Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-10-25
NEW POOL GAME.
A Method Suggested That Will Better Test
the Skill of Experts.

NEW YORK, October A-A weil-known pool
expert, Nat Ward, comes to the front with the
claim that he has founded new game of pool,
which he calls the champion game" Ward
thinks that continuous pool, as now played, is
not as interesting or scientific as it should be-
and he proposes to play it with q balls, instead
of the usual 15. The balls to be numbered from
/ to q. size of balls to be SIG inches in diam
ter. The balls to be set up in pyramid form,
using larger triangle than at present; rules 10
govern, the same as in the present game.
Ward is of the opinion that the game will prove
to be great success if it only has fair trial.
He claims that the chances for brilliant plays
will be increased with The q balls and thai the
player who now pockets all the balls with but
little effort, will find the task much more diff
fcult one with additional balls on the table.
Mr.. Wards idea is not original with him.
Continuous pool is so called from the system of
scoring the game. 1t differs from any other
game of ball pool heretofore In vogue. Unlike
81 S-bal! pyramid pool the scoring of the
game is continual until all the balls in each
frame have been pocketed, and the game NAV
consist of any number of balls or points which
may be agreed upon. Albert Frey, who up to
t time of his DEATH two years ago. was re-
garded as invincible as pool player invented
the game of continuous pool. His idea was the
formation of game that would be better test
OF skill than Shall pool, which was the one ex-
clusively played at that time, to decide matches
and tournaments.
Frey's original idea was game with 81 or
even IS, balls to play on, and he often spoke of
making the experiment with a view to adopting
such game If the change proved successful.
He was forced to abandon the idea, however, as
the billiard room keepers we're opposed to il,
on the ground that it would increase their ex-
penses and not swell their receipts IN proper
tion. Frey then gave his attention to the con-
tlnuous pool game, and, as this game met with
the approval of the room keepers on account
of the quickness with which it could be played,
it was adopted, and has ever nce been popu-
lar.
Wards revival of Frey'a project has caused
considerable discussion among billiard and
pool experts, both amateurs and professionals,
and many arguments in favor of and against
the proposed change. in which its advantages
and disadvantages have been freely discussed,
have taken place. The main objection to the
change seems TO be the cost of the six ad-
ditional balls. The price of ivory pool balls has
very much increased in the past year. and a set
of l6 regulation balls, which cost year ago but
$40. cannot DOW be bought for less than SlOO
while set OF q would cost about Sl40 This
fact that the supply is not equal to the demand,
and that ivory is growing scarcer and more
difficult to produce every year.
Charles d. Manning, the present champion
at continuous pool. is not in favor of the
change and regards it as an impracticable and
unnecessary one. Albert Powers, the ex-cham-
Dlon, is on the fence and says he would have
to see the game played before he would venture
to give an opinion. Billy Sexton is opposed to
Wards idea, and thinks the game as it is now
played is plenty long enough and sufficient
trial of skill "They had better study and
endeavor to perfect the rules" SAID Sexton
when spoken to on the subject. 'They are
faulty defective and admitting of more than
one Interpretation as they now read. When
they have been corrected SO that one can under
stand them it will be time enough to add new
ones" Maurice DAILY thinks the present game
of continuous pool is sufficient as trial of
skill, and that 2l-bal pool would not prove
success. j. r. Heiser did not think the idea
worthy of consideration.