 51 - - Electric light in billiard-rooms, 61, 66, 67 - - Elementary instruction, 104; - mode of entering room, 104; - technical terms, 104–106; - attitudes, 107; - formation of bridge, 108, 109; - the bridge _bouclée_, 109, 129; - cue delivery, 109; - practice with one ball, 110–115; - strength, 112; - use of the rest, 113–115; - use of the half-butt and long-butt, 115; - Mr. Pontifex’s memorandum, 115–129; - a remarkable amateur feat, 116, 126 - - English butt, 93 - - Erection of billiard-table, 80 - - Etiquette of the billiard-room, 3, 104, 388, 440–442 - - Evans, Harry, 25, 26; - champion of Australia, 39 - - - Feather stroke, 370 - - Fleming, John, defeats Roberts, sen., 16 - - Follow, the, importance of, 194; - increasing artificially, 195; - chief use, 196 - - Forcing hazards, 170 - - Ford, Mr., on markers, 428; 445 - - Foul, definition of a, 105 - - Four-handed game, a bad school, 318; - a substitute for, 439 - - Fowler, Mr. W. H., his outside billiard-room, 59, 103 - - French butt, 93 - - French players on the game, 1 - - - Gaiety Restaurant, matches at, 41, 43 - - ‘Game of Billiards,’ Kentfield’s, 10 - - Gas in billiard-rooms, 61 - - Gate-money, 365, 366 - - Gibbs, Mr. A., his billiard-room at Tyntesfield, 61 - - Gillows’ tables, 15 - - Green, W. E., 25, 53 - - Guildhall Tavern, matches at, 37 - - - Half-butts, 97 - - Half-push, the, 228 - - Handicaps, 36, 39; - American system of, 40, 41, 43; 436; - the same guiding rules for framing, 439 - - Hazards, winning, 142–153; 320, 404; - plain strokes, 142; - middle pocket, 159, 422. - _See_ Losing - - Herst, John, 21, 22, 25 - - Hiring billiard-tables, 85 - - Hitchin, W. C., 25 - - Hughes, Alfred, 25, 26, 36, 39 - - Hughes, Charles, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 367 - - - Impact, divergence between point of aim and point of, 133–135; - points of, 143; - rebound following, 164, 167 - - Implements of the game, 55 _et seq._ - - In hand, definition of the term, 105 - - Incandescent gas light, 66 - - India-rubber cushions, 77 - - Ironing billiard-table cloths, 79, 83 - - Ives, Frank, his matches with Roberts, jun., 53, 365, 372; - cannon play, 359; - makes 1,267 consecutive cannons, 369 - - Ivory balls, 86; - expense of, 91; - differ from bonzoline, 266; 293 - - - Jennies, 160; - method of playing, 239 - - Jump stroke, 250 - - - Kentfield, Edwin (otherwise Jonathan), champion, 10; - his improvements, 10; - his book, 11; - his game 11; 12, 13, 14, 15; - interviewed by Roberts, sen., 17, 18; - refuses to play Roberts, 19; 367 - - Kilkenny, Lewis, 25, 36, 38, 40 - - Kiss, the term explained, 105; - mode of playing the — stroke, 230; 406 - - Knightsbridge, matches at, 53 - - - Ladies, billiards as a game for, 440 - - Lamps, oil, for lighting billiard-rooms, 66 - - Leap stroke, method of making, 250 - - Lighting billiard-rooms, 66, 83 - - Lloyd, winner of 1895 Association Tournament, 54 - - Long-butts, 97 - - Losing hazards, short and long, 153–172; - half-ball strokes, 154; 156; - middle-pocket, 158; - jennies, 160; - long, 162; - care required in playing, 168; - forcing, 170; - inferiority to winning hazards, 172; - by use of follow, 218–221; 371 - - Luck in playing, 303 - - - MʻNeil, Hugh, 51 - - Mannock, J. P., 52 - - Mardon, Mr., writer on billiards, 8, 12, 17, 18, 19, 20 - - Marker, duties of the, 412, 414, 415, 428, 445; - services should be devoted to game and players alone, 446 - - Marking-boards, 99; - nickel-plated, 100 - - _Massé_ stroke, method of playing, 255, 353 - - Matches, championship, 373 - - Measurements in billiards, approximate, 