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The Etiquette of the Billiard Room
- Before any person commences to learn the art of billiards, he should first become acquainted with the etiquette and rules of the billiard room and billiards. No man with proper feelings can desire to make himself a nuisance to those who are playing a game for his amusement, and it is essential that each person who enters a billiard room should be acquainted with what may be termed the etiquette.
The entrance door of almost every billiard room has in it small windows, through which the players may be seen. No person should enter the room, or even make a noise by touching the handle of the door, when either player is preparing for his stroke. Immediately the stroke has been made, and when the balls are running, then the room may be entered. A seat should be taken as soon as possible, but if no seat is vacant, the visitor should stand quite immovable when the players are aiming or making their strokes. To keep moving about the billiard room during the play, to walk in front of the player when he is making his stroke, to pull out a handkerchief and wave in front of the player, to strike a match for the purpose of lighting a pipe or cigar just as the player is on the stroke, or to jump up from a sitting position in order the better to see the table, are proceedings by no means uncommon in many billiard rooms where each person is supposed to be a refined gentleman. Such acts, however, are as great a breach of etiquette as could be committed, and are likely to cause even the least sensitive or nervous player to miss his stroke.
The billiard room may for the time being be justly considered as rented by the players, and consequently it should be regarded as their property; those persons who enter the room should consider the players only. Such a proceeding as loud talking, which renders the marker's call of the game almost inaudible, or even talking loudly enough to attract the attention of the player, is breach of good manners. Another example of want of knowledge of etiquette is when a player, having perhaps failed by a tenth of an inch to make a cannon, is additionally annoyed by one of the lookers-on giving a whistle, as though this whistler had suddenly been promoted from the gallery of a theatre to a club billiard a room. a [BILLIARDS The marker is for the time being employed by the players, who have consequently a right to his services during the time they are using the table. No visitor ought therefore to take the attention of the marker from his special business, which is to mark and call the score, to decide as to a doubtful cannon or a foul stroke, to hand the rest, to spot the red ball if it is holed in a pocket, and to give the player his ball when a losing hazard has been accomplished. A marker has quite enough to do in marking the game, and attending to the other details of his special duty. For any person other than the players to employ him in any way is a breach of etiquette, if it withdraws his attention from the game. If a visitor find it necessary to employ the marker in any way, he should first ask the players if they object to his marking the game for a short time whilst the marker is otherwise employed. a Times and manners have changed during the past forty years, but when I was a young billiard player I considered that the best means of obtaining a knowledge of the game was to look on at good players, or to endeavour to play with some person who was a much better player than myself. If I happened to be playing a game with an opponent equally as unskilled as myself, and two very good players entered the room and put down their names for the table, I used either to give up the game at once, or shorten it to a named amount. To claim the table for my own feeble game, which might occupy fifty minutes, when there were players present who could finish the game in twenty minutes, was a proceeding I never adopted. It seemed unjust that two good players should pay one shilling for the use of the table for only twenty minutes, whilst I and my opponent could knock the balls about and occupy the table during fifty minutes for the same sum.
Fairly good players will finish a game of 100 up in from twenty to twenty-five minutes, whilst bad players will occupy from forty to fifty minutes to score 100.
Bad players, therefore, with good taste might limit their game to fifty up, when other names are down for the table. When no other players wish to play, then, of course, the game may be extended as far as is desired.
My early knowledge of the science of billiards was acquired by playing many hundred games with Charles Hughes, and afterwards with John Roberts, senior, when his billiard rooms were in Leicester Square; and whenever I could find a player who BILLIARDS] was more skilful than I was, a game with him was the object of my ambition. Young players in the present day usually adopt the opposite course. They seem to prefer knocking the balls about during fifty minutes or more, with an opponent as incompetent as themselves, either to playing with some persons from whom they can learn, or to watching the strokes of two good players. Lookers-on do not feel much interest in a game where the most simple hazards and cannons are missed three times out of four, and where the game advances merely by flukes or by the misses of the opponent. A sensible person who desires to learn the science of billiards would always prefer playing with an opponent who gave him 40 out of 100, than to playing with one to whom he gave 40 out of 100.
Yet in many billiard rooms we find that the very opposite taste prevails, men preferring to play with those who they can easily defeat, and such persons will never become really good players.
Every person who is not playing should stand sufficiently far from the table to enable the players to move round and make their strokes without inconvenience. No looker-on has any right to make a remark as to what stroke should be played for, or whether the striker is playing the right game. He has a right to correct the score if the marker score incorrectly, but he may not call attention to a foul stroke, nor give any opinion unless appealed to. In fact, no assistance ought to be given to either player by a looker-on; the struggle is between the two players alone.
Whilst your adversary is playing, you should take the opportunity of chalking your cue, care being taken that no squeaking noise is produced by the process, which would be very likely to put the striker off his stroke; in fact, I have known it to be done purposely with that intention; you will then be at once ready to play when your opponent's break is finished. It is annoying, and also a waste of time, when a player whose turn it is to play commences to chalk his cue, and occupies probably half a minute in doing so. Some players seem to suffer from a condition of indecision, which is shown in the following manner: when their ball is in hand, and they can therefore place it in any part of baulk for their stroke, they will place their ball on the table and commence aiming at the ball at which they propose playing. Just as you imagine they are about to strike, they move their ball half an inch and aim again.
A second and third time they will repeat this fidgety performance, and at last prob- TATE CENTRAL LIBRARY BRINENS.V. ably miss the ball at which they were aiming. Such practices are merely bad habits, which can be easily avoided.
In carrying your cue, take care that the point be carried over the table. I have seen some players who hold it in such a manner when walking about as to run the risk of poking out other people's eyes, while others, as if with the desire of correcting the course of their ball when in motion, will flourish their cues about in a manner which is positively alarming to anyone who is so unfortunate as to be in their immediate vicinity at the moment. I need hardly say that these are usually players of a highly nervous and excitable temperament, the possession of which is a serious drawback to anyone who is anxious to excel at the game.