These half-table Carom Billiards layouts offer an excellent variety of table setups that show up in game after game. For full-table layouts, see the book “Carom Billiards: MORE Riddles & Puzzles”. The layouts are designed to allow experimentation to try various cue ball speeds, spins, and angles. This provides significant personal competitive benefits: • Intellectual training – Evaluate the layouts and consider how many pathway options are available. Make sketches of paths and cue ball speeds & spins for the practice table. This increases your analytic and tactical skills. • Skills confirmation – As you attempt each path, your experimentation helps to determine whether it is viable (within your skills) or useless (too difficult or fantastic). This comparison between mental imagery and physical attempts helps determine the width and breadth of your abilities. • Skills advancement – If a path looks promising, but execution fails, work with various speeds/spins to discover what works. Several consecutive successes will add this to your personal library of competencies. ++++++++++++++++ HOW TO STUDY Start with armchair analysis. Look at each table layout and consider possible playing options. Imagine shooting your ideas, concentrating on the appropriate speed and spin. Make sketches and notes, as needed. Alternately, take this book to your practice table, put the donuts down, and (without shooting anything), mentally figure out how many different ways you can play the shot. Make notes of your ideas. If this is a printed book, use a pencil and sketch out pathways. Make sketches, and when you get to the practice table, give them a shot. At the practice table, apply the paper reinforcement rings for the three ball positions. Think through the shot before you get down and stroke the cue ball. When shots get close, experiment with different speeds/spins and angles until you can consistently score (3 of 4 attempts). This is how you become a tougher and more dangerous player.

These Full-Table Carom Billiards layouts offer an excellent variety of table setups that show up in game after game. For Half-Table layouts, see the book “Carom Billiards: Some Riddles & Puzzles”. The layouts are designed to allow experimentation to try various cue ball speeds, spins, and angles. This provides significant personal competitive benefits: • Intellectual training – Evaluate the layouts and consider how many pathway options are available. Make sketches of paths and cue ball speeds & spins for the practice table. This increases your analytic and tactical skills. • Skills confirmation – As you attempt each path, your experimentation helps to determine whether it is viable (within your skills) or useless (too difficult or fantastic). This comparison between mental imagery and physical attempts helps determine the width and breadth of your abilities. • Skills advancement – If a path looks promising, but execution fails, work with various speeds/spins to discover what works. Several consecutive successes will add this to your personal library of competencies. ++++++++++ HOW TO STUDY Start with armchair analysis. Look at each table layout and consider possible playing options. Imagine shooting your ideas, concentrating on the appropriate speed and spin. Make sketches and notes, as needed. Alternately, take this book to your practice table, put the donuts down, and (without shooting anything), mentally figure out how many different ways you can play the shot. Make notes of your ideas. If this is a printed book, use a pencil and sketch out pathways. Make sketches, and when you get to the practice table, give them a shot. At the practice table, apply the paper reinforcement rings for the three ball positions. Think through the shot before you get down and stroke the cue ball. When shots get close, experiment with different speeds/spins and angles until you can consistently score (3 of 4 attempts). This is how you become a tougher and more dangerous player.

Test & Fine-Tune Your AIMING SYSTEMS with these Fixed Layouts These Half-Table Carom Billiards layouts offer an excellent variety of table setups that show up in game after game. For Full-Table layouts, see the book "Carom Billiards: MORE Riddles & Puzzles." The layouts are designed to allow experimentation to try various cue ball speeds, spins, and angles. This provides significant personal competitive benefits: "Intellectual training" - Evaluate the layouts and consider how many pathway options are available. Make sketches of paths and cue ball speeds & spins for the practice table. This increases your analytic and tactical skills. "Skills confirmation" - As you attempt each path, your experimentation helps to determine whether it is viable (within your skills) or useless (too difficult or fantastic). This comparison between mental imagery and physical attempts helps determine the width and breadth of your abilities. "Skills advancement" - If a path looks promising, but execution fails, work with various speeds/spins to discover what works. Several consecutive successes will add this to your personal library of competencies. TABLE SETUP Use donuts (paper reinforcement rings) to mark positions for the carom balls. These are available at any office supply store. Place the first cue ball on the "A" ball position, the second cue ball on the "B" position, and the Red Ball on the dark ball position. PLAYING RULES Depending on your game preferences, use the appropriate scoring rules: 3-Cushion Straight Rail Balkline One Cushion For specific details, search on the World Wide Web for "carom billiards rules." TABLE OPTIONS Every table layout provides four (4) different ways to score points: CB1 > Red > CB2 CB1 > CB2 > Red CB2 > Red > CB1 CB2 > CB1 > Red HOW TO STUDY Start with armchair analysis. Look at each table layout and consider possible playing options. Imagine shooting your ideas, concentrating on the appropriate speed and spin. Make sketches and notes, as needed. Alternately, take this book to your practice table, put the donuts down, and (without shooting anything), mentally figure out how many different ways you can play the shot. Make notes of your ideas. If this is a printed book, use a pencil and sketch out pathways. Make sketches, and when you get to the practice table, give them a shot. At the practice table, apply the paper reinforcement rings for the three ball positions. Think through the shot before you get down and stroke the cue ball. When shots get close, experiment with different speeds/spins and angles until you can consistently score (3 of 4 attempts). This is how you become a tougher and more dangerous player. CHALLENGES (for fun & profit) For a change of pace, consider setting up a friendly competition among your buddies. Mutually select several of these layouts. Place the donuts on the table. Use a round-robin format. Everyone shoots an agreed number of times (1, 3, or 5) per setup. Winner gets the pot, and another round begins. +++++++++++ NOTES: - Ball positions are not random. They are calculated to fall within a wide variety of common pathways. - There are no hints or tips. Experimentation is encouraged. - Test newly learned systems with these layouts. - Test your abilities to predict the future. +++++++++ FYI - there are two "Riddles & Puzzles" books: "- Carom Billiards: Some Riddles & Puzzles (half-table layouts)" "- Carom Billiards: MORE Riddles & Puzzles (full-table layouts)" "

