In two, or in a team, Billiard games are played on a rectangular table that has holes or “pockets” at its sides and at each corner. It’s played with balls which are hit, in most variations of the game, with sticks called “cue sticks”. The types of games that are the most widely played include Pool, 5 Pins and Snooker. Eight Ball, the most popular variant of pool, is played with 15 colored and numbered balls and one white ball. The white or “cue” ball hits the others sending them into the holes. The winner is whoever puts 7 balls plus the black 8 ball into the pockets first. The 15 balls are divided into two groups : solids and stripes. At the beginning of the match, colored balls are arranged in a triangle at the center of the table. The player taking the first shot places the cue ball on the table opposite the triangle of balls and hits the cue ball, sending the 15 balls rolling in various directions. The first of the two players to pocket a ball, is assigned that group of balls , either solids or stripes. Thereafter he or she will have to send only those particular balls into the pockets. When the player fails to pocket one of his assigned balls , the turn passes to the opponent .

If one of the two players accidentally pockets the black ball before they have pocketed all the balls in their group, he or she loses the game. 5 Pins, the Italian version of billiards, is instead played on a table without pockets. Whoever accumulates the most points wins. 5 pins (similar to small bowling pins) are placed at the center of the table in what is called a “castle”. The middle skillet or pin is red, while the other four are white. The player must hit their own cue ball, yellow or white, and their ball must then hit the ball of their opponent. A players earns points if the opponent or the red ball, knocks down the pins. The red pin is worth 8 points if knocked down but only 4 points if knocked down along with one of the white pins. White pins are worth 2 points. After each shot, the turn passes to the opponent. If a player knocks down a pin using his own ball, the points are awarded to the opponent.