The Rules of the Game
Straight cushion billiards rules
The rules of straight cushion billiards (also known as carom) are fairly simple. There are no pockets on a carom table and there are only three balls.
The cueball must hit the two other balls to score one point and keep playing. You can thus score 10, 20 points in a row. Champions can score hundreds of points non-stop.
The total number of points to score depends on the level of the players. Beginners must reach 40 points. Champions play for 400 points.
Carom with four balls
To make this game easier and more attractive at the beginning, a fourth ball is added to the table. The rule remains the same: you still need to hit two other balls to score a point. Scoring a point allows you to continue playing.
Billiards with four balls «with cue ball in hand» is a good way to learn the 45° angle. Every time you shoot, take the cue ball in hand and place it in front of a ball in a way that you could score easily thanks to the 45° natural deflection. You will gradually master this notion as you play.