146; - how made, 147 - - Memmott, Charles, champion of Australia, 26, 39; - record of screw back spots, 48; 52, 274 - - Miss, must be played with the point of cue, 284 - - Miss-cue, meaning of the term, 106 - - Mitchell, William, 43–46; - as spot player, 44–48; - beaten by Roberts, jun., even, 50; 52, 228, 367 - - Mode of entering a billiard-room, 104, 441 - - Morris, Tom, 25, 26, 39 - - Moss, W., 35 - - Mulberry, George, 25 - - - Nap of cloth, effect of playing with or against, 193, 207, 208, 270 - - Nearest ball pool, 431 - - ‘Nell Gwynne,’ Strand, match at, 24 - - Nerve in playing, 3, 305–306 - - North, John, his style, 47, 48, 119 - - Nursery cannons, 348–361; - value of — on three-inch pocket table, 363 - - - Oil lamps for lighting billiard-rooms, 66 - - One-ball practice. _See_ Elementary instruction - - Oriental Club, plan of room, 57, 62 - - Orme & Sons, their automatic arrangement for returning balls, 86; 323 - - Over-caution in playing, evils of, 318 - - - _Partie Américaine dite du cadre_, 364 - - Peall, W. J., aid from, 4; 44; - remarkable breaks, 45; 46, 48; - defeats Roberts, jun., 49, 50; - present position, 51; 52; - weight of his cue, 94; - consecutive screw back spot strokes, 274; 282; - turning a corner at cushion nurseries, 359; 367 - - Peall cushion rest, 98 _n._ - - Pendleton, Tom, 16 - - Penrhyn slates, 73 - - Pipeclay for marking baulk-lines, 83 - - _Piqué_ strokes, mode of playing, 256 - - Plain strokes, 142–188 - - Plan of billiard-table, 74, 75 - - Plants, definition of, 106; - method of playing, 244; - laws which govern them unknown, 246; - in pyramids, 400 - - Players, system of classifying, 302; - difference in, 303; - luck, 303 - - Pneumatic cushions, 79 - - Pockets of billiard-tables, 11, 69; - blind, 146, 150; - Billiard Association standard, 362, 368 - - Pontifex, Mr. Dudley D., aid from, 3; - memorandum by, 115, 325 - - Pook, John, Kentfield’s manager, 18 - - Pool basket, 101, 253–254 - - Pool, importance of playing for position in, 145; - useful as winning hazard practice, 320; - description of the game, 408; - rules and penalties, 410; - safety and hazards, 411; - starring, 411; - playing for cannons, 411; - measuring distances, 412; - marker’s duty, 412; - the opening stroke, 412; - Cook’s record, 412; - doubles, 150, 400, 413; - story concerning consecutive doubles, 413; - anecdote about sharpers, 413, 414; - for other varieties of the game, _see_ Black pool, Black and pink, - Cork, Nearest ball, Selling, Single, Skittle, Snooker, Three-pool - - Porker, Mr., his match with Mr. Mardon, 12 - - _Position mère_, 329; 351 - - ‘Practical Billiards,’ Dufton’s, on skittle pool, 435 - - Pratt, his style, 9; - match with a stranger, 10 - - Precautions in play, 259 - - Prince of Wales, the, _See_ Wales, Prince of - - Prince of Wales’s Hotel, Moss Street, Manchester, matches at, 28 - - Professionals, rate of scoring, 307 - - Push stroke, the, 52; - method of playing, 224; 370; - its permissibility, 382; - character defined, 383; - so-called proofs of foulness, 383, 384; - objections to striking twice, 385, 386; - the case for and against, 386 - - Pyramids, 33; - importance of playing for position in, 145; - general hints concerning, 388; - salient points of the game, 389; - rules regarding, 390; - handicapping players, 390; - setting up the balls, 391; - ways of playing the first stroke, 391; - safety, 392; - making a series of hazards, 392; - plants and doubles, 394; - when the object ball is close to a cushion, 396; - useful strokes, 396–406; - good break by an Undergraduate, 407 - - - Queen’s Club, 