What is the difference between pool and billiards?
Pool involves 16 balls: One white, one black, seven red (striped) and seven yellow (spots/blobs). The idea of the game is to pot all of your colours and then the black before the opponent does. In billiards I believe I am right in sying that there are only three balls: One red, one black and one white. The idea is to pot the black by cannoning the red onto it with the cue ball.
They are completely different games. Pool has one “cue” ball and a whole lot of target balls (10?). Billiards has two cue balls, one for each player, and a single red target ball. Pool is played until all the target balls are potted, billiards is first to a particular score. Billiards can score by a cannon (hitting both target balls) as well as potting any of the balls after hitting the target.
Billiards is pool without pockets, usually the cloth on a billiards table is much faster. the object in billiards (3 cushion billiards)is to hit the object ball then go three rails and hit the other ball, or hit 3 rails and hit both object balls with the cue ball. ( these are called caroms) a regulation pool table is 4 1/2 X 9 the same as a billiard table.
Some variations of pool and details of the game and its equipment. billiards.infosegment.com editRoksport Snooker, Billiards and Pool Roksport Snooker is an online snooker, billiards and pool shop providing tables, balls, cues and accessories thoughout the UK. www.roksportsnooker.co.uk editBig Shooter International Your source for Billiard Supplies and Pool Cues. Discount pricing. Free delivery. www.bigshooterinternational.com editLiberty Games – Pool Tables Pool Tables Slate Bed & MDF – Home & Trade www.libertygames.co.uk editPool Tables, Air Hockey, Accessories, Spares SAM Leisure – American Pool Table, English Pool Table, Air Hockey Table, Table Football, Spares and Accessories. UK No1 Supplier. www.samleisure.co.uk editPoolSharks – Online Pool & Snooker Games Play Pool and Snooker Online on the web’s most realistic 3D software. Join hundreds of players now! www.poolsharks.
Both pool and billiards are games played with a stick (called a cue) and colored balls on a special table. In pool, players use the stick to hit the cue ball (white ball) to make the white ball knock the colored balls into any of several pockets at the sides of the pool table. In billiards the players must hit the cue ball so that it hits two other balls, one after another. There are no pockets in a billiard table. Further Information: “Billards.” MSN Encarta. [Online] Available http://www.encarta.msn.com/find/Concise.asp?z=1&pg=2&ti=761565798&cid=8#P8, November 4, 2000.
