Discover another variety in the game of precision with the growing billiards game in United States, Western Europe and the rest of the world. Be intrigued by this innovative billiards game requiring intense geometric finesse and if you know the great masters like Jacob Schaefer Sr., Sang Chun Lee, or Pedro Piedrabuena of Uruguay, then you’ll know what this is all about. Let us take you in-depth to the unique world of Carom Billiards or 3-Cushion Billiards, as it is more popularly known.

HISTORY: Carambole or Carom was developed during the 1870’s in France. The objective was to hit a second ball with one cue ball at one stroke. Pockets of the common billiard tables were regarded as obstacles to be avoided in this game. Later on, the French came up with carom tables without any pockets in them. Thus, a modified version of Carom soon evolved by hitting three cushions or rails before hitting another ball with a player’s cue ball. This version of billiards flourished in the USA and in most parts of Europe.

In due course, the Americans adopted the name Straight Rail which was their term for the French Carambole. Balkline also came into the scene as a version of Carom billiards. It made the game more difficult because of some rules like restrictions in the number of shots to be made. However, this variation didn’t stay long for billiard enthusiasts. In the 1950’s, the three cushion billiards game dominated the sport even up to the present with Asia following a more popular four-ball version of carom.

Indeed, several carom associations and various groups of billiard enthusiasts have been encouraging novice players and even professional ones to migrate or adopt this form of the sport.

RULES AND EQUIPMENT: As discussed earlier, 3-Cushion billiards is played with three colored balls which are a little bit heavier and bigger than ordinary pool balls. Players rack up in a table with no pockets having a dimension of 5 feet x 10 feet. Each player will have one colored cue ball, which could either be a white or a yellow one, depending on who goes first. A third ball colored red, will be the object ball. A player then aims to hit the other two balls with his cue ball to score a point. However, before a player’s cue ball could come in contact with the second ball, it must hit three cushions or rails.

Like any other billiard games, 3-Cushion billiards starts off with a lag. The cue ball that comes closest to the head rail shall have the opening shot. Several strategy shots can also be applied by the players to score in a single game. The bank shot and the ticky are some of the famous basic ways to a point.