The nice thing about billiards is that the rules are so easy to learn compared to many other games.
The difficulty usually comes with knowing how to cheat, or at least bend the rules to your favor. There are a few basic ball-bouncing techniques that can be used for cheating at the pool. Some of these tricks, like the wiff and the double kiss, are pretty well known. Many, however, will probably go unidentified by most pool players; such as the 'pop' (used in snooker), or the 'olympic'. These last two I learned from a fellow pool player while at a table near him.
The names of billiard tricks that definitely work
1) Wiff - The wiff is used to bounce a ball off of another ball in order to make it hit one or more object balls on its way towards the pocket. Here's an example:
Imagine two adjacent red balls on the table. Line up with them and shoot, but while the cue ball is coming to hit your object ball, pull back just a bit so that it misses red one, bounces off of red two, and hits red three. If all goes well, you've pocketed the three because the cue ball hit it after hitting red two.
2) Double Kiss - This one is rather difficult. It seems to be very easy if you've ever played pool on a computer game before, but due to the difficulty of estimating where the other ball will go after impact, I've never successfully admired this trick. The basic idea is that if two object balls are close enough to each other and the cue ball is lined up for a shot, it's possible to shoot one of the balls in such a manner that it will bounce off of another object ball and then into your pocket. This trick seems to work best when shooting between two diamonds on the table (like if there are two reds close enough together). I'm sure there are other pool games where this move is used, but I don't know which ones.
3) Pop - This trick can only be used in snooker. Like the wiff, it's meant to bounce one ball off of another so that it goes towards a pocket. The difference between these two tricks is that for a pop, you must first hit the cue ball with another one so that it begins to bounce around. When the first ball starts bouncing, your cue ball should be aimed towards where it will bounce next and you shoot. If done correctly, this trick can send your ball bouncing all over the place and even into other pockets on its way to the one you want.
4) Olimpic - This trick is less of a technique and more of an algorithmic equation. Here's how it works: If you're trying to hit a certain ball (for example, I'm going to pocket the pink) then instead of aiming for that specific ball, aim diagonally above it so that the exact center of your ball is at the bottom-right corner of the target. The result will be a perfectly pocketed ball.
5) Transfer - This trick requires you to have two balls close together ahead of time. Before you line up your shot, move one or both of the balls so that it makes a straight line between where you want your ball to go and either one of the two (or both) other balls. Line up as if those two balls would be where you're aiming, and shoot. This trick is best used when there is only one ball ahead of the target; otherwise, it's pretty easy to miss.
6) “Pop” - This trick isn't exactly a trick, but more of a rule or way of thinking about other pool games. Realize that when you hit the cue ball, it doesn't stop moving until it hits something. The "pop" shot is used to move the cue ball around after it hits another ball, usually to corner pockets. Here's an example of this trick:
Imagine that the cue ball is lined up with a red ball. Hit the white into it, and then use “pop” to shoot at one of the two other object balls (in this case, either one works). After the shot, both pool balls are in line with the pocket.
Comparison of billiards with online casinos
Many people go from billiards to online casinos. However, there are also many people who want to try their hand at both. After all, if you're looking for a game where you can win money, it makes sense to know which game is best to play. Perhaps that's why most people who play both billiards and online casinos prefer one over the other?
Even though casinos have pool tables, the rules and games you play will be different. For example, if you want to play billiards, you will usually see two types of games: 8-ball and 9-ball. On the other hand, online casinos offer different types of games for every taste: roulette, slots, poker, baccarat, blackjack, etc.
Differences in winnings
As with anything that involves money, there is usually a difference in winnings between online casinos and traditional pool halls. For example, Canadians prefer to play at online casinos because you can win really big money there. The main thing is to choose games with high odds.