English billiards

English billiards is a highly technical cue sport that merges elements of carom billiards and pool.

It requires extreme precision to manage three specific balls on a large table. The game is played using two cue balls and one red object ball. One player uses a white cue ball, while the opponent uses a yellow cue ball. The red ball serves as an object ball for both players. This sport is valued for the intense skill and ball control it requires from its players.

To play, players use a billiards table with the same dimensions as a snooker table. A standard tournament table measures 11 feet 8 inches by 5 feet 10 inches.

Each of the three balls is exactly 52.5 mm in diameter. The balls must also weigh the same within a very small tolerance of 0.5 g. To begin a match, players perform a lag to determine who shoots first. They hit a cue ball toward the top cushion of the table. The player whose ball stops closest to the cushion without touching it wins the lag. This winner then chooses their preferred cue ball and decides whether to break or let the opponent break.

Scoring in English billiards involves several distinct types of successful shots. A cannon, or carom, occurs when a player strikes their cue ball so it hits both other balls in one shot. This move earns the player 2 points. Players can also score by pocketing balls, which is often called potting. A winning hazard occurs when a player pots the red ball for 3 points. If they pot the opponent's cue ball, they earn 2 points.

A losing hazard, or in-off, happens when the player's own cue ball enters a pocket after hitting another ball. Potting the red ball first in this sequence earns 3 points, while hitting the opponent's ball first earns 2 points.

In some cases, a player can combine these moves for a massive score. The maximum possible score from a single shot is 10 points. This happens if a player executes a cannon where the red ball is hit first, and both the red and the opponent's ball are potted. The cue ball itself must also be potted to complete the losing hazard. If a player pots the red ball, it is respotted on the top spot. If the red is potted twice in a row without a cannon or hazard, it moves to the middle spot. This system of respotting keeps the game moving and requires constant strategic planning.

English billiards has a rich history that began with three separate predecessor games. These were the winning game, the losing game, and carom billiards. The winning game was a 12-point contest using two white balls. The losing game focused on different scoring methods for potting balls. Carom billiards was popular in Continental Europe and parts of Asia.

In the 1700s, carom games introduced the red object ball. By approximately 1800, these three ancestral games had combined into the modern version of English billiards. This evolution was influenced by the popularity of French tables in London coffee houses.

Professional competition has shaped the sport through many famous eras and champions. Before 1870, champions were decided through challenge matches involving stake money. Jonathan Kentfield was the first champion, holding the title from 1820 to 1849. Another legendary figure was the Australian Walter Lindrum, who was the World Professional Billiards Champion from 1933 until 1950. The game also saw organizational growth, such as the formation of the Billiards Association in 1885. Even a Women's Billiard Association was established in 1931, founded by Teresa Billington-Greig.

While snooker is now more popular in the UK, English billiards remains significant. It has a direct connection to many modern pocket billiard games. For example, games like scratch pool and thirty-one pool are descendants of English billiards. The game known as thirty-eight even influenced the style of cowboy pool. Today, many snooker players still use English billiards as a way to practice. It helps them refine their ability to control the movement of the balls. The sport continues to be a respected part of the wider cue sports tradition.