29 JANUARY 1870, Page 3

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 invariably pocket the red ball at the first stroke, and on one occa- sion 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 3i in. to 3 in., to square the corners, and increase the diameter of the balls to 211,c, in. Would it not have been simpler and easier to alter the rules, and forbid more than one "spot stroke" in succession ?