5 Pin or Italian

This is the speciality-symbol of the Italian game. It is a complete speciality, to practice this there is a need to possess determinate physical and mental qualities, including all the technical knowledge in relation to the billiard game and its essence. The indirect hits and the defence have this speciality, principally based on the fact that the player needs to hit exactly the right quantity of the oppositions balls, a true test of applicative intelligence. A player which knows well the speciality of 5 pin is practically in possession of a knowledge which would allow them to approach the other specialities. Additionally, if a certain grade of ability is reached in this discipline, then the player possesses those natural abilities which are at the base of the billiard game in general.

Goriziana

This speciality has in a certain sense saved the technical monotony of the 5 pin game utilising a pinch of fantasy to revive interest and expectation in each game. The conduction of the game in respect of the 5 pin game is different. The Goriziana game needs the use of a greater methodology. The choice of the hit should be always taken in consideration of the fact that the points realised with indirect hits (against boarders) are worth double. This means, for example, that it could be convenient, at a certain point of the game, to receive a full hit (with double pointage) without a large coverage and a good remainder. Substantially though, the basic rules of the game of billiards are not altered or compromised and so utilising a saying dear to Catalano (the philosopher of the obvious) "who plays best in the end wins". The Goriziana game, better than the 5 pin game, is more easily played at a recreational level, particularly because of its unpredictable and sparkling nature. The fact remains that it has less rules and requires less mathematical precision. In the Goriziana game or 9 pin game the same rules as 5 pin are required.

Pool

The present rules of pool, are nothing more than the evolution of the original rules of the various specialities (14-1 or American, 8pool and 9 ball). Famous in the first half of the last century in the Northern American continent. A large proportion of these evolutions regard the specialities of "8 pool" and "9 ball" in which the "14-1 American" is the most faithful to the original rules. The modifications imposed upon "8 pool" and "9 ball" have been dictated, in time, by a greater need to increase the agility and secularity of these two most modern specialities.

The "pool" game or "pocket billiard" is practised in competitions on a 9 legged table for 4,5 with game surface of 2.54m x 1.27m. The corner holes have an oscillating width between 12.4cm and 13cm, the central holes between 13.6cm and 14.2cm. The height of the table, from the floor, is approx. 78cm. The balls are 15 (8 of one colour and 7 with a horizontal band, and an ivory coloured striking ball) and these have a diameter of 5.8cm. The weight of the stick is normally 560g.

Bowls

The billiard table on which the game of bowls 5 pin is played has the internal dimension of 2.70m x 1.35m with 6 large holes in the Italian type and 2.84m x 1.42m in the International type without holes. This speciality is played with 9 balls (4 red, 4 white and a smaller blue striking ball) and 5 pins, in which one is red. The players must realise valid points by knocking down the pins with the blue ball or with the opponents balls or by placing the players balls as close as possible to the blue ball. Applying the rules of the game until the predefined pointage is reached. The smaller blue ball and the other balls are defined "hitable" only when their whole circumference exceeds the middle line in the inner superior quadrate. The value of the 5 pins is of 2 points for the white ones and 4 for the central red one. Every ball that falls in a hole produces 2 points.

Carambola

The Carambola is played on a table with no holes with two white balls and a red one. The aim of the game is to hit with your white ball the red ball and the opponents balls; if Carambola is reached the player obtains a point and the right to another go. In the case of an error the throw goes to the opposition. There are 3 types of Carambola(from Spanish, Carambola, and "Billiards"): Carambola in a straight line, against a boarder, and 3 boarders (presently the most diffused). In the straight line Carambola, the striking ball must hit the first aimed at ball, then one or more boarders and eventually another ball. This variant was invented because the specialists had learnt to guide the balls with extreme precision, giving rise to boring games. In the Carambola game against a boarder, the player must hit a boarder with the striking ball before or after having hit the aimed at ball but however before having hit the second pin. In the 3 boarder game, the striking ball must hit 3 or more boarders before hitting the aimed at ball.