Virtual Snooker

Virtual Snooker shares the same graphics and gameplay experience form its predecessor game know as Virtual Pool, as we all know Virtual Pool was very outstanding game, so we can also General Directory expect better gameplay from this game. I am very happy to see the mechanics and playability of the game, the shot is determined; how hard you hit the ball by pulling you PC mouse backwards. You can easily see the difference between this game and other snooker games out in the market.

The thing I like the most about this game is; there is huge amount of tutorial available in the game, which teaches you an extra ordinary tips and tricks, which are very useful for the new gamers. The only disappointment for the game is; it’s almost the same as Virtual Pool the only difference I have seen is the graphics, size of the tables, colors of the snooker balls and some rules and regulations of the game.

But still Virtual Pool delivers the same gameplay experience as the Virtual Pool has provided. You can also play online (multiplayer) in this game, which is a good thing to be added in this version of the game. If you looking to play one of the best Classic snooker games on your PC, Virtual Snooker is the game for you.

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Pool Shark 2

With so few pool games on the market, it seems strange that Blade Interactive, which created the excellent World Championship Pool, would compete against itself by also developing Pool Shark 2.
Viesearch They are very different games though, so perhaps the developer thought there was an untapped part of the market? Still, it seems to us that it’s a single audience and from that point of view, Pool Shark 2 is a bit of a letdown.

Firstly the speed of WCP is missing here and many of the games feel a little clunky and unrealistic. The excellent physics of WCP seem to have been messed with too, as the balls here feel heavy and don’t seem to glide around the table with the same ease as before. The characters do add a certain levity to proceedings (the glamour girl, the Elvis impersonator, et al) but we’d still rather play as Steve Davis and chums to be honest.

There is decent one player career style feature here (Hustle mode) where you travel to some bizarre locations to take on the local talent. One interesting aspect of this is that you get to choose how much money to wager on each match and then this dosh can be used to buy all kinds of goodies, from waistcoats and shits to new cues.

Wil Hudson’s Cue Sports

Wil Hudson’s Cue Sports is for those with the true love and passion for the game. It goes beyond Gameloft’s Midnight pool in providing the ultimate experience of realism.

The main feature of Match Up offers its Wii owners most of the well known cue sports like 8 Ball, 9 Ball, snooker and Rotation. A brief explanation of rules is provided when choosing the mode of play. The game is best enjoyed when playing against a friend instead of the computer. It offers a wide range of options like practice mode, puzzles, choosing venues, ball set, table designs and racks needed to win the games . A strong feature of Cue Sports is the addition of online play via Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection, taking it up a notch over Midnight Pool.

Another plus point is the efficient use of the Wii Remote, which acts as the virtual cue. D-Pad alters the direction of pointer to choose a position to hit on the ball and also to manage how hard the ball is hit. Here finer adjustments, with the D pad, sometimes take too much time.

The flaws of the game are the repetitive background music scores and fairly average graphics. Camera angles also at times offer limited views. Overall, Cue sport in spite of its certain flaws may be preferred over Midnight pool because of its more serious nature and the option of online playing. A little more work on making it more appealing to the eye and the ear can certainly take it up rest of the way.

Jazzy Billiards

Arc System Works’ Jazzy Billiards has its fair share of positives and negatives. If not dwelling deeper then on the first look it does give out a good first impression. Simply put a 9 ball game with simple enough rules. The players take turns pocketing balls moving from the lowest to the highest 9 ball, with the one dunking the 9 ball wining the match. There is also the choice of multi player match ups. Graphics are smooth and top notch with 3D viewing of the table, lending a very appealing look to the game. In the tournament mode there are 9 opponents but here the games sometimes fails to offer enough challenges.

Control options are fairly simple. The stylus lets you swing the camera around and a tap-flick on the cue shoots, but very limited in how you set up your shots. English spin is impossible to put and the implementation of the aim line fails to satisfy a true player. It is completely gone in the overhead view leaving one utterly frustrated. The jazzy background music can be irritating after a while and there is not the option of skipping table to the resting point, after taking the shot. All in all jazzy billiards can be taken as the foundation to building future portable pool games. Right now it offers well enough past time without any serious gaming.

Bankshot Billiards 2

Bankshot Billiards 2 is one of the best pool games around if you don’t mind the steep price tag. It has 9 different modes of playing, including 3-ball, 14.1 continuous and the all popular 8-ball. The game is pretty simple with the player having a bird’s eye view of the table. Most of the things are customizable like the table, floor, the cue and the balls. You can play against the CPU or other players online. When playing with the CPU, it is pretty hard for you to win the game sometimes as it has a steep learning curve and no rules whatsoever about the game and how it can be won.

You can find pool games online on this Pool games website

So the player usually has to learn the rules through trial and error. But sometimes the CPU plays rather erratically and foolishly allowing the player to take full advantage of the situation. The aiming aids in the game provide too much help in deciphering where the cue ball is headed and where the other balls will go after the white ball hits them. There are 3 levels of aiming aids of which the last two make the game very easy for the player to win. The holes on the table very much attract the white ball so it is pretty hard to keep the ball away from the holes. The background music isn’t the best either with only 5 tracks to play. But anyone with the basic knowledge of the game can learn this game and play it quite competitively with the CPU or online.

Brief history of Billiards

Although the exact origin of billiards (Pool) is unknown, many people believe that this game has been played for over centuries. A traditional form of billiards, known as ‘Pocket Billiard’, is played mostly in United States and Canada. There are also a decent number of alternatives, like Nine Ball, Eight Ball and many others.