116 - - Quill stroke, 370 - - - Rebound following impact, 164, 167 - - Referees, duties of, 444 - - _Rencontres_, 105, 230 - - Rests, 98, 115 - - Richards, matches with Roberts, sen., 367 - - Richards, D., 25, 27, 41, 120 - - Right-angled screw, the, 198 - - Rimington-Wilson, Mr. R. H. R., aid from, 4; - on the top-of-the-table game, 325; - on cannon nurseries, 359; - on the professional championship, 366 - - Roberts, John, jun., 11, 23, 25, 26, 27, 28; - beats Cook for the championship, 33; - beats A. Bowles, 33; - beaten by Joseph Bennett, 34; - defeats Bennett, 33, 34; 40; - again beats Cook for championship, 41; 43, 46; - in India, 47; - defeats and is beaten by Cook, 47; 48; - beaten by Peall, 49; - beats Cook and Joseph Bennett for championship, 50; - beats Mitchell, 50; - beaten by Peall, spots only, 50; - challenged by Peall, 51; - his wonderful play, 51; - matches with Ives, 53, 359, 365; - his long spot-barred breaks, 54; - weight of his cue, 94; - admirable cue delivery, 116; - ease and grace of style, 119; - skill, 121, 125, 127, 128, 212, 268; - good at the spot stroke, 274; 370; - offer to assist in recasting rules of the game, 375; - on the push stroke, 386 - - Roberts, John, sen., 12, 13; - contrasted with Kentfield, 14, 15; - rapid rise, 16; - taught the spot stroke by Mr. Lee Birch, 16; - interviews Kentfield, 17, 18; - champion, 19; 21; - lessee of Saville House, Leicester Square, 22; - his famous break of 346 in a match with William Dufton, 22; - matches with Alfred Bowles and Charles Hughes, 23, 24; 26, 28; - defeated by Cook, 31; - endurance match with an amateur, 32; 367 - - Rotation of ball, 189–214; - cause of, 192; - round horizontal axis, forward, 194; - backward, 196; - round vertical axis, 202 - - Royal Aquarium, Westminster, 43, 44, 45, 49, 50, 368 - - ‘R.-W. Billiard Diagram Notebook,’ 398 - - Rudolph, match with Cook, 40 - - Rules of billiards, 374; - defective character, 374; - proposed revision, 375; - penalties for infringing, 375; - suggestions respecting, 376–386; - discriminating between the act of aiming and the act of striking, - 377; - playing a miss otherwise than with the point of the cue, 378; - playing with the wrong ball, 378; - foul strokes, 379; - when player’s ball touches another ball, 379; - offences committed by persons other than the players, 380; - spectators offering advice, 376, 380; - obstructing players, 380; - obstruction of the striker by the non-striker, 381; - how far the marker may assist either player, 381; - the push stroke, 382; - the half-push, 384; - striking a ball twice, 384; - chief objections to the push stroke, 385, 386 - - - Safety, when to be sought for, 283; - pocketing an adversary’s ball, 285; - double baulk, 290 - - St. James’s Hall, 30, 47, 368 - - St. Martin chalk, 99 - - Sala, J. G., record of consecutive screw back spots, 48; 274 - - Samson, Mr., architect, 60, 62; - designs by, 64–65 - - Scoring, different rate of, between amateurs and professionals, 307 - - Screw, the, 196, 197, 247; - right-angled, 198; - regulation of strength necessary in playing, 198; - importance of regulating, 200; - close, 250 - - Selling pool, principle of the game, 429 - - Seymour, William, 116 - - ‘Sharping’ in billiard-rooms, 413, 414 - - Shell-out, the game of, 407, 408 - - Shorter, Fred, wins love game from Bennett, 41–42; - beats Cook, 42; - beats Taylor, 42; - forfeits to Bennett, 47 - - Side, transmission of, 194, 202; - acquired by friction with cushion, 206; - imparting, 315; - can it be communicated by one ball to another?, 443. - _See_ Rotation - - Skittle pool, description of, 431; - rules, 432; - usual way of playing, 434 - - Skylight sashes for ventilating billiard-rooms, 62 - - Slates for billiard-tables, 73–77 - - Smoking in billiard-room, 442 - - Snooker, 408; - variations in rules, 424; - general method of play, 424; - penalties, 425, 426; - main object of player, 427; - the element of luck, 427 - - Spiller, William, 52 - - Spot stroke, the, 11, 16; - agitation against, 39; - result of barring, 172; - constant practice required for success, 264; - danger of using, 265; - its genuineness, 266; - ivory and bonzoline balls in playing, 266; - use of chalk, 267; - method of playing, 268; - its limits, 269; - the screw back, 273; - the stab, 276; - must be taught by a master, 279; - methods adopted to continue break or obtain safety, 279; - invaluable as practice for winning hazard play, 282; 320 - - Spot-barred breaks, 45 - - Spot stroke tables, 85 - - Spots, inadvisability of altering, 153 - - Stab, the, use of in playing cannons, 182; - and spot stroke, 276 - - Stakes, advantages and disadvantages of playing for, 436 - - Stammers, 36, 39 - - Standard Association tables, 71 - - Stanley, S. W., 25, 33, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41 - - Starke, defeated by Roberts, sen., 19; - further matches with him, 21 - - Stevenson, H. W., 27, 52 - - Strength, definition of, 106 - - String, to, meaning of, 106 - - Strokes, following, 194; - screw, 196, 247; - practising, 208; - _massé_, 214, 255; - miscellaneous, 215; - fine, 222; - push and half-push, 224; - _bricole_, 226, 242; - kiss, 230; - jennies, 239; - plants, 244; - close screws, 250; - leap or jump, 250; - _piqué_, 255; - compensations, 260; - spot, 264 - - Style, 112 - - - Tables. _See_ Billiard-tables - - Taylor, Tom, 36, 37, 39, 40, 41, 42, 44, 47, 48, 368 - - Templates, 71 - - Terms, billiard, technical, explained, 104–106 - - Three-ball practice, 142 _et seq._ - - Three-inch pocket table. _See_ Championship table - - Three-pool, 413; - strange occurrence at, 413; - principles of the game, 415, 416 - - Thurston, John, 10; - his improvement of tables, 11 - - Thurston & Co., 55 - - Timbrell, William, 40, 43 - - ‘Times,’ the, quoted on the push stroke, 386 - - Tips of cues, 95; - process of tipping, 95; - cleaning, 95; - renovating, 96 - - Tobin tubes for ventilating billiard-rooms, 61 - - Top-of-the-table game, the, 325–348 - - ‘Twisting chalk,’ Carr’s, 7 - - Two-ball practice, 130–141 - - - Union Club, Manchester, 14, 16 - - - Ventilation in billiard-rooms, 59, 62 - - Vignaux, M., aid from his book, 3; - cited, 189, 206, 259, 327, 351, 440 - - Vulcanite cushions, 77 - - - Wales, Prince of, 20; - at championship match, 29; - at match Roberts _v._ Cook, Newmarket, 47 - - Walker, Mr. Russell D., aid from, 3; - on the championship, 366, 367 - - Warming billiard-rooms, 60, 63 - - White, Fred, 49 - - Wilson, R., 44 - - Winning hazards, 142–153; - confidence required, 320 - - Wright & Co., 55, 71 - - - PRINTED BY - SPOTTISWOODE AND CO., NEW-STREET SQUARE - LONDON - ------ - -Footnote 1: - - If a man wants to play fast he would surely select the worst—not the - best—player as antagonist.—ED. - -Footnote 2: - - It is difficult to believe in the possibility of scoring over 700 - points in an hour with the imperfect implements then in use; half that - number is probably nearer the truth.