24. If the striker wilfully force his ball off the table without striking another ball, he loses three points; but if the ball goes over by accident, he loses one point only for the miss. [To a person conversant with the game, it is not a very difficult thing to discern whether a ball is forced over wilfully or not; and it would be severe upon the striker to be compelled to lose three points for what may be the fault of the table. This appears to contradict rule 22. The custom of the room must decide.] 25. If the striker play with the wrong ball, and a canon or hazard be made thereby, the adversary may have the balls broken; but if nothing be made by the stroke, he (the adversary) may take his choice of balls for the next stroke; and with the ball he chooses he must continue to play until the game is over. [The playing with the wrong ball must be discovered before the next stroke is played, otherwise no penalty attaches to it.] 26. No person has a right to inform the adversary that the striker has played, or is about to play, with the wrong ball. 27. No person, except the adversary, has a right to inform the striker that he is playing with the wrong ball. [This is simply the reverse of Rule 26.] 28. If the adversary do not see the striker play with the wrong ball, or, seeing it, do not choose to enforce the penalty, the marker is bound to score all the points that may have been made by the stroke. 29. If the striker's ball be in hand, and the other two balls within the baulk, and should he either by accident or design strike one of them without first playing out of the baulk, the adver sary has the option of letting the balls remain as they are, and scoring a miss-of having the ball so struck replaced in its original position, and scoring a miss-of making the striker play the stroke over again—or of making it a foul stroke, and breaking the balls. [At first sight this would appear a harsh rule, with a heavy penalty; but, perhaps, the adverse party may have laid his plans with skill, and he must not, therefore, have them unfairly frustrated with impunity. Besides, care must be taken that the adversary be not a sufferer by the unfair play or blunders of the striker.] 30. If the striker's ball be in hand, he has no right to play at a cushion within the baulk, in order to strike a ball that is out of it. 31. If the striker's ball be in hand, and he, in playing from the baulk, should move his ball in the act of striking, it is a stroke, although the ball should not go out of the baulk. But the adversary may, if he choose, compel him to play the stroke over again. 32. If the striker's ball be near the ball he plays at, and he play the stroke with the point of the cue, it is fair; but if he play with the butt-end, the marker must decide whether it be foul or fair. [All strokes are fair with the point of the cue-so long as it be a stroke, and not a series of pushes. Whether a ball be struck with cue or butt, it is imperative that, with either instrument, the striker's ball must be fairly rolling before it comes in contact with the object-ball.] 33. If the striker's ball be on the brink of a pocket, and he, in the act of striking, misses the hit, and, in drawing back his cue, knocks it (the ball) into the pocket, he loses three points-it being a coup. 34. If the striker, in giving a miss from the baulk, should let his ball remain in the baulk, without its having gone out, the adversary may either let it remain so, or compel him to play the stroke over again. 35. If the striker, in giving a miss, should make a foul stroke, and his adversary claim it as such, and enforce the penalty, the miss is not scored. 36. No person is allowed to take up a ball without permission of the adversary. 37. If a player or other person move a ball by accident or design, or take it up supposing the game to be over, it must be replaced to the satisfaction of the adversary. [In some rooms the taking up of an adversary's ball loses the game, and, under certain circumstances, rightly; but the fairest thing is to make him break the balls,] 38. If either player in any way obstruct the course of the ball, it is deemed foul, and the ball must be replaced, the balls broken, or the forfeited. game 39. No person is allowed to offer advice to the players during the progress of the game. [But if a person be appealed to by one of the players, or by the marker, he has then a right to give an opinion, whether he be interested in the game or not; and if a spectator sees the game marked wrong, he has a right to mention it, provided he do it in time for it to be rectified, but not afterwards.] 40. No person is allowed to walk about the room during the game, make a noise, or other. wise annoy the players. [When silence is demanded, it is expected that all persons in the room will comply therewith It is expected that all persons in the room, wnether they are playing or not, will conform to the foregoing rules, in so far as they relate to them respectively.] The "rules of the game" as usually given, comprise many of the explanations and bits of advice I have enclosed within brackets. For all practical purposes, however, the above will be found sufficient. Cases of doubt and exception, for which no provision is found in the rules, must be referred to the marker or to the majority of the players in the room. THE AMERICAN GAME. The American, or four-ball game, is played with two coloured balls and two white balls. The scores are made by winning hazards and canons. The canon from a white to a coloured ball counts two; from one to another coloured ball, three points: three points are taken for each coloured ball pocketed, and two for the white ball. At the commencement of the game one coloured ball is placed on the winning spot, and the other on the centre spot on the baulk line. The nonplayer places his ball on the spot, and the striker at starting either hits it or gives a miss. The baulk is considered to be all the space within the line, not the semicircle merely. The rules as to foul strokes, &c., are the same as in the regular English game. The game is usually played 62 up; but, like the other game, may be played for any number of points. POOL. There are several ways of playing Pool: namely, with as many balls as there are players; or with two balls only, the players playing in turns, and playing with the alternate balls; playing at the nearest ball; playing at the last player; or the striker playing at whichever ball he chooses. But the most popu lar mode is that in which the striker plays at the last player. This is likewise the fairest way of playing the game. The balls are given out of a basket or bag by the marker, after he has collected from each player the stake to be contended for. The game consists entirely of winning hazards; each player having three lives, and the final winner or winners taking the pool after deduction of the expenses of the table-usually two or three pence a ball. Any number can play, the white ball being placed on the spot at the commencement. The order of play usually observed is the following, each person playing progressively: White spots. Red plays upon White. Brown upon Blue. Green upon Brown. Black upon Green. And if there be more than seven players, then spot balls are used, and Spot White plays upon Black. and so on till each player has made his stroke. |
