an ingenious kind of game, played on a rectangular table, with little ivory balls, which are driven into hazards or holes, according to certain rules of the game.
This game was invented by the French, when it was played in a different manner from what it is at present, by having a pad or iron fixed on the table, through which the balls at particular periods of the game used to be played; but now this method is quite laid aside.
Soon after the French, the Germans, the Dutch, and Italians, brought this game into vogue throughout most parts of Europe, at which they became great proficient; and in a few years afterwards it became a favourite diversion in many parts of England, particularly with persons of the first rank. Since that time, indeed, it has been in a great measure prostituted by the designing and vulgar sort of people: notwithstanding, it will never be out of fashion, being of itself very entertaining, and attended with that kind of moderate exercise which renders it the more agreeable.
The table on which the game is played is generally about twelve feet long and six feet wide, or rather in the exact form of an oblong; it is covered with fine green cloth, and surrounded with cushions to prevent the balls rolling off, and to make them rebound. There are six holes, nets, or pockets; these are fixed at the four corners, and in the middle, opposite to each other, to receive the balls, which when put into these holes or pockets are called hazards. The making of a hazard, that is, putting the adversary's ball in, at the usual game reckons for two in favour of the player.
The game is played with sticks, called maces, or with cues; the first consist of a long straight stick, with a head at the end, and are the most powerful instruments of the two: the cue is a thick stick diminishing gradually to a point of about half an inch diameter; this instrument is played over the left hand, and supported by the fore-finger and thumb. It is the only instrument in vogue abroad, and is played with amazing address by the Italians and some of the Dutch; but in England the mace is the prevailing instrument, which the foreigners hold in contempt, as it requires not near so much address to play the game with, as when the cue is made use of; but the mace is preferred for its peculiar advantage, which some proficient players have artfully introduced, under the name of trailing, that is, following the ball with the mace to such a convenient distance from the other ball as to make it an easy hazard. The degrees of trailing are various, and undergo different denominations amongst the connoisseurs at this game; namely, the shove, the sweep, the long stroke, the trail, and the dead trail or turn up, all which secure an advantage to a good player according to their various gradations: even the butt end of the cue becomes very powerful, when it is made use of by a good trailer.
Rules generally observed at the common or usual game.
1. For the lead, the balls must be put at one end, and the player must strike them against the farthestmost cushion, in order to see which will be nearest the cushion that is next to them. 2. The nearest to the cushion is to lead and choose the ball if he pleases. 3. The leader is to place his ball at the nail, and not to pass the middle pocket; and if he holes himself in leading, he loses the lead. 4. He who follows the leader must stand within the corner of the table, and not place his ball beyond the nail. 5. He who plays upon the running ball loses one. 6. He who touches the ball twice, and moves it, loses one. But these two rules are seldom or ever enforced, especially in England. 7. He who does not hit his adversary's ball, loses one. 8. He who touches both balls at the same time, makes a foul stroke, in which case if he should hole his adversary, nothing is gained by the stroke; but if he should put himself in, he loses two. 9. He who holes both balls loses two. 10. He who strikes upon his adversary's ball, and holes himself, loses two. 11. He who plays at the ball without striking it, and holes himself, loses three. 12. He who strikes both balls over the table, loses two. 13. He who strikes his ball over the table, and does not hit his adversary's ball, loses three. 14. He who retains the end of his adversary's stick when playing, or endeavours to baulk his stroke, loses one. 15. He who plays another's ball or stroke without leave, loses one. 16. He who takes up his ball, or his adversary's without leave, loses one. 17. He who stops either ball when running loses one, and being near the hole loses two. 18. He who blows upon the ball when running loses one, and if near the hole loses two. 19. He who shakes the table when the ball is running, loses one. 20. He who strikes the billiard table with the stick, or plays before his turn, loses one. 21. He who throws the stick upon the table, and hits the ball, loses one. 22. If the ball stands upon the edge of the hole, and after being challenged it falls in, it is nothing, but must be put up where it was before. 23. If any person not being one of the players, stops a ball, the ball must stand in the place where it was stopped. 24. He who plays without a foot upon the floor and holes his adversary's ball, gets nothing for it, but loses the lead. 25. He who leaves the game before it is ended, loses it. 26. Any person may change his stick in play. 27. If any difference arise between players, he who marks the game or the majority of the company must decide it. 28. Those who do not play must stand from the table, and make room for the players. 29. If any person lays any wager, and does not play, he shall not give advice to the players upon the game.
Different kinds of games played at billiards—Besides the common winning game, which is twelve up, there are several other kinds of games, viz. the losing-game, the winning and losing, choice of balls, bricole, carambole, Ruffian carambole, the bar-hole, the one-hole, the four-game, and hazards.
