Pete Williams asked:


In snooker or pool, the grip is where every stroke starts, get this wrong and you will find that more and more of your shots are being missed.

The first thing that players tend to do (especially those new to the game) is grip the cue too tight. Why is this a problem? This causes a problem as the muscles in the arm will tighten through the shot, this can cause a lot of unwanted sidespin or cause us to miss the right spot on the cue ball entirely.

To be a successful player your grip needs to be relaxed and maintain a constant pressure throughout every shot, whether it be a delicate cut or a powerful draw stroke. Every time, where possible, the grip pressure has to be constant.

If the grip is too loose then the opposite can happen, the cue can be dropped whilst attempting a pot or literally get thrown out of the hand.

As with most things there is never a definitive right or wrong answer and it is about finding a position on the cue that is comfortable for you. Here are some helpful hints:

Find the balance point of your cue by balancing it on your index finger until it stops wobbling

Your grip should be behind this point so that the weight of the cue goes through the ball

Experiment with your hand in different positions and find something comfortable

6-10 inches behind the balance point is a good start

Grip the cue with index and middle finger and the thumb on top (creates a “V” between thumb and index finger)

Palm should be touching the cue and then move away when going through your stroke

Remember the key thing is to keep the grip relaxed, just feel for yourself the tension in your arm if you grip the cue too tightly. Tension in the arm will mean you miss more shots.

If you follow all these tips you’ll find that your snooker or pool will improve, remember get a grip…



Caffeinated Content for WordPress

brislet asked:


Snooker is a totally different game than pool, although its origins come from the same place.  Snooker is played on a pool table with larger dimensions and with a different set of balls and longer cue sticks. 

In Snooker, in addition to the white cue ball, there are 21 target balls, 15 red and 6 colored.  Each ball color has a different point value.  The red balls are worth 1 point, the yellow balls are worth 2, the green are worth 3, the brown are worth 4, the blue are worth 5, the pink are worth 6 and the black is worth 7. 

Here’s how the game works.  First you must pocket a red ball and then after every red ball that’s pocketed, you should pocket a color ball.  This will allow you to gain the point value of the colored ball.  If there are still red balls on the table, the colored balls are returned to their place on the table (there is a designated location for each colored ball) in order to continue gaining points.  When there are no more red balls on the table, then the players must aim to pocket the colored balls.  This must be done according to their point value.  The overall objective of the game is to get more points than your opponent by the end of the game.

If a player causes the white cue ball to hit the wrong ball (either a colored before a red, or the wrong color at the end of the game because it’s out of order) then it’s considered a foul.  When a player gets a foul, the player’s turn is over and his opponent gains points for the foul.  The opponent can allow the player to then do-over the hit and if the player with a foul continues to foul (three in a row), then he automatically loses the frame.

Online snooker is played the same as offline snooker.  Many players like to play snooker online in order to practice their skills and learn additional strategies as they go along.  It’s a great way for players who are learning snooker (and who might not have access to snooker tables, etc.), to play the game and develop their personal skills and strategies.



Caffeinated Content for WordPress

Miguel Poza asked:


A fantastic place to find cool broadband quality sports video and audio clips to view online for free is the BBC sports website which you can find at news.bbc.co.uk/sport They also have lots of great sports content for you to enjoy including the latest sports news, the latest sports results, photo galleries, scores & fixtures information and lots more besides. The BBC sports website also has dedicated sections on their website for football, cricket, tennis, golf, rugby union, rugby league, motorsport, boxing, athletics, cycling, snooker and horse racing.

Eurosport.com is another great place to find free sports clips to watch online and they have excellent sports news coverage of a range of sports including football, cycling, motorsports, basketball, athletics, golf, winter sports, boxing, baseball, cricket, field hockey, handball, NFL, Olympics, Rugby, Rowing, Sailing, Snooker and Swimming. One thing I really like about the Eurosport.com website is the Live Score feature which you will find on the homepage and shows you the live current scores on a range of different sports including football, tennis, cycling, motorsports, field hockey, basketball, rugby, athletics, snooker and winter sports. This site is very well designed, is constantly updated and is easy to navigate. It will definitely keep sports buffs busy for days!

SportsNews.com has a huge range of detailed and up to date sports news coverage from around the world. It is a very well laid out website which as well as having all the sports news you can handle, it also has extensive entertainment news, regional news, business news and science news.

