What's the difference between snooker, billiards and pool?

Question

What's the difference between snooker, billiards and pool?

Answer 1

the tables, the balls, the cues, the rules, there's loads of differences!!

Billiards - http://www.mastersgames.com/rules/bar-bi...

Snooker - http://www.billiardworld.com/snooker.htm...

Pool - 2 types:

9 (black ball) pool - http://www.epa.org.uk/wrules.php

8 ball - http://arseweb.com/rupe/pool/uk_rules.ht...

Enjoy!

Answer 2

billards and pool are the same (just a different name) and snooker is different. You use 21 ball unstead of 10.

Answer 3

My understanding is that billiards originally involved a pocketless table with 3 balls, the object of which was to carom (bank) and strike the object ball for a score. Billiards and pool became synonymous somewhere in America, and involves a table with 6 pockets, a cue ball and 15 object balls that may or may not be pocketed in order, depending on whether you're playing 8 or 9 ball pool. Snooker is similar to pool in that the object is to pocket scoring balls, but the balls are smaller, the table larger, the pockets smaller than in pool. In all 3 games, an essential part is the 'leave', or snookering, which involves creating as difficult a shot for your opponent as possible when it's his turn.

Answer 4

table, ball, and cue.

Answer 5

The difference is that one; you have number balls and red balls. Each red ball is one point. Each number ball exactly the same points as what is on the ball (ie; 12-13-9 etc). The table is slightly smaller and the pockets are slightly smaller too. The size you can't tell unless you set them side by side or measure them. Pro Billiards people use it for learning and keeping the edge to their game. If you want to learn how to play billiards the right way; learn on a Snooker table. With a knowledgable teacher.

Enjoy the sport and good luck.

Answer 6

Just an aside - there are great answers and web addresses above - anyone who is sayyyy a 4 out of 5 stars at snooker is like a 40000000 out of 5 stars at billiards/pool/9ball.

That game is TOUGH!!  Many good players from the UK.

Answer 7

If you dont know the difference then dont worry bout it. An advise to you - please go out n enjoy life, dont just sit on your computer.

Answer 8

Snooker uses 15 reds and 7 colors, generally with a 6 ft x 12 ft table, pockets in corners and sides.

Billiards is a game using NO POCKETS, generally with 3 balls.

Pocket billiards describes any of the games using balls and pockets, including snooker, 9 ball, 8 ball, 14.1, etc. It is a generic term.

Pool generally refers to pocket billiards. The term "pool" came from the early 1900's when pocket billiard tables were installed in the race track betting rooms, called betting pools. The game was so popular in these venues, it became known as "pool" from their "betting pools".

Answer 9

Seems to be a number of things esp the count of the balls and which country your playing in........

Answer 10

Wow, some of you actually knew.

Billiards is played with three balls on table with no pockets. It is not very common anymore.

Pool is the common term for pocket billiard which is played on table with six pockets and, depending on the game, 8 to 16 balls.

Nine ball obviously has nine balls and a cue, seven ball has seven balls and a cue, three ball has three bals and a cue. Eight ball has fifteen balls and a cue.

Snooker is play on a much larger six pocket table with 21 balls. Also the pockets are generally a lot tighter. This is by far the toughest game to play with pockets.

Answer 11

Oh, finally a sports question I can answer! Snooker has a different set-up than standard pool. If you look at a snooker table there are white k***s sticking up out of the green felt. The rules for snooker hinge around these k***s. The balls hit the k***s and go another way. There are various snooker games than can be played and to outline them all here would take an eternity and give me carpal tunnel. In competition billiards, the balls are racked and broken on standard felt. BUT, each ball has to be called as well as the pocket UNLESS a ball went in by itself upon breaking. Plain old pool is just rack the balls, break them and start knocking them in by stripe or solid (whoever knocks a ball in first takes the  stripe or color as his/her own). The only thing the potential winner has to call is the eight ball and what pocket. Of course, you can have two players or four. It's kind of a pitcher of beer game. Competition billiards is a no drink but just think game. Snooker is fun but you can lose! There are also rules for sticks and all of that but if you are NOT competing, play pool.

Answer 12

1]   SNOOKER IS BASICALLY A WESTERN EUROPEAN TYPE

"POOL" GAME....PLAYED WITH SMALLER BALLS [RED AND WHITE]....A LARGER TABLE..[NOT SURE HOW MANY FEET IN LENGTH].....[I BELIEVE THAT IT IS 12 FEET LONG]....WITH VERY LONG "CUE-STICKS" AND  WITH BRIDGES THAT ARE EVEN LONGER THAN THE "CUES" AND  "USUALLY" THE  

"CUE" IS ONLY ONE PIECE....[AND THERE IS A CARRYING CASE TO MATCH....FOR THE ONE PIECE "CUE-STICK"]......

