Cue sports are a wide variety of games of skill played with a cue , which is used to strike billiard balls and thereby cause them to move around a cloth -covered table bounded by elastic bumpers known as cushions . Cue sports are also collectively referred to as billiards , though this term has more specific connotations in some varieties of English.
109-523: Power Snooker is a cue sport , a variant format of snooker . The sport was conceived in 2010. Its concept was derived from the game of snooker and the game of nine-ball pool , with racks being used and the nine red balls which featured one red and white striped power ball set up in a diamond formation as in nine-ball pool. It was first played in October 2010. The first tournament was played in London in
218-529: A bed made of thick slate, in three pieces to prevent warping and changes due to temperature and humidity. The slates on modern carom tables are usually heated to stave off moisture and provide a consistent playing surface. Smaller bar tables are most commonly made with a single piece of slate. Pocket billiards tables of all types normally have six pockets, three on each side (four corner pockets, and two side or middle pockets). All types of tables are covered with billiard cloth (often called "felt", but actually
327-460: A "bilzeart burde" covered with green cloth at Holyrood Palace in 1581. The imprisoned Mary, Queen of Scots , had a billiard table at Tutbury Castle . She complained when her table de billiard was taken away (by those who eventually became her executioners, who were to cover her body with the table's cloth). A 1588 inventory of the Duke of Norfolk 's estate included a "billyard bord coered with
436-427: A "modern design and a bespoke Power Snooker baize". Unlike traditional snooker, in which matches are played to a certain number of frames irrespective of time taken, Power Snooker matches are played for a fixed 30 minute game play period, with the balls being continually re-racked. The winner is the player who has scored more cumulative points by the end of the fixed game play period, with ties settled with
545-452: A Power Play, the penalty quadruples. In contrast to traditional snooker, in which play occurs in quiet surroundings, with an audience expected to remain silent during shots, Power Snooker aimed "to encourage audience interaction with the players", loud music and 'spectacular' theatrical lighting were also a feature. Players also had the option to wear a live microphone during play, "to facilitate and encourage audience interaction". According to
654-463: A balkline parallel to each rail after a specified number of points have been scored. Another solution was to require a player's cue ball to make contact with the rail cushions in the process of contacting the other balls. This in turn saw the three-cushion version emerge, where the cue ball must make three separate cushion contacts during a shot. This is difficult enough that even the best players can only manage to average one to two points per turn. This
763-440: A blue colored cloth which was chosen for better visibility and contrast against colored balls. A rack is the name given to a frame (usually wood, plastic or aluminium) used to organize billiard balls at the beginning of a game. This is traditionally triangular in shape, but varies with the type of billiards played. There are two main types of racks; the more common triangular shape which is used for eight-ball and straight pool and
872-586: A clean shot." Prizefighter 4 took place again at the York Hall this time on 21 November 2008. The tournament featured Middleweights Paul Samuels, Danny Butler, Max Maxwell , Steve Ede, Cello Renda , Danny Thornton, Joe Rea and Martin Murray . It also formed part of a Sky Box Office show featuring the Ricky Hatton fight with Paulie Malignaggi as the main event. Martin Murray won the tournament and
981-411: A corner or along the same rail for the purpose of playing a series of nurse shots to score a seemingly limitless number of points. The first straight rail professional tournament was held in 1879 where Jacob Schaefer Sr. scored 690 points in a single turn (that is, 690 separate strokes without a miss). With the balls repetitively hit and barely moving in endless "nursing", there was little for
1090-399: A cut after a clash of heads in the bout. He was forced to withdraw and was replaced by reserve Nick Okoth, a firefighter, who had been at work earlier in the day. He won a coin toss against Preston's Paul Morris to replace Hide. Journeyman Okoth, who had a record of 8-27-5 going into the tournament, pulled off the biggest win of his career with a UD victory against Corbett and faced Dickinson in
1199-603: A first prize of £35,000. Power Snooker had to receive sanction from the WPBSA to allow their players to take part in the cue sport tournament. It was organised and promoted independently by the Power Snooker Group and not by the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association (WPBSA) which organise snooker events. Ronnie O'Sullivan won the inaugural tournament. A second tournament
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#17327983778351308-490: A good time and try my best". "At 24-years-old I still haven't got my man strength as yet, and I know I can keep improving, hopefully next year I can get a shot at British title, I will keep getting stronger and stronger." — Sam Sexton , winner of the 2nd Prizefighter tournament On the night it was the Norwich heavyweight Sam Sexton who came out on top with wins over Pelé Reid in the quarter-final, Luke Simpkin in
1417-544: A greene cloth ... three billyard sticks and 11 balls of yvery". Billiards grew to the extent that by 1727, it was being played in almost every Paris café. In England, the game was developing into a very popular activity for members of the gentry. By 1670, the thin butt end of the mace began to be used not only for shots under the cushion (which itself was originally only there as a preventative method to stop balls from rolling off), but players increasingly preferred it for other shots as well. The footless, straight cue as it