The origin of billiards

While the exact origin is not known, it is widely believed that the first ever recognizable form of today’s billiards was played in 15^th century in France. After that, the fame of this game spread like wildfire and very soon, it became the most played game by politicians, students and celebrities.

No Cue in early days

It is said that the “cue” was introduced in late 17^th century and before that, players used to strike the ball with a mace.

Billiards in England

The “Chalk” was first introduced in England in the early years 19^th century. And it became a popular accessory to spin the cue ball as well as the contact ball. This Spin was known as “English” in America in early days.

Further Advancements in Billiards

Much advancement was made in the sport n the first half of 19^th century. The two piece cue was already introduced. In 1840’s, when the process of rubber vulcanization was already devised, companied started to make rails with this incredible brand new material. This practice has continued since then.

Modern Pool Advancement

The fifteen ball pool is the most prominent development in Billiards. The balls are marked as number one to fifteen. Whenever a player pots a ball, he is awarded points accordingly.

Any Questions trickshot tutorial

Tim posts a trick shot that uses all pockets of the pool table. Seven balls are interestingly arranged in a question mark shape. Unsurprisingly, the trick is called ‘Any Questions?’ This is a pretty cool trick to show off to your friends the next time you are playing together.

VIDEO

Take a look at the video for a quick overview of the trick. The image below shows you what you have to do.

Don’t be intimidated by the seemingly tough trick. If you get the set-up right, this is a simple trick. Note how the bottom of the question mark points to one of the bottom pockets. Also, look closely at the image. The ball at the bottom of the question shape is a little distance apart from the rest of the set-up.

The rest of the balls make a perfect ‘C’ shape. There is no one ball jutting out from the shape. Work on getting the set-up perfect. You can’t make a trickshot unless the set-up is absolutely spot-on.

To get the perfect shot, place the cue ball 2½ diamonds from the bottom rail. You’ll need to try out the shot multiple times with varying power in order to pocket all balls.

Types of Billiards

For the readers who are just beginning to pay billiards, we’d like to feature a two article series to get them familiar with the game. This article will explain the various forms of billiards, while the next will focus on the types of billiard balls.

English Billiards

This game has now fallen out of favor in most parts of the world, remaining popular only in some parts of Britain. Two cue balls and one red ball are used.

Eight Ball

It consists of 7+7+1 balls, plus the cue ball. There are 7 solid colored balls and an equal number of striped balls. Each player takes turns playing and pocketing his balls, giving up his turn only when he commits a foul or fails to pocket a ball. Once the 7 balls are pocketed, he has to pocket the 8^th ball.

Nine Ball

There are a total of nine balls and one cue ball. All balls are numbered. In every shot, the lowest numbered ball has to be struck first, but not necessarily sunk. You can use it to cause a chain reaction and pocket another ball. The goal is to pocket the 9 numbered ball, either by pocketing all the lower numbered balls first and then striking it, or using another ball to strike it.

14.1 Continuous or Straight Pool

The game starts with 15 balls on the table. Before making the shot, you call out which ball you will pocket, and then proceed to pocket that ball. Once the first 14 balls are sunk, they are returned to the table using the rack. You then try to pocket the 15^th ball without disturbing the other balls.

Cutthroat

This is a three player game with 15 balls divided in three groups of five. Each player tries to sink his opponents’ balls. The winner is the one who has balls remaining on the table after the other groups are pocketed.

You can find more information on this page - Pool game types which explains about several pool and billiard game types.

Kick Masse Tutorial

In this article we concentrate on a variation of one of the more popular tricks in trickshot pool – the masse. We will be focusing on the kick masse.

The set up consists of a wall of balls arising from the bottom of the table, one diamond out from one of the corner pockets. While beginning with the kick masse, keep the wall at about 5 balls. You can later advance to bigger walls as you master the kick masse trick.

The trick is the get the cue ball from one side of the wall to pocket a ball on the other side without touching the wall. An illustration of the shot is as below:

Here’s how you successfully hit the kick masse: to start with keep the cue ball a half ball’s width away from the wall as well as the bottom rail. You will need to hit with plenty of speed as well as spin in order to get the ball on the other side of the wall. Don’t try to just spin it to the side and backwards. Use the side railing to make it bounce to the other side, with some back spin to get it back to the ball.

Hit upwards at about 11 o’clock, aiming at about 1 and 1/4^th diamonds up. Keep varying the speed and the aim till you successfully clear the kick masse.

Trickshot Pool

Check out this video here
If you were not a fan of Trick Shot Snooker before, I am positive the video converted you! For the uninitiated, a trick shot is one which is set up in a way that would not be possible in a standard game of snooker. It is awarded points based on its complexity and artistic form. Trick Shot pool/billiard/snooker has turned into a major competition format, with international events such as the WPA Artistic Pool World Championships.

Trickshot pool is a wholly different animal from standard pool. All shots here are pre setup. Besides, use of props on or around the table is also allowed. Every trick takes days, if not months, to learn and master. Besides, to survive in the international cut-throat competition, it is not enough to simply learn trickshots, it is necessary to constantly innovate new tricks.

Many brush off this form of snooker as amateurish and of little significance, claiming that practicing similar shots for hours does not enable one to compete in standard snooker events. While international events are falling out of favour, trickshot artists still earn their livelihood by performing on TV shows. The British TV show Big Break deserves special mention here. It was among the first shows to feature trcikshots. Every week, John Virgo would challenge a participant to perform a trickshot demonstrated by him.

Trickshot pool has become a major culture now. More and more players are turning trickshot artists. The ease of sharing their tricks via popular video sharing websites has only provided more motivation to such artists.