Pyramids, a game played on a billiard-table. Fifteen red balls are placed on the table in the form of a pyramid, the apex of the pyramid being on the winning spot, with the base nearer to the top of the table. There is also a sixteenth white ball, which is used by both players when striking. The object of the players is to hole the pyramid balls. The first stroke is from hand; the succeeding strokes are played from where the white ball stops, unless the striker runs in, when his adversary plays from hand. Also, when only two balls remain on the table, the white and the red are played with alternately. When a player holes a pyramid ball he scores one, and plays again on any ball he likes. If a player runs in or gives a miss, one is deducted from his score, and a red ball is replaced on the table on the winning spot, or as near in a straight line beyond it as it will go without touching another ball; if the player has made no score, he owes one, and the first red ball he holes is placed on the table. When all the red balls are holed, the lower score is deducted from the higher, and the difference is the number of lives won. The game is generally played for so much a life, with a stake on the pool equal to the value of three lives. The lives are not paid for when taken (as at pool), but the difference in the scores is recorded on a slate marking-board at the conclusion of each game.
The principal varieties of pyramids are shell out and snooker. Shell out is pyramids played by more than two persons. The only differences are that, if a player runs in or misses, one is deducted from his score, but no ball is replaced on the table, and that the last ball scores two. At snooker, in addition to the pyramid balls, some of the pool balls (beginning with the yellow) are placed on various spots on the table. A red pyramid ball must first be played on, and, if it is holed, the striker must then play on a pool ball. The pool balls score two, three, four, five, and six respectively, according to the order of their colours on the marking-board; running in or missing when playing on a pool ball scores correspondingly against, the amount being added to the opponent's score. When a pool ball is holed, it is replaced on its original spot, and the striker must next play on a pyramid ball. When all the pyramid balls have been holed, the pool balls are played on in the order of their colours, but are not then replaced when holed.
A great point is to avoid being snookered—i.e. to play on a pyramid ball so that if holed a pool ball is left open, and vice versa. If a player is snookered, his adversary adds to his score the value of the nearest pool ball. Some rules compel the striker to name the ball played at, when, if he fails to hit it, he is snookered off that. The rules of snooker vary much in different rooms.