1526-565: A hometown winner in Rocky Fielding . Fielding became the first man to win the tournament by scoring three stoppages in a row beating the likes of Patrick J Maxwell (stoppage in the 2nd), Joe Ainscough (stoppage in the 1st) and Tobias Webb (stoppage in the 1st). On 7 May 2011, at Alexandra Palace, London , the 18th installment of the Prizefighter competition showcased an international field of boxers from heavyweight division for
1635-789: A long history from its inception in the 15th century, with many mentions in the works of Shakespeare , including the line "let's to billiards" in Antony and Cleopatra (1606–07). Enthusiasts of the sport have included Mozart , Louis XIV of France , Marie Antoinette , Immanuel Kant , Napoleon , Abraham Lincoln , Mark Twain , George Washington , Jules Grévy , Charles Dickens , George Armstrong Custer , Theodore Roosevelt , Lewis Carroll , W. C. Fields , Babe Ruth , Bob Hope , and Jackie Gleason . All cue sports are generally regarded to have evolved into indoor games from outdoor stick-and-ball lawn games , specifically those retroactively termed ground billiards , and as such to be related to
1744-542: A non-controlling stake in Power Snooker. According to Simons, the pair had "liked snooker but wanted to create their own game a cue sport which was both fast and exciting". Gunner stated "It had struck me for some time that Power Snooker would be a new and exciting transfusion", and that he took his inspiration from "seeing how Twenty20 cricket had revitalised cricket". Power Snooker officially launched on 22 July 2010 with former World Champion Ronnie O'Sullivan as
1853-503: A power ball, power plays and power zones which included the scoring of double points, quadruple points and the awarding of an extra 50 bonus points if a century break was made. A time foul carried a penalty of 20 points. if a player committed a foul during a power play or in the power zone the penalty was doubled. The first Power Snooker tournament to be staged was played at The O 2 in London on 30 October 2010. Eight players competed for
1962-887: A prize of $ 10,000 for a substitute material. The first viable substitute was celluloid, invented by John Wesley Hyatt in 1868, but the material was volatile, sometimes exploding during manufacture, and was highly flammable. There are many sizes and styles of billiard tables . Generally, tables are rectangles twice as long as they are wide. Table sizes are typically referred to by the nominal length of their longer dimension. Full-size snooker tables are 12 feet (3.7 m) long. Carom billiards tables are typically 10 feet (3.0 m). Regulation pool tables are 9-foot (2.7 m), though pubs and other establishments catering to casual play will typically use 7-foot (2.1 m) tables which are often coin-operated, nicknamed bar boxes . Formerly, ten-foot pool tables were common, but such tables are now considered antiques. High-quality tables have
2071-592: A punishing left hook from Darren Morgan had him out on his feet and holding on. The second tournament was held at the Telewest Arena in Newcastle in September 2008, and involved Sam Sexton , Pele Reid , Luke Simpkin , Dave Ferguson , Chris Burton, David Ingleby, Lee Swaby and Darren Morgan. The draw for the first round of fights was made by reigning British champion Danny Williams . Speaking before
2180-406: A single re-spotted black . The 30 minute game clock is halted between racks. Also unlike traditional Snooker, which uses 15 red balls racked in a triangle shape, Power Snooker matches use just nine red balls racked in a nine ball pool style diamond shape. Power Snooker is different from traditional snooker. As the person who takes the break-off shot gets to keep their turn at
2289-425: A woven wool or wool/nylon blend called baize ). Cloth has been used to cover billiards tables since the 15th century. Bar or tavern tables, which get a lot of play, use "slower", more durable cloth. The cloth used in upscale pool (and snooker) halls and home billiard rooms is "faster" (i.e., provides less friction, allowing the balls to roll farther across the table bed ), and competition-quality pool cloth
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#17327983778352398-397: Is abrasive, hand-staining and difficult to apply.) Many players prefer a slick pool glove over hand chalk or talc because of the messiness of these powders; buildup of particles on the cloth will affect ball behavior and necessitate more-frequent cloth cleaning. Cue tip chalk (invented in its modern form by straight rail billiard pro William A. Spinks and chemist William Hoskins in 1897)
2507-571: Is an important element to make good shots in pool or snooker . Cue tip chalk is not actually the substance typically referred to as " chalk " (generally calcium carbonate ), but any of several proprietary compounds, with a silicate base. It was around the time of the Industrial Revolution that newer compounds formed that provided better grip for the ball. This is when the English began to experiment with side spin or applying curl to
2616-458: Is dark red and is placed in the centre of the diamond rack, identified by a special logo, and is worth two points. When the Power Ball is potted, a two-minute Power Play period starts, where all points values are doubled. If a shot is missed however, the opponent can also benefit from the remaining Power Play time. The Power Ball changed in 2011 to a red striped ball. On the Power Snooker table,
2725-399: Is known today was finally developed by about 1800. Initially, the mace was used to push the balls, rather than strike them. The newly developed striking cue provided a new challenge. Cushions began to be stuffed with substances to allow the balls to rebound, in order to enhance the appeal of the game. After a transitional period where only the better players would use cues, the cue came to be
2834-421: Is made by crushing silica and the abrasive substance corundum or aloxite (aluminium oxide ), into a powder. It is combined with dye (originally and most commonly green or blue-green, like traditional billiard cloth , but available today, like the cloth, in many colours) and a binder (glue). Each manufacturer's brand has different qualities, which can significantly affect play. High humidity can also impair
