What is the difference between Pool, Billiards and Snooker?

Question

What is the difference between Pool, Billiards and Snooker?

Answer 1

Billiards is the name that's used for the collection of cue sports.  The three divisions are Pool, Snooker (a game played with 22 balls on a table with rounded pocket openings) and Carom (a game played with either three or four balls on a table with no pockets.  So when you play pool, you are playing billiards, but when you're playing billiards, you may or may not be playing pool.

Snooker is the most popular in Great Britian and they usually call it billiards.  Other people in different countries refer to it as "English billiards".  In England pool is called "American Pool" to differentiate from the English varieties.  And Snooker clubs are called Pool Halls and ours are referred to as billiard hall.

The differences between the games are to great to list.  I suggest reading (now don't take offense to the title) "The Complete Idiot's Guide to Pool & Billiards" By Ewa Laurance.  Very informative and EASY to understand.  She explains certain things so that every "Idiot" can understand.  I know the title is offensive but it is worth it to take the time to read.

Answer 2

Three of these are different games.

Answer 3

Here is the easiest way to explain this.

POOL: The game that you are most familiar with, 15 object balls, a cue ball, six pockets on the table. Most common games are 8-Ball, 9-Ball, and 14.1 or straight pool. Tables come in a variety of sizes from the standard bar table 6'X3' to the proffessional tournament size of 9'X4.5'.

BILLIARDS: Three balls on the table, no pockets. Players earn points by contacting rails and the other two balls on the table. This is a fairly difficult game to master, as it requires players to have a fair understanding of the diamond system to be successful.

SNOOKER: This is more popular in Europe than in the states. The game is played on a 12'X6' table. The tables have six pockets, but they are half the size of standard pool table pockets. The balls are also much smaller. Their are 15 red balls, a blue ball, a black ball, and a yellow ball; the balls are not numbered and can be pocketed in any order. Each colored ball has a different value in the scoring of the game. The balls are not pocketed in any particular order.

NOTE: Billiards is a term commonly used to describe pool and the game of billiards described above. The person that provided the BCA website is correct, in that the BCA can provide you more detailed information about the games. If you have ever seen the classic movie "The Hustler", Fast Eddie Feldson (Paul Newman) plays pool throughout the movie, at one point he travels to Kentucky during the Derby and ends up playing Billiards with an upper class gambler. Anyway, enjoy the games.

Answer 4

pool and billiards and snooker are all types of billiard games.  billiards is more a "gentleman's" name, while pool is more slang/street.  some call 14.1 or straight pool billiards.

Table differences:

most billiard games are played on a 7' (bar table) 8' (recreational table) or 9' table (pro table or tournament length).  an american snooker table is 10' in length while an english snooker table is 12' (long long loooonnnngg table to shoot across).  there is also a carom table to play 3 cushion on which is 10' long

Balls differences:

in most pool games; 8, 9 ball, one pocket and many others use of 15 numbered balls and a cue ball that are the standard 2 1/4" dia ball.  in carom or 3 cushion they use 3 balls (2 whites and 1 red) that are 2 7/16" dia.  snooker they play with 15 red balls, 6 numbered balls and a cue ball that are 2 1/6" dia.

Rules differences:

i will refer you to the billiard congress of america site. the rules differences would take way to long to post here.

http://www.bca-pool.com/start.shtml

Equipment differences:

basically the equipment is the same.  rules change from game to game but basically billiards is played with a cue, 58" in length weighing 17oz - 21oz typically.  bridges and jump cues are legal to use in some billiards games, but check and read to know when and where.

Answer 5

the rules are different.. check Yahoo for rules..

Answer 6

Number of balls

Answer 7

no. of balls, table length and pool and billiards are the same.

Answer 8

i dont know