Billiard lover's holiday

According to various versions, India or China are considered the birthplace of billiards. The first special table was made in 1469 by order of King Louis XI by master Henri de Vinem. Gambling entertainment appeared in Russia thanks to Peter I. The name of the game, billard, is of French origin: bille means “ball”, billart - “stick”. On October 24, fans of this sport celebrate Billiards Day every year. The game, which is called pool in the USA, uses from 3 to 15 balls. Their color, weight and diameter vary: 60 mm in pool, 68-68.5 mm in Russian billiards. A table with pockets was not always made of wood and covered with cloth. Initially, natural slate was used for the playing field. Since such a slab was quite expensive and heavy, craftsmen tried to replace the material with granite or marble. But the tables could not withstand the impacts of the balls, so they cracked and crumbled. In Germany, at the dawn of the advent of entertainment, they used stone balls, which were hit with an iron or wooden hammer. Later the Germans switched to billiards on a table with pockets. Today, the leader in the production of balls is the Belgian company Saluc, which produces 80% of the products in this segment. For the manufacture of billiard tables, both laminated chipboard and MDF, as well as natural slate and synthetic (marble or granite chips, bonded with synthetic hardeners), are used. The rules of the game vary depending on the type: carom, pool, snooker, kaisa (Carolina), novus and Russian. The latter has up to 40 types: “Big Russian Pyramid”, “American”, “Moscow Pyramid”, etc. In honor of Billiards Day, players from all over the world meet to communicate with like-minded people, hold competitions in each of the existing types, and give master classes and take part in other activities. Fans and experts of the game claim that it develops logical thinking, psychological endurance and perseverance. Billiard players have trained arm muscles, are distinguished by accuracy and good coordination of movements. Victory in a game is ensured by knowledge of psychology and developed intelligence - players must be excellent tacticians and strategists. Billiards championships are held in the USA, Europe and the world. The very first in history dates back to 1873. For many years, the possibility of including this popular sport, like chess, bowling and bridge, in the list of Olympic competitions has been considered. While the question remains open, eminent players continue to improve their skills, receiving sports categories, the titles of candidates and masters of sports in playing billiards.