2943-507: Is made from 100% worsted wool . Snooker cloth traditionally has a nap (consistent fiber directionality) and balls behave differently when rolling against versus along with the nap. The cloth of the billiard table has traditionally been green, reflecting its origin (originally the grass of ancestral lawn games), and has been so colored since at least the 16th century, but it is also produced in other colors such as red and blue. Television broadcasting of pool as well as 3 Cushion billiards prefers
3052-430: Is potted a two-minute power play starts and all points scored during this period count as double. The balls are continually re-racked at the end of each rack until the end of the match. Total match play lasts for a fixed 30 minutes, with the winner being the player who has scored the most points overall, irrespective of racks played or won. A 20-second shot clock is imposed on each shot, while additional rules also included
3161-478: Is sometimes described as "hardest to learn" and "require most skill" of all billiards. There are many variations of games played on a standard pool table. Popular pool games include eight-ball , nine-ball , straight pool and one-pocket . Even within games types (e.g. eight-ball ), there may be variations, and people may play recreationally using relaxed or local rules. A few of the more popular examples of pool games are given below. In eight-ball and nine-ball,
3270-403: Is too far away for normal hand bridging. It consists of a stick with a grooved metal or plastic head which the cue slides on. Some players, especially current or former snooker players, use a screw-on cue butt extension instead of or in addition to the mechanical bridge. Bridge head design is varied, and not all designs (especially those with cue shaft-enclosing rings, or wheels on the bottom of
3379-528: Is typically slightly smaller than that of standard solids-and-stripes sets. Snooker balls are smaller than American-style pool balls with a diameter of 52.5 mm ( 2 + 1 ⁄ 16 in), and come in sets of 22 (15 reds, 6 " colours ", and a cue ball). English billiard balls are the same size as snooker balls and come in sets of three balls (two cue balls and a red object ball). Other games, such as bumper pool , have custom ball sets. Billiard balls have been made from many different materials since
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3488-477: The baulk area is known as the Power Zone. Any colour ball potted from a shot originating in the Power Zone counts as double points, and if potted during a Power Play, quadruple points. In 2011 this was extended to the red balls as well. If a player fouls during a Power Play or in the Power Zone, their points penalty doubles, and if the foul shot originated in a Power Zone and during
3597-473: The United Kingdom . Barry Hearn , the promoter of World Snooker , stated that Power Snooker is "designed to be fast and very exciting with its power zones and double points scoring". Players competed in time-limited matches based on total points scored, instead of the number of racks won. Power Snooker uses nine red balls which includes one red and white striped power ball. When the power ball
3706-555: The World Games since 2001 . Billiard balls vary from game to game, in size, design and quantity. Russian pyramid and kaisa have a size of 68 mm ( 2 + 11 ⁄ 16 in). In Russian pyramid there are 16 balls, as in pool, but 15 are white and numbered, and the cue ball is usually red. In kaisa, five balls are used: the yellow object ball (called the kaisa in Finnish), two red object balls, and
3815-538: The York Hall and featured a different weight class to the previous two events with welterweights competing for the main prize. Fighters taking part in the competition were former European champion Ted Bami ; English champions Nigel Wright and Ross Minter ; Former ABA champion Michael Lomax ; Commonwealth challenger Craig Dickson; Midlands Area champion Mark Lloyd ; Former IBO light middleweight champion Steven Conway , and Andrew Ferrans. "Hopefully this will be
3924-482: The 'giraffe' (or 'swan' in England) which has a raised arch much like the 'spider' but with a slender arm reaching out around 15 cm with the groove. Chalk is applied to the tip of the cue stick, ideally before every shot, to increase the tip's friction coefficient so that when it impacts the cue ball on a non-center hit, no miscue (unintentional slippage between the cue tip and the struck ball) occurs. Chalk
4033-551: The 1340s, and was reminiscent of croquet. King Louis XI of France (1461–1483) had the first known indoor billiard table. Louis XIV further refined and popularized the game, and it swiftly spread among the French nobility. While the game had long been played on the ground, this version appears to have died out (aside from trucco) in the 17th century, in favor of croquet, golf and bowling games, even as table billiards had grown in popularity as an indoor activity. James VI and I had
4142-471: The 20th century and is still enjoyed today in Commonwealth countries. Another pocket game, Russian pyramid and its variants like kaisa are popular in the former Eastern bloc . In straight rail, a player scores a point and may continue shooting each time his cue ball makes contact with both other balls. Some of the best players of straight billiards developed the skill to gather the balls in
4251-437: The 20th installment of the Prizefighter competition showcased a field of boxers from the light middleweight division. Robert Lloyd-Taylor won the tournament, beating Takaloo by split decision in the quarter-finals, Peter Vaughan by TKO 15 seconds from the end of the semi-final and earned a unanimous points victory over Liverpudlian Nick Quigley in the final. ^ Kris Agyei-Dua won 29–28 on referee Terry O'Connor's card after
4360-543: The WBU title holder, Derry Mathews , the former WBU title holder, Stevie Bell and Scott Lawton made up the rest of the competitors. The competition resulted in a win for Gary Buckland who met Derry Mathews in the final and scored a second-round KO over the Liverpool man. Buckland had fought his way to the final beating the likes of Stevie Bell in the quarters and Gary Sykes in the semis. The win over Sykes in particular
