Billiard-tables vary in size, The English table is 0 feet wide and 12 feet long and has six pockets, (me at each corner and at each side at the venire; the standard size' in America is a table 5 feet wide and 10 feet long. although in public roams, clubs, and private houses tin. size generally used is 4 feet 11 inches in width and D feet in length. hi the United States the game of billiards is now played almost exclu sively on carom-tables, pocket-tables being re served for the _acne of pool. The lied of the table is made of slate and is covered with fine green bromb•loth, while rubber cushions are used at the sides and ends of the table, against which the balls strike and rebound. Three and four balls are used in playing the game. the balls being propelled with cues, which are gen erally made of ash or maple, and in length vary from 4 feet 6 inches to 5 feet. A billiard-cue is about inches thick at the butt end. while the tip runs to a point, in size from to inch. In weight most cues vary from 14 to 22 ounces. Ivory balls are generally used, and in America and France the standard ball measures 2'3, inches in diameter. in England 2 1-16 inches.
The original American four-ball game of car oms and pockets was played upon a 6 X 12 table. with six pockets. Two white and two red balls (light and dark in color) 2 inches in diameter were used. but it is so seldom played now that it needs no further notice, its place having been taken by the four-ball carom game, which in turn is giving place to the more popular three ball carom game. This is played in America and France with two white balls and one red. In professional contests a 5 X 10 carom table is used—i.e. a table without pockets. although it can be played on a table with pockets, counting only the caroms. A semicircle is drawn at the head of the table, with a radius of 6 inches, the base of which is an imaginary line drawn through the centre of the white-ball spot. The billiard table has three spots in a line, dividing the table lengthwise, running from the centre of the head cushion to the centre of the foot cushion; one of these spots. cutting the line in two equal parts. is called the centre spot, and the other two are situated half way between the centre spot and the head and foot cushions. The spot at the head of the table is called the white spot. and the one at the foot the red spot. The centre spot is used only when a ball, forced of the table. finds both white and red spots occu pied. Should the white bail forced off the table find its spot occupied, it would be placed on the red spot, and rice versa. In beginning the game, the red ball and one white are placed on their respective spots: the other white remains in hand and is placed near the white spot previous to the opening stroke in the game. The player can take any position within six inches of the white spot. but he must strike the red ball first
before a count can he effected. The cushion carom game, in which the cue-ball is required to strike one cushion after having hit the first ob ject-ball. is now very genera], while the two cushion and even three-cushion contests are not infrequently played by amateurs as well as pro fessionals.
Milt has come to be generally known as the 'balk-line game' is a development made neces sary by the wonderful skill acquired by the pro fessional players of first rank in 'cushion nurs ing'; that is, the making of an almost indefinite number of shots by getting the balls against one of the cushions. With the balls in this posi tion such skillful players as Frank Ives, Jacob Schaefer. George Slosson, and others are able to make runs of several hundred, such is their adept ness and delicacy of touch. To guard against this, lines were drawn running parallel to and, at lirst, eight inches from the cushions and •ompletely crossing the table both ways. The rules of this game provide that the players shall be permit ted to 'slake only one or a given number of shots when one or both of the obje•t-balls arc be tween the line and the cushion. The player is permitted to make as many carom shots as he can when the halls are entirely outside the balk lines, and although this space is, of course, rela tively small. the more expert players frequently make rims of from 20 to 30 by extremely deli cate carom playing with occasional forcing of one of the object-balk to the cushion with such accuracy as to make it return to a position from which the carom playing may be continued. But with the further development of skill among pro fessional players, this free space was decreased by increasing the distance of the balk-line from the cushions first fourteen and then eighteen inches, while gameS occasionally provide for a 22-inch balk-line. Again. the restrictions of play within these lines are made more exacting as the skill of the player increases: that is to say, in many of the tournaments between professional players no shot may be counted when the balls are within the balk-lines, sinless one is forced over the line.
The only play upon balls against the cushion in most ton•naments between professionals is one which provides that both object-balls shalt be within what is blown as the 'anchor space.' These anchor spaces are rectangles about six inches long and three inches broad. drawn at the cushion line so that the balk-line will divide each into two squares. If the player is skillful enough or fortunate enough to get the two object-balls within this anchor space, he may make one shot, but he must at the same time drive one of the balls outside the space. If his skill is sufficient to make the ball or balls return to this anchor space lie may continue his play; but this, as may be supposed. is an exceedingly difficult feat.