A quality sports site which is especially good for American sports fans is Fox Sports which can be found at msn.foxsports.com It has detailed extensive sports news coverage of NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL, golf, tennis, football, NCAA FB, Winter Olympics, Boxing, Horse Racing, F1, WNBA and beach volleyball.

Another good sports site which covers American sports is ESPN which you can find at espn.go.com They mainly cover MLB, NFL, College Football, NASCAR, NBA, Golf, Tennis, NHL, Soccer, Boxing, College Basketball and Womens Basketball. They have all the scores, teams and standings for all these sports. I like the design of this site which is neat and clear.

Well that is all the sites I think you sports fans will need to feed your hunger for more info on your favourite sports and teams, I hope you like them and have lots of fun on them!



snooker

Jason Creation asked:


No matter what your favorite sport might be, either you or someone you know has placed a bet on that sport at some time. People enjoy sports betting, and for them it’s less about winning the money than it is about winning the game itself. Nothing can beat the euphoria that you feel when your football team wins or the horse you picked comes in first.

Sports betting has always been lucrative, but the internet has made betting sports more popular than ever online.

Whether you follow outdoor sports such as football, horse racing, or you prefer something less strenuous such as card games or bingo, you’re bound to find your favorite game online. Now you can place a bet over the internet on what ever sport or game you choose. Sports betting has been popular for many years and it’s popularity has increased now that people can place their bets or watch their favorite game via their computer.

If you can’t get to a boxing ring to watch the latest fight then you can do it over the internet and you can place your bet at the same time. Sports betting is becoming ever more popular both in the US and in the UK. You can bet on the Super Bowl, the US Open, Tennis and so-on. If boxing, tennis and horse racing aren’t enough for you, then you can always try your luck at the online blackjack tables and casinos.

Most people like to place a bet at least once in their lives, while others bet on their favorite team or their favorite player. The number of people who bet more than they can actually afford is, thankfully, very few. Most of the online sports betting sites, bingo sites and casinos, try to encourage responsible betting.

Site owners know that with some people gambling is a sickness and so most of them will have a notice stating that they only encourage people to bet responsibly. For most people a bet adds just that little bit extra spice to watching their favorite team or the horse they picked to win the race.

Some sports betting sites and online casinos offer chat rooms for their visitors to chat with other people who have the same interests. If you’ve had a win, then it’s good to be able to talk with someone who can appreciate that feeling because they’ve experienced it themselves.

Nowadays it seems that you can bet on almost every sport that you can think of, including motorcycle racing and even professional snooker. Wherever there is a game, there’s fun to be had and money to be made.

Online sports betting is great, especially if you can’t get to the race track, the football stadium or the casino. You can watch the games played live from the comfort of your own home and still be able to place your bet. Many people enjoy the excitement that only comes from a game of chance, and they can get quite involved in the game they’re watching.

Not everyone approves of sports betting, but if you’re only placing small bets and not spending money that’s actually meant for other things, then you might as well enjoy your sports betting.



Caffeinated Content for WordPress

Article Manager asked:


In today’s world, sports news has been considered as life support systems for the sports lovers. If you are looking for the news, then you can search through the internet as there are a number of web portals available offering current updates after time to time. In fact, there are thousands of places available on the net where people can get their sports news information. All the popular web portals are available with various sections such as football, cricket, tennis, golf, union, rugby, league, boxing, motorsport, athletics, cycling, snooker and horse racing. If you are looking for these and something special, then you can search through connect.in.com as the website is home to a variety of sporting news. The portal has become very popular for offering true information without getting late.

Playing games has been considered as an activity that bridges the gap between two nations, cuts across linguistic and religious barriers and reminds unbelievable emotions and passion. Victory of a team helps a nation to erupt in a joy. Connect.in.com is a leading site that covers detailed and the latest sports related happening from around the world. Like it, there are a number of websites offering such information one can rely upon. It also has other sections like entertainment, regional, business and science news. All the sections are flooded with current updates as the portal gets updated after time to time.

Web portals help you a lot by offering latest updates about current matches and schedule of planned matches. They not only offer updates regarding sporting events, but also update concerning gamers. If you require any information about sporting events, you need to browse web portals where all information is available at just a single click away. You can also register yourself with these websites to get their upgradation time after time in your inbox.

Are you a sports lover? If your answer is positive, then it is necessary for you to search a reliable web portal that provides genuine and true information. All happening in sports world can be availed by browsing a number of websites or portals. So, why are you waiting for? Just browse the websites available on the net.



