BILLIARDS

NZ Truth, Issue 606, 27 January 1917, Page 11

BILLIARDS

(By "Spider") '. \ ' \. The decision of the Billiards Control Club, anen£ what constitutes two genuine spot Shots is a sensible solution of what should not have been a hard question to decide. For the future the red ball is not to be considered to have been potted from the billiard spot' unless it has been placed m that position by the marker — i.e., .*. by hand, either at the start of the game, from a inning; hazard, by the balls touching, bali de balls leaving the table, by a foul stroke or any of the other penal-, ties, such as the push stroke, playing wfth both feet off the floor, playing before theVballs have stopped rolling, by the. player striking or touching his ball whilst m play otherwise than with the point of ; his . cue, by touching or striking a ball m > play otherwise than is.; allowed; :under the rules, such as touch:" ing a ball with the rest, and not getting the cue out of the way of a ball in' , motion, or, when playing from hand, by the cue striking, the ball that is m. baulk, before (or without) previously striking a ball or cushion that is out of baulk, an action which also counts as a miss. Then there Is a foul by: playing with the wrong ball, -which is governed by the original choice ctf ball determining the ownership, and depriving the striker from going on with • the game, but not deducting the "points previously made from his total, which i are scored to him. [ : ; • . • ; # Other fouls are playing out of turn; making more than 25 consecutive cannons froni ball to ball, a provision which was inserted' in these rules so as to prevent what is, or was, known as • the cradle cannon, perfected by Recce; or the Jam stroke, with which the late American Napoleon of billiards, Frank Ives, made such free and excellent use • m his famous match many years since at Knightsbridge, London; against John Roberts.' Unlike the cradle cannon, the two object balls were jammed m the pocket .opening.' and Iv.es played across them, 'just skinning each ball with a. flake-like contact m making the cannon. This action necessitated the striker crossing from the top to tho side of the table and back again for each shot. Recce, on the other hand, during the, whole course of his long run of 4^9,136 unfinished, rarely alter-* ed the ,|»osltion- of his body] or moved from the table, except to take sleep and nourishment. There is a popular belief that both the jam and anchor and cradle cannon strokes are barred. These strokes are not barred; they are simply limited, so that If contact is not made with a cushion by the cue ball after 25 cannons before it hits the second. object ball, the 26th stroke is foul. No fair stroke Is barred m billiards. • ■ - ■"-"# ' . # ' * The last of the list of foul strokes for which' the red ball is ( spotted by hand under the Billiard Control Club rules, which govern all the big professional games m England Is by making J:\vo misses. This Is governed by Ruie 9, which, In essence, says: "A player may not make two misses m successive innings unless the opponent scores after the first miss, or a double baulk intervene." ' The B,A. rules are different, unlimited misses being-allowed. Some people prefer the new rules, which does away with endless runs of y what are termed safe misses, while some of the old experts, who usually pass trenchant criticism from the armchair, prefer the finesse of the game, m which each player uses strategy to fire the balls Into a position which will make It difficult for his opponent to score. A well-known Sydney writer says: I prefer the B.C.C. rule, , as I have frequently seen the safe miss system worked to death, and almost bring death In . Its train. Two notable incidents under this head come to my mind.' Both took place at the leading betting clubs m Victoria and New South Wales. In the former, during a tournament game, one player gave 62 and his opponent 51 mlases m succession, by merely touching their balls with i,the point of their cuo. Bach player tried to tire his opponent, but those? who tired most were the group of spectators, whoso comments on the play were frequent and free. • ♦■•■••■'• In the , Sydney incident, one of the competitors had waited for years for a murk, and, having been placed m such a position by good old Phil Glonlster, that he considered the tournament a gift, went into training for the match, backed himself for all the money available m the big books, which wore then tho rule on this one-time popular event. Tho night camo, the man started 1 a hot favorHo for the heat, even though his opponent was a pretty useful member of the Oxford-street bunch, who were pretty hot m those days. "Well, the game wont along In most Interesting patches, with* the strikers always together, until this man was wanting tun points of game, with his opponent on® point further up. Then tactics wore Introduced, and wont on and on, with the non-favorite always ono point ahead, and finally .reaching within that number of tho goal aimed at. To tho consternation of all his friends and backers tho favoritu >va» setm to figure out tho position, which was not a very difficult one. discard It, and address his ball for another wifely device. Muny offices were attempted to bo passed to tho striker; but-even those and old Phil's stentorian "Sllonco, ploaee," wore disregarded by striker, who did not appear to realise what he had done until tho marker called "gameA' Then It was that Iho tragedy nearly camo about. • • • Mad the B.C.C rule of only ono genuine miss been In forco on that eventful evoulng a different result might have boon recorded. ,

'Joe BradViiiithb .Irish champion, who has dorie'sucir good work at', the front as (a, non-commissioned officer m ope of the Irish regiments, had some dispute with r the army officials, but came out of the subsequent inquiry triumphantly. ■■•■•< It is said that Brady Is, one of the richest of the billiard professlonalsnas he has a fixed income of over, £1000 a year, as well as a good business m Dublin. During one of tho engagements with Fritz, the Irishman performed so gallantly In an attack on German trenches that he was awarded a D.C.M. : ."'•■'• • The coming season m Sydney, may bo,, enlivened: by matches between Frank Smith, senr., and Will Abotomey, also with tho latter and 12. J. Campbell, Victorian champion. Abotomey Is out with a desire to make tho best use of his fine form, and to "get rich quick," like Walllngford, and so he. Js, .already on tho warpath with xhallengea.,f\A - mu(ch with Frank Smith has been practically arranged for early m the coming season. In regard to Campbell, he has been written tot with a. view to a match of 4000 or 8000 up, for £100 a-stde, and Abptomey awaits hip reply, ' • • • According to a Sydney writer. Will Abotomey, who, last season, won tho Markers' Tournament, and also City Tatt.'sbig annual handicap, from GOO behind scratch, m 250 up, returned from a tour of New Zealand last week, looking Teal well, and feeling happy at' the results of his trip. During his rapid flight through tho northern part of the lahdt>6f~ the-moa, Abotomey measured cues with tho Now' Zealand crack, W. E. Stephenson, his best fight with tho latter being a match of 4000 up, for £60, played m the Auckland Amateur Sports Club. A professional match for money m the Amateur Sports Club reads rather amusing, but I am digresslug. Crystalale balls wens used, and 'it proved a grand game, m whlchkhe N.S.W. pro., after a desperate scrimmage, came through with flying 4 colors. There were six sessions, and m the first four, Stephenson, playing .grandly and with consistency, kept .well m tho lead aa follows:— C6C —408; 1333— 597: 1998—1752; 2CGt— 2659. , It will be observed that In lattoii session A;botomoy put m Ho;m» very -good workj and, nsslsted by a coup)© of splendid efforts of 200* and 228, reduced tho big gap standing out between thorn, In tho fifth session Abotomey cut loose, and, gathering m points] at a rapid speed, got well away, and finally won by 411 points. Durlns the final session ho compiled another excellent played run of 263. Ills other best were 101 and 103. It was a grand fight, -well won by the N.S.W. rep, who was accorded a flattering reception ou , conclusion.