Pool is more than a pub game

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In Canterbury, there is an abundance of pubs that have pools tables. Students go to them, have a few drinks, and play a few games of pool. But pool is so much more than a game to take a shot at (no pun intended) when you have had a few drinks. Here are some reasons as to why pool is more than just a pub game: The trick shots. There are so many different trick shots you can learn which will aid your ability to play this game. Depending on where you hit the ball you can put a nice spin on your shot and even curve the ball. This applies to hit the ball more to the right or left and not central.

Or you can hit the part of the ball closest to the table (its bottom) which, if done right, will chip the white ball over another ball (basically it makes the white ball jump). If this trick is not done correctly then there is the chance that you could tear the tables green felt covering. It is costly damage to do to the table.

It does require practise. The more you familiarise yourself with how the ball hits depending on what you do; angle or power behind the hit will help to improve your advantages of pocketing a ball or doing what you intend with the white ball.

Other tricks. The most important one to perfect is the ability to snooker your opponent. This trick is where you sabotage your opponent’s chances by careful consideration of where the balls are on the table. You can snooker a pocket by moving one of your colour balls right in front of it but not potting it, this will save that pocket for you and your ball and remove the pocket from being a potting option for your opponent.

You can also snooker your opponent by placing the white ball in a tricky place for them to pot or hit one of their balls from. This can be a hard trick to do since it relies on you hitting the white ball gently against one of your balls, positioning it in a tricky place. The hard part is hitting hard enough to hit your balls but also light enough that you do not misplace or move them.

Hopefully, these examples of pool/snooker tricks and skills prove how such a game is harder than it looks. And is truly a sport that is fun to play but also a serious sport to perfect.