The daily morning journal and courier., 1906-01-20
AVERAGES IN BILLIARDS.
AMOUNT OF PLAYING FOR THE
 DIFFERENT GRADES.
Intelligence thcI First Requisite in Be- coming Skilled With the IvorIes, With Execution to Back it Up Value of Application and Instruction General Points.
General Points.


 General Points.
 The man who can average two at balk line billiards looks like a gifted player to the man who has progressed no further than straight rail play, yet the formers game means not more man 10 per cent. of billiard Knowledge and intelligence. This reckoning on a basis that puts the top notcher at 100 per cent. ''The first thing in billiards, said an authority on the game the other day, is intelligence or know ledge, the next the execution to carry the knowledge out" This same author ity, who furnished all the ideas herein set forth, classified the different grades of balk line players according to their ability to make averages as fol- lows:
 The player who can average 25 re- presents 100 per cent. of billiard know ledge and intelligence the 15 man represents 50 per cent; the 10 man, 40 per cent; the man, 25 per cent, and the man, 10 per cent
 The word intelligence as used here does not mean that there is any dif- ference in the classes in the possession of native gray matter. It is something that comes from instruction, practice and watching experts, though, of course all players, no matter how assiduous in following these precepts, cannot be- come masters. It is true of almost every billiard fancier that the more he plays the better he plays, and if he is observant and receptive he will play that much better-but some men will in due time reach limit, the same being short of the best, no matter how hard they try. Still, billiards is a game that permits of considerably more im- provement on the the part of everybody than most of them might think pos sible.
 For instance, any player who can average two has it in him to get as high as ten. He can't do it if left to his own resources, but he can with practice and instruction from his superiors. And once man has attain ed certain rank the amount of play ing he does has a great deal to do with his ability to maintain that average The two man can play two or three hours once week and keep up his clip, but the five man needs to play some thing like six hours day or three times a week. The ten man ought to play three or four times a week and would be better off with a certain amount of playing every day When a player gets into the twenty five, or championship class he needs to play three or four times a day and every day to hold to that clip; that Is, were he out of practice he would have to settle down down to that amount of work to get back into form. Unceasing application is one of the conditions to championship billiard form. One req son why Frank Ives war great was be- cause of e9nstant application.
 The great majority of fair billiard players are only two men. If left to their own resources they might play every day and not become as proficient as the five man, who under instruction has learned how to improve. An accom- plisfed amateur like Ferdinand Pog genburg could play only once a week and beat the two man, even with the latter battling the worries seven times week. Poggenburg, incidentally, is an example of intelligence, practice and arr1enity to instruction bringing a two man up to a fifteen grade.
 When the billiard devotee gets so he