Whether you want to play on the pro tour or just have some fun with America's fastest indoor sport, this book is for you. It gives you: All the rules, as compiled by the experts who play and win by them; Tips for keeping your game on cue; A pocket history of the game and its greats.

More than 80 principles of the game, presented with 250-plus precisely scaled illustrations and photographs, offer players of all levels a thorough overview of the fundamentals of 8-ball and 9-ball, including grip and stance, basic shots, position play and strategy, bank and kick shots, and advanced techniques such as carom and jump shots.

Over 300 illustrations and 40 photographs guide you step by step along the way of learning the game(s) of pool billiards. No previous knowledge or abilities are assumed, but you will still be led toward your individually attainable level of performance. And this, if necessary, up to the most intricate subtleties of this wonderful game. Pool billiards is more than just a brilliant coordination of mental and physical adroitness. Hardly any sport can deliver more enjoyment of one's achievements and abilities as this one.

THE SCIENCE OF POCKET BILLIARDS covers the complete spectrum from the basic fundamentals to the most complex concepts in pocket billiards. There are no opinions, no fairy tales from dead pool players, and no Voodoo explanations that violate the laws of physics in this book. Every concept from stance and stroke to cue-stick induced deflection is examined from a technical point of view. Take english as an example concept. English is examined and analyzed in minute detail. There is inside english, outside english, draw english, follow english, running english, and reverse english. Then add to that collision-induced english, transferred english, and cushion-induced english. It may sound like the concept of english is a chaotic mess but it all comes together like pieces of a jigsaw puzzle. Bank shots are a problem for everyone and especially so for the casual pool player. The brain of each individual is wired a little differently. A banking system that works best for one person may not work for another individual. This book presents eight different banking systems; try them all to determine which system works best for you. POOL & BILLIARD MAGAZINE has the largest circulation of any monthly pool magazine in the world. In their August 1994 issue they did an evaluation of all the available instructional books and video tapes. They concluded, "Subjectively and, I hope, objectively, I think "THE SCIENCE OF POCKET BILLIARDS" by Jack H. Koehler is the best." THE SCIENCE OF POCKET BILLIARDS covers the entire spectrum from the basics to the most advanced concepts in pool. The occasional player can skim through the book and learn enough for a lifetime of casual play while an avid pool enthusiast can study this book for months, or even years, and continue to gain knowledge. 8 1/2 X 11, 253 pages (Paperback only)

Practical, step-by-step tips for players of all levels From Snooker to Carom to good-old-fashioned 8- or 9-Ball, Pool & Billiards For Dummies reveals the tips, tricks, and rules of play, covering the variety of the ever-popular games that make up pool and billiards. This hands-on guide discusses everything from the rules and strategies of the games to how to set up a pool room to choosing the right equipment, and is accompanied by dozens of photos and line drawings. See how hard to hit the cue ball and where to hit it, the angle to hold the cue stick and how much chalk to use, how to use a bridge, and how to put spin on the ball Includes advanced pool techniques and trick shots for the seasoned pool sharp With Pool & Billiards For Dummies, even a novice can play like a champion!

Here in a single, compact handbook are all the rules for the myriad forms of pocket billiards. Billiards: The Official Rules and Records Book is complete with detailed instructions on how to play everything from Basic Pocket Billiards to Cut-Throat, together with the rules for tournament games such as Nine Ball and Rotation, and Snooker and Carom games. These are the official rules of billiards from the Billiard Congress of America, the governing body of professional billiards in the United States. A very helpful chapter for the beginner includes professional tips on basic techniques and strategies. Also included are a glossary of billiard terms and a summary of BCA billiards champions.

Fully illustrated—in color for the first time!—with drawings of nearly 350 mind-boggling trick shots, Byrne’s Treasury of Trick Shots in Pool and Billiards will teach you everything from the basic “butterfly formation” to the most difficult and impressive shots. Robert Byrne will help novice and experienced players alike perfect their trick shots and learn about the historical context of each trick. Trick shots are anything amusing, surprising, or educational that can be done on a pool or billiard table with standard accessories, and have been around as long as the game itself. Byrne demonstrates historical shots, including some invented by the famous Captain Mingaud, the world’s first professional exhibition player, and newer tricks seen while travelling to tournaments around the world. Filled with easy as well as hard, and technical as well as showy tricks, the book’s clear diagrams, paired with secret insider tips, describe simpler stunts for the beginner, those that take years of practice, and some that the author doubts you’ll ever be able to do. Whether you want to impress a crowd, a group of friends, or yourself, Byrne’s wild, stunning, and unforgettable trick shots will make you question some principles of physics and wow an audience of one or one-hundred. Skyhorse Publishing, as well as our Sports Publishing imprint, is proud to publish a broad range of books for readers interested in sports—books about baseball, pro football, college football, pro and college basketball, hockey, or soccer, we have a book about your sport or your team. In addition to books on popular team sports, we also publish books for a wide variety of athletes and sports enthusiasts, including books on running, cycling, horseback riding, swimming, tennis, martial arts, golf, camping, hiking, aviation, boating, and so much more. While not every title we publish becomes a New York Times bestseller or a national bestseller, we are committed to publishing books on subjects that are sometimes overlooked by other publishers and to authors whose work might not otherwise find a home.