BILLIARDS, a well-known game, played on a rectangular table with ivory balls, which are driven into hazards or holes, according to certain rules. This game was invented by the .Fŗench, and was originally played in a manner different from that which is at present practised, by having a pass or iron fixed on the table, through which the balls at particular periods of the game used to be played; but this method is now quite disused.

The table on which the game is played is generally about twelve feet long and six feet wide, in the exact form of an oblong; it is covered with fine green cloth, and surrounded with cushions to prevent the balls running off, and to cause them to rebound. There are six holes, nets, or pockets, fixed at the four corners, and in the middle, opposite to each other, to receive the balls, which when driven into them are called hazards. The making of a hazard, that is, putting the adversary’s ball in, at the usual game reckons for two in favour of the player. The game is played either with maces or with cues. The first is a long straight stick, with a head at the end, and is the most powerful instrument of the two; the second is a thick stick, diminishing gradually to a point of about half an inch diameter or less; and this instrument is played over the left hand, and supported by the fore-finger and thumb.

The rules generally observed at the common game are these :—1. For the lead, the balls must be put at one end, and the player must strike them against the farthermost cushion, in order to see which will be nearest the cushion that is next to them. 2. The nearest to the cushion is to lead and choose the hall if he pleases. 3. The leader is to place his ball at the nail, and not to pass the middle pocket; and if he holes himself in leading he loses the lead. 4. He who follows the leader must stand within the corner of the table, and not place his ball beyond the nail. 5. He who plays upon the running ball loses one. 6. He who touches the ball twice and moves it loses one. But these two rules are seldom or never enforced, especially in England. 7. He who does not hit his adversary’s ball loses one. 8. He who touches both balls at the same time makes a foul stroke, in which case, if he should fiole his adversary, nothing is gained by the stroke; but if he put himself in he loses two. 9. He who holes both balls loses two. 10. He who strikes upon his adversary’s ball and holes himself loses two. 11. He who plays at the ball without striking it, and holes himself, loses three.

12. He who strikes both balls over the table loses two.

13. He who strikes his ball over the table, and does not hit his adversary’s ball, loses three. 14. He who retains the end of his adversary’s stick when playing, or endeavours to baulk his stroke, loses one. 15. He who plays another’s ball or stroke, without leave, loses one. 16. He who takes up his own ball, or his adversary’s, without leave, loses one. 17. He who stops either ball, when running, loses one; and, if it be near the hole, loses two. 18. He who blows upon the ball, when running, loses one; and, if near the hole, loses two. 19. He who shakes the table when the ball is running loses one. 20. He who strikes the table with the stick, or plays before his turn, loses one. 21. He who strikes his stick upon the tabic, and hits the ball, loses one. 22. If the ball stands upon the edge of the hole, and after being challenged it falls in, it is nothing, but must be put up where it was before. 23. If any person, not being one of the players, stops a ball, the ball must stand in the place where it was stopped. 24. He who plays without a foot upon the floor, and holes his adversary’s ball, gets nothing for it, but loses the lead. 25. He who leaves the game before it is ended loses it. 26. Any person may change his stick in play. 27. If any difference arise between players, he who marks the game, or the majority of the company, must decide it. 28. Those who do not play must stand from the table, and make room for the players. 29. If any person lays any wager, and does not play, he shall not give advice to the players upon the game.

Besides the common winning game, which is twelve up, there are several other kinds of games, viz. the losing game, the winning and losing, choice of balls, bricoe, carambole, Russian carambole, the bar-hole, the one-hole, the four-game, and hazards.

The losing-game is the common game nearly reversed; that is to say, except hitting the balls, which is absolutely necessary, the player gains by losing. By putting himself in he wins two; by putting his adversary in he loses two; but if he pockets both balls he gets four. The xvinning and losing game is a combination of both games; that is to say, all balls that are put in by striking first the adversary’s ball, reckon towards game; and holing both balls reckons four. Choice of the balls is choosing each time which ball the player pleases. Bricoe is being obliged to hit the cushion, and cause the ball to rebound, or return to hit the adversary’s ball, otherwise the player loses a point» Carambole is a game introduced from France. It is played with three balls, one being red, which is neutral, and is placed upon a spot on a line with the stringing nail, or that part of the table from which the player strikes his ball at first setting off, and which is generally marked with two brass nails. Each antagonist, at the first stroke of a hazard, plays from a mark which is upon a line with it at the other end of the table. The chief object at this game is, for the player to hit with his own ball the two other balls, which is called a carambole, and by which the player wins two. If he puts m the red ball he gets three, and when he holes his adversary’s ball he gets two; so that seven may be made at one stroke, by caramboling and putting in both balls. -Κ ms ' sian carambole is played in the following manner: The red ball is placed as usual on the spot made for that purpose; but the player, when he begins, or after having been holed, [7:4:643]never places his ball on any particular place or spot, being at liberty to put it where he pleases. When he begins to play, instead of striking at the red ball, he leads his own gently behind it, and his antagonist is to play at which he thinks proper. If he plays at the red ball and holes it, he scores three as usual towards the game, which is twenty-four instead of sixteen points; and the red ball is put upon the spot again, at which he may strike a second time, or take his choice which of the two balls to push at, always following his stroke till both balls are off the table. He is entitled to two points each time that he caramboles, the same as at the other game; but if he caramboles, and puts his own ball into any hole, he loses as many as he might have got had he not holed himself. In other respects it is played like the common carambole game. The bar-hole is so called from the hole being barred which the ball should be played for, and the player striking for another hole. The player at the one-hole, though it seems to those who are not judges of the game to be a great disadvantage, has in fact the best of it; for as all balls that go into the one hole reckon, the player endeavours to lay his ball constantly before the hole, and his antagonist frequently finds it very difficult to keep one or other ball out, particularly on die leads, when the one-hole player lays his ball on the brink of the hole. The four-game consists of two partners on each side, at the common winning game, who play by succession after each hazard, or two points lost. Hazards are so called because they depend entirely upon the making of hazards, there being no account kept of any game. The only general rule here is not to lay any ball a hazard for the next player.