Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-11-02

-... t.Aat4oNa GAAa.
The object is practically the same as that
sought to be attained by the use of the balk
line. The player has to get one of the object
balls out of the corner on the second shot. 1t
makes no difference whether they immed iately
return after being out OF the corner or whether
they are driven to another corner; the moment
they are out of the first corner new life is
secured and the dead point of the play is passed
There can be no huggIng the rail-that prac-
tice which has caused SO much worry in games
where clever players are contending for su-
pcriority-for while. although man may have
knack of rail hugging, that fact is by no
means an indication that he is therefore the
better player. Some will excel in play of one
kind, some in another, but it is the best aver
age all round that tells and not the man who
has faculty of making certain pet shots or
combinations on which others may fail.
Now, the new game, which has rightly been
styled the champions. removes this obstacle
and places all on the same level, as far rail
play is concerned. No one can get the balls in
chancery and keep them there, they must be re-
leased after one play has been made in the
corner otherwise the next player takes the cue
l believe l made the biggest run at the
champions game thus far recorded, when l
played with Vignaux i'll Paris, the score stand
ing 1874 to 1913. Vignaux, however. besides
being the finest player in France, or for that
matter in Europe, is the undisputed champion
at the regular three-ball game. Nothing can
compare with his brilliant playing in that par
ticular game. His highest recorded run was
1881, in match he played with me in Paris
My run on the same occasion was ,1O3.
THE BALK-LINE GAME.
At the fourteen-inch balk-line game, which,
until the introduction Of the champions game,
was by far the most difficult billiards ever
played. Schaefer holds the palm for the great
est run, although l happened to press him
closely. He scored 230, my run being 229
William Sexton is the finest exponent of the
cushion carom game, having Melted 1T points
in single run in New York during cham
pionshIp match. In match at Chicago / made
the highest average at cushion caroms when
playing against Schaefer. These incidents l
mention to illustrate to the general reader the
different ranges of the various games that are
now in vogue; for, while thousands take deep
interest In billiards and especially In the three
ball game, there are few who appreciate the
obstacles that professional experts encounter
III their efforts to keep the game up to the
highest scientific basis and to eliminate from it
whatever in the method Of playing will give
one opponent an advantage over the other.
Very few amateurs play the champions
game, although l know a few who can do 30
creditably. 1t is game that requires a great
amount of skill and the most minute calcua-
ton to be played effectively. 1t is just as
though you were deliberately to reject all that
was easy in the play and take only the difficult
part of it. Amateur Orville Oddie Of Brook
Ign plays il well, but it tries the patience of
any but the skilled professional player, and
there are few others who persevere sufficiently
to become expert at it. 1t is as you can readily
understand, full of intrcacies. One has to
study every play and to look ahead il he means
to count.
GREAT BILLIARD REVIVAL.
There are indications of great billiard re-
yival in the near future-a revival that will
place the game where it belongs, at the head
Of the sports patronized by American gentle
men. There is some talk of tournament: in
deed, two tournaments have been suggested
for the coming winter-one in New York and
the other in Chicago, the matches to be for
81, 500 apiece. One firm has signified its
readiness to offer stakes to, the amount named,
but there has been some delay in the negotia-
tons chiefly on account of the western players.
The projectors, however, are still hopeful that
the matter may be arranged SO as not to inter-
fere with the program. Should the tourns-
ment take place it is quite probable that
Schaefer, Carter and Ives will represent the
west, while Sexton, DAILY and myself will do
battle for the east.
AN INTERNATIONAL TOURNAMENT.
A still bigger piece of news in the billiard
world is that there is a chance, and not a re-
mote one, either, that there may be an inter-
national tournament during the coming sea-
son between the giants of the cue in Europe
and an American team. Games in the series
would be played in New York, Chicago, Brus-
sells and Paris. Among the foreign players,
GARNER, whose skill Americans knows and
greatly admire, and Vignaux, the wizard of
the Cue" would be the two principal COM
petitors, while Beau and Plot, who, although
unknown to our bilhard-loving public, are
well worthy its acquaintance, would also prob
ably be in the foreign team. Such contest
would awaken enthusiasm among billiard play
ers the world over and would do more to
bring about the revival for which the devotees
of the cue are hoping than a dozen ordidary
matches. Beau and Plot, of course, have never
crossed the Atlantic. At the present time it
looks very much as though the international
project would be carried through successfully
Should the arrangements for the national
tournament fall through, the international is
almost q positive certainty.
There have been no new rules or "wrinkles"
in the game Of billiards, other than those I
have indicated, within the last five years. The
system now observed is identical with that Of
1884, when the last championship match was
played in this country. The 14-inch balk-line
amateur or professional. Cushion caroms, too,
become more popular every day.
The only phenomenon at billiards have
known in recent years was Thomas Wallace,
who died at Baltimore about Q year ago. He
Wallace would have been ranked among the
finest players in the country; indeed, he was
already regarded as q marvellous cue. Al
though a mere lad he was at home anywhere
on the table," as We biliardists say. He had
all the characteristics Of great billiard player
and would doubtless have been among the best
had he lived.
ADVICE TO THE AMBITIOUS.
Amateurs, a. Q rule, are very ambitious.
While would not say word to discourage
them I would suggest that the best and
surest way to attain proficiency in billiards is
to stick sssiduously to the plain three-ball
game until it has been thoroughly mastered
and not till then take up some more advanced
form of play. There 10 in the three-ball game
a splendid field for the finest playing, as the
magnificent record Of Vignaux has shown. A
young player who wishes to excel and who is
willing to work for excellence should keep
hard at the three-ball game until he has thor
L. a. L.