All other things being equal, the quickest billiard player is the best. John Roberts, even to-day, is an astonishingly rapid player, and when at his best piled on points at a tremendous pace. The champion, H. W. Stevenson, is also extremely quick, and those who have watched him play for years will agree that the quicker he plays the better he performs. There are solid reasons in favour of playing at a good pace, quite apart from the fact that it is far more attractive to the spectator. One is that at billiards, as in shooting, first sight is the best, but a far more powerful argument in favour of quickness is the increased number of points which can be scored in a given time. This tells tremendously when it comes to making breaks of any magnitude, because when a player is making a break his sight and nerves are on the stretch all the, time, and every wasted moment means that this tension is endured for nothing. Sooner or later the continuous strain must have its effect on even the greatest players or they would score for an indefinite period, and he who gathers the greatest harvest of points in a given time gets full value for the trying effort. On the other hand, the deliberate player is taking much out of himself for no adequate return; and although individual temperament doubtless enters largely into the question it would seem that science proves the fastest player to have the advantage.