Cuesports

Cuesports, also known as cue sports or billiard sports, is a broad category of games played with a cue stick and a cue ball on a cloth-covered table. The objective in most cuesports is to strike the cue ball with the cue stick in such a way as to move other balls into designated pockets or to achieve a specific arrangement of balls on the table. The games vary in rules, equipment, and objectives.

Common types of cuesports include pool, snooker, and carom billiards. Pool games, such as eight-ball and nine-ball, typically involve pocketing balls in a specific order or according to set rules. Snooker, originating in India, is played on a larger table with more balls, including red balls and colored balls, and requires strategic shot-making to score points. Carom billiards, on the other hand, is played on a pocketless table and involves scoring by causing the cue ball to strike other balls in a particular sequence.

The equipment used in cuesports consists of the table, which varies in size and pocket configuration depending on the game, the cue stick used to strike the cue ball, and various colored and numbered balls. Cuesports are enjoyed both recreationally and professionally, with various international tournaments and governing bodies organizing competitions worldwide. The skill involved in cuesports requires precision, strategy, and a good understanding of physics, particularly angles and ball collisions.