Three cushion billiards are a billiard game that is played on a five-by-ten foot table. The object of the game, as the name suggests, is to get the cue ball to contact three rails before it reaches the second object ball. One point is awarded for each successful carom. A shooter who catches all of the object balls does not earn a point. The frame is won by the player with the most objects.
Three cushion billiards can be played on a table that is larger than the regular pool table. On one side of the table, a cue ball is placed and a red ball on the other. To line up their shot, players use silver dots at the table. This requires precise calculation of angles, distances, and other factors. Once the shot has been taken, the object ball should be kept in a pocket.
Three cushion billiards can be described as an evolved form straight rail billiards. It is thought to have been invented in 1870, but Wayman Crow McCreery popularized the idea. McCreery worked as an Internal Revenue Collector in Port Saint Louis. He played the game for his own enjoyment and then eventually patented the concept. Three-cushion billiards became a favourite of many players during the 1950s.
The object of a shot in three cushion billiards is for the object ball to contact three rails before it reaches the cue ball. You can do this in any order but the goal is to hit both cushions.
Before hitting the object balls, the shooter must call out for the bank shot. This shot can be taken in one or multiple rails. The single rail shot is the most common.
A 3-rail shot is another type of bank shot. You have many options. One of them is the Magic Spot. This refers to when the ball hits the rail at one corner and the cushion at the opposite. Other options include a multi-rail bank shot or a distant point.
The rule of thumb for bank shots is that the object ball should hit the cushion first. This rule is not always true. You can also hit your object ball before it bounces onto the rail, or even after the cushion. Using a single rail bank shot as an example, the object ball would bounce off the rail before going into the pocket.
The Standard World rules apply to this game. Any object ball may be pocketed by the player using the bank shot. After the object balls are taken, the shooter is free to continue on to the next inning.
The inning ends if the object ball is not pocketed in accordance with the shooter's shot. Any fouls or illegal breaks are also noted in italics. Similarly, the opponent can take their turn.
The main method for capturing objects in pool is bank shot. Bank Pool is different from nine-ball and eightball. Bank shots are used to get the ball out of the opponent's hands.