Billiards is an old-world game that numerous individuals around the globe love to play. To enjoy Billiards, you must be the right marksman and have a knack for playing skilled games to accurately hit the correct ball spot and get a dramatic win over your opponent.
During the 1340s, when Billiards first came into being, the game was strictly played outdoors on the lawns by kings and queens, where they used more extensive equipment to play the game, and the gaming ground was the smooth grass of the lawn itself. In the modern era, the game has emerged online in many formats that have spiked the interest of all people with access to a compatible device for gaming.
With its growing popularity, Billiards has reached out to a vast populace worldwide, so let’s check out some of the top billiard variants you should try if you are a fan of the game.
Carom Billiards
Carom is a unique variation of Billiards and comes right after the original game. It is similar to the other board game of the same name that uses a smaller board and coins instead of playing balls. Here players are given two colours of Billiards balls, and they have to choose the one they intend to play. The table used in Carom does not have any pockets, and the surface of the playing board is artificially heated. This heated surface allows less friction to affect the balls, which makes them move more swiftly on the board.
Players score points on Carom by getting a rebound of their cue ball from the targeted ball and the opponent’s cue ball in one single shot. This game is getting quite popular, and you will find it played pretty regularly in the New York City indoor gaming clubs.
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8 Ball Pool
8 Ball Pool is a fan favourite and the most widely played Billiards variant among all other options. Unlike Carom, this game is played on a usual Billiards board with six pockets. The game allows the use of 16 balls according to its rules.
The balls in this game are labelled as ‘stripes and solids, and each player chooses a single type for themselves to pocket. Players must pocket all seven balls of their side, and to finish the game, they have to pocket the black 8th ball to get a win over the opponent.
One unique factor about this game is that if any player by mistake pockets the 8th ball before finishing their round of balls, then the opponent instantly wins the game.
The 8 ball pool play online game is also available on the internet, so you can try out the game first on an app and learn all the rules before heading to the actual tables.
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Snooker
This Billiards style is also played on a Billiards board of six pockets. Like the game in carom, players have to pocket the balls to score points, and they can continuously shoot them into the pockets if they keep scoring with every shot. To play the game, you will need 22 coloured balls and a white cue ball to shoot the other balls into the pockets. If you pocket the cue ball in Snooker, it is counted as a foul, and the opponent gets a free ball as an advantage in his turn.
Another foul in Snooker occurs if you shoot the wrong ball directly with your cue ball, so as a player, you must be aware to avoid committing these as fouls are one of the primary reasons players lose their game in this form of Billiards.
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Straight Pool
As the name suggests, the rules for this game are simple and not too complex. The players must shoot the seven striped balls, seven solid balls, and one eight ball on the board. The game is based on what points you are getting in the match, and each ball in this game is valued at a single point. A game between the players can be of 100 to 150 points, so the balls have to be racked several times again so that the players can achieve the winning score.
Another unique game rule asks players to announce which pocket they will pot the ball. If the player fails to do so, his turn is counted as a foul.
English Billiards
This game is played using two cue balls by both opponents. The objective of this game, much like other Billiards games, is that you have to score the maximum points. There are many different terms used for shots that you play in the game. ‘In off’ is a move that happens when you hit the cue ball, and it drops into the pocket after hitting another ball on the board. The term ‘pot’ is used when you drop another ball using your cue ball. ‘Canon’ is one of the last moves where your cue ball manages to hit the opponent’s cue ball and another ball in the same turn. All shots are valued differently, and the maximum you can score in a single shot is 3 points. This game is one of the more interesting variants of Billiards.
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In Conclusion
It is hard to tell which variant of Billiards you will like unless you decide to try all the mentioned ones on the list. Most of these games are available online, so you don’t necessarily have to rush to a pool game every time you get the urge to play Billiards. However, as an enthusiast, knowing all game variants gives you a more comprehensive knowledge of the rules and strategies, granting you more expertise on the Billiards board.
