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Snooker- Another Form Of Billiard Game

Posted by admin | Snooker | Friday 29 May 2009 4:19 am

Snooker is a Billiards style game enjoyed by millions of people around the World . How about a game of snooker? A surprisingly high number of people in North America have not heard of or played this great billards variation. In the rest of the world, most people choose to play snooker in billiards rooms and pool halls. And in terms of televised sports in England, snooker is one of the most highly viewed programs. It’s time snooker got more applause in North America, too. Snooker is a game that originated in Britain and came to be called “snooker,” it’s believed, after Neville Chamberlain referred to an army cadet as a snooker when his play wasn’t exactly up to snuff. “Snooker” by definition is a first year cadet; Chamberlain then referred to the rest of the men playing with him that they were all snookers. The name stuck to the game since then.

Newcomers may find it a bit intimidating to learn snooker, but the actual rules are not that complicated. Perhaps the most difficult part is setting the table properly:  Snooker is played on 6 feet by 12 feet traditional billiards tables.  A standard set of snooker balls is required. This set of 22 balls includes 15 red balls, 1 each of pink, yellow, brown, blue, black and green balls, and 1 white cue ball. The green, brown, yellow balls are placed at one end of the table, with a 6 inch gap between them. The blue ball goes in the dead center of the table. Pink splits the distance between the blue ball and the end of the table cushion on the far side. The black ball gets its own special spot, marked about 13 inches from the far cushion. The fifteen red balls are set in the triangle rack and placed immediately behind the pink ball. The apex (‘point’) of the red triangle should come as close as possible to the pink ball, without actually touching it.

Now the game can begin! One player “breaks” by striking the cue ball into the group of red balls. Whenever a player sinks a red ball, she or he is then allowed to try to sink any one of the six colored balls. There are points assigned to each colored ball: black is worth seven points; pink is worth six; blue counts five; brown is worth four; green counts for three; and the yellow ball is good for two points. After a colored ball is sunk, the points are added to the total, and the ball is retrieved and spotted back in its original spot on the table.There are also varieties of snooker that you can try out after you have mastered the basic game. As you can see, snooker is not terribly complex, but it can still be a drag on the fun part of the game for newcomers trying too remember all the rules, so it is best to have an experienced player explain the snooker rules to you.

Snooker has been a much beloved sport in England for more than a century, and with good reason. It is a fun game, that is easy to play, yet offers many skills challenges as one progresses. If your house already has a regulation-sized pool table, make sure you purchase a set of snooker balls and instructions soon, and add this fantastic game to your family’s activities. Snooker has never really caught fire in the United States but that doesn’t hold true for the United Kingdom. In fact, it is the most watched sporting event outside soccer, or football, as it’s known throughout most of the world.

Finding Affordable Billiard Supplies

Posted by admin | Tournament Play | Friday 29 May 2009 4:17 am

There are a number of ways that you can outfit your game room with the latest and greatest in games and technology, in order to give your entire family a wonderful place to retreat. The best game room is going to come into fruition once you have a pool table and the right amount of billiard supplies to go along with it. However, with the price of such items today, how can you go about finding the right supplies without completely going over your budget? Billiards is a game of precision and all billiards related equipment and accessories are made with utmost care. While purchasing any billiards equipment and accessories, one has to ensure that quality items are purchased if one wants to improve the game and take it to a much higher level of competition.

It is no secret that the billiard game requires some equipment that can be expensive. However, over the years there have also been several great dealers that have popped up online. Now you can shop from the comfort of your very own home office and with the click of a button you can have all of the pool supplies that you need to get your game room up and running in full swing. You will simply need to make sure that you shop around for the best equipment that you can get shipped to you at a decent price, including billiard cues, billiard lights and billiard balls.

Purchasing a billiard table could eat up the better part of your budget for your game room. Hence, you have to choose wisely in terms of the style and color of the table top so that it will complement your decor. You can save on the cost of shipping if you buy from a local dealer. As well, you can enjoy bigger savings if you opt for a second hand table instead, and refurbish it to your satisfaction. If you are thinking of purchasing a second hand billiards table, then check around at pool halls in your area, to see if any of them have tables that they no longer want or need. You also might be able to find information on used pool tables and even billiard supplies in your local newspaper.

After buying the table, you will also have to look for such billiard equipment as cues, billiard ball sets, racks and pool chalk. Players attest that overhead billiard lighting is sometimes pivotal in getting a clean shot and making a score, so make sure that you also select the right lighting system. Keep in mind that enjoying a game of pool with your friends and family members is really what it’s all about. Don’t put to much pressure on yourself to make every shot and sink every ball every time. The more comfortable and relaxed you become with the cue stick and pool table the better you will become naturally. Soon you will be inviting everyone with you to enjoy a game of billiards. Who knows you may even invest in a billiards table of your own to enjoy with your friends and family.

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