The sun., 1890-01-05
soMErHrxa Isour PooL.
TIE DiGsrsus Games aud Ho- Thsy Are
PLAYED.


The games Of pool and billiards have ln-
creased in popularity in this country to sur
prisinR extent during the last twenty years.
Billiards has been more or less popular In
door or winter game for many years, but pool
has supplanted 1t as a general amusement on
account OF its being 40 much easier to play.
Room keepers began to encourage pool about
fifteen years ago. There wns need for 1t. and
nothing can better exemplify the truth Of this
assertion than the fact that there are more
who are expert at pool that at billiards. The
simplcity OF pool makes Il popular for there Is
an absence of the intricacies which are found
In billiards. There arc several different styles
OF the game. They are known as pyramid.
sixty-one, and continuous. Other minor styles
are Chicago pool. forty-one, and high-low-
jack. All OF these six games are governed, so
far as expertness is concerned, by the general
principles OF ordinary or pyramid pool. i. e..
the balls must be pocketed.
Pyramid pool is played with sixteen balls on
q table which has six pockets, one at each CO.. :
ner and one ut the centre Of each side. The
ordinary size OF the tRole is ~ by o feet, but
the standard ur regulation size Is by 10 feet
cSSeTS Sr v"tg t IN sSe' aHT Shs ,rn smaller hey
are an where lrom Ar to 8 inches wide and
the siIe pockets are about y inch wider
than the corner ones on the Same table. some
of the professional experts play IN practice
with pockets smaller than those, and one able
which was owned by the late Albert Frey had
corner pockets which measured only A inches.
Tue balls are about the size OF the ordinary
billiard sphere although they are in mot
rooms about ope-sXteenth oil an inch SIN ller.
A game that does away with tho objectl on
able features OF tho usual pool game Is he one
called Continuous" which came into vogue
several years ng" and was introduced in u
professional tournament. The rules, 20 far as
same as any Of her style. Tut the gnmes gem
orally consist OF anywhere from 90 to 90 p"ints:
hnn the points are counted Just rs in game OF
nothingto do with tho game, and no mat or
whether one player has pocketed eight balls or
pool. he goes on shooting and attempts to
pocket as many as he can. When all the Dalls
of u frame are pocketed, each player scores on
and tn. one putting the last baIl in o, the pre-
Vious frame lioots the opening stroke OF the
ports. for II one is ealy skiful in pocketirg
the element OF luck such as exists to a certain
extent in pyramid or stNiy-one pool Is not
' L. Maone the sesb ESY ated professional ex
pert, Is firm believer In the fairness OF the
continuous" game. As an example OF how
he tells how he and tho late Albert Frey were
playing the old game OF sixty-one pool and he
not aggregate IL, and then Frey secured the
other FIVE and won the SERIES They were play
Ing the best II In 81 games. and previous to
this last game the score stood lO each, and yet
Frey won. Az enthusiast remarked after the
for he had kept count This. 80 Malone says,
set him to thinking; and he CHALLENGED Frey to
Which TSE vas g D0D,s OF his 20
Frey agreed and Malone won BY q score
old rules when player required only eight
balls t" win interest In the ontest Jagged II
could secure the victory. In continuous pool
i ts to the players advantace to clean the
long runs In the continuous game adds to the
inteEest, and y, notwithstaud ng one player
left Tor the hind man to catch him;
l., Another feature ct 4 his style M is that science
Is mSh more often diSSpayed than 10 ths s other
Ave or six balls OF frame than the first seven
or eight, on account OF having a less number to
Chicaxo DooI Is the sixty one game. only tho
balls balls have t. he taken Of in . numerical order
cushions. o posite the small ' ivory S diamonds
on the wooden edge. The game is open by tho
l ball being shot ut; after that is pocketed he
and Il any other ball is pocketed besides the
shot for must be Bit first by the cue bali or else
4 is srrateh which means three noInts on;
with two playing. whichever secures Z poi ts
first wins he series. Game Is decided on the
sixty-one principle. 1t is exactly like the
game OF cards by the same name and Is
very interesting on account Of the uncertainty
is played by distributing among the players
the little ivory marbles which the pool attendant
passes found to determine the order OF play,
and whoes or has points enough first in his
rack, which. with The number ON he marble in
his possession agRi egatrs exactly Al. takes
certain amount sti ulHted be orehand from
each player II q player shoul ID by accident
pocket balls which aeRrega ed moro than Al
he, Of course has no show to win the money.
pert player has good show to be successful
although there is great element OF luck In It,
for a o. aver might have bal which count SO
AMI miss on the 2 ball. and the player follow
ing him pocket that ball. which renders 1t i'm
possible tor him to get the right number.
These minor games are play ed generally by
private parties only for on the open tables In
the different public rooms pyramid or sixty |
o. Q pool ts the game used. on account OF their
urely superseded the other two styles In decid-
ing matches. ior it is 30 lar ahead in opportu-
mites tor showing genuine skill. American
pool has come to stay. and there are more ta- |
bles for playing il In Canada than the English |
game can show, although at ono time both tho |
English game and tables were entirely used |
there. Quite a number Of amateur billiard ex- |
perts commenced wIel ing the cue by playing |
pool AMI although a pool stroke differs very |
lar better practice than nothing ind where q |
can find no In terest 10 lizards on ac-
count o. the difficulty in making shots. he may |
take great pleasure In knocking he Dalls In |
the pockets, and thereby gradually acquire |
Ikill In handling cue.