BILLIARDS, 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. The table on which the game is played is generally about twelve feet long and six feet wide, or ra ther in the exact Corm of an oblong ; it is covered with fine green cloth, and sur rounded with cushions, to prevent the balls rolling off; and to make them re bound. There are six holes, nets, or pockets : these are fixed at the four cor ners, and in the middle, opposite to each other, to receive the balls, which, when put into these holes or pockets, are call ed 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 consists of a long straight stick, with a head at the end, and are the most pow erful instruments of the two : the cue is a thick stick, diminishing gradually to a point of about half an inch 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 ad dress by the Italians and some of the Dutch; but in England the mace is the prevailing instrument, which the foreign ers 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 professed players have artfully introduced, under the name of trailing, that is, followingthe 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 va rious, and undergo different denomina tions amongst the connoisseurs at this game ; viz. the shove, the sweep, the long stroke, the trail, and the dead trail, or turn up, all which secure an advan tage 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 For the lead, the balls must be put at one end, and the player must strike them against the farthermost • 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 never en forced, 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 adversa ry, 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 balk 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 table with his 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 stand upon the edge of the hole, and after being chal lenged it fall 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 arises be tween players, he whornarks the game, or the majority of the company, must de cide 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 bil liards.—Besides the common winning game, which is twelve up, there are seve ral other kinds of game, viz. the losing game, the winning and losing, choice of balls, bricole, carambole, Russian caram bole, the barhole, the one-hole, the four game, and hazards: but on these it is not necessary to enlarge.