Carom Billiards Table games
Carom Billiards Table games, also known as Carombile or Carambole games, are based on the basic idea of hitting both, the object ball and the opponent's ball.
One of the most popular Carom games is Straight Rail or Straight Billiards. In the Straight Rail game, players have to score points by hitting the other balls; players can continue their turns as long as the cue ball hits the other balls. This seems to be a difficult target but many professionals have been able to prove otherwise. Different players have different techniques that allow them to keep their turns for a long period and, as a result of these endless turns, some professionals can easily snatch high scores; this is exactly what happened during the first championship of Straight Rail celebrated in 1879 where Sir Jacob Schaefer made 690 separate hits. Most professionals usually gather the balls in one side of the table, a strategy that makes it easier for them to get these uninterrupted turns as well as high scores.
Due to the plainness Straight Rail's strategies, the game was not a big success and, professionals started developing new rules until they came out with a new variant, Balkline games; a balkline is a parallel line over the billiard table that goes from one end to the other. Players have to hit one or more object balls but, in addition, the object balls have to past a line located 18 inches away from each of one of the table's rails. Balkline introduces the concept of length in the billiard table and sets the rules for variants such as Balkline 18.1 and 18.2.
Three-cushion billiards: this variant is along the way between the complexity of Balkline games and the simplicity of Straight Rail games. In Three-Cushion billiards games, players have to hit the other two balls on the table and make contact with at least three of the four rail cushions of the table. This new variation has introduced more action in the game although its attractiveness resides on the fact that it is much more appealing for spectators because billiards professionals usually make only one or two point for each turn and matches turn very intense and thrilling.
Some other variations of Carom Billiards table games are Artistic billiards, Four-ball and its variants Yotsudama and Sagu, Five-pin billiards, Goriziana or nine-pin billiards and, also, Obstacle and Target Carom games.