Russian billiards is a unique game, and there are many reasons for this. The rules of Russian billiards are quite simple, and the game is so exciting and interesting that it is played by women and men of any age, social status and religion. The game is quite versatile, it must necessarily have a solid hand for accuracy, a calculation for several moves ahead and leisurely, thus, billiards are called chess in motion. It is worth noting the magnificent history of this game.
History of occurrence
Thanks to Peter I, who “cut a window to Europe,” Russia was able to get not only unexplored products, fabrics, etc., but people learned about a game like billiards. The game became popular quickly enough, and in all social circles. The only thing that caused some discomfort was the inability to purchase a table for Russian billiards, but over time, this problem was also solved. Not only the boyars, but Peter himself loved this game. It should be noted that billiards were most relevant among the military, at that time it was impossible to find a headquarters where there was no table for Russian billiards. The rumor that a new game appeared in the country, thanks to which it was possible to develop accuracy and accuracy, scattered quickly enough, because of this, neither the soldiers nor the officers could imagine themselves without billiards. Since the XIX century, billiards has become even more popular, it can be found in any public place. Now in any hotel or inn everyone was interested in having a pool table.
Varieties of Russian billiards
There are several varieties of this game, and the rules of Russian billiards are basically the same, but there are slight differences, based on the specific type:
- American.
- Moscow pyramid.
- Neva pyramid.
- Classical pyramid, or 71 points.
Differences in games are not only in the rules, but also in the purpose of the game.
Differences between the types of Russian billiards
In the classic pyramid, the winner is the player who collects 71 or more points in total, which are summed up based on the numbers of balls scored in the pockets. Before executing a hit, the player must order the ball and pockets where the attack will be conducted. If the rules have been violated, 5 points are removed in favor of the opponent.
The Moscow pyramid is played exclusively on a cue ball. The victory is considered with the first eight goals scored, and those balls that were received during the violation of the rules by the opponent are also taken into account.
For fluency in any kind of game, you need to know the rules of Russian billiards. The free pyramid (American) is played until one of the rivals scores the first 8 balls in the pocket, while any ball can be taken for a cue ball, just like an aim ball. For violation, the opponent takes one ball as a penalty in his favor.
The Neva pyramid has several similar moments with the Moscow one. The whole game is carried out exclusively by hitting the cue ball, but if the opponent breaks the rules, the second player has the right to choose, he can remove the ball from the table in his favor or refuse it and put the cue ball anywhere on the table.
In any case, before you start playing in one form or another, you must first consider in more detail the rules of Russian billiards.
If you want to play one of the types of Russian billiards, you will need to familiarize yourself with the rules of each of them in more detail. To begin with, the main thing is to study and remember the general provisions for all.
Russian American billiards
I would like to pay particular attention to this particular kind of game, since in the modern world, if you do not take into account tournaments, this particular type of billiards is the most common and popular. I want to say that amateurs who are going to have a good time in the billiard room give preference to an American. The game is more dynamic than its counterparts. Many professional players also started with this game, as it develops a lot of skills that will be relevant in the future. Russian billiards “American” allows you to develop “luggage”, in other words, the ability to put balls in the pockets, “own” and “alien”, that is, from the ball and aiming, respectively. Thanks to this, the player improves the effect (giving the ball rotation). Therefore, as the first game to get acquainted with billiards, the American will be the best.
Rules of etiquette during the game
Since billiards is an intelligent game, you need to familiarize yourself not only with the rules of the game, but also with some rules of etiquette. At any moment, the player must always remain polite, while not letting his opponent interfere with the moment when it is his turn to make his approach to the table. Also, you can’t stand in front of the pocket that the opponent is aiming at, firstly, this is indecent, and secondly, it can be dangerous, since balls sometimes fly out of the table. When a player estimates the location of the balls on the table and bypasses it from all sides, while the opponent is aiming or preparing to take a hit, it is best to wait until he finishes the hit and proceed to his own. Billiards does not like haste, so than to make any sudden movements, it is best to do it leisurely, measuredly.