4469-480: The WPBSA's chief shareholder, Barry Hearn. Simons had stated that he sees Power Snooker as simply being one a new cue sport and he hoped Hearn would approve since he took control of World Snooker, rather than being a threat to the established format of the traditional game or a competitor to WPBSA tournaments. According to The Guardian , Hearn sees Power Snooker as "an element of [the WPBSA's] ongoing attempt to overhaul
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4578-509: The York Hall, the 15th installment of the Prizefighter competition showcased boxers from the super featherweight division for the first time. Contestants taking part included the reigning British champion Gary Sykes and a former British and European title challenger in Gary Buckland . Ben Murphy and Gary McArthur had both previously contested the lightweight installment of the Prizefighter tournament on 24 March 2009. Choi Tseveenpurev ,
4687-399: The ancestral mace games, and even the modern cueless variants, such as finger billiards, for historical reasons. Cue itself came from queue , the French word for ' tail '. This refers to the early practice of using the tail or butt of the mace, instead of its club foot, to strike the ball when it lay against a rail cushion . A recognizable form of billiards was played outdoors in
4796-423: The arch) in the early 17th to late 18th century, but other game variants, relying on the cushions (and pockets cut into them), were being formed that would go on to play fundamental roles in the development of modern billiards. The early croquet-like games eventually led to the development of the carom billiards category. These games are played with three or sometimes four balls on a table without holes in which
4905-487: The ball. This was shortly introduced to the American players and is how the term "putting English on the ball" came to be. "Chalk" may also refer to a cone of fine, white hand chalk ; like talc (talcum powder) it can be used to reduce friction between the cue and bridge hand during shooting, for a smoother stroke. Some brands of hand chalk are made of compressed talc. (Tip chalk is not used for this purpose because it
5014-416: The break has been completed and no balls are obstructing the template. Billiards games are mostly played with a stick known as a cue. A cue is usually either a one-piece tapered stick or a two-piece stick divided in the middle by a joint of metal or phenolic resin. High-quality cues are generally two pieces and are made of a hardwood, generally maple for billiards and ash for snooker. The butt end of
5123-417: The break my career needs and as I said afterwards this wasn't about the money I won, but the glory I have enjoyed from this competition" — Michael Lomax , winner of the 3rd Prizefighter tournament Michael Lomax won the tournament with wins over Craig Dickson, Nigel Wright and Ted Bami in the final. Lomax had been confident before the tournament had even begun despite not being the favourite to lift
5232-402: The commentators on Sky thought that Lomax had actually lost his semi-final against Nigel Wright . The judges however thought differently and scored a split decision win for the eventual champion. A shocked Wright speaking after the bout said "I'm absolutely disgusted – how could they rob me like that...One judge gave Lomax all three which is unbelievable...I can't remember Michael hitting me with
5341-517: The contestants were former British champion Neil Sinclair and former Commonwealth champion Bradley Pryce . The tournament also featured former middleweight semi finalist Danny Butler, Midlands Area champion Martin Concepcion, unbeaten boxers Steve O'Meara and Brett Flournoy as well as George Hillyard and Prince Arron . In a tournament that proved difficult to predict, Droylsden boxer Prince Arron scored an upset win after beating Hillyard in
5450-416: The creators, the Power Snooker format "isn't about sitting quietly watching, it's about noise and interaction; we want the audience to feel a part of it and enjoy themselves.". In order to "add glamour" to the Power Snooker tournaments, players are encouraged to wear designer outfits, while the referees were exclusively female and were "dressed to impress". Tournaments also featured "Power Girls". According to
5559-664: The cue ball when it is not hit in its center. Cheap cues are generally made of pine, low-grade maple (and formerly often of ramin , which is now endangered), or other low-quality wood, with inferior plastic ferrules. A quality cue can be expensive and may be made of exotic woods and other expensive materials which are artfully inlaid in decorative patterns. Many modern cues are also made, like golf clubs , with high-tech materials such as woven graphite. Recently, carbon fiber woven composites have been developed and utilized by top professional players and amateurs. Advantages include less flexibility and no worry of nicks, scratches, or damages to
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#17327983778355668-465: The cue is of larger circumference and is intended to be gripped by a player's hand. The shaft of the cue is of smaller circumference, usually tapering to an 0.4 to 0.55 inches (10 to 14 mm) terminus called a ferrule (usually made of fiberglass or brass in better cues), where a rounded leather tip is affixed, flush with the ferrule, to make final contact with balls. The tip, in conjunction with chalk, can be used to impart spin to
5777-451: The cue. Skilled players may use more than one cue during a game, including a separate cue with a hard phenolic resin tip for the opening break shot, and another, shorter cue with a special tip for jump shots . The mechanical bridge, sometimes called a "rake", "crutch", "bridge stick" or simply "bridge", and in the UK a "rest", is used to extend a player's reach on a shot where the cue ball
5886-403: The diamond-shaped rack used for nine-ball. There are several other types of less common rack types that are also used, based on a "template" to hold the billiard balls tightly together. Most commonly it is a thin plastic sheet with diamond-shaped cut-outs that hold the balls that is placed on the table with the balls set on top of the rack. The rack is used to set up the "break" and removed once
