Editing Cue sports (section)

==Equipment==
{{Main category|Cue sports equipment}}
<!-- Much of this entire section needs to be pared down, with details moving to more specific pages like [[Pool (cue sports)|Pool]], [[Snooker]], and [[Carom billiards]]. -->

===Billiard balls===
{{Main|Billiard ball}}
[[File:Billiard ball comparison.jpg|thumb|{{Cuegloss|Cue ball|Cue balls}} from left to right: {{unordered list
| [[Russian pyramid|Russian pool]] and [[Kaisa (billiards)|kaisa]]—68&nbsp;mm ({{frac|2|11|16}}&nbsp;in)
| [[Carom billiards|Carom]]—61.5&nbsp;mm ({{frac|2|7|16}}&nbsp;in)
| American-style [[Pool (cue sports)|pool]]—57.15&nbsp;mm ({{frac|2|1|4}}&nbsp;in)
| [[Snooker]]—52.5&nbsp;mm ({{frac|2|1|16}}&nbsp;in)
| [[Blackball (pool)|Blackball]] pool—51&nbsp;mm (2&nbsp;in) 
}}]] <!-- I know you metric people try, but fractions aren't arbitrary; and do take into account significant figures in conversions. 2. Just 2. No "2 and 1/127", where the error is <.01, and even then 128 would be the appropriate denominator. -->
Billiard balls vary from game to game, in size, design and quantity.

[[Russian pyramid]] and [[Kaisa (billiards)|kaisa]] have a size of 68&nbsp;mm ({{frac|2|11|16}}&nbsp;in).  In Russian pyramid there are 16 balls, as in pool, but 15 are white and numbered, and the {{cuegloss|cue ball|cue ball}} is usually red.<ref>{{Cite web |url= http://www.billiardsvillage.com/russian-pyramid.html |title=Russian Billiards |publisher=BilliardsVillage.com |access-date=August 14, 2008 |date=2007 |url-status=usurped |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20080613002125/http://www.billiardsvillage.com/russian-pyramid.html |archive-date=June 13, 2008}}</ref> In kaisa, five balls are used: the yellow {{Cuegloss|object ball|object ball}} (called the ''kaisa'' in Finnish), two red object balls, and 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&nbsp;mm ({{frac|2|7|16}}&nbsp;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 billiards|four-ball]]).

Standard pool balls are 57.15&nbsp;mm ({{frac|2|1|4}}&nbsp;in), are used in many pool games found throughout the world, come in sets of two {{Cuegloss|Suit|suits}} of object balls, seven {{Cuegloss|Solids|solids}} and seven {{Cuegloss|Stripes|stripes}}, an {{Cuegloss|8 ball|8 ball}} and a {{Cuegloss|Cue ball|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 {{Cuegloss|Group|groups}} of {{Cuegloss|Red ball|red}} and {{Cuegloss|Yellow ball|yellow}} balls instead of solids and stripes, known as "casino" style. They are used principally in Britain, Ireland, and some [[Commonwealth of Nations|Commonwealth]] countries, though not exclusively, since they are unsuited for playing nine-ball. The diameter varies but 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&nbsp;mm ({{frac|2|1|16}}&nbsp;in), and come in sets of 22 (15 reds, 6 "{{Cuegloss|Color balls|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 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 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.<ref name="IEOB">{{cite book |last=Shamos |first=Michael Ian |author-link=Michael Ian Shamos |date=1993 |title=The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Billiards |publisher=Lyons & Burford |location=New York City |isbn=1-55821-219-1 |url= https://archive.org/details/illustratedencyc0000sham }}</ref><ref>The New York Times Company (September 16, 1875). [https://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=FB0F1EFD345D1A7493C4A81782D85F418784F9 Explosive Teeth.] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140316033727/http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=FB0F1EFD345D1A7493C4A81782D85F418784F9 |date=2014-03-16 }}. Retrieved January 2, 2007.</ref>

===Tables===
{{main|Billiard table}}
[[Image:PoolTablewithEquipment-non.jpg|left|thumb|Pool table with equipment]]
There are many sizes and styles of [[billiard table]]s. Generally, tables are [[rectangle]]s 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 {{convert|12|ft|m|1}} long. Carom billiards tables are typically {{convert|10|ft|m|1}}. Regulation pool tables are {{convert|9|ft|m|1|adj=on}}, though [[Public house|pubs]] and other establishments catering to casual play will typically use {{convert|7|ft|m|1|adj=on}} tables which are often coin-operated, nicknamed {{cuegloss|bar box|bar boxes}}. Formerly, ten-foot pool tables were common, but such tables are now considered antiques.