Rectangular table and round ball
Naturally, this game is impossible without a table. The table size for Russian billiards can be of four types: 12, 10, 9 and 8 feet. As for official competitions, they use the largest possible table sizes . A special cloth with markings is pulled on the table , again, in the case of tournaments, they use exclusively green cloth, but now in the billiard room you can find red, blue and even white coverings.
In fact, the size of the table for Russian billiards is not so important information for the player, so you should go directly to the pockets and balls. The balls used for the game have only a few millimeters a smaller diameter than the width of the pockets. It's hard to score them, which makes the game really interesting.
The game consists of a set of 16 balls, 1 of which is cue ball, has a difference from other aiming in its color, each is numbered except cue ball. The game begins with the fact that with the help of the triangle it is necessary to establish the pyramid so that its base becomes parallel to the short board, while its top should be on a specially marked point. The cue ball is placed in the "house", this is a special area, which is marked by a transverse line.
Raffle
The rules of the Russian billiards state that the right of the first hit is assigned to the player who won the draw. The bottom line is: both opponents are near the short side, so the table is conditionally divided into two longitudinal halves. After that, the players must take a hit from home, and the opponent wins, whose ball, after reflection from the tailgate, is closer to the sky. There are several nuances. If the ball did not touch the side or touch, but it was a side board, rolled over half of the opponent, fell into a pocket or at a table for Russian billiards, then such a rally is considered lost.
If the rivals both violated the conditions, then it is carried out again, the same thing is done in the case of the same removal of the ball after touching the side. When the winner is determined, he has the right to choose whether he will break the pyramid first or provide this opportunity to the opponent, then the first blow takes place alternately. As for the rally, the rules of the Russian pyramid in billiards and all other types of games indicate the absolute identity of all conditions.
First strike
The first strike is carried out exclusively with a cue ball, while it can be moved along the limits of the “home”, but it cannot be beaten from the lowest point, since the rules of Russian billiards (American, Moscow, Neva pyramids) indicate that in this position the cue ball is considered “outside areas of the house. " The blow is considered to be completed when the cue sticker touched the cue ball. A successful strike is recognized in the event
- hitting a sighting ball in a pocket;
- if three balls from the pyramid touched the sides;
- touching two balls of the side and one roll of the middle of the table.
If these conditions have not been met, the opponent has the right to continue the game or transfer the right to move the opponent.
Cue for the game
It is customary to choose a cue for Russian billiards individually, based on personal preferences and physiological qualities. Fans and professionals of this game prefer to have their own cue in their arsenal. It is worth noting that this pleasure is not cheap, but a quality cue does not have to be made of expensive wood.
A good cue for Russian billiards should have optimal weight, length and balance. Also, depending on what kind of wood a cue is made of, it is worth paying attention to its vibration after a strike. It is imperative to evaluate its directness and the absence of defects.
Fines
Penalties are an integral part of any game, so you need to thoroughly study all the rules of a particular game that you are going to play, so as not to accidentally make a violation. But there is a certain set of binding rules for the violation of which a fine is imposed.
A blow can be made only when all the balls on the table have stopped moving, rotation in place is also considered a movement. The blow should be carried out very clearly, without additional shocks and accidental touches of other balls. In the case when the aiming ball is at a distance less than ½ of the radius of the ball, it must be carried out at a 45-degree angle relative to the central axis of the cue ball. After striking the aiming ball, the cue ball must either stop in place or roll back. A ball that, as a result of a targeted attack fell into a pocket, is considered to be hammered if the rules were not broken when it was hammered, otherwise a violation is recorded, and the move goes to the opponent.
Popped ball
I would also like to talk about a ball that leaves the table during the game, for example, stopping the ball on board or returning it to the table after reflection from any foreign object. The ball can be counted in the game if it, touching the side, returns to the table. Placing balls that have left the table depends on the particular variation of the game.
Say what you like, and one of the most popular games has been and remains Russian billiards. The size and scope of some tournaments are off the charts. Modern parents prefer to send their children to this sport from childhood, so by the age of 16 they already have a lot of experience behind their backs and a lot of victories in prestigious competitions. Billiards cannot be called the cheapest sport, but if you wish, there are now a large number of schools and private teachers who can provide quality lessons for a reasonable fee and are able to raise more than one champion. There would be a desire, but there is always an opportunity!