A billiard table is also commonly known as a pool table. On it, a game is played involving colored balls. The balls are moved about with pieces of wood called cue sticks. The sticks are used to hit the balls into pockets which are located in various places along the lengths and corners of the table.

The playing field is covered with a soft felt. It is also completely level; otherwise the balls will not remain in place on the table top. As the stick is used to move the ball, this is called a shot. There may be one player against another, or teams of groups.

The billiard table may or may not be made with what are called cushions. These are found on the outer most edges of the inner portions of the side of the table. The hope here is that when the ball is shot across the table and the side is used to help move around other balls or to get that perfect angle to a pocket, the ball will not lose its momentum, thus allowing for a longer roll from one shot. There are different ways the cushion can be made, as the angle can be different. There is a standard measurement, to allow different tables to have the same reaction to the balls.

There are two common types of felt used. One of them allows more movement of the ball from one shot. The other, though a bit more slow, is able to handle a lot more total games played. The color of this felt is normally green.

When this game was first created, it was played outdoors. Therefore, the color of the felt has been chosen to symbolize grass. For some types, the balls will roll in a slightly different manner in one direction than in the other.

There are standards to which it can be made. It is usually found in the shape of a rectangle. On all four corners there are pockets. In the center along each longer length is another pocket, making a total of six. If used in a public arena, the pockets usually have tunnels leading down to one side, to which all the balls are rolled when pocketed. Usually, a fee, often in the form of quarters, can be acquired. When the fee is paid, all the balls roll to one end, thus allowing the player to retrieve them.

As for the original design of the balls, wood was the common material. After a bit of time, clay was used. For a while, ivory was preferred until the elephant population began to decrease drastically. Since then, a type of plastic or resin has been used.

There are a total of sixteen balls for a very common set used in competition and found in bars and game rooms across the United States. Nine are painted as a solid color, each one using a different color. The last seven have a stripe around them, consisting of two colors. They are all numbered with the exception of what is called the cue ball, which is usually a solid white.

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