Billiards for Players
Deeper intothe game.
Once you can play, the questions only multiply: how full to hit the object ball, which safety to play, what one shaft changes over another. At home and abroad, there are people who have taken the trouble to put the reason behind a single shot into words. Here we have gathered them by purpose: instruction, match streams, rules and governing bodies, equipment, writing kept up over many years, and theory from overseas. For those whom the Invitation first brought to the table, an entrance to going further, and going on.
If you are new to billiards, you may want to read An Invitation to Billiards first.
Instruction and lessons from Japan, and pros on technique
A top professional teaching in his own voice, with deep coverage of cue ball movement, how to pocket the 9, and more. On the sub-channel he continues a series that takes the break-and-run apart in detail.
Who it’s forPlayers who want to take their run-outs one step further
Start hereHow to learn cue ball movement, and how to practice it
Sub-channelYuki Hiraguchi, one of Japan’s top women professionals, uses her lessons to pass on the thinking she relies on in competition. Experiments and glimpses of a pro’s everyday life appear too.
Who it’s forPlayers who want to borrow a top pro’s way of thinking
Start hereWhat a top woman pro values most
Lessons and match commentary from professional Tamami Okuda, who has also taken up Heyball drills and matches, widening the range of games she plays.
Who it’s forPlayers who want both match commentary and practice drills
Start hereTrying the Heyball L-shape drill
Professional Hiroko Sahara shares short records of the women’s pro tour and techniques she has learned from fellow pros. Best read alongside her blog.
Who it’s forPlayers curious about the techniques pros teach one another
Start hereA technique I learned from Pro Yamamoto, useful for safeties and position alike
Under the banner of “deeper knowledge, explained with a smile,” a professional talks through strategy, safeties, how to use a foul, and more. Some episodes answer viewers’ questions.
Who it’s forPlayers who want to master safeties and the tactical battle
Start hereHow to foul on purpose
An active top woman professional commentates on her own matches. Short videos posing position problems let you follow the logic of each decision.
Who it’s forPlayers who want to put their in-match decisions into words
Start hereMatch commentary: Samia KONISHI vs CHIANG Shui Ching, Set 2
The “10-Ball Runout Vision” series shows 10-ball run-outs together with the thinking behind the layout. Video titles are in English.
Who it’s forPlayers who want more patterns for running out in 10-ball
Start here10-Ball Runout Vision #69
A Tokyo A-class player organizes and passes on what he has learned from top pros and SA-class players, ranging from safeties and the break to equipment.
Who it’s forPlayers trying to break through from B-class to A-class
Start hereFive safeties you can use tomorrow
Technique for experienced players: kiss shots, the moves strong players reach for, how top pros attack a tight pocket. Still regularly updated.
Who it’s forAdvanced players who want more tools in the box
The “Improve in 5 Minutes” series. How to judge the fullness of a hit, the bent “he-no-ji” cue ball route, pocketing power: each video distills a single theme into a few minutes.
Who it’s forPlayers who want to grasp one key point in a short time
Start hereFive ways to judge fullness of hit: find the one that suits you
He builds his own testing machines and checks, one by one, how throw and side spin really behave. Phenomena long described by feel can be seen here under controlled conditions.
Who it’s forPlayers who want the reasons behind what they learned by feel
Start hereTesting throw, no side spin
The “60sec RUNOUT” and Bowlliards commentary series from the owner of a pool hall in Osaka. Difficult position play, explained briefly.
Who it’s forPlayers who want to sharpen position play in difficult layouts
Start here60sec RUNOUT(319)
A channel run by Takkun, an A-class player, and Kuroko-sensei, a former pro. One episode lines up a pro’s run-out against an amateur’s, side by side.
Who it’s forPlayers who want to see exactly where the gap with the pros lies
Start hereCompared with Pro Chie Aoki: five-ball run-out, part 2
Run by a player in his sixth year at A-class, with lessons from professionals and cue introductions. In one episode, Pro Sogabe teaches the draw shot.
