Ho 2
Cindy Ho
AP English Language
Katy Saunders
14 May 2014
Works Cited
"A brief history of billiards." Record (2014).
Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. Billiards. 17 September 2013. 19 May 2014.
Clayworth, Peter. Billiards, snooker, pool and darts. 8 July 2013. 16 May 2014. <http://www.teara.govt.nz/en/billiards-snooker-pool-and-darts/page-1>.
Group, Diagram. The official world encyclopedia of sports and games: the rules, techniques of play and equipment for over 400 sports and 1,000 games. Salisbury, England: Diagram Visual Information Ltd. , 1979.
Hawthorne, Nathaniel. The Scarlet Letter. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey : PRENTICE HALL, 1850.
James, Masters. "A History of Pool in the USA." (1997).
Leider, Nicholas. Pool and billiards for dummies. Indianapolis, Indiana: Wiley Publishing, Inc., 2010.
Levy, Joel. All the right angles: from gear ratios to calculating odds: mathematics in the world of sports. Buffalo, New York: Firefly Books (U.S.) Inc. , 2013.
Linda, Hutchison. "Billiards." Salem Press (2011).
Robert, Byrne. "Tripping through billiard history." Byrne's Standard Website of Pool and Billiards (2004).
Levy, Joel. All the right angles: from gear ratios to calculating odds: mathematics in the world of sports. Buffalo, New York: Firefly Books (U.S.) Inc. , 2013.
Billiards, pool, or snooker all use the concept of geometry. However, professional players can use the concept of geometry and make it appear complicated by spinning or swerving the ball. The use of geometry directs the angle of the ball when bounced off the rails and hit another ball. The knowledge of using geometry can help improve a players’ performance. An example of geometry used in playing pool is the kick shot. The kick shot is using a cue to hit the ball to bounce off the cushion or rail and collide into another ball. From the kick shot law, there are three methods used which includes halfway house. X method, and parallels method. The halfway house method is used when both the cue and target ball are equivalent to the distance away from the rail. You would use the cue stick to hit the cue ball at the midpoint between the cue and target ball to the rail (Levy 94). The x method is used by imaging a line that will create an x from the point of the cue ball to the rail diagonally and the target ball diagonally across the imagine line of the cue ball to the rail. The last method is the parallels method. For the parallels method you must image a line from the cue ball to the target ball. Then you would image a midpoint line between he cue and target ball. Image another line from the end of the midpoint line to the target ball and when shooting the player would line up the cue stick to be parallel to the midpoint line (Levy 95). Not only does geometry direct the angle of the ball, but also a collision. When a cue ball is aimed into the target ball, all of the kinetic energy is transferred directly to the target ball which implies the laws of conservation (Levy 96-97).
Group, Diagram. The official world encyclopedia of sports and games: the rules, techniques of play and equipment for over 400 sports and 1,000 games. Salisbury, England: Diagram Visual Information Ltd. , 1979.
A billiard table is used to play pool which contains one white cue ball and fifteen numbered balls. Pool can be played by singles, pairs, or teams. The billiard table includes six pockets which the goal is to aim the ball into those pockets. When racking the balls, they must be placed from the highest numbered balls on the tip of the triangle and the lowest numbered balls at the bottom base of the triangle. Scoring is earned by a one point scale when the designated ball lands inside the pocket (Group 320-321). Jump shots are when a player makes the cue ball jump from the billiard table and it is legal if it was an accident. However, it is a foul if the player did it on purpose. A jumped ball is a foul when the cue ball happens to jump off the table (Group 322). One of the variants of pool is the eight-ball pool. Winning is not based on how many a player can score, but on a designated group of balls. To win, the players must score eight of the group of balls into the pocket (Group 323). Another form of a game that is played on a pocket billiard table is snooker. Points are scored by pocketing balls and by forcing an opponent to give away points through “snookers” (Group 324-325).
Leider, Nicholas. Pool and billiards for dummies. Indianapolis, Indiana: Wiley Publishing, Inc., 2010.
