Billiards Expounded. By J. P. Mannock, assisted by S. A. Mussabini. Grant Richards, 2 vols., 15s.
Practical Billiards. By C. Dawson. To be had from the author, "Thorns," Hook Road, Surbiton, Surrey. 12s. 6d.
Hints on Billiards. By J. Buchanan. Geo. Bell and Sons.
Modern Billiards. By J. Roberts. C. Arthur Pearson, Limited.
Billiards for Everybody (Oval Series). By Charles Roberts. Routledge. 1s.
Billiards. By Joseph Bennett. Edited by Cavendish. De la Rue and Co. 10s. 6d.
Billiards (Badminton Library). By Major W. Broadfoot, R.E., and others. Longmans. 10s. 6d.
Pyramids and Pool (Oval Series). By J. Buchanan. Routledge. 1s.
POOL.
The game of Pool is the most sociable form of Billiards, as any number of persons can take part in it. There are several varieties of the game. The rules which we append (by kind permission of Messrs. Burroughes & Watts) are those of ordinary Pool. These rules sufficiently describe the game, but a few words of warning may be necessary to beginners. It is obvious that, as only the two players left in at the finish win the pool, it is of far greater consequence to save your own life than take another's. Consequently, the chief point for consideration is how to play for safety—that is, how to play to leave your own ball so that the player who follows on cannot put you in.
At starting, for instance, the white ball is placed on the spot. The red plays from baulk. Now red has no chance of putting white in, consequently he plays gently to drop on to the white ball, and leave his own ball, the red, under the top cushion.
If, however, white were close over the pocket, then the proper play, supposing the winning hazard was a certainty, would be to put white in and play for a position, so that you could take another life. In other words, you play to put white in, and get into some position where there is another easy
hazard on another ball. After putting that in, another, and so on. A good pool-player, if he has a certain hazard, will sometimes what is called "clear the table;" that is, put in every ball.
The most common stroke in Pool is a chance of taking a life—i.e., where there is a difficult winning hazard left off the ball you play on. In this case never hesitate. Play, if you can, for the chance of the hazard and to get safe. If you cannot do both, simply play for safety, and for nothing else.