Baizewick guide
Games-room fun facts: snooker, pool, darts and table tennis
Here are some of our favourite facts about the games in a games room. Each one links to a guide or glossary term if you want the detail.
Snooker
147 is not always the limit
The usual maximum break is 147. If a free ball is awarded at the start, a break of up to 155 is possible.
Free ball →The colours have fixed homes
Each colour has its own spot. While reds remain, potted colours go back on their spots.
Snooker rules →Fifteen in a row
Joe Davis won the first world championship in 1927 and kept the title until 1946.
History of snooker →Made for colour TV
The BBC’s Pot Black launched in 1969 to show off colour television.
History of snooker →Pool
Why it’s called pool
Billiard tables in 19th-century American “poolrooms” gave the game its name. The pool was the betting pot.
History of pool →Two sizes of cue ball
In English pool, the cue ball is usually slightly smaller than the reds and yellows.
English vs American pool →Same game, different rules
English pool has several rule sets. A foul can mean two visits or ball in hand, depending on where you play.
English pool rules →The cue sets the room
A full cue of about 1.47 m on every side is why pool tables need so much more space than their footprint.
Room size guide →Darts
Some scores are impossible
With three darts, you cannot score 163, 166, 169, 172, 173, 175, 176, 178 or 179.
180 →The board punishes near misses
The 20 sits between the 5 and the 1, so a slightly missed throw scores badly.
History of darts →Never soak a bristle board
Old elm boards had to be soaked. Modern sisal boards close up on their own, and water damages them.
Dartboard guide →Table tennis
Ping-Pong was a brand
J. Jaques & Son registered “Ping-Pong” as a trade name, so the sport is formally called table tennis.
History of table tennis →The ball got bigger
The standard ball grew from 38 mm to 40 mm in 2000, slowing the game slightly.
History of table tennis →Olympic since 1988
Table tennis first appeared at the Olympics at the 1988 Seoul Games.
History of table tennis →