Eh, fellow LingQers?
I don’t mind it. I played it when I was at school. I like practically all games. I like “energetic” games like football, basketball, tennis etc, even street cricket though I am useless at it. But I also like pool and things like that, also board games like chess, gomoko, backgammon. Trivial Pursuit can be ok if you have a bunch of friends.
I would rather play any such game than watch TV. I may watch a bit of the World Cup. Apart from a bit of sport coverage, I never watch TV.
I’ve never played for it, I watched that a few times on TV but I don’t understand this game still.
Moreover I like spending my time active. I like playing on football, cycling, swimming, running and play in tennis.
I used to play a lot of pool, but haven’t played much in the last couple of years. At one stage, I was playing about 4 nights a week with friends. I still enjoy playing sometimes and would love to have my own table one day so that I could play more regularly and keep improving.
peter: Yes, I too wish I had my own table, then I could fit in a spot of practising practically every day. The better you are at any game or sport, the more fun you can have.
I wish I could have a house that’d accommodate a pool table.
I found a new pool hall a few days ago and decided to break my seven-plus-year hiatus. Boy has my technique gone down in these years. It really frustrating to know where you want to play for position, which spin to apply, and yet fail to execute the shot. Bummer.
My two favorite games are nine-ball and straight pool. How about you, guys?
astamoore : Ha ha yes I know what you mean, I have no house, nor any realistic chance of ever having one, what with prices being £1000 per square foot in England.
Maybe you have a dacha? You could possibly fit a pool table in a dacha, you’d just have to worry about it being nicked:) by the other dachniki.
I have little skill at playing pool, I have no technique to speak of, so I don’t have to worry about it deteriorating. But I know what you mean.
Nah, no dacha. I’m an all around urban boy, so it’s public pool halls for me, I’m afraid. I got to know one of the attendants in this new place I’d discovered, and he gives me a nice set of balls to play (as opposed to their regular, cheaper, and oh-not-so-round-any-more sets). Saves me the trouble of bringing mine (they weigh a ton).
I don’t know the names of the different games, we usually just play pool, pub rules :).
I have yet to figure out how to apply spins that make the ball move left or right. I can do jumps and ‘backspin’ or whatever the correct term is. But my strengths are definitely accuracy and control (of power).
Don’t you call it “billiards”（ビリヤード）?
The boys will correct me, no doubt, but I think Billiards and Snooker are two different games, pool falls somewhere in between.
@Peter:
Yes, backspin. Or, more commonly, a draw. It’s cool that you can do it. Draw shots and jump shots are among the most difficult in pool. Mostly, because it’s not easy to control the amount of draw and how far the cue ball flies during a jump shot.
@Yutaka:
“Billiards” is a generic term. In terms of sports, it’s usually applied to a particular game, called three-cushion billiards. It’s played with three balls—slightly larger than regular pool balls—on a pocketless table.