3 cushion questions

Texas3cushion

Texas3cushion

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I've been playing 3c for about 5-6 years now and still don't know the answers to these questions.

1. Why does 3c use two cue balls?

2. Why is the red ball considered neutral?

3. Why when playing 3 players do some alternate cue balls?

Why do these questions matter? I'll give you my answer or idea about these questions.

1. Why does 3c use two cue balls? A consequence of this rule is that it causes a special type of safety play. i.e. playing the 1 (your cue ball) to the red last. if you had only 1 cue ball and both other balls, the 2 & 3 were red. this would limit SOME safeties. based on ball, not angle.

2. Why is the red ball considered neutral? Maybe just cause it's not a cue ball? but when you want to play 3 players they usually alternate between white, yellow and back to white.

3. Why when playing 3 players do some alternate cue balls? Related to question 2 obviously. but what's the point of this? I was asking some friends who play better than me about this and I never really got a good answer. One could argue that you don't want to bump the red because it's neutral but does that matter if you have to bump your opponent's cue ball and the red anyway?

What makes me think or ask these types of questions? Well, 3c is mostly, NOT ALWAYS an offensive game. especially played at the highest level. And safeties are often played primarily to make the point but in a way to get lucky with a safe if you don't.

If there was 1 cue ball and two red balls this would incentivize even more offensive play. which I like more. and the safety play would be more based on angle rather than ball.

At the end the day I'm not trying to make the game a certain way. but hopefully someone has some answers to these questions.
 
I read they tried having the option of either cue ball at one point to curb safety play but it backfired and allowed the better players even more shots.


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The optional cue ball is a standard feature for our format and so is the 2 miss rule for the U.S.A.I.B.C. . Because our games are played via the internet and we are all amateurs and most games are partner games, [ 20 to 30 point games depending on how many players on a team] ,and they are designed to be completed in approx. in 30 minutes. Without these rules in place the games would take much longer to play and so the players in the waiting room have a realistic time until it is their turn to play. The players like these rules because their turn at the table lasts much longer. We play 4 times a week so if you you want to play with us or just watch our games please contact Paul Frankel 901 210 7251 or Dan Bennicas 843 681 4193. United States Amateur Internet Billiard Consortium
 
Bob Jewett said:
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The game currently called English Billiards (in the US) seems to have been the common parent of carom billiards (including 3-cushion), pool, and snooker. It seems to have been the dominant game around 1800 and it still has world championships.
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it looks like it's a parent of the russian pyramid too ...
 
Bob Jewett said:
I played very briefly on a table in England about 10 years ago with someone who was not completely familiar with the rules. There are at least two different versions of the rules, I believe.
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I know there is two different versions and then there is a game called Kaisa I'm not real familiar with. Either way it seems like a fun game to play.
 
Bob Jewett said:
I think it is interesting as an experience, but compared to other cue sports the strategies seem quite limited. Compare to one pocket, for example.
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That seems to be true on the surface but for me it's hard to say. In games I'm unfamiliar with, this is often so much overlap that you have to weed that stuff out before you can get to the parts of the game that are maybe specific to that game. i.e. Taiwanese carom also called 235, on the surface and to non-carom players. looks like a boring game. but once you learn how to play it. It has a lot of 1pkt and 8b in it. idk where I'm going with this. thinking out loud.
 
Texas3cushion said:
That seems to be true on the surface but for me it's hard to say. In games I'm unfamiliar with, this is often so much overlap that you have to weed that stuff out before you can get to the parts of the game that are maybe specific to that game. i.e. Taiwanese carom also called 235, on the surface and to non-carom players. looks like a boring game. but once you learn how to play it. It has a lot of 1pkt and 8b in it. idk where I'm going with this. thinking out loud.
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I know where you're going!!

You were going to share more about the taiwanese game??!

Please and thanks!
 
Black-Balled said:
I THINK I have heard it referenced before and that's about the extent of my smarts on it.
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I'll try to make this short & simple.

Taiwanese carom is played on a pool table, NOT a carom table.
Even though there are other variations of the game played on carom tables.

There are 4 balls including the cue ball. 1 white, 1 yellow and 2 reds. Color matters but number doesn't.

It's a 3-sequence game in order to score 1 point.

  1. Carom Yellow/Red or Red/Yellow first. you have the option
  2. Carom red/red second.
  3. Carom the cue ball into all 3 balls IN ANY ORDER last.
if you carom the cue ball into all 3 balls OUT OF TURN it's a foul. And you lose your turn at the table.

All balls pocketed intentionally or unintentionally are not a foul but the balls pocketed return to a designated spot on the table.
 
I watched Deluna play this with a local Filipino player at Q Masters during the International Open last year. Looked fun and they were having a good time. Was on 9ft Diamond. Would be interesting to try on 3C table tho.
 
pacemonster said:
I watched Deluna play this with a local Filipino player at Q Masters during the International Open last year. Looked fun and they were having a good time. Was on 9ft Diamond. Would be interesting to try on 3C table tho.
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Here in Houston, we play it as a ring game. between $5-20 per point but if you foul or carom all 3 out of turn you owe everyone whatever the bet is.
 
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