Carom billiards

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Carom billiards (or carambole billiards) is a family of billiards games with roots possibly traceable to 18th century France, though the exact date of origin is not clear. The games typically feature two white cue balls and a red object ball. The red ball was called carambola after a red fruit.^{[citation needed]} The object of the game was to score points by hitting the opponent's cue ball and the object ball on a single shot. The word carom was derived from carambola and describes a shot where a cue ball first contacts one ball and then makes contact with a second ball.

1 Variations
- 1.1 Three-cushion billiards
2 Equipment
3 Rules
4 External links

[edit] Variations

There are a variety of carom billiards disciplines. Some of the more prevalent are three cushion billiards, straight rail, balkline 18.1 and 18.2, Four-ball and artistic billiards.

[edit] Three-cushion billiards

Three-cushion billiards (or three-cushion carom or simply three-cushion) is among the more difficult carom games to play, but its rules are relatively simple. The game arose after the older carom games such as one-cushion proved too easy for the top players who could score large numbers of points at each turn at the table. The difficulty of the game is such that averaging one point per inning is world class play.

[edit] Equipment

The game is normally played on 5-foot by 10-foot table. By contrast, tournament regulation pool (pocket billiards) tables measure 4.5 feet by 9 feet in the modern era. The slate bed of three-cushion billiard tables are often heated to about 5 °C/9 °F above room temperature. This helps to keep moisture out of the cloth to aid the balls rolling and rebounding in a consistent manner, as well as spinning more. The cloth on this type of billiard table is much finer than on a pool table, and allows for the balls to roll much further. Three balls are used. Typically there are either two white cue balls with one often having a red dot and a red object ball, or a white and a yellow and a red object ball. At one time, one of the cue balls had a black dot on it to aid differentiation. This ball was called the 'black-ball'. In more modern times, both cueballs may have one or more dots on them so that ball spin is more evident. The balls are larger than regulation pool balls. Cue sticks used in three-cushion billiards tend to be shorter, with a shorter ferrule, a fatter butt, a wooden pin joint, and a smaller tip diameter as compared with pool cues. Such refinements make the cue stiffer which aids in reducing deflection; desired because many shots in the game require the extremes of english, coupled with great speed.

[edit] Rules

Each player shoots his own cue ball during a game. Unlike in most pocket billiards games, in carom billiards players do not share a cue ball. The object of most carom game is to score a set number of points score before the opponent. To score a point the cue ball must contact both of the other two object balls, and at least three cushions (rails). However, one to three cushions (depending upon which game variant is being played) must be struck before the cue ball contacts the second ball (and in balkline games there are additional restrictions). This means that a player may contact all the rails first, or use any combination of ball and rails as long as all three cushions are struck before the second object ball is touched by the cue ball. For example, to score a point, a player can hit any three rails in succession, then the white object ball, then the red object ball. If the player scores a point, he or she may continue.

While this is an abstract concept, there are a number ways to make the task of scoring a point more successful. Regular layout patterns can arise with the three balls. If the player learns and recognizes the patterns, he or she will be able apply them to other circumstances in the table, and make more successful shots. Also, there are a number of math-based diamond systems that allow you to shoot the cueball in a predictable manner.

A national-class player will often average around 1 point per inning (time at the table). This means for every time at the table the player makes 1 point and misses once, thus making a point on 50% of his or her shots. A decent local player will often average around 0.5 to 0.8 points per inning. There have been historic games in which players have averaged more than 4 points per inning, but the best averages in international competitions nowadays (2006) are just below 2 (1.6 to 1.9).