THE SPANISH GAME OF BILLIARDS.
This game is played in the South, California, and in Mexico and Cuba, and is played with two white and one red ball, and five pins placed similar to those in Pin Pool. The red ball is placed on the red-ball spot, and the first player strikes at it from within the baulk semicircle. The game is scored by winning and losing hazards, carroms, and by knocking over the pins. It is usually played thirty points up.
The player who knocks down a pin after striking a ball gains two points, if he knocks down two pins he gains four points, and so on, scoring two points for each pin knocked down. If he knock down the middle pin alone he gains five points. The player who pockets the red ball gains three points and two for each pin knocked down by the same stroke. The player who pockets the white ball gains two points, and two for each pin knocked over with the same stroke. Each carrom counts two. The player who knocks down a pin or pins with his own ball before striking another ball loses two for every pin so knocked down. The player who pockets his own ball without hitting another ball forfeits three points; for missing altogether he forfeits one point. The striker who forces his own ball off the table without hitting another ball forfeits three points, and if he does so after making a carrom or pocket he loses as many points as he would otherwise have gained. The rules of the American Carrom Game, except where they conflict with the foregoing rules, govern this game also.
BOTTLE POOL.
The game of Bottle Pool is played on a pool table with one white ball, the 1 and 2 ball, and pool-bottle. The 1 and 2 balls must be spotted, respectively, at the foot of the table, at the left and right diamond nearest each pocket, and the pool-bottle is placed standing on its neck on the spot in the centre of the table, and when it falls it must be set up, if possible, where it rests.
Carrom on the two object-balls counts 1 point; Pocketing the 1 ball counts 1 point; Pocketing the 2 ball counts 2 points; Carrom from ball and upsetting bottle counts 5 points. The game consists of 31 points. The player having the least number of points at the finish of the game shall be adjudged the loser.
Any number of persons can play, and the rotation of the players is decided as in ordinary pool. Player No. 1 must play with the white ball from any point within the string at the head of the table, at either the 1 or 2 ball at his option. The player who leads must play at and strike one of the object-balls before he can score a carrom on the pool-bottle. If a player carrom on the bottle from either of the object-balls, in such a way as to seat the bottle on its base, he wins the game, without further play.
Should the 1 or 2 ball in any way, during the stroke, touch the bottle and the bottle is in the same play knocked over or stood on its base by the cue-ball, the stroke does not count. If the player forces the bottle off the table or into a pocket, the bottle must be spotted on its proper spot in the centre of the table, the player loses his shot and forfeits one point, and the next player plays.
A player who makes more than 31 points is burst, and must start his string anew; all that he makes in excess of 31 points count on his new string, and the next player plays.