Billiards

by William Broadfoot

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.