5995-423: The effectiveness of chalk. Harder, drier compounds are generally considered superior by most players. There are two main varieties of billiard games: carom and pocket . The main carom billiards games are straight rail , balkline and three cushion billiards. All are played on a pocketless table with three balls; two cue balls and one object ball. In all, players shoot a cue ball so that it makes contact with
6104-481: The failure of PowerPlay Golf to generate much money. They also described Ronnie O'Sullivan's comments on launching the format, that the current WPBSA organised World Championship was "really boring", as being "not quite a Gerald Ratner moment", referring to the time when Ratner inadvertently devalued his jewellery business after he publicly criticised his product's value. Cue sports There are three major subdivisions of games within cue sports: Billiards has
6213-411: The fans to watch. In light of these skill developments in straight rail, the game of balkline soon developed to make it impossible for a player to keep the balls gathered in one part of the table for long, greatly limiting the effectiveness of nurse shots. A balkline is a line parallel to one end of a billiards table. In the game of balkline, the players have to drive at least one object ball past
6322-653: The final who had knocked out Krence in his semi final bout. Dickinson dominated the final and knocked out Okoth in the final round to take the trophy and £32,000 cash prize. On 29 May 2010, Prizefighter was at the York Hall once again and featured the first outing for the super-bantamweight division. The original line-up included former WBC world bantamweight champion Wayne McCullough , former British, Commonwealth and European champion Esham Pickering , former English champion Mark Moran and unbeaten prospects Craig Lyon and Ricky Owen. Josh Wale , Chris Riley and Gavin Reid completed
6431-405: The final. On 29 October 2011, at York Hall, Bethnal Green , the 22nd installment of the Prizefighter competition showcased another weight division first, this time it was a field of boxers from the featherweight division. Mongolian veteran Choi Tseveenpurev won the tournament, with the fan-favorite beating Lee Glover in the quarter-final with a second-round KO, before eliminating George Jupp in
6540-415: The final. The fight against Skelton in particular was notable for Sprott in that it was the third time the two had met in the ring with Skelton having won the previous two fights. Sprott himself was also coming into the tournament on the back of a defeat in a European title challenge to Audley Harrison , the winner of the previous Prizefighter tournament featuring heavyweights. On 21 November 2010, again at
6649-506: The first choice of equipment. The demand for tables and other equipment was initially met in Europe by John Thurston and other furniture makers of the era. The early balls were made from wood and clay , but the rich preferred to use ivory . Early billiard games involved various pieces of additional equipment, including the "arch" (related to the croquet hoop), "port" (a different hoop, often rectangular), and "king" (a pin or skittle near
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#17327983778356758-452: The first round to substitute boxer Carl Baker, with Baker knocking him down four times over the course of the three round contest. The defeat to Baker also meant that Williams would be stripped of his British title. On 4 December 2009, the tournament saw the light welterweight's competing for the first time. Amongst the contestants was Gavin Rees , the first former World champion to compete in
6867-509: The first series were Martin Rogan , David Dolan , Dave Ferguson , Billy Bessey, Alex Ibbs, Darren Morgan, Paul Butlin and Colin Kenna . Martin Rogan and David Dolan met in the final each boasting unbeaten records of 9–0. Rogan won after three rounds of boxing in which Dolan had been knocked down twice. Dolan was possibly still feeling the effects of a gruelling first round fight in which
6976-500: The first time, it was decided that the eighth competitor would be decided by an online public vote. The winner of the vote was former BBofC Southern Area champion Tony Salam. In the buildup to the event, Dodson, McGuire, Quigley and Salam all withdrew, and were replaced by Gambia -born Patrick Mendy , who at 19 years old was the youngest ever Prizefighter contender, former Midlands Area champion Sam Horton , former Western Area champion Carl Drake, and unbeaten Welshman Jeff Evans. Mendy
7085-420: The first time. The winner of the tournament was Mike Perez . Perez beat Kerston Manswell, Gregory Tony and Tye Fields to win the title - dispatching both opponents in the semi-final and final, Tony and Fields respectively, by first round stoppage. On 7 June 2011, at York Hall, Bethnal Green , the 19th installment of the Prizefighter competition showcased a field of boxers from the welterweight division for
7194-554: The form of pockets , or holes partly cut into the table bed and partly into the cushions, leading to the rise of pocket billiards , including "pool" games such as eight-ball, nine-ball, straight pool, and one-pocket ; Russian pyramid ; snooker ; English billiards ; and others. In the United States, pool and billiards had died out for a bit, but between 1878 and 1956 the games became very popular. Players in annual championships began to receive their own cigarette cards . This
7303-534: The former British, European and Commonwealth champion Matt Skelton and the former British and Commonwealth champion Michael Sprott . Other boxers taking part included Kevin McBride , the last man to beat Mike Tyson , Franklin Egobi, Ali Adams, Shane McPhilbin , Declan Timlin and Danny Hughes. The tournament was won by Sprott who beat Danny Hughes in the quarter-finals, Shane McPhilbin in the semis and Matt Skelton in
7412-410: The goal is generally to strike one object ball with a cue ball , then have the cue ball rebound off of one or more of the cushions and strike a second object ball. Variations include straight rail , balkline , one-cushion , three-cushion , five-pins , and four-ball , among others. One type of obstacle remained a feature of many tables, originally as a hazard and later as a target, in