Pool consists of physical exercise and hand-eye coordination. There are a various games on playing pool on a billiard. However, not all games use all the balls or pockets. The most common type of games played on pool tables are 8-ball and 9-ball (Leider 9). Some cue games played on pool tables are one-pocket and straight pool. Getting in position is a key factor in playing cue sport. Staying balanced, feet spaced out, feeling comfortable, and knowing how to handle a cue are critical (Leider 10). There are several ways in holding a cue; however, there are only a few positions that are accurate (Leider 27). The proper way in holding a cue is by gripping the end of the cue but not too tight and find a comfortable spot. Do not put your thumb on top of the cue because it is the incorrect way of holding a cue (Leider 28). Building bridges has an open and closed bridge. An open bridge is where the cue is on top of the shaft. There are two types of open bridges which is the fist bridge and the spread bridge (Leider 32-33). A closed bridge is used for long shots. To form a close bridge, the player must wrap their finger around the cue (Leider 35). Open and close bridges are useful for normal shots; however, in some case there will be an obstacle of difficulty of using an open or closed bridge. There are open rail bridge, closed rail bridge, along the rail, and elevated bridges (Leider 38). The Line of Centers allows the player to visualize and direct the player in making the shot into the pocket (Leider 46-47).
Clayworth, Peter. Billiards, snooker, pool and darts. 8 July 2013. 16 May 2014 <http://www.teara.govt.nz/en/billiards-snooker-pool-and-darts/page-1>.
Cue stick is used to play billiard sports on a cloth-covered table. Billiards, snooker and pool are all popular games played in New Zealand. In the 15th century, an indoor cloth covered table was created. Many thought the development of billiards were formed in European lawn. Soon, there were several forms of billiards developed in the 17 century in England and France. The spread of billiard started to increase greatly to all major settlements in hotels and stand-alone enterprises. Billiards started to be a leisurely activity or a gambling-based game in the 19th century. Most of the professional billiardists came from Britain or Australia in the 1960s. Clark McConachy was a professional of real world class for New Zealand and in 1951 was the world billiards champion. However, Rex Williams took Clark McConachy place in the world billiards champion in 1968 due to McConachy having Parkinson’s disease. Many new recreational started to occur in the 1930s such as snooker and pool. Snooker started in the 1890s in New Zealand while pool has a variety of ways to place, but in New Zealand they usually play 8-ball (Clayworth).
"A brief history of billiards." Record (2014).
Anyone of all ages can play pool and is a well-known game worldwide. The origin of billiards started in Northern Europe tracing back to the 15th Century. Billiard was first played outside similar to croquet and soon started to play indoor with a green cloth which symbolize the grass. Chalk was used on the tip of the cue to increase friction when hitting the ball. Although pool is a subcategory of billiards and billiard tables were used in betting rooms (A brief history of billiards).
Linda, Hutchison. "Billiards." Salem Press (2011).
Billiards consists of mathematical problems with dynamical systems, geometry, and physics. Many mathematicians examined the motion of the ball on several different shaped tables such as triangle, or even flat and curved tables. One of the most well-known forms of billiards played is pool in the United States. Understanding angles, momentum, and placement of the cue plays a significant role in shooting the balls into the target pocket. There are several shoots that can be made, either by straight shooting or banked shots. Other players use the concept of transformational geometry to allow the ball to “return to a pocket” (Linda) once hit. To have a successful shot most of these people have a great understanding on geometric and are skilled (Linda).
James, Masters. "A History of Pool in the USA." (1997).
In the 1600s all of the colonies had billiard tables. The United States first started playing one pocket and four ball billiards. One pocket started in 1775 while four-ball billiards started in 1870. In the late 1870’s, two new form of game developed which were straight rail and fifteen-ball pool. “The word pool means a collective bet” (James) and this was how they came upon the name “pool” in the 19th century. Soon a new form of billiard games was played which is called the continuous pool in 1888. After 1900, the eight-ball pool was developed which is very popular even of today. In 1910, straight pool started and around 1920, nine-ball pool was formed (James).
Robert, Byrne. "Tripping through billiard history." Byrne's Standard Website of Pool and Billiards (2004).
The table cloth of the pool table is green because grass is green. In the fifteen century billiards were originally played out door but was soon put indoor and put on tables in England and France. Louis XI of France was the first person to order a billiard table in 1470. Edmund Spenser said billiards was “a thriftless game” (Robert) in 1591. Many of the royal houses of England and the Continent played billiards and enjoyed it. A book called Complete Gamester was published in 1674 on how to play billiards also with other games by Charles Cotton. Famous artists, painters, presidents, and authors all had contributed and benefited from playing billiards; also owning one. (Robert).
Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. Billiards. 17 September 2013. 19 May 2014.
Billiards contains small balls and a cue (long stick) played on a rectangular table. Most of the games played contain six pockets while Carom or French is played in no pockets with only three balls. The origin of billiards is unknown; however, some countries that have contributed in the invention of the game are France, England, China, Italy, and Spain. Billiards started in the 15th century in Europe. Some equipment used for billiards games are a table, cue sticks, and balls (Britannica).