—ED. - -Footnote 3: - - Alfred Bennett died after these lines were in type. - -Footnote 4: - - Roberts twice in 1894, during exhibition games, exceeded 1,000 in - spot-barred breaks, making 1,033 and 1,392. - -Footnote 5: - - The raised woodwork above the leads. - -Footnote 6: - - I do not, of course, mean that the spot stroke is a one-position - stroke—far from it; but from an ordinary spectator’s point of view it - is summed up in the words ‘potting the red _ad infinitum_.’ - -Footnote 7: - - Formerly only four slates were used, with the result that a joint ran - straight across the table from the centre of one middle pocket to the - other. If, then, warping or subsidence of the floor ensued, an ugly - ridge arose opposite the pocket, making it unmissable from one side, - and almost impossible from the other. - -Footnote 8: - - Battens are screwed to the slates in order to take the tacks which - fasten down the cloth. - -Footnote 9: - - Each ball weighs about 4⅔ ounces. - -Footnote 10: - - The jointed cue with a spare top joint renders the above devices - unnecessary, and they are all open to some objection. - -Footnote 11: - - An excellent cushion rest, capable of being used as an ordinary rest, - is that known as the Peall Cushion Rest, which possesses the - advantages of simplicity and ease of handling. - -Footnote 12: - - See illustration, p. 129. - -Footnote 13: - - Often called the half-ball angle, both definitions being very - inaccurate; but they are in common use, and generally understood. - -Footnote 14: - - Or _restitution_, the effect of _compression_. - -Footnote 15: - - The Americans term what we call _side_ ‘English’ or ‘twist.’ - -Footnote 16: - - Delarue, Paris. - -Footnote 17: - - Memmott has made, we believe, the extraordinary number of 423 - consecutive screw back spot strokes. - -Footnote 18: - - For a description of this game, see pp. 29–31. - -Footnote 19: - - Taylor’s cannons were made on balls jammed in the jaws of the pocket; - Ives’ cannons were made on balls well outside of the jaws. - -Footnote 20: - - The numbers quoted are those of the Billiard Association’s Rules. - -Footnote 21: - - The rules do not say for how many balls the offender has to pay: - presumably all that are left on the table are scored to his adversary. - -Footnote 22: - - See pp. 148 and 244. - -Footnote 23: - - Published by Webster, 60 Piccadilly. - -Footnote 24: - - The numbers quoted are those of the Association Rules. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - TRANSCRIBER’S NOTES - - - 1. P. 302, changed “à force de forger on devient forgeron” to “à force - de forger en devient forgeron”. - 2. Silently corrected obvious typographical errors and variations in - spelling. - 3. Retained archaic, non-standard, and uncertain spellings as printed. - 4. Re-indexed footnotes using numbers and collected together at the end - of the last chapter. - 5. Enclosed italics font in _underscores_. - 6. Enclosed bold font in =equals=. - 7. Denoted superscripts by a caret before a single superscript - character or a series of superscripted characters enclosed in - curly braces, e.g. M^r. or M^{ister}. - -*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK BILLIARDS *** - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions will -be renamed. - -Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, -so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the -United States without permission and without paying copyright -royalties. Special rules, set forth in the General Terms of Use part -of this license, apply to copying and distributing Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic works to protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm -concept and trademark. 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