3-Cushion Billiard3-cushion billiard is the most popular carom billiard games in the US. Played on a heated carom billiard table with no pockets, the object of the game is to score the highest by hitting 3 cushions in between contacting the first and the second object ball. Being a difficult billiard game, in order to succeed in 3-cushion one must be extremely focused and adept in the various billiard techniques.
3-cushion billiard history is yet to be known. According to one myth, the game was invented by Wayman C. McCreery, the Internal Revenue Collector of the Port of St. Louis, at the end of the 19th century. According to another, the game was developed during the golden age of carom billiards at the beginning of the 20th century when top players from the league of Willie Hoppe could easily carom hundreds of consecutive shots (and by that bore the audience to death).
3-Cushion Billiard Equipment
As in all carom billiard games, 3-cushion billiard is played on a standard carom table with a set of three balls: two cue balls and one object ball called the red ball.
Opening Break Shot
The opening break shot is taken with the breaker's cue ball on the head string and the red ball is on the foot spot. The breaker is required to cause his cue ball to make the first contact with the red ball.
Legal Shot
The shooting player must cause his cue ball to first contact one object ball, afterwards to hit 3 cushions and then to contact the second object ball. The order or of the balls is not important. Every legal shot entitles its shooter to continue playing at the table.
Scoring
- 1 point is scored for every successful count
- 1 point is deducted for every foul
- The player who scores the highest wins the game
- Due to the difficulty of the game, an average 3-cushion billiard game ends with 1 point score.
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