7521-402: The head), are broadly tournament-approved. In Italy, a longer, thicker cue is typically available for this kind of tricky shot. For snooker, bridges are normally available in three forms, their use depending on how the player is hampered; the standard rest is a simple cross, the 'spider' has a raised arch around 12 cm with three grooves to rest the cue in and for the most awkward of shots,
7630-525: The historical games jeu de mail and palle-malle , and modern trucco , croquet , and golf , and more distantly to the stickless bocce and bowls . The word billiard may have evolved from the French word billart or billette , meaning 'stick', in reference to the mace , an implement similar to a golf putter , and which was the forerunner to the modern cue ; however, the term's origin could have been from French bille , meaning 'ball'. The modern term cue sports can be used to encompass
7739-496: The judges scored the contest a majority draw. On 12 October 2011, at the Liverpool Olympia, the 21st installment of the Prizefighter competition showcased a field of boxers from the super flyweight division for the first time. Lee Haskins won the tournament, getting through all his fights by unanimous decision. He beat Terry Broadbent in the quarter-final, Ryan Farrag in the semi-final and overcame Don Broadhurst in
7848-627: The latest. Quite a variety of particular games (i.e., sets of rules and equipment) are the subject of present-day competition, including many of those already mentioned, with competition being especially broad in nine-ball, snooker, three-cushion, and eight-ball. Snooker, though a pocket billiards variant and closely related in its equipment and origin to the game of English billiards, is a professional sport organized at an international level, and its rules bear little resemblance to those of modern pool, pyramid, and other such games. A "Billiards" category encompassing pool, snooker, and carom has been part of
7957-400: The line up. McCullough, Lyon and Riley withdrew in the weeks leading up to the tournament and were replaced by 2002 Commonwealth Games gold medallist Jamie Arthur , undefeated Irishman Willie Casey , and Robbie Turley. The opening bout between Moran and Casey was the only one to finish inside the distance. The remaining quarter-finals were all decided on split decisions with Pickering being
8066-407: The main casualty, being defeated by Josh Wale. In the semi-finals, Casey defeated Wale in a thrilling contest in which 532 punches were thrown in just three rounds. Owen maintained his unbeaten record with a victory over Jamie Arthur , however he was unable to progress to the final after injuries sustained in the fight. He was forced to withdraw and was replaced by young Paul McElhinney, a Scotsman who
8175-488: The main snooker player endorsement. O'Sullivan said of the new cue sport "the crowd will love it and the public will enjoy it". Power Snooker is independent of the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association , organisers of the World Snooker Championship and other ranking tournaments, and regulators of the professional game. This new cue sport format has however been officially sanctioned by
8284-520: The middleweight division. Unlike in the previous tournaments, this time the fights would be 10-rounders and the tournament isn't completed in a single evening. The quarter-finals were held on July 15th 2024 in Osaka, Japan. The first Prizefighter took place at York Hall, Bethnal Green in April 2008. The event was televised live on Sky Sports and saw 8 heavyweight fighters compete for the title. Competitors for
8393-400: The object is to sink object balls until one can legally pocket the winning eponymous " money ball ". Well-known but waning in popularity is straight pool, in which players seek to continue sinking balls, rack after rack if they can, to reach a pre-determined winning score (typically 150). Related to nine-ball, another well-known game is rotation , where the lowest-numbered object ball on
8502-399: The opponent's cue ball as well as the object ball. Others of multinational interest are four-ball and five-pins . The most globally popular of the large variety of pocket games are pool and snooker . A third, English billiards , has some features of carom billiards. English billiards used to be one of the two most-competitive cue sports along with the carom game balkline, at the turn of
8611-411: The organisers, "It was important the girls matched the Power Snooker brand criteria; Power Girls are sexy, sassy and very elegant". The Guardian , while reserving judgement on whether the revamped Power Snooker could emulate the success of Twenty20 cricket, pointed out that on the eve of the inaugural tournament the format had yet to find a bookmaker partner, and also drew an unfavourable comparison with
8720-425: The player can repeat this in the second consecutive frame, this doubles to 100 points, and in a third consecutive frame, to 200 points. This reward for century breaks was, however, removed in 2011. After a foul shot , the opponent gets a " ball in hand " and can resume play from anywhere in the baulk area . Power Snooker uses the concepts of the Power Ball, Power Play, and Power Zone. The Power Ball
8829-535: The players must sink a set number of balls; respectively, all in a particular pocket , or all by bank shots . In snooker, players score points by alternately potting red balls and various special " colour balls ". Speed pool is a standard billiards game where the balls must be pocketed in as little time as possible. Rules vary greatly from tournament to tournament. The International Speed Pool Challenge has been held annually since 2006. Prizefighter series The Prizefighter series
8938-467: The potential attendance by 5,000. The boxers involved initially were Danny Williams , Audley Harrison , Michael Sprott , Scott Gammer , Scott Belshaw , Michael Holden, Coleman Barrett and Danny Hughes. Carl Baker was eventually drafted in to take the place of Michael Holden after the BBBofC refused permission for Holden to fight after voicing concerns over his lack of activity over recent years in