High-quality tables have a {{cuegloss|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).{{clear}}

===Cloth===
{{Main|Baize}}
[[Image:Early-1880s-billiards-ladies-JMBB.jpg|thumb|Women playing on an elaborately decorated green-covered table in an early 1880s advertising poster]]
All types of tables are covered with billiard cloth (often called "felt", but actually 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 halls|pool (and snooker) halls]] and home [[billiard room]]s is "faster" (i.e., provides less friction, allowing the balls to roll farther across the table {{Cuegloss|Bed|bed}}), and competition-quality pool cloth is made from 100% [[worsted|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.<ref name="Shamos 1991">{{cite book |last=Shamos |first=Michael Ian |author-link=Michael Ian Shamos |date=1991 |title=Pool |publisher=Hotho & Co. |isbn=99938-704-3-9}}{{Page needed|date=September 2011}}</ref> Television broadcasting of pool as well as 3 Cushion billiards prefers a blue colored cloth which was chosen for better visibility and contrast against colored balls.

===Rack===
{{main|Rack (billiards)}}
[[Image:Billiard Rack.jpg|left|thumb|Aluminium billiard rack that is used for 8-ball, 9-ball, and straight pool]]

A [[Rack (billiards)|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 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 the break has been completed and no balls are obstructing the template.

===Cues===
{{main|Cue stick}}
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 {{Cuegloss|Butt|butt}} end of the cue is of larger circumference and is intended to be gripped by a player's hand. The {{Cuegloss|Shaft|shaft}} of the cue is of smaller circumference, usually tapering to an {{convert|0.4|to|0.55|in|mm}} terminus called a {{Cuegloss|Ferrule|ferrule}} (usually made of fiberglass or brass in better cues), where a rounded leather {{Cuegloss|Tip|tip}} is affixed, flush with the ferrule, to make final contact with balls. The tip, in conjunction with chalk, can be used to impart [[Cue sports techniques#Sidespin (english)|spin]] to 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 [[Gonystylus|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 club]]s, with high-tech materials such as woven graphite. Recently, [[Carbon fibers|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 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 {{Cuegloss|Jump shot|jump shots}}.

===Mechanical bridge===
<!--Orig. section name; may be linked-to somewhere.-->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 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 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&nbsp;cm with three grooves to rest the cue in and for the most awkward of shots, the 'giraffe' (or 'swan' in England) which has a raised arch much like the 'spider' but with a slender arm reaching out around 15&nbsp;cm with the groove.

===Chalk===
[[Image:Billiard Chalk and Cue.jpg|thumb|Billiard chalk is applied to the tip of the cue.]]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 {{Cuegloss|Miscue|miscue}} (unintentional slippage between the cue tip and the struck ball) occurs. Chalk 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. Around the time of the [[Industrial Revolution]] newer compounds started to be used that provided better grip for the ball. This is when the English began to experiment with side spin or applying curl to 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 {{Cuegloss|Hand chalk|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 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 (inventor)|William Hoskins]] in 1897)<ref name="Clark1">[http://www.toaster.org/hoskins_tragic.html "The World's Most Tragic Man Is the One Who Never Starts"] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060825063214/http://www.toaster.org/hoskins_tragic.html |date=August 25, 2006 }}, Clark, Neil M.; originally published in ''The American'' magazine, May 1927; republished in ''hotwire: The Newsletter of the Toaster Museum Foundation'', vol. 3, no. 3, online edition. Retrieved February 24, 2007. The piece is largely an interview of Hoskins.</ref><ref name="Patent578514">{{US patent|0578514}}, 9 March 1897</ref> is made by crushing [[silica]] and the abrasive substance [[corundum]] or aloxite<ref name="Patent578514"/> (aluminium [[oxide]]),<ref name="Chem1">[http://www.chemindustry.com/chemicals/14835.html "Aloxite"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070625100844/http://www.chemindustry.com/chemicals/14835.html |date=2007-06-25 }}, ChemIndustry.com database. Retrieved February 24, 2007.</ref><ref name="PubChem">[https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/summary/summary.cgi?sid=158,243 "Substance Summary: Aluminum Oxide"], ''PubChem Database'', [[United States National Library of Medicine|National Library of Medicine]], [[National Institutes of Health|US National Institutes of Health]]. Retrieved February 24, 2007. {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140406175207/http://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/summary/summary.cgi?sid=158,243 |date=April 6, 2014 }}</ref> into a powder.<ref name="Patent578514"/> It is combined with dye (originally and most commonly green or blue-green, like traditional [[Baize|billiard cloth]], but available today, like the cloth, in many colours) and a binder (glue).<ref name="Patent578514"/> Each manufacturer's brand has different qualities, which can significantly affect play. High humidity can also impair the effectiveness of chalk. Harder, drier compounds are generally considered superior by most players.<!--RE-ENABLE THIS AFTER http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=MediaWiki_talk:Spam-whitelist RESOLVES BLACKLIST ISSUE: ref name="Tobey1" /-->