**THE TABLE HAS   6   POCKETS THAT ARE MUCH... MUCH SMALLER THAN THE BASIC  "POCKET"  IN THE  U.S.A.

**AND THE RULES ARE "SPECIAL" TO  "THAT"  GAME.....

** BUT....THE GAME CAN BE PLAYED IN A "SINGLES"   OR  

IN "PARTNERS" CAPACITY..........

2]   "BILLIARDS".......TYPE # 1:

                                                  THIS GAME IS PLAYED ON A TABLE W/O  ANY POCKETS ["USUALLY"  AT LEAST 9 FEET LONG....../SOME ARE EVEN 10 FEET LONG]PLAYING SURFACE....AND PLAYED WITH A SET OF  RED AND WHITE BALLS AND   1  YELLOW BALL...3 RED

.....3 WHT.     AND 1 YELLOW......

                                                  THE BASIC OBJECT TO THIS GAME IS TO "BANK" YOUR "MAIN" BALL AROUND THE TABLE AND GET "A CERTAIN"  AMOUNT OF  "RAILS" / CUSHIONS....

W / O  HITTING ANY OTHER BALLS ....AND THEN END UP CLOSE TO / OR / HITTING THE YELLOW BALL.....

             THESE RULES ARE SET UP BETWEEN THE TWO [2] PLAYERS....OF THE "HOW, WHAT  AND  HOW MUCH $$ THE GAME "MAY" BE PLAYED FOR....

            THIS GAME HAS A TENDENCY TO BE PLAYED FOR A LONG TIME......[AND ....IS A GREAT WAY TO IMPROOVE YOUR  "POCKET-BILLIADRS" GAME......THE MORE THAT YOU PLAY "BILLIARDS"....[AND THE BETTER THAT YOU GET AT IT.......THE BETTER YOUR "POCKET-BILLIARDS" GAME WILL BE

               YOUR   "BANK"   GAME IN YOUR "POCKET-BILLIARDS"  GAME WILL BE         "GREATLY"       IMPROOVED.

3]             BILLIARDS....... TYPE    #2.....

                                             "POCKET-BILLIARDS"...............

THIS GAME[S] IS PLAYED ON A TABLE WITH    6   POCKETS

AND THE LENGHT OF THE TABLE CAN BE ANYWHERE FROM   4   FEET BY   2   FEET.......UP TO......9 / 91/2 FEET  BY   5 FEET........AND ANYWHERE IN BETWEEN AND IN ANY "COMBO" OF WIDTHS / LENGTHS......

***THIS TABLE CAN ALSO BE "ROUND"....THIS IDEA IS A NEW "CONCEPT" TO THE "POCKET-BILLIARDS" WORLD...

***"POCKET-BILLIARDS"  TABLE IS ACCUSTOMED TO A   15  BALL "RACK"  W / THE BALLS ALL BEING NUMBERED 1 THRU

15....THESE BALLS ARE 1  THRU 8   "SOLID"....AND...9  THRU

15 ARE ALL IN A SPLIT COLOR [WITH A WHITE PART DOWN THE CENTER OF THE BALL......"STRIPED [S]"........

***THERE ARE MANY DIFFERENT TYPE OF GAMES PLAYED

ON THIS TABLE......ONE OF WHICH IS CALLED   "8-BALL"....

THIS GAME IS PLAYED WITH THE "8" BEING THE3 GAME WINNING BALL........THE PLAYER WHO PUTS ALL OF THEIR BALLS IN FIRST .......[1  THRU 7.....OR.....9 THRU 15].....GETS THE OPPERTUNITY TO WIN BY PUTTING THE   "8"  IN   AFTER THEY HAVE POCKETED THEIR  LAST "SOLID"...OR...."STRIPED"  BALL......

***OTHER GAMES: ......."9-BALL"........"CHICAGO"....

"STRAIGT-POOL"...."1-POCKET"......"PIL...

"ROTATION"  [THIS IDEA OF A ROTATION GAME IS A BASIC

......SHOOT THE BALLS IN ORDER.1  THRU 15...."9-BALL" IS BASED UPON THIS IDEA OF PLAY].....BUT...."9-BALL" IS ONLY PLAYED WITH   9   BALLS...[1  THRU  9].....THIS GAME IS  "RACKED" WITH A DIAMOND SHAPED FORM.....WITH THE

"9"  IN THE CENTER........

