- Related Topics:
- billiards
- Sans égal
- cannon game
- Mississippi
Bagatelle
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What is the game of bagatelle?
Bagatelle is a game, likely of English origin, similar to billiards. It is played with billiard cues and nine balls on an oblong table with nine numbered cups at one end. One ball is black, four are red, and four are white. Players shoot from behind a line, and the object is to get as many balls as possible into the holes, with the black ball counting double.
Several variations of bagatelle exist, including Sans Égal, the cannon game, and Mississippi. More recent versions of the game are played on a small inclined board using a spring bolt to propel steel or plastic balls. A further adaptation of this format is the pinball machine.
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How is bagatelle played?
Bagatelle, a game of English origin similar to billiards, is played on an oblong table with nine numbered cups at one end. Using billiard cues, players shoot nine balls, including one black, four red, and four white. A line across the board marks where players shoot from.
The goal is to pocket as many balls as possible after touching the black ball, which counts double. The game's variations include sans égal, the cannon game, and Mississippi. In Mississippi, players aim to send balls through numbered arches on a bridge, scoring points for arches and cups. Recent versions use a small, inclined board with steel balls propelled by a spring bolt.
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What equipment do you need to play bagatelle?
To play bagatelle, you'll need:
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A bagatelle board or table, typically 6 by 1.5 ft to 10 by 3 ft in size.
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Nine numbered cups at the head of the table, about 2.5 inches in diameter.
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Nine balls: one black, four red, and four white, each approximately 1.88 inches in diameter.
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Billiard cues to shoot the balls.
Some versions of the game use a small, inclined board with steel or plastic balls, a spring bolt, or a plunger instead of a cue stick to propel the balls.
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How is scoring done in bagatelle?
Bagatelle scoring involves players using cues to shoot eight balls, aiming to pocket them in numbered holes after one touches the black ball. The black ball's value is doubled when pocketed. The game's winner is determined by the highest total score over a set number of rounds.
Variations like the cannon game have different scoring methods, such as scoring two points for cannons (striking both object balls with the cue ball). In contrast, missing the white object ball gives one point to the opponent, and missing the black gives the opponent five. Mississippi involves shooting balls through numbered arches after hitting a cushion first, with cup scores added to the arch value if a ball lands in one.
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How is bagatelle similar to or different from pinball?
Bagatelle is a game similar to billiards, played on an oblong table with nine numbered cups at one end, where players use cues to shoot balls into the holes. Pinball originated around 1930 and is played on an inclined, glass-topped surface inside a coin-operated machine. Instead of cues, pinball uses a spring-loaded plunger to propel steel balls up the alley, scoring points as they descend through gates, bumpers, and holes.
Bagatelle's popularity has waned, but modern versions use a small inclined board and a spring bolt to propel steel or plastic balls, which is a format further elaborated in pinball machines.
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How has bagatelle influenced other games throughout history?
Bagatelle, a game similar to billiards, has influenced the development of other games throughout history. More recent versions of bagatelle are played on an inclined board using small steel or plastic balls propelled by a spring bolt or plunger. This format led to the creation of the pinball machine, a coin-operated game played worldwide. Additionally, a variation of bagatelle known as Russian bagatelle, which includes holes, pins, arches, and bells, is considered a game for children.
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Bagatelle, game, probably of English origin, that is similar to billiards and was probably a modification of it. Bagatelle is played with billiard cues and nine balls on an oblong board or table varying in size from 6 by 1.5 ft (1.8 by 0.5 m) to 10 by 3 ft (3 by 0.9 m), with nine numbered cups at its head, eight arranged in a circle and the ninth in its centre. The cups are approximately 2.5 in (6.3 cm) in diameter. The balls are approximately 1.88 in (4.77 cm) in diameter. Sans égal, the cannon game, and Mississippi are among the many variations of bagatelle.
Of the nine balls used, one is black, four are red, and four are white. The black ball is placed upon a spot about 9 in (23 cm) in front of hole number one. A line (the balk) is drawn across the board, from behind which the players shoot. Any number may play. Each player in turn plays all eight balls up the table, no score being allowed until a ball has touched the black ball. The object of the game is to play as many balls as possible into the holes, the black ball counting double. The game is decided by the aggregate score made in an agreed number of rounds.
The popularity of bagatelle in its original form has waned, but more recent versions of the game have remained in use. These are usually played on a small inclined board and use small steel or plastic balls instead of billiard balls. A spring bolt, or plunger, is used instead of a cue stick to propel the balls. A further elaboration of this format is the pinball machine.
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Sans égal is a French form of the game. Two players take part, one using the red balls and one using the white. The leader plays at the black, forfeiting a ball if he misses. His opponent then plays at the black if it has not been touched, otherwise any way he likes. They then play alternately, the object being to hole the black and the player’s own balls. If a player holes one of his opponent’s balls, it is scored for his opponent.
The cannon game, as in billiards, requires three balls—a cue ball and two object balls, one black and one white. The object of the game is to make cannons (caroms), in which the cue ball strikes both object balls. Balls played into holes at the same time count the number of the holes, but, if a ball falls into a hole during a play in which no cannon is made, the score counts for the adversary. A cannon counts two; missing the white object ball scores one to the adversary; missing the black, five to the adversary.
Mississippi is played with a bridge pierced with nine or more arches, according to the size of the table, the arches being numbered from one upward. All nine balls are usually played, though the black is sometimes omitted, each player having a round, the object being to send the balls through the arches. This may not be done directly, as the balls must strike a cushion first. A ball, lying in front of the bridge, may be sent through by the cue ball if the latter has struck a cushion. If a ball falls into a cup, the striker scores the value of the cup as well as of the arch.