9047-670: The quarter-final, Pryce in the semis and then knocking down the unbeaten former ABA champion Flournoy in the final. On 30 April 2010, Prizefighter was at the York Hall once again and featured the second outing for the cruiserweight division. The main contender was two-time WBO world heavyweight champion Herbie Hide . Also in contention were former Commonwealth champion Darren Corbett and unbeaten prospect Jon-Lewis Dickinson . The tournament also featured former English heavyweight champion Mark Krence as well as novices Leon Williams , Zahid Kahut, John Anthony and Wayne Brooks. Hide comfortably won his quarter-final against Brooks but suffered
9156-605: The ring. Sprott withdrew following a family bereavement and was replaced by Neil Perkins . The quarter final draw took place on 11 September at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas , Nevada by Mike Tyson alongside Matchroom Sports chairman Barry Hearn . Former Olympic gold medalist Audley Harrison eventually won the title having defeated Scott Belshaw, Danny Hughes and Coleman Barrett. Reigning British heavyweight champion Danny Williams, lost in
9265-474: The second time that included former world champion Junior Witter . Moroccan fighter Yassine El maachi won the tournament, beating Peter McDonagh, Colin Lynes and pre-tournament favourite Junior Witter by unanimous, split and majority decisions respectively to claim the Prizefighter trophy. El Maachi suffered a serious knee injury and has not boxed since. On 15 September 2011, at York Hall, Bethnal Green ,
9374-569: The semi-finals and the hometown favourite Chris Burton in the final. After the win Sexton praised his tactics saying "The night went exactly how we planned it, we had a gameplan for each fight worked out before we came tonight". On his future aspirations he added "At 24-years-old I still haven't got my man strength as yet, and I know I can keep improving, hopefully next year I can get a shot at British title, I will keep getting stronger and stronger." Prizefighter 3 took place on 24 October 2008 back at
9483-408: The sport and introduce it to new audiences". Hearn stated on the launch that "We are 100% behind Power Snooker. In this new time for World Snooker, it is important for us to embrace new formats and new ideas", stating that he believed it would bring new audiences and fans to snooker. The Guardian also stated that Hearn believes these new formats will hopefully draw new fans into the traditional form of
9592-589: The sport, and that he compared it to the Prizefighter series he had recently introduced to boxing, and his recent revamp of the Professional Darts Corporation . Hearn has not invested financially in the format, with Simons stating that "Our feeling is that he'll [Hearn] take a look at the [first tournament], see how it goes, and then we'll have another conversation". Power Snooker is played on traditional-sized snooker tables, but with
9701-418: The start of the game, including clay, bakelite , celluloid , crystallite , ivory , plastic, steel and wood. The dominant material from 1627 until the early 20th century was ivory. The search for a substitute for ivory use was not for environmental concerns, but based on economic motivation and fear of danger for elephant hunters. It was in part spurred on by a New York billiard table manufacturer who announced
9810-415: The table as long as two reds hit a cushion after their break off shot. Power Snooker play is kept to a quick pace through the use of a shot clock with all shots having a twenty-second limit. If the player exceeds the shot clock the player is penalised 20 points, and their opponent can resume play, or can elect to let the other player play on. A century break is rewarded with 50 bonus points, and if
9919-431: The table must be struck first, although any object ball may be pocketed (i.e., combination shot). Each pocketed ball is worth its number, and the player with the highest score at the end of the rack is the winner. Since there are only 120 points available (1 + 2 + 3 ⋯ + 15 = 120), scoring 61 points leaves no opportunity for the opponent to catch up. In both one-pocket and bank pool,
10028-518: The tournament having defeated Billy Boyle and Courtney Fry on the way to a final win over Darren Stubbs. The sixth installment of the Prizefighter franchise took place on 24 March 2009 at the Kelvin Hall , Scotland with the weight division on this occasion being lightweight . Boxers taking part in the competition were Ryan Brawley , Ben Murphy, Paul Holborn, Charlie King, Gary McArthur, Steve Saville, Stephen Burke and Stuart Green. Brawley won
10137-415: The tournament taking home £32,000, a figure that has increased from the initial top prize of £25,000 when the tournament first aired in April 2008. There have been 34 Prizefighter tournaments so far featuring 14 different weight divisions. The last tournament was held in 2015. In 2024 a new Prizefighter tournament was announced. This time promoted by Eddie Hearn, the tournament would include eight fighters in
10246-470: The tournament with victories over Murphy, Holborn and Burke in the final. The seventh instalment of the Prizefighter franchise took place on 19 May 2009 at Earls Court Exhibition Centre , London with the weight division on this occasion being cruiserweight . Boxers taking part in the competition were Darren Corbett , Terry Dunstan , Dean Francis, John Keeton , Ovill McKenzie , Bruce Scott, Neil Simpson (boxer)|Neil Simpson and Mickey Steeds. Mark Krence
10355-471: The tournament's history. The competition also had a number of European champions competing with Colin Lynes , Jason Cook and Ted Bami , a man who had also reached the final of the Welterweight prizefighter tournament in October 2008. Former British champions David Barnes and Young Mutley also took part as did unbeaten fighter Michael Grant and Welshman Barrie Jones . The draw for the competition
10464-406: The tournament, competitor Luke Simpkin said "This could change my life if I win it", initially a substitute he was brought in to replace Ian Millarvie who had sustained an injury. Of his tactics for the tournament Simpkin said "There’s no tactics involved in my game and attack is the best form of defence so I will just attack. You haven’t got much time to plan anything so I will just go out there, have
