3 Cushion Billiards - So Easy Even Your Youngsters Can Do It

In play, the object is to stroke the cue ball so that it hits the two object balls in succession, scoring a carom, or billiard, which counts one point. Even if One Pocket does not develop into your favorite game just yet, playing One Pocket is practically guaranteed to improve some skills that carry over into other pool games - skills such as banking, safety play, speed finesse and cue ball control. It is guaranteed to tax your thinking, expand your shot horizons and stimulate your pool creativity. Generally, you can shoot aggressively either if the shot is free of danger, or if the shot is easy. So be careful how you select your shots and be careful how you play them, but keep in mind ultimately you have to shoot aggressively enough to win, if you want to win. On tougher shots it often helps to shoot with just enough speed to reach your pocket, because unlike other pool games, in One Pocket a near miss can still pay off if you leave the ball close enough to your pocket to create a problem for your opponent. While it might be tougher to run balls in One Pocket than in other games, fortunately it is also easier to play safe - it’s that only one pocket thing!

As your game develops, you will discover many different ways to play safe in One Pocket, and eventually you will need them all. Otherwise, you might want to play less certain shots as two-way shots, where you are shooting towards your pocket, yet playing safe at the same time. Of course, even if you play a great trapping safety, your opponent might just pull off a great ‘escape’, or even turn the tables on you! The traditional mahogany billiards table is still in use, but tables are now generally made of other woods and synthetic materials. Some people manage but the staff at our shop don't repair or make tables ourselves and so regret that we cannot offer advice for would-be DIYers. Remember, if they make a ball in your pocket it counts for you, unless they pocket scratch or jump the cue ball off the table! Poplar (tulipwood), a hardwood with superior self-healing properties that holds screws tightly and recovers well when staples are removed, is preferred for the structural framework of the table. As well as thinking in terms of attack and scoring points, it is essential for anyone who wants to win a game of billiards to think defensively at the same time and make things as difficult as they can for their opponent.

It is a game that players often graduate to after building a foundation of pool skills at 8-Ball, 9-Ball or Straight Pool - and sometimes even 3 Cushion Billiards. Unlike other pool games, 3 cushion billiards does not involve racking balls. It has a more daunting learning curve than other pool games, which makes it not so well suited for beginning players. 5-pin itself should probably be included here, since if Wikipedia is to be believed it's popular not just in Italy, but Argentina (satisfying a multi-continent requirement that I also had) too as well as several other European countries. What are they playing in these countries? Grade-A vulcanized rubber is preferred for the rail cushions, which are shaped to a particular triangular profile approved by the BCA. Between 1800 and 1850, chalk was first used on cue stick ends to increase friction, leather cue tips were invented, diamond-shaped sights were added to rails, slate was introduced as a superior table surface, and vulcanized rubber (which maintained its properties regardless of temperature fluctuations) was quickly adapted for rail cushions. The frame is made smaller than the slate, so the slate overlaps the frame by 3.5 in (9 cm) on each side of the table.

From 1928 to 1958 and from 1985 to 1987, matches were played as a single frame with a run to 50 points (or 60 points between 1960 and 1984). From 1994 to 2011 the tournament was played in a set-system, the winner achieving the best of five. After all, a game in which each player only shoots at a single pocket must be real simple, right? One Pocket often becomes the game of choice for maturing pool players who may have lost a little of their sharp eyes, but still have all the other tricks of the game in good working order. Whether you have any strong players near you or not, try to arrange a trip to one of the bigger One Pocket tournaments like the Derby City Classic , or one of Grady Mathews’ Legends of One Pocket tournaments. One Pocket is also very easy to handicap so players of different skill levels can compete together.