213.—"Is it possible for a man of thirty to take up the game of billiards and make a decent show?"
Certainly, or of fifty either. We know a gentleman who is well on his way towards making a 100 break and who had not touched a cue before he was fifty. With a proper study of contacts, angles, and ball rotation, anyone who can keep a cue easily swinging along the line of the intended travel of the cue ball and deliver it on the intended portion of the cue ball is bound to make frequent breaks. The real difficulty is for the man of fifty who has been playing badly since he was 20 to make any improvement. At the same time, we think that the "personal equation" comes in more with a player at fifty than at twenty, and that, however well he may play, he is less sure, under certain circumstances, of developing his real game.
214.—"Two gentlemen were playing a game of nomination. If they play a jenny cannon from baulk and double red at same time (cannon nominated), they are allowed five whether cannon is made before or after the double. The shot in dispute was nominated as 'in off red, from baulk to left hand corner pocket,' the red being near centre pocket and white about 18 inches from top left hand pocket. The shot, being played, resulting in a very slight cannon and in off, for which I gave five away. Was I right?"
There are no rules governing nomination games, but if a lucky pot is allowed when making a cannon, we think a lucky cannon should also count when nominating an in-off, even though this helps the in-off. Our own opinion is that the only satisfactory non-fluke game is one in which the player stops after any score not played for.
215.—"When the player's ball is close to the ball he is playing on, how is it to be decided when he has made a foul stroke? When taking a fine shot may the cue pass beyond the object ball?"
We think that the answer to question No. 218 applies to this question also, and we can only repeat that a striker who knows anything about billiards knows at once whether he has "pushed" or not. In making a very fine stroke the cue can go right past the cue ball without pushing. When the stroke is foul both balls move freely away, but with a fair full stroke the cue ball lags, and with a fair fine one the object ball has comparatively little motion imparted to it.
216.—"What should be done at snooker when the white remains touching a coloured ball (say, pink, all reds gone). The player should play at pink. If he does he necessarily fouls. Can he play away and not be penalised for missing? Or should the pink be spotted as in the Russian game? There is no rule in the Billiard Association set for this occurrence in snooker pool."
The B.C.C. rule as to cue ball touching in snooker is as follows:—"If the cue ball is touching a red or coloured ball when such red or coloured ball is playable, the striker cannot give a miss. If the cue ball is touching a red or coloured ball when such red or coloured ball is not playable, the striker may play directly or off a cushion on a ball that is playable, provided he plays away from the touching ball and does not move it, and may score any points that he makes."
Consequently, in the diagram that you send, with only pink and black on the table and the cue ball touching pink, the cue ball must be played away from and back on to pink without moving it in the first instance if the six away is to be avoided.
217.—"Under 'Questions and Answers,' No. 202, I observe a definition of side which, I think, is worthy of comment. From your reply I gather that if a player in making the opening miss put the wrong side on his ball, this also would be 'running side,' as it receives no 'check,' etc. Theoretically, and for all purposes of argument, I am of opinion that we may only describe both left hand side and right hand side as' running 'side when the ball approaches the cushion exactly at a right angle. I would, therefore, suggest that the side used in playing the opening miss is 'check' side, and this will make itself apparent if in attempting the stroke the player plays his ball several inches out of baulk."
If the effect of the stroke is to widen the angle of return in the desired direction, we think that it should be classed as running side.
218.—"I am sending you a sketch of a shot which occurred during a match at our own club. The balls were left as shown by the last player, and his opponent played off the red into the pocket. The other player at once claimed a push stroke and started playing before appealing to the marker or hearing his decision. The marker gave it as a fair stroke. Was he right or wrong? Could you also give me a definition of a push stroke, as no one seems very clear on that point."
The stroke you instance is quite easy without the push. If the cue is off the cue ball when the cue ball touches the object ball it is not a push. Nor is it a push if the stroke is played very finely. On the other hand, when the two balls take practically the same course and keep almost close together, the stroke is probably a push In the case you describe this test could not apply, and the marker evidently observed the manner of playing the stroke. A striker who understands billiards always knows whether he has pushed or not, as he feels the triple contact, and if he is a sportsman he at once stops playing, whether a foul is claimed or not.