Caffeinated Content

Pete Williams asked:


American Pool, which is played on a 9 x 4.5ft table, consists of at least 5 regularly played disciplines. The most popular are the games of 9-ball and 8-ball and these games are played all over the world at an amateur and professional level.

The American style tables first started being put into UK clubs in the early 90’s when operators could see the benefit of offering cue sports for all. These tables are easy to play on and take up far less space than snooker tables.

The lack of popularity of American Pool in the UK is caused in part by conservatism, snooker and English pool are both very traditional sports and at a tournament and professional level are played in very traditional ways. Players wear suits, waistcoats and dickey-bow ties. American Pool is very liberal; players do have to adhere to a dress code but this is not so strict. Audiences tend to be a lot more vocal too!

The next point that I touch on is that there are over 5 million snooker and English pool players in the UK. In the case of English pool, it is always going to be very difficult to convert a player to the larger tables because their local pub can’t house a 9ft pool table. This is the case for the vast majority of public houses throughout the UK. The main player base does not want to travel to a pool hall and pay £7-£8 per hour to play a game of pool when they can go around the corner to their local pub and pay 50p per game. Not that it is all about money, it is convenience too. That is not to say that these “pub pool” players do not enjoy American Pool, I am sure they do, it is just seen as a night out for them and something that only happens rarely.

We then have to consider the impact of television and media coverage of Cue Sports. Snooker commands huge television audiences from its broadcasts on the BBC. The BBC is accessible in nearly every home in the UK, which means that anyone can tune in to watch if they want to. By having the game easily accessible on the TV networks people get a buzz for the sport and want to go and play themselves. This is especially prevalent considering the large sums of money that the professional players receive for winning a tournament. Who would not be attracted to that aspect of the sport?

In contrast American pool is only available via the SKY Sports network (although some is now reaching British Eurosport) and is shown at very inconvenient times. I am not sure of the number of homes that subscribe to SKY Sports but it is probably only about one tenth of the total number of households that can view the BBC. Of these 10% the majority are subscribing to watch the football not the pool. So it all comes down to promotion and exposure. Without reaching the mass market via terrestrial TV American pool will not develop and although English pool does not have the exposure either it is accessible due to the number of tables available in local pubs.

Something that I touched on earlier that further cements the case is prize money. A sport is only attractive to TV audiences (in the first instance) if players are seen to be earning huge sums of money or if the TV networks can see that there is already a mass market. In snooker this has previously been the case (more recently prize funds have dwindled but they still are into the £100,000’s), which is why young people especially want to take up the sport, it is relatively cheap to play and if you get good then you can earn some money playing the game.

In American Pool prize funds in the vast majority of cases are made up solely of entry fees. This means that it can be expensive to play with no real rewards for winning. Even in the USA and on the main professional circuits, sponsorship in the form of added prize money is at a premium. It is not very attractive to players if they cannot be seen to be making a living. I don’t want to paint a completely bleak picture because there are around 30-40 players that earn a very decent living through tournaments and endorsements.

So in conclusion it is easy to see that until the exposure of the sport changes and sponsors come on board the sport will not grow in the UK and our cueists (who I believe to be the best in the world) will stick to what they know.

The game also needs a grassroots level, which is something I tried to introduce when I launched APN Leagues (now owned and operated by a different party). It is grassroots tournaments, coaching and leagues that will build the player base in the first instance, then all the other factors mentioned above will almost fall into place.



Caffeinated Content for WordPress

Bob asked:


Spending an afternoon with your friends, playing a game of pool or snooker is great fun. And if you haven’t done it yet, don’t wait any longer. Get a pool tableand experience it firsthand. You will never get bored and will spend hours with your friends or family playing pool or snooker on this table. It is one of the best ways to relax and spend some quality time.

Once you have decided to buy a pool table, there are a lot of factors that need to be considered. You have to think about the size, design, felt color and obviously the cost of the snooker table.

To make your job easy, I have the perfect solution for you. At BIGshop.com.au you can find some of the best pool tables, and that too, at an affordable price. I recently bought a 7 ft table for my home for just AU$599.95. And guess what, I also got $350 worth of accessories FREE along with this pool/snooker table! I still can’t believe that I’ve struck such a good bargain. (You can also pick an 8 ft table, if you want a slightly bigger one).

