3.b) THREE-BALL BILLIARDS OR FRENCH BILLIARDS
See Common rules.
The three-ball billiards game aims to obtain as many points as possible, employing cannons: touching the other two balls with the cue ball.
The three-cushion billiards is like three-ball but hitting three cushions before touching the last ball. Esnuka follows the standard rules without any additional requirements.
To play three-cushion billiards, the only thing to keep in mind is that as the computer is not able to count the valid points, so it needs to be manual.
A player of three-cushion billiards needs an advanced technique and reasonable control over the spin on the balls.
The player carries on his turn if he scores cannon. For each cannon, he scores one point. When he fails to score, it is the next player's turn.
If the cue ball does not touch any ball, the next player has at least two shots unless, in his first shot, he fails to touch any ball or a forbidden one.
In Esnuka and three-ball games, the number of points to win is the number indicated in the endogenous evolution parameter of character one in the main menu. If the number of characters selected in the main menu was one, if the number of characters is two, the final points are equal to the endogenous evolution parameter multiplied by ten.
The three-ball billiards of Esnuka is very realistic in the movement and spin of the balls because it incorporates physics formulas in its model.
Thus, practicing billiards allows getting familiar with the techniques while discovering tricks for improving the skills of the game, especially with spins.
3.c) SNOOKER RULES (ENGLISH BILLIARDS)
See Common rules.
The game snooker aims to obtain points by potting as many balls as possible.
The balls are worth:
|
Red |
1 |
The white ball is the cue ball.
At the beginning of the frame, the cue ball is in the left semi-circle, the D, and to break the cue ball must pass between the yellow and brown balls.
The first ball played in each player's turn (break) must be red. If no red ball is potted, it becomes the other player's turn. If a red ball is potted, it remains in the pocket until the end of the frame; the player receives one point, and must play a color.
If the player pot a color receives the points corresponding to that ball, and the ball goes back on the table in its original position (respotted). The player then plays another red and then a color and so on.
The above snooker rules apply when red balls remain on the table. If no reds on the table, the player pots any color and must then pot the balls in the following order:
yellow, green, brown, blue, pink, and black
The computer program displays in a window the color of the ball to play at any time. The white circle represents a color. Furthermore, it also displays the points scored by a player in each break and his subtotal within a frame.
Points scored in a shot add to the score, except where is a foul.
For the snooker freeware program, two balls can never be struck at the same time, and the "touching ball" situation can never occur.
FOULS
The cue ball does not touch any other ball.
The cue ball touches first an incorrect ball (a ball not on).
The cue ball is potted. In that case, the cue ball goes back on the D. The cue ball can move within the D area with the mouse.
Pot two different colors within the same stroke
Pot a ball of a different color than the ball first hit.
PENALTIES FOR FOULS
A player who makes a foul may be requested to repeat his turn.
The minimum amount received by the opponent for a foul is 4 points.
Fouls are according to the value of the balls involved, the forfeit being the value of the highest.
The points for fouls add to the opponent's score, not subtracted from the player.
The opponent receives 7 points if two reds are played consecutively.
SNOOKERING
A player is snookered when he cannot hit the ball on by a direct stroke because of obstruction by a ball not on. The only way to get out of the snooker is to play off a cushion or cushions.
When it is a foul in a snooker situation, the referee or the opponent declares free ball. The opponent may choose to play any ball on the table. He must touch the nominated ball, and if he pots it, he receives the points corresponding to the ball that was on in the snooker situation.
As free ball does not exist in the program, the only alternative is to oblige the player who made the foul to play again.
3.d) P00L GAME RULES (AMERICAN BILLIARDS)
See Common rules.
Pool or American pool billiards aims to pot all the striped balls –stripes– or spotted balls –spots– into the pockets and then to pot the black ball into the opposite pocket respect the center of the table, except if this pocket corresponds to the other player.
The first ball potted, apart from the black, defines the colors for that player. The other balls correspond to the opponent.
A player carries on with his turn while he pots his balls. When he misses a pot, it is the opponent's turn.
The first ball to hit must be his; otherwise, it is a foul. Fouls also happen if the cue ball does not touch any other ball, is potted, or an opponent's ball is potted.
After a foul, the opponent has at least two shots, except where the latter commits a foul on his first shot.
A player loses the game if he pots the black ball without having potted all his balls or in an incorrect pocket.
There are many variants of American billiards rules due to the popularity of the game.