A hundred years ago
From the 'Spectator,' 29 January 1870—A Mr Cook, a professional billiard-player, is said to have worked a revolution in the manufacture of billiard tables. It is of no use to play with him, or anybody like him, for he can invari- ably pocket the red ball at the first stroke, and on one occasion did so 394 times in succession. Skill like that reduces billiards to a single stroke, and it has, therefore, been decided at a conference of players and table-makers to put the "spot" an inch nearer to the top cushion, reduce the width of the pockets from 34 in. to 3 in., to square the corners, and increase the diameter of the balls to 2-114 in. Would it not have been simpler and easier to alter the rules, and forbid more than one "spot stroke" in succession?
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