This snooker table has a deep green playing surface on a wood grain finish. With its ultra modern chrome corners, the finish is as good as any high-end furniture and it goes well with the décor of our home. Not just homes, the 7 ft pool table can be placed anywhere, even in bars, clubs, or garages.

The icing on the cake is the bonus accessories that you’ll get with these tables. You have everything you need in this bonus set, including 1 pool ball set, 1 snooker ball set, 2 pool cues, 2 bridge sticks, and more. Take home a 7 ft pool/snooker table today and your kids will just love it.



Caffeinated Content

David H. Urmann asked:


A billiard room is simply defined as a room for group of people who play billiards. There are many billiards parlors nowadays and more and more people including the young and old go to these parlors for night out.

Billiard parlors are exclusively made from the idea of guy’s and ladies time together since it is merely changing these days with the start of billiards parlors or pool parlors. Billiard parlors range from essential to expensive parlors. Upscale billiards parlors normally have a lot of tables that can hold more than 500 guests in few cases and has a bar as well.

A number of billiard parlors can provide accommodation for private parties, shopping, and even parking, with an array of package deals. During the 1990’s the idea of a billiard parlors was just a room with a billiard tables and sticks and balls to play. Most of it had no ambience but is very useful, just made exclusively for playing billiards. At the moment, the billiards parlors have revolutionized as compared to what the previous billiards room was. A contemporary billiard parlor offers ambience drinks, serves food and offers other kinds of entertainment. Wi-fi music and plasma screen televisions are provided to entertain guests. Normally, a billiard parlor has 40 tables or more along with other games like snooker and other indoor games. Ideally, it’s meant for a group of friends who come to play and doesn’t want to be included to other groups or doesn’t want to share their table with anybody else.

Originally, before snooker was invented, Billiards is already a popular game. A set of rules are implemented before you play the game. Billiards is composed of strategy, preparation and excellence. In this game, players as a rule must have a lot of forethoughts before they play. It is somewhat compared to golf. You cannot learn and master them instantly since there are basic rules and regulations and some code of conduct to be followed while playing it. It is a serious game that needs professional attitude with a lot of concentration, thoughts, strategy and then exercise of mind. It is a game of composure and it doesn’t need all that physical activity but only definite postures that you might develop during the game.

Billiard games uses cue. A cue is a long stick that is used to hit the balls that are kept on the billiard board. Cues are held with both of your hands. The players usually hold one end of the cue and then place the tip of the cue between the fingers of the other hand. Both hands work together to fold the cue firmly before it aims a certain ball. On the other hand, the balls that will be used for the game is arranged on a triangular shape and is located just above the billiards table. The cue is used to hit the balls in order to disperse it and then the game continues after that.

The entire game of billiards actually depends on how the balls are hit by the player for the first time. Right after the first shot, the player must be able to strategize his moves and plan how to hit each ball for him to win the game. In short, victory is the result of a planned effort in the billiards game. In Billiards, a trick shot is something that you do to manipulate the balls, but mostly it is unlikely to happen. Trick shots are practiced expensively and looked at with remarkable interest. Most players practice these trick shots and create new trick shots that can be used during the game. Professional players normally include this billiard trick shot as part of their regular game. In artistic billiards the players usually obtain seventy challenges that they need to complete. However, Billiard competitions that allow trick shots regularly allow the players to complete these trick shots. Indeed, Billiard is one kind of game that you can never take as it comes.



Caffeinated Content

Jim Harves asked:


A new site offering online pool and snooker plus exciting tournaments.

Billiard Magic is a brand new site dedicated to online billiard games. Catering for anyone who enjoys a game of pool or snooker, this site has everything you need to know about playing online.

Offering a variety of billiard games, backed up by top of the range software and graphics, Billiard Magic welcomes both experienced players wishing to perfect their technique and newcomers who would like to learn a new game.

Not only can you play fun billiard games at Billiard Magic, but there are lots of exciting opportunities to enter tournaments and win cash prizes. Regular promotions means it’s never dull at BilliardMagic.

Playing online can be a lot of fun, especially when you start to meet the other players. Hundreds of pool and snooker fans from around the globe may be logged on at any one time, giving you access to an amazing choice of opponents. By watching others play, you can learn new techniques and strategies and generally improve your game.

