Understanding the Game of Pool
http://www.educationbuzz.net/articles/6052/1/Understanding-the-Game-of-Pool/Page1.html
Jack Landry
Jack R. Landry has worked since 1987 selling laboratory products and supplies to various labs and schools across the country. He has written hundreds of articles about learning and lab supplies.
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Jack R. Landry
JackRLandry@gmail.com
http://www.Avogadro-Lab-Supply.com By Jack Landry
Published on 02/18/2011
The game of pool has been developed over the years from various other sports. This article describes the evolution of the equipment used in pool, and how that equipment is used today.
Pool is a very popular sport. It is one of many types of billiard games.
The game of pool, though, developed during the 1800's. The term pool is thought to come from the fact that the game was played in the rooms where gentlemen pooled their money to bet on horse races.
The name stuck, but the game is officially known as pocket billiards. It receives this name due to the pockets that line the sides and mark the corners of the table.
The table is designed specifically for the game, and comes in seven, eight, or nine foot versions. All pool tables are covered in a special material.
The material covers the slate slabs that make up the surface of the table. Standard pool tables are made up of slabs that are at least an inch thick.
Many people refer to the covering material as felt, but this is not the case. The material is green, representing the color of grass, and hearkening back to the outdoor games from which pool was derived.
There are bumpers along the inside of the table, between the pockets, that are meant to allow the balls to be shot at the appropriate angles. Additionally, the bumpers allow the pool balls to maintain their kinetic energy.
There are usually markings along the bumpers that are intended to help a player make a bank shot. By targeting one of the marks, the player can more effectively make an angled shot.
There are various pocket designs for pool tables, depending on the type of table. Some tables have bags located underneath the pockets.
If these bags fill with balls, however, it may become impossible for another ball to go into the pocket. This can be a major problem during an important game.
Shots in a pool game are made using a cue stick. The cue stick is a more recent adaptation of an earlier device that was used on billiard tables.
This earlier device was the mace. It was a long stick with a flat piece on the end.
Instead of striking the balls, as is done with a cue stick, the mace was used to push the balls. Over time, though, the cue became more popular.
A cue stick is usually made from maple wood. The end of the stick, or ferule, is most often made of resin or fiberglass.
Standard cues are usually 58 inches in length, and are tapered from the base of the shaft up to the tip of the ferule. Sticks of various weights are available.
In recent years, technology has allowed cue sticks to be manufactured from materials other than maple wood. A custom version can be made to order by a professional cue stick maker, but many of the sticks already available on the market are of top quality.
Using the cue stick, the game of pool is typically played with 16 balls. The balls are divided into two suits.
One suit includes the balls numbered one to seven, which have a solid color. The other suit includes the balls numbered from nine to 16, which have bands of color around their center axis.
The ball with the number eight on it is colored black. These balls are racked up in their proper order, and a breaking shot is then made using a white cue ball.
Players take turns shooting. When a player successfully shoots a ball into a pocket, he is assigned the suit of that ball for the rest of the game.
The players must then attempt to shoot all the balls of their assigned suits into the pockets. When a player has completed this task, he can shoot the eight ball into a pocket.
In order for the shot to be valid, however, he must call the shot. This means that he must state into which pocket the ball will go.
It is apparent that the game of pool has its own particular history. It has developed and changed into the game that is so popular today.
Learning the rules and techniques of the game are not at all difficult. Taking the time to learn them will allow you to become involved in a long tradition of leisurely, yet exciting, recreation.
The game of pool, though, developed during the 1800's. The term pool is thought to come from the fact that the game was played in the rooms where gentlemen pooled their money to bet on horse races.
The name stuck, but the game is officially known as pocket billiards. It receives this name due to the pockets that line the sides and mark the corners of the table.
The table is designed specifically for the game, and comes in seven, eight, or nine foot versions. All pool tables are covered in a special material.
The material covers the slate slabs that make up the surface of the table. Standard pool tables are made up of slabs that are at least an inch thick.
Many people refer to the covering material as felt, but this is not the case. The material is green, representing the color of grass, and hearkening back to the outdoor games from which pool was derived.
There are bumpers along the inside of the table, between the pockets, that are meant to allow the balls to be shot at the appropriate angles. Additionally, the bumpers allow the pool balls to maintain their kinetic energy.
There are usually markings along the bumpers that are intended to help a player make a bank shot. By targeting one of the marks, the player can more effectively make an angled shot.
There are various pocket designs for pool tables, depending on the type of table. Some tables have bags located underneath the pockets.
If these bags fill with balls, however, it may become impossible for another ball to go into the pocket. This can be a major problem during an important game.
Shots in a pool game are made using a cue stick. The cue stick is a more recent adaptation of an earlier device that was used on billiard tables.
This earlier device was the mace. It was a long stick with a flat piece on the end.
Instead of striking the balls, as is done with a cue stick, the mace was used to push the balls. Over time, though, the cue became more popular.
A cue stick is usually made from maple wood. The end of the stick, or ferule, is most often made of resin or fiberglass.
Standard cues are usually 58 inches in length, and are tapered from the base of the shaft up to the tip of the ferule. Sticks of various weights are available.
In recent years, technology has allowed cue sticks to be manufactured from materials other than maple wood. A custom version can be made to order by a professional cue stick maker, but many of the sticks already available on the market are of top quality.
Using the cue stick, the game of pool is typically played with 16 balls. The balls are divided into two suits.
One suit includes the balls numbered one to seven, which have a solid color. The other suit includes the balls numbered from nine to 16, which have bands of color around their center axis.
The ball with the number eight on it is colored black. These balls are racked up in their proper order, and a breaking shot is then made using a white cue ball.
Players take turns shooting. When a player successfully shoots a ball into a pocket, he is assigned the suit of that ball for the rest of the game.
The players must then attempt to shoot all the balls of their assigned suits into the pockets. When a player has completed this task, he can shoot the eight ball into a pocket.
In order for the shot to be valid, however, he must call the shot. This means that he must state into which pocket the ball will go.
It is apparent that the game of pool has its own particular history. It has developed and changed into the game that is so popular today.
Learning the rules and techniques of the game are not at all difficult. Taking the time to learn them will allow you to become involved in a long tradition of leisurely, yet exciting, recreation.