***"8-BALL"  IS RACKED  [AS ARE THE REST OF THE BASIC GAMES].....WITH A TRIANGLED SHAPED FORM......

*** THERE IS ALSO A GAME THAT IS PLAYED ON THE SAME RECTANGULAR TYPE TABLE....EXCEPT...THAT IT IS RACKED WITH A "ROUND" FORM....AND....ONLY IS PLAYED

WITH   "7"   BALLS.......NEEDLESS TO SAY....THE GAME IS CALLED.."7-BALL".......AND IS COLLECTED WITH THE   "7"   IN THE MIDDLE.......

****THESE AFORE MENTIONED GAMES CAN ALL BE PLAYED AS  "SINGLES"  [ONE  ON  ONE].....OR   AS  A TEAM EFFORT......2  OR  MORE PLAYING ON EACH SIDE....USUALLY THERE ARE ONLY TWO [2] SIDES......

***BUT THERE IS A GAME ...CALLED   "15-BALL"....WHERE THE "RACK IS SPLIT INTO 1/3'S  AND THERE WILL BE THREE PLAYERS TO A GAME....OR   MORE  IF TEHRE ARE  "TEAMS".......EACH OPPONENT[S]  WILL HAVE FIVE BALLS.AND THE IDEA TO THIS GAME IS TO RID THE TABLE OF ALL THE OTHER PLAYERS BALLS AND LEAVE AT LEAST  1  IF NOT ALL YOUR BALLS ON THE TABLE........THIS GAME IS USUALLY PLAYED FOR........$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$.......AND THE "PILL-POOL" IDEA CAN BE APPLIED ........

****  "PILL-POOL" IS JUST ANOTHER WAY TO "SPICE-UP" YOUR "POCKET-BILLIARDS"  GAME........

             THIS GAME CAN BE ANY RULES THAT ARE SET UP BY THE PLAYERS....AND IS AIDED BY THE "BOTTLE"....

IN THIS "BOTTLE " IS   15   LITTLE BALLS THAT WILL ONLY FIT OUT OF THE NECK OF THE BOTTLE..1  AT  A  TIME...ALL PLAYERS WILL SHAKE OUT   1  "PILL" AND THAT "PILL" WILL HAVE A NUMBER ON  IT.THAT'S "YOUR'S"...AND IT'S YOUR JOB TO MAKE SURE THAT   TAHT BALL DOESN'T GET ELIMINATED FROM THE TABLE ....UNTIL     "YOU"      GET A CHANCE TO SHOOT IT OFF.....IF YOU SHOOT YOUR BALL OFF ...YOU GET PAID.....OH!!!........ I FORGOT TO TELL YA...THAT...THIS   "IS"   A $$$  GAME..... THESE BALLS CAN BE SHOT IN ORDER ....OR...."AS-YOU-SEE-'EM"....THAT DEPENDS UPON WHAT THE RULES ARE   "BEFORE"  YOU START TO PLAY.........

4]   THERE IS ALSO A "HOUSEHOLD / TAVERN GAME CALLED......"BUMPER-POOL".....THIS GAME IS PLAYED ON A

RECTANGULAR TABLE OR A    6  OR  8  SIDED TABLE....THAT WILL DEPENE UPON  HOW BIG YOU WISH TO BUY THE TABLE FOR YOUR HOME........THERE ARE SOME TAVERNS OUT THERE THAT WILL ALSO HAVE THE "GAME" .........

****THIS TABLE HAS A BUNCH OF STRATEGICLY PLACED   ROUND   RUBBER-EDGED  BUMPERS....THAT ARE IN THE WAY....YOU MUST GET AROUND THESE "BUMPERS"...THEN BETWEEN THE  TWO[2] BUMPERS THAT ARE ON EITHER SIDE OF THE "POCKET / HOLE".......THIS HOLE WILL YOU TO

DROP YOUR BALLS OFF THE TABLE  AND WIN.......THERE ARE   5  BALL TO A SIDE......ONE SET OF BALLS WILL HAVE AN IDENTIFYING  "DOT" ON THEM  SO AS YOU WILL KNOW ..."WHO'S  IS  WHO'S"........IT'S  "FUN"......USUALLY

PLAYED ONLY AS ....ONE  ON  ONE........

5]    AND IT'S........."ALL"........"POOL"........... AGAIN... YOU MAY WISH TOO TAKE A "SWIM" IN A "POOL".....OR....JOIN A CAR "POOL"........OR   BUY A  WHIRL-"POOL"....AND YOU DON'T EVER WANT TO GET CAUGHT UP IN A   WHIRL-"POOL"......OR    FALL INTO A CESS-"POOL"......BTU YOU MAY..[AT TIMES]  WISH TO "POOL"  YOUR $$ TOGETHER AND YOU WILL PROBABLY REALLY WANT TO FIND OUT A WHOLE LOT MORE ABOUT THIS ...."WILD-AND-CRAZZZZY"GAME CALLED

"POOL"