Talk about tight pockets!

Runnin8

Runnin8

Love God, Love People
Silver Member
One of the guys that works for me is in Russia for 3 years and he sent me these pics from the hotel in the Baikonur Cosmodrome. Its a set up for Russian Pyramid and there is only about 1 mm clearance on each side of the ball going in the pocket!

When he gets back the pockets are going to look huge!
 

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Doesn't look like fun to me.

I would have to switch to playing darts if the American tables were set up like this----ouch that is tight.
 
I have heard that Russian billiards (where you can carom off other balls to make the OB) is one of the hardest if not "the" hardest pool game. I have seen videos of it, and those pockets look very tight, but not like what you got here. I have heard regular pool matches comentated in Russian where they talk how nice it is to see the Russian players compete on a high level. Very national people.
 
There is a one major difference between pool pockets and pyramid pockets. The pocket opening gives you a false sense on the side of the pocket. In pool, the harder you shoot, the smaller the pocket gets while in russian pyramid it's vice versa. The jaws of the pocket give out and the ball squeezes into the pocket. The slate is cut in a way that if you manage to squeeze the ball in between the jaws, it almost automatically drops in. Thats why in russian pyramid you hardly ever see slow roll shots unless the ball is a hanger.

Btw, that table looks really small in that pic. Real russian pyramid is played on a 12-footer :)

EDIT: forgot to say, that when you realize which shots are easy and which not, this game is actually quite addicting. And yes, despite the pockets, it's a runout game.
 
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I was going to post that also mjantti. It is not a speed/position game like the other variants of pool are. I don't think that it will necessarily make your pool game better.
 
thoffen said:
I was going to post that also mjantti. It is not a speed/position game like the other variants of pool are. I don't think that it will necessarily make your pool game better.
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Yes. Shot selection is very important. Picking up the easiest shots is very crucial in this game. I have seen pyramid world championships live here in Finland last year and the level of play is amazing. Over 95% of the players come from Russia and former Soviet Union countries and there are a few truly amazing players.

I agree with thoffen, playing this won't make your pool game better, you need a different stroke to play this game. But it's a nice game to play for a change.
 
Black-Balled said:
Is that why Staslev looks so bored with American pool?:eek:
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Probably yes. Though he looks almost as bored with russian pyramid :)

Great Battersea avatar btw, one of my all time favourite albums :cool:
 
They play(ed) the game out in Brighton Beach Billiards in Brooklyn. I haven't been there in years and I honestly don't even know if the place still exists but there were a lot of Russians that hung out there and they had a few Russian pool tables. The balls are bigger, almost like softballs and the pockets are ridiculously small. I swear, I would watch them play for about 10 minutes and never see a ball drop. In fact, I cannot say with certainty that I ever saw a ball pocketed in Russian Billiards. That was easily over 10 years ago and I still have no desire whatsoever to ever give it a try.
 
Those pockets are cut snooker style. Are those the correct balls for this game? Jeeze, it barely fits, you can forget cutting a ball in there.
 
Russian Billiards sounds like an ideal moneymaker to set-up on a Boardwalk Midway. It's a great way to rob someone blind while they attempt to win a large pink elephant The creepy carnies should look into it...if they haven't already, that is.
 
curt_bb said:
Russian Billiards sounds like an ideal moneymaker to set-up on a Boardwalk Midway. It's a great way to rob someone blind while they attempt to win a large pink elephant The creepy carnies should look into it...if they haven't already, that is.
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They have.

pj
chgo
 
Jude Rosenstock said:
They play(ed) the game out in Brighton Beach Billiards in Brooklyn. I haven't been there in years and I honestly don't even know if the place still exists but there were a lot of Russians that hung out there and they had a few Russian pool tables. The balls are bigger, almost like softballs and the pockets are ridiculously small. I swear, I would watch them play for about 10 minutes and never see a ball drop. In fact, I cannot say with certainty that I ever saw a ball pocketed in Russian Billiards. That was easily over 10 years ago and I still have no desire whatsoever to ever give it a try.
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Aw, come on... I'll give you some weight... ;)
 
I think we should ask RealKingCobra if these pockets were done right. They just look way to small :D:D:D:D:D

BVal
 
PROG8R said:
Those pockets are cut snooker style. Are those the correct balls for this game? Jeeze, it barely fits, you can forget cutting a ball in there.
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Quite far away from snooker actually if you mean the jaws and not the slate. The jaws are straight unlike the rounded ones in snooker. And if you look closely, the pocket is wider above the pocket and gets a little bit narrower towards the slate. That's why you need power to squeeze the ball between the jaws to get it to drop.

And yes, balls near the rails are very hard to make, you need a lots of power to squeeze 'em in which means you need to have almost a straight-in shot to create enough power. You'll hardly ever see a thin cutshot on this game, because you get a point by caroming the cueball in too :) Makes it very interesting.
 
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