Choose from 8 ball pool, 9 ball pool or snooker. Online pool is played just like real live pool, except players use the mouse to line up the cue and hit the ball. By varying the speed of the mouse, the shot can be varied in strength – as in reality. Accurate technology means that shots work on angles the same way as in live pool, and players must calculate the correct angle for their shot.

Helpful software gives tips for beginners on how to figure out your angle, making this complicated process a little easier for the technically challenged. If you’re serious about improving, you could even watch the pros playing in tournaments to see how they do it.

Players have the choice of playing for fun or for money at Billiard Magic. To play for money, there is a simple deposit process by which players add money to their account. Any winnings can then either be used for further play, or can be withdrawn, according to the terms and conditions.

All games can be played either against the computer, or against other real players. Or better still, get your friends to sign up, and play against each other. Get a head start by practising online before you invite them to a match.

In online pool the same rules apply as in traditional pool, so if you make a foul, the turn passes to your opponent. Foul shots include not hitting any ball on your shot and pocketing the white cue ball. Other shots can cause the player to lose immediately, such as pocketing the black by mistake.

Tournaments are held regularly at Billiard Magic, with sit and go, or freerolls available. Win a tournament and as well as the cash prize, you’ll go into the hall of fame.

Playing pool and snooker online is fun and challenging and the more you play, the more skilled you will become. The thrill of winning real money by playing online pool is a huge adrenalin rush. Start playing today and discover the winner in you!



Caffeinated Content

MJ Marks asked:


My high school years was spent on an Air Force Base in Italy, and many times after school, I would find myself hanging out at the Community Center playing pool with some of the GI’s. I fancied myself a fairly good player because I occasionally got a lucky shot, but in retrospect, I really wasn’t very good at all. At the time, we always played eight-ball, and only associated that game with pool tables, but since then have learned many other games that are a lot of fun to play. So if you are looking for some variety, consider some of the following games:



Nine ball

Three ball

One-pocket

Bank pool

Snooker



Let’s take a closer look at how each of these games are played.

Nine-ball

This game only uses the cue ball and the 1 through 9 balls. The balls are racked in a diamond shape with the one ball in the front and the nine ball in the middle. Though the balls can be pocketed in any order, the cue ball must first make contact with the lowest numbered ball on the pool table. The game is won by sinking the 9 ball, and a match is won by winning a predetermined number of games. When a shot is missed, the next player starts play with the cue ball in the position left by the other player. If a foul was committed, the incoming player can place the cue ball anywhere on the table.

Three-ball

When there is a lack of numerous pool tables, but many players, this is a good game to play. It just uses the cue ball plus three other balls. The object is to sink all three balls in the fewest number of strokes. One player plays until all 3 balls are pocketed, all strokes counted. Then the next player starts, trying to sink all three balls in fewer strikes. Often this game is played in innings, consisting of three or five rounds.

One-pocket

This is a two player game with each player choosing a pocket. The object is to shoot a majority of the balls (8) into your pocket. Fouls occur if you shoot your ball into the wrong pocket on the pool tables. This game often takes more strategy than other billiard games.

Bank pool

This game can be played with either a full rack (15 balls) for a long game, or with nine balls (lately more popular) for a shorter game. You have to sink a ball by banking it off of one of the sides. Shots are normally called. The first player to bank and sink eight balls is the winner (in the shorter game, five balls must be pocketed).

Snooker

Snooker can be played on average sized pool tables. The game requires 15 red balls, and six balls of various colors (1 each of yellow [2], green [3], brown [4], blue [5], pink [6] and black [7]) and a white cue ball. Each red ball is worth 1 point, the color balls are then worth 2 – 7 points as labeled above. The 15 red balls are racked up in the traditional triangle at the beginning of the game. Each colored ball has a set point on the table. The object of the game is to get the most points. First you have to sink a red ball in a pocket, and then any colored ball (remember the point value of each ball is important ). The red ball remains in the pocket, but any colored ball is replaced to its original starting place on the table after it is sunk. You receive points for each ball you sink. When you miss a shot, it is then the other players turn. Once all the red balls are gone, the color balls then have to be sunk in numerical order. The player with the most points, wins. Points can also be earned through fouls (such as sinking balls out of order – like two red ones in a row).

These are most the of the official games that are played on pool tables, though they all have more detailed rules, and many of them offer variations. So, next time you are looking for something to do, head on down to your local pool hall where they have a lot of pool tables, and try something new when you play pool with your friends.



Caffeinated Content