Snooker. Australian Edition
The Alcock Book of Billiards. 1901
Re-written to date and enlarged, with Roberts (sen. and jun.) revisions, and edited by Henry Upton Alcock.
This game is an amusing extension of the game of pyramids. It is hybrid in its character-half pyramids and half pool. In addition to the fifteen balls forming the pyramid, a certain number of pool balls are placed on the table in the positions given below. The pool balls used at snooker are the black, which counts 7; the blue, 6; the pink, 5; the brown, 4; the green, 3; the yellow, 2. Marbles are drawn from a basket for places, and players play in rotation, as in any other pool.
The black is placed on the spot where the red is placed at billiards; the blue at the point of the pyramid of red balls; the pink on the spot in the centre of the table; the brown on the spot on the left hand of baulk; the green in the centre of baulk; and the yellow on the right-band spot of the baulk.
When any of the pool balls are pocketed or knocked off the table, they are replaced on their own spots again while there is a pyramid ball left on the table, and should the spots at any time be occupied by other balls, they remain off the table till the spots are unoccupied, and then replaced. When a player has pocketed a pyramid ball, then, and then only, must he play at one of the pool balls. He is not allowed to play on a pool ball until he has pocketed a pyramid ball. Should he, in playing at a pyramid ball, strike a pool ball first, he loses the number of the pool ball struck, and one for missing the pyramid ball. As for example: If, in playing at a pyramid ball he should miss it and strike a pool ball, say the black, he would lose eight points—seven for striking the black ball first and one for missing the pyramid ball. The same would apply if a pool ball was aimed at and a pyramid ball struck first. Only two balls can count against a player in one stroke—the one aimed at and the one first struck. At the start of the game, or when in hand, the white ball must be played from within the D in baulk. Following are the rules:—
1. When a player has pocketed a pyramid ball, he must then play on a pool ball; and if he pockets a pool ball, he must then play on a pyramid ball again, and so on till his break is finished.
2. If each of the pool balls are covered by a pyramid ball, the player is “snookered;” and as no ball is allowed to be removed, he may, if he can, strike any of the pool balls by first striking a cushion; he must, however, name which pool ball he intends to strike. Should he miss it, it counts that number against, him; and should he by the same stroke strike any other ball but the one he named, the two would count against him. In giving a miss you are not allowed to “snooker” the next player behind the same hall or balls, but must play out, to give him a possible chance of striking the ball he has to play on.
3. A score can only be made by pocketing the ball played at. No other balls holed by the same stroke count, except in playing at the pyramid balls, as they count just as in a game of pyramids. If a pyramid ball is played at and holed, and a pool ball is holed in the same stroke, the pyramid ball only counts, and the pool ball is replaced on its own spot. If the pool ball be played at first and holed, and a pyramid ball is pocketed by the same stroke, the pool balls only counts, and is replaced; but the pyramid ball is not replaced and counts nothing.
4. If two pool balls are pocketed in the one stroke, they are replaced on their spots again, except when all the pyramid balls are off the table; then the one played at first and holed remains off the table and the other replaced.
5. When all the pyramid balls are off the table, each player then plays on the yellow ball until it is pocketed, it being the lowest number; then on the green till it is pocketed; and then on the brown, pink, blue, and black, till the game is finished.
6. Should a player who has pocketed the last pyramid ball play on the yellow the next stroke and pocket it, the yellow must be replaced on its spot and he must play on it again, and then as in rule 5.
7. When a player is snookered, he must not give a miss by just touching his ball and leaving his adversary the same stroke; he must play out. (If a player was allowed to just touch his ball, and lose one point or points, the next player might do the same, and the game would come to a standstill, consequently a player who is snookered must play his ball, so that the next player has a fair chance of hitting the ball he has to play on ; of course if a player is sufficiently skilful to play his ball so as to place it behind another pool ball, be may do so, but the stroke is a dangerous one, for if his ball should touch another ball he loses so many more points.) A player cannot be snookered behind the same ball twice in succession.
8. Running in off a ball, or jumping a ball off the table, counts the number of the ball so struck against the player, and if a ball is pocketed by the same stroke it does not count. The pyramid balls are never replaced on the table, whether they are pocketed by a foul stroke or knocked off the table.
9. When the white ball is touching any of the other balls no penalty is incurred, except when playing at another ball, for should he move the ball the white ball is touching, he loses the number of the ball played at, and also the one his ball was touching.
Any number can play at the game, the same as in any other pool.