10573-500: The trophy saying "I am confident I'll win...no one is as dedicated as me, what you put in is what you get out" . He claimed that it was the best night of his career so far and raised hopes that this was the launchpad for his career saying "Hopefully this will be the break my career needs and as I said afterwards this wasn't about the money I won, but the glory I have enjoyed from this competition." The result wasn't without controversy however as many people watching at ringside as well as
10682-536: The two white cue balls (usually differentiated by one cue ball having a dot or other marking on it and each of which serves as an object ball for the opponent). Carom billiards balls are larger than pool balls, having a diameter of 61.5 mm ( 2 + 7 ⁄ 16 in), and come as a set of two cue balls (one colored or marked) and an object ball (or two object balls in the case of the game four-ball ). Standard pool balls are 57.15 mm ( 2 + 1 ⁄ 4 in), are used in many pool games found throughout
10791-668: The world, come in sets of two suits of object balls, seven solids and seven stripes , an 8 ball and a cue ball ; the balls are racked differently for different games (some of which do not use the entire ball set). Blackball (English-style eight-ball) sets are similar, but have unmarked groups of red and yellow balls instead of solids and stripes, known as "casino" style. They are used principally in Britain, Ireland, and some Commonwealth countries, though not exclusively, since they are unsuited for playing nine-ball. The diameter varies but
10900-581: The £25,000 prize money following wins over Joe Rea, Danny Butler and then in the final Cello Renda . The final itself saw Renda getting knocked down and with both fighters coming out swinging and fighting toe to toe. The fifth instalment of the Prizefighter franchise took place on 20 February 2009 with the weight division on this occasion being light heavyweight. Boxers taking part in the competition were Courtney Fry, Shon Davies, Tony Oakey , Billy Boyle, Bob Ajisafe , Carl Dilks, Darren Stubbs and Steve Spartacus. Former British champion Tony Oakey eventually won
11009-453: Was Travis Dickinson , whose brother Jon-Lewis Dickinson won Prizefighter at cruiserweight in April 2010. Dickinson beat Llewellyn Davies, Justin Jones and Sam Couzens to win the title - Jones and Couzens stepping in as reserves after the withdrawals of Dodson and Jack Morris due to injury. The second version of the super middleweight tournament took place in Liverpool on 23 March 2011 and saw
11118-409: Was a professional boxing tournament created by boxing promoter Barry Hearn and aired on Sky Sports . The format has an initial eight fighters, who compete in four quarter-finals of 3 x 3 minute rounds (number and length of the rounds is same as in amateur boxing ) followed by two semi-finals and one final all on the same night. The total prize money of the tournament is £80,000 with the winner of
11227-457: Was conducted by Floyd Mayweather Jr. Gavin Rees, who was supported at ringside by Joe Calzaghe , eventually picked up the trophy and £32,000 prize money after defeating all three former European champions in Ted Bami, Jason Cook and Colin Lynes in the final. On 26 February 2010, Prizefighter returned to the York Hall and featured the first outing for the light middleweight division. Among
11336-548: Was mainly due to the fact that it was a popular pastime for troops to take their minds off battle. However, by the end of World War II, pool and billiards began to die down once again. It was not until 1961 when the film The Hustler came out that sparked a new interest in the game. Now the game is generally well-known and has many players of all different skill levels. The games with regulated international professional competition, if not others, have been referred to as "sports" or "sporting" events, not simply "games", since 1893 at
11445-465: Was notable in that the reigning British champion had chosen to compete in the tournament only to suffer a shock first-round knockout. On 29 January 2011, at the Olympia, London , the 16th installment of the Prizefighter competition showcased boxers from the light heavyweight division for the second time. Former British champion Tony Dodson was the biggest name involved. The winner of the tournament
11554-461: Was originally drafted in, but replaced by McKenzie after he was forced to withdraw due to injury. McKenize went on to win the title scoring wins over Dunstan, Corbett and Keeton in the final. The eighth tournament was held on 2 October 2009, it was originally due to be held at the York Hall in Bethnal Green , but was moved to the larger ExCeL London due to demand for tickets, increasing
11663-461: Was played in 2011. This was the last Power Snooker event that was staged. Power Snooker was created by Rod Gunner and Ed Simons, both producers with backgrounds in the entertainment industry. Gunner had been involved with Michael Flatley's Lord of the Dance , while Simons was co-producer of the film The Lawnmower Man . Boxing promoter Frank Warren , a longtime business partner of Simons, also has
11772-414: Was the eventual winner of the tournament, breaking the record for fastest Prizefighter knockout when he defeated Sam Horton after 82 seconds, and then became the youngest Prizefighter winner as well as competitor when he defeated Paul David in the final. On 9 October 2010, the York Hall played host to the fourth outing for the heavyweights as part of the Prizefighter series. Contestants taking part included
11881-620: Was undefeated in four fights and won a coin toss against Slough's Ian Bailey to replace Owen. Despite having already fought two bouts Casey was able to win the final by unanimous decision. On 30 June 2010, the first ever super middleweights Prizefighter took place in York Hall , London . The original line up featured former British champions Tony Dodson and Tony Quigley , former English champion Paul David, former BBofC Celtic champion Stevie McGuire, former British Masters champion Eddie McIntosh, as well as Daniel Cadman and Peter Fedorenko. For
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