Who it’s forPlayers who want a look inside a pro’s lesson
Start herePro Sogabe teaches the draw shot I always struggled with
Practice drills presented as series, from switchback position to run-outs. Good material for building a solo practice routine.
Who it’s forPlayers who want to build a routine for practicing alone
The official channel of the monthly magazine CUE’S. Still available: Lo Li-wen and Satoshi Kuribayashi answering players’ problems, and match commentary by Naoyuki Oi.
Who it’s forPlayers who want to learn to watch a match through a pro’s eyes
Start hereSpecial commentary by Naoyuki Oi
Official bodies, tournament broadcasts, commentary and pool hall streams
The official channel of Naoyuki Oi, a top professional who has finished No. 1 in the Japan rankings three times (2015, 2017 and 2018). Footage and matches from the world stage, including the World 10-Ball Championship, filmed on the ground.
Who it’s forPlayers who want to follow Japan’s best competing against the world
Start hereOpening day in Vietnam 🇻🇳 World 10-Ball Championship
From the JAPA Masters and the All Japan Amateur Nine-ball to open three-cushion events, a channel that has broadcast a great many of Japan’s tournaments.
Who it’s forViewers who want to watch widely, pocket and carom alike
Live streams of JPBA professional events such as the Japan Open and the All Japan Championship, with recordings published afterwards. Some broadcasts carry commentary.
Who it’s forViewers who want to follow Japan’s professional events live
Set-by-set coverage of JAPA’s amateur title events, including the All Japan Amateur, the Meijin and the Women’s Kyusei.
Who it’s forViewers who want to see the amateur game’s highest titles
Live streams with commentary of seven national-level events a year, among them the 10ball championship and the “Strongest on Earth” B-class and C-class events.
Who it’s forPlayers who want to learn from matches in their own class
Footage and streams from the Meijin title playoff, the inter-prefectural team event, open tournaments around the country and more, plus short clips of memorable racks.
Who it’s forViewers who want to relive a tournament’s great moments in brief
A joint channel by Pros Hayato Hijikata and Yuki Hiraguchi: streams of overseas events where Japanese women pros compete, and head-to-head challenges with restricted tip positions.
Who it’s forFans who want to cheer on Japanese players competing abroad
A pool hall in Nogata, Tokyo, regularly streaming its PABC house tournament and a monthly three-cushion event.
Who it’s forPlayers who want a feel for a house tournament
Hall websiteStreams the hall’s own cup event, the GET CUP, from the semifinals through the final. Many of the matches are between strong players.
Who it’s forViewers who want to watch top amateurs play for real
Streams the Osaka Izayoi-kai, a US nine-ball handicap event. A regular Kansai fixture that has now reached its 606th edition.
Who it’s forPlayers who want to learn from the tactics of handicap matches
Broadcasts the world’s top tour, including the US Open, the Mosconi Cup and the World Pool Championship. Japanese players compete too. In English.
Who it’s forViewers who want to watch the world’s best with English commentary
Official websiteAn archive of classic matches, 14.1 among them. Layouts and patterns of play can be compared across the decades. In English.
Who it’s forPlayers who want to learn patterns of play from the classic matches
News, tournament information and rankings
Among the first to post JPBA and JAPA event details, house tournaments, carom and snooker, new products and live stream announcements. They cover every Yokohama Open event as well.
Who it’s forPlayers who want to plan their tournament schedule early
Start hereGuide to their YouTube coverage
A comprehensive site from the publisher of CUE’S magazine: news, tournament schedules and results, player data, rules and technical articles, all in one place.
Who it’s forPlayers who want to follow the Japanese scene in one place
Start hereTournament schedule
Tournament reports from Japan and abroad, player interviews, equipment news, explanations of FargoRate and more, with articles going back to 2012.
Who it’s forReaders who want depth, including what is happening overseas
Live scores, results, directories of pool halls and professionals, and a glossary of 1,082 terms. Their YouTube channel has match footage with audio commentary.
Who it’s forFans who want to follow a match as it happens
Start hereGlossary
YouTubeA tournament and league management system. Brackets and live scores are available for overseas events and for events with Japanese players. Japanese display is supported.