The losing-game, is the common game nearly reversed; that is to say, except hitting the balls, which is absolutely necessary, the player gains by losing. By putting himself in, he wins two; by putting his adversary in, he loses two; but if he pockets both balls, he gets four. This game depends greatly upon particular strengths, and is therefore very necessary to be known to play the winning game well.
The winning and losing game is a combination of both games; that is to say, all balls that are put in by striking first the adversary's ball, reckon towards game; and holing both balls reckons four. At this game and the losing, knocking over or forcing the balls over the cushion, goes for nothing, the striker only loses the lead.
Choice of balls, is choosing each time which ball the player pleases, which is doubtless a great advantage, and is generally played against losing and winning.
Bricole, is being obliged to hit a cushion, and make the ball rebound or return to hit the adversary's ball, otherwise the player loses a point. This is a great disadvantage, and is reckoned between even players to be equal to receiving about eight or nine points.
Carambole, is a game newly introduced from France. It is played with three balls, one being red, which is neutral, and is placed upon a spot on a line with the stringing nail (i.e., that part of the table from whence the player strikes his ball at first setting off, and which is generally marked with two brass nails). Each antagonist at the first stroke of a hazard, play from a mark which is upon a line with it at the other end of the table. The chief object at this game is, for the player to hit with his own ball the two other balls, which is called a carambole, and by which the player wins two. If he puts in the red ball he gets three, and when he holes his adversary's ball he gets two; so that seven may be made at one stroke, by caramboling and putting in both balls. This game resembles the losing, depending chiefly upon particular strengths, and is generally Billiards. The game is fifteen up; nevertheless it is reckoned to be sooner over than the common game. The next object of this game, after making what we have distinguished by the carambole, is the baulk; that is, making the white ball, and bringing the player's own ball and the red one below the stringing nail, from whence the adversaries begin. By this means the opponent is obliged to play bricole from the opposite cushion, and it often happens that the game is determined by this situation.
The Russian carambole, is a game that has still more lately been introduced from abroad, and is played in the following manner: The red ball is placed as usual on the spot made for that purpose; but the player when he begins, or after having been holed, never places his ball on any particular place or spot; he being at liberty to put it where he pleases. When he begins to play, instead of striking at the red ball, he leads his own gently behind it, and his antagonist is to play at which he thinks proper; if he plays at the red ball and holes it, he scores three as usual towards the game, which is twenty-four instead of fifteen points; and the red ball is put upon the spot again, at which he may strike again or take his choice which of the two balls to push at, always following his stroke till both balls are off the table. He is entitled to two points each time that he caramboles, the same as at the other game; but if he caramboles and puts his own ball into any hole, he loses as many as he might have got had he not holed himself: for example, if he strikes at the red ball, which he holes, at the same time caramboles and holes himself, he loses five points; and if he holes both balls when he caramboles, and likewise his own, he loses seven, which he would have got if he had not holed his own ball. In other respects it is played like the common carambole game.
The bar-hole, is so called from the hole being barred which the ball should be played for, and the player striking for another hole; when this game is played against the common game, the advantage for the latter, between equal players, is reckoned to be about six.
The player at the one-hole, though it seems to those who are not judges of the game to be a great disadvantage, has in fact the best of it; for as all balls that go into the one hole reckon, the player endeavours to lay his ball constantly before that hole, and his antagonist frequently finds it very difficult to keep one or other ball out, particularly on the leads, when the one hole player lays his ball (which he does as often as he can) on the brink of the hole; leading for that purpose from the opposite end, which in reality he has no right to do; for the lead should be given from the end of the table at which the hazard is made: but when a person happens to be a novice, this advantage is often taken.
The four-game, consists of two partners on each side, at the common winning game; who play by succession after each hazard, or two points lost. The game is fifteen up; so that the point or hazard is an odd number, which makes a miss at this game of more consequence than it is at another; being as much at four, six, or eight, as it is at five, seven, or nine, at the single game.
Hazards, are so called because they depend entirely upon the making of hazards, there being no account kept of any game. Any number of persons may play, by having balls that are numbered; but the number Billingsfeldom exceeds six, to avoid confusion. The person whose ball is put in, pays so much to the player according to what is agreed to be played for each hazard; and the person who misses, pays half the price of a hazard to him whose ball he played at. The only general rule is not to lay any ball a hazard for the next player, which may be in a great measure avoided, by always playing upon the next player, and either bringing him close to the cushion or putting him at a distance from the rest of the balls. The table, when hazards are played, is always paid for by the hour.