Snooker games are played by players initially pocketing a red ball, then pocketing the other numbered balls in ascending order. How to Play: At roughly 12'圆', a snooker table is quite a bit larger than a standard pool table, but it also still has six pockets. Number of Balls: 22 (1 cue ball, 15 red balls worth 1 point each, and 6 differently colored balls worth an increasing number of points) Carom Café Billiards in Flushing, New York, is one of the few spaces in the country dedicated to the game. Where to Find It: Tables are few and far between, but the sport has been growing in popularity in recent years. Players score points by rebounding their cue ball off both the object ball and their opponent's cue ball in the same shot. How to Play: Carom is played on a pocketless table with a heated surface (this eliminates moisture, which helps speed up the action). Number of Balls: 3 (1 white cue ball for each opponent and 1 red object ball) Beware of any added costs of re-racking all those balls though. Where to Find It: Since straight pool is played on the same table as American eight-ball, you can technically play the former in the same places you find the latter. Because of this, balls are often re-racked throughout a game, which can last much longer than standard eight-ball matches. Each ball is worth one point, and a game may be played up to 100 or 150 points. How to Play: Players use the cue ball to pocket any ball on the table, regardless of color (players must call the ball and pocket on each shot). You'll be able to play it at any pool hall and many dive bars and pubs. Where to Find It: Like we said earlier, of all the versions of billiards games, this is the one you're most likely to find.

The goal is to pocket all of the balls in your color, then to sink the eight ball in a called pocket. How to Play: After the break, each player is assigned to either the striped or solid-colored balls. Number of Balls: 16 (7 stripes, 7 solids, 1 eight ball, and 1 cue ball) If that's the case, read on to get the low-down on five different pool table games, and show up to your local pool hall or friend's pool room with a new wealth of cue-game knowledge. You know the standard eight-ball variety, and you've maybe heard the word snooker before, but chances are you're not deeply familiar with how to play pool in its less-common varieties. And that's not even taking into account all the different types of billiards games there actually are. It's a bit odd that cue sports are often played in bars, because casual players need all of their senses about them just to tell what's going on.

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