| Billiards is a game you can play on a snooker table | | | | number order, lowest to highest. If you pocket a |
| - but, arguably, it's much easier and more fun | | | | ball, you get an extra turn, but if you miss, or hit |
| than snooker itself. Eight-ball billiards, especially, is | | | | or pocket the wrong ball (including the white), it's |
| one of those games that you can just pick up | | | | a foul, and you miss a turn. |
| and play with only a little explanation, and you can | | | | Once one player has pocketed all their balls, they |
| often find tables for it in pubs and bars. | | | | get to shoot for the eight-ball. This is a very |
| Eight-ball billiards is actually played with 16 balls: one | | | | tense shot, as putting it in will win you the game, |
| white cue ball, seven solid-coloured balls (numbers | | | | while missing gives your opponent a chance to |
| 1 to 7), seven striped balls (numbers 9 to 15) and | | | | catch up. Also, there's one final twist: if you |
| one black ball. The name of the game comes | | | | pocket the eight-ball without first pocketing all |
| from the fact that the black ball is the most | | | | your striped or solid balls, you lose the game on |
| important ball, and its number is 8 - making it the | | | | the spot! Harsh, yes; frustrating, yes - but also |
| eight-ball. | | | | very entertaining at times. |
| To start the game, you and your opponent both | | | | As long as you're careful to play against someone |
| hit a ball as hard as you can to the other end of | | | | who is as new as you, you should have a good |
| the table. Whoever's ball goes the furthest gets | | | | time - although you might want to go at a quiet |
| the first go and so gets to pick whether they | | | | time, as better players might find it frustrating to |
| want the solid balls or the striped balls. The | | | | watch beginners play so slowly on their table. |
| players then take it in turns to pocket their balls in | | | | Have fun playing billiards! |