Customer Reviews

The Complete Idiot's Guide to Pool & Billiards

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4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
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I have loved the game of billiards for some time, but only recently decided to get serious about improving my game. I have read other books including "The 99 Critical Shots in Pool" by Ray Martin. This is simply the best book that I have read on the subject.

The book's scope is ambitious. The authors give essential information on all the equipment you need, everything from choosing a cue to play with when you go to play at your local pool hall to setting up a billiard room at home. The critical aspects of pool etiquette are also covered. The book gives detailed instructions on how to develop the fundamentals of the game, from the rules (which are explained clearly) to how to hold the cue, stand at the table, and so forth.

Furthermore, for an experienced player who may have a handle on the fundamentals, the book explains the principles of position play, English, and even explains several trick shots, not to mention important tips on how to spot a hustle.

The book is exceptionally well-written and I can't recommend it highly enough for anyone interested in billiards. For the beginner, it provides easy-to-follow instructions on the fundamentals of the game. For the accomplished player, it can help you get to the next level.

This is a useful book, but beginners will probably get more out of it than intermediates. It does cover some useful intermediate material, like buying your own cue or table, how to apply english, and some useful practice drills. But it is a curious mix of material for beginners also. It spends too much time explaining things (for idiots, I suppose). Explaining that balls are round and what 'cue' and 'scratch' mean. This may be useful for someone who's never ever played a game of pool before and decides to buy a book to learn, but most readers will have to flip over lots of rudimentary explanations to get to something useful. So, it's got all the really basic material that intermediates don't need, and lots of good intermediate material that beginners can't use. It's also a bit repetitive, you'll find identical explanations of 8-ball and 9-ball breaks in two different chapters. And sometimes it's contradictory, Mataya explains twice that if you miscue on the break that you can grab the cueball because the game doesn't start till the cueball hits the rack. But in the official rules in the appendix, it seems that the game starts when your stick hits the cueball. I couldn't figure this out.

Having said all this, it's not a bad book at all. It's simple, the layout is engaging. You can read a few pages and come back later. You can flip around easily, the index is ample so you can quickly find what you need. So it may be a bit schizophrenic, and it could seriously use some re-organization in the next edition, but it's not too bad at all.

I have been playing pool for sometime, and I can hold my own to most people. This book is a lot of fun to read, and offers you clear, useful and very practical advice about every aspect of the game and the sport.

The book covers everything from how to play, to how to select the equipment, jokes and even the history of billidards. Its extremly easy and fun to read, and once you pick it up, you can't put it down.

Had I known half of the stuff the book covers, I would have save a lot of time "discovering" the right technics, and wasted no money in the wrong equipment.

Even if you are an intermediate player, this book will be helpfull (it definitely has helped me to play better). Its a must to anyone who are interested in pool and/or wants to play better.

My wife has been an avid pool player for years and recently got her dream of a lifetime - a pool table at home. I, on the other hand, used the strategy of leaving as many balls as possible in the way of my opponent so they would scratch on the eight ball. I received a copy of Ewa's book less than a week ago. So far, I've worked through part three and portions of part four. Already, I'm regularly sinking up to three shots in a row. I even beat my wife three out of four games last night!!

Ewa's instructions are easy to follow and well illustrated. I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to improve their game.

I am a beginner,and I found this book very helpful. It is so detailed with history, tips, selection techniques that you don't touch a cue until chapter 10. My only suggestion would be more illustrations, especially in the aiming chapter. Lots of information, and a great value.

This book is for people who look to become accomplished pool players, not just regular shot-makers. From equipment selection to table manners and to the actual mechanics of shot making and practicing, this is one compact reference that packs a solid punch. The extensive treatment of basic concepts can immediately jumpstart the beginner's game, if not make him sound like a pool sage (if he plays as good as he speaks). This is hardly an idiot's manual. On the contrary, this is a thinking player's reference, a beginner's bible and a proficient player's "chicken soup" if his game has gone south!

Don't be fooled by the title, though. This book is for everyone. Even advanced players will learn something from this former world champion's new book!

Expanding on her first book, "The Ewa Mataya Pool Guide," the author goes into great detail to explain everything from how to chalk up to advanced trick shots.

This is the book that I wished for when I first started playing pool. Not all great players can teach, but this author definitely can. The book assumes you know nothing about pool but somehow manages not to talk down to you even if you have advanced knowledge on the subject. The book progresses in a logical order, but is designed so that you can use it as a reference book as well, looking up just what you want to know.

More advanced players will undoubtedly find something helpful even in the pages covering the fundamentals. The sections on advanced play are written such that even a beginner can understand the theory, even if they won't be able to put it into practice right away.

Throughout, the author peppers the pages with anecdotes (both personal and historical), mistakes to avoid, and unusual billiards facts. I can honestly say that this is the only instructional book about anything that I've ever read that's kept me up with "just one more page" for 50 or 60 pages.

If you're a beginner and you can only get one pool/billiards book, this is the one to get! I know that I'll be referring to my copy many, many times in the years to come.

When I first started to play pool, I didn't know how to play at all. So, I looked for some books and I luckily found this book. It helped me out a lot!!!!

This book covers everything from history to buying a table, from the kick shot to the masse shot. It includes lists of players and their awards, resources, trick shots, and lots of other useful stuff, plus funny or amazing stories. I must have read it 10 times, and I'm still not tired of it.

Robert Byrne's great book, "The Standard Book of Pool & Billiards" has long been the book to recommend to beginners. The "Complete Idiot's Guide to Pool & Billiards" will replace it as the definitive book covering all areas of the sport. As a Christmas gift, send a copy of this great book to everyone on your list that is a fan of this great sport.