Test & Fine-Tune Your AIMING SYSTEMS with these Fixed Layouts These Full-Table Carom Billiards layouts offer an excellent variety of table setups that show up in game after game. For Half-Table layouts, see the book Carom Billiards: Some Riddles & Puzzles. The layouts are designed to allow experimentation to try various cue ball speeds, spins, and angles. This provides significant personal competitive benefits: -Intellectual training - Evaluate the layouts and consider how many pathway options are available. Make sketches of paths and cue ball speeds & spins for the practice table. This increases your analytic and tactical skills. -Skills confirmation - As you attempt each path, your experimentation helps to determine whether it is viable (within your skills) or useless (too difficult or fantastic). This comparison between mental imagery and physical attempts helps determine the width and breadth of your abilities. -Skills advancement - If a path looks promising, but execution fails, work with various speeds/spins to discover what works. Several consecutive successes will add this to your personal library of competencies. TABLE SETUP Use donuts (paper reinforcement rings) to mark positions for the carom balls. These are available at any office supply store. Place the first cue ball on the "A" ball position, the second cue ball on the "B" position, and the Red Ball on the dark ball position. PLAYING RULES Depending on your game preferences, use the appropriate scoring rules: -3-Cushion -Straight Rail -Balkline -One Cushion For specific details, search on the World Wide Web for "carom billiards rules". TABLE OPTIONS Every table layout provides four (4) different ways to score points: -CB1 > Red > CB2 -CB1 > CB2 > Red -CB2 > Red > CB1 -CB2 > CB1 > Red HOW TO STUDY Start with armchair analysis. Look at each table layout and consider possible playing options. Imagine shooting your ideas, concentrating on the appropriate speed and spin. Make sketches and notes, as needed. Alternately, take this book to your practice table, put the donuts down, and (without shooting anything), mentally figure out how many different ways you can play the shot. Make notes of your ideas. Make sketches, and when you get to the practice table, give them a shot. At the practice table, apply the paper reinforcement rings for the three ball positions. Think through the shot before you get down and stroke the cue ball. When shots get close, experiment with different speeds/spins and angles until you can consistently score (3 of 4 attempts). This is how you become a tougher and more dangerous player. CHALLENGES (for fun & profit) For a change of pace, consider setting up a friendly competition among your buddies. Mutually select several of these layouts. Place the donuts on the table. Use a round-robin format. Everyone shoots an agreed number of times (1, 3, or 5) per setup. Winner gets the pot, and another round begins. +++++++++++ NOTES: - Ball positions are not random. They are calculated to fall within a wide variety of common pathways. - There are no hints or tips. Experimentation is encouraged. - Test newly learned systems with these layouts. - Test your abilities to predict the future. +++++++++ FYI - there are two "Riddles & Puzzles" books: - Carom Billiards: Some Riddles & Puzzles (half-table layouts) - Carom Billiards: MORE Riddles & Puzzles (full-table layouts)

These shots are very common. The cue ball comes out of one corner to contact the middle of the opposite long rail. It then travels into the corner on the same side at the other end of the table. This creates a path that looks like the cue ball is going up and down a hill. For each shot, there are two table layouts. The first is the ball positions on the table. The second is how the pro player made the point. There are two ways you can use these examples. First - as a mental exercise. Study the ball layout and the ball paths to determine how the shot was played. Second - as a table exercise. Set the balls up in the positions. Try to duplicate the shot. It may take only a few attempts, or a lot before you learn how to consistently score the point. You will do a lot of experimentation with different speeds and spins. The result will be a better understanding on how to play similar shots during your competitions. Enjoy the learning process and good luck!!

You have opportunities to extend your skills. Learn to handle a wide variety of ball positions that show up in game after game. These layouts offer you a chance to do extensive experimentation. These personal testing situations provide significant playing benefits: Intellectual training, confirmation of existing skills, and competitive skills advancement.

INTERMEDIATE LEVEL PLAYERS: This book provides an objective evaluation system for pool and billiards players. Test groups include progressively difficult shots. The testing process determines your current skills. A log allows you to compare previous efforts against current abilities. Scoring system can be for: Skills Measurement - The test groups identify current playing skills with actual results. The testing process uses multiple attempts that remove the luck factor and reveal reality. Self-Knowledge - Because the test groups strip away fuzzy personal assumptions, the player can make more intelligent table decisions. Personal Training Program - Test groups with low scores identify what areas must be improved. A personalized skill development program can be developed, based on results. Competitive Skills Comparison - players compare their individual skills. Competitions can occur in person or (with referees), internationally. This can be done within in a casual competition or formal tournament environment. ++++++++++++++ Included are Referee instructions for challenges between buddies. Competitions can be done against others anywhere on the planet. Select the Test Group for the players and compare scores. Enjoy the challenges as you improve your skills!!