Who it’s forFans who want to follow the draw at overseas events
The official rules, and the bodies that run the tournaments
Professional tournament schedules, entry details and results, season rankings, a player directory, the pro qualifying exam, and a search for lesson pros.
Who it’s forPlayers who want to check official information on the pro game
Start here2026 Season Rankings
Entry details, registration, tickets and stream information for sanctioned Kanto events such as Grand Prix East, as well as the Japan Student Nine-ball Championship.
Who it’s forPlayers who want to enter a pro-am event in the Kanto region
Japan’s national governing body. Its site carries the competition rules (rulebook revised June 2026), tournament information and the history of the game.
Who it’s forPlayers who want to check the official rules in the original
Start herePocket Billiards Competition Rules
Details and results of amateur title events such as the Kyusei, the Meijin, the All Japan Amateur and the Masters, along with broadcast information.
Who it’s forPlayers aiming to compete in the amateur title events
Start hereTournament broadcasts
The Japanese organization of a handicapped team league (Skill Level system). The blog carries league awards, tournament results and accounts of trips to Las Vegas.
Who it’s forPlayers looking for a handicapped team league
YouTubeThe professional body for carom (three-cushion). Tournament results, the 3C rankings and news of the World Championship.
Who it’s forFans who follow official carom news
Start here3C Rankings
Japan’s snooker tournaments (G1 to G2), rankings, an introduction to the game and work to develop young players. A member of the NBA.
Who it’s forPlayers who want to enter a snooker tournament in Japan
The official site of the World Pool-Billiard Association: world rankings, tournament calendar and the official WPA rules. In English.
Who it’s forPlayers who want to go to the source of the world-standard rules
The Japan branch league of USA Pool League. Alongside its seasonal league play, it runs events for C-class players and beginners. Each area’s representatives aim for the championships in Las Vegas.
Who it’s forPlayers who want to enjoy league play as a team
Manufacturers, retailers and equipment reviews
High-quality tips and leather goods, made by leather professionals. For every billiards player.
Who it’s forPlayers who care about their tips
The exclusive distributor for Japan of Zen Custom Cue, made-to-order cues grounded in Eastern philosophy.
Who it’s forPlayers searching for a cue that is theirs alone
A full-range online shop with more than 3,000 items, from cues and cases to balls and tables. Professional players are on staff.
Who it’s forPlayers who want to compare a wide range of equipment
BlogThe official channel of an equipment shop, introducing new cues, shafts and tips with test hits by JPBA professionals. Content from a retailer.
Who it’s forPlayers who want to compare carbon cues before choosing
Start hereIRC Collection RHINO × Ize.
An enthusiast with a pool table at home reviews cues with star ratings, and shares practice methods for the draw shot and more.
Who it’s forPlayers looking for guidance on their next cue
Start hereHow to practice the draw shot, and tips
A B-class player of fifteen years writes about comparing shafts, modifying equipment and safeties. Plenty of diagrams and photos.
Who it’s forPlayers who want to compare shafts and equipment
Honest equipment reviews from a player in Aomori, narrated in the Tsugaru dialect, with matches against SA-class players and well-known amateurs.
Who it’s forPlayers who want reviews from the perspective of the people who use the gear
Start hereUNiC Cue honest review: a jump cue for those who can’t jump
The official channel of a Japanese cue maker. Product introductions and short videos explaining shots. In English.
Who it’s forPlayers who want to know what sets Mezz cues apart
Start hereBasic shots for billiards
The pros and cons of LD and carbon shafts, set out alongside Billiards Digest’s experimental articles. A technical look, apart from the marketing. In English.
Who it’s forPlayers who want to understand the theory before changing shafts
Start hereExplanation of terms
Personal blogs and notes, written over many years
A blog in which a player who loves 14.1 has kept writing about matches, watching the game, and days spent with billiards friends. It includes an account of watching the 14-1 Summit Yokohama.
Who it’s forReaders who want to savor the world of 14.1 in depth
An amateur with twenty years at A-class keeps writing from an experienced player’s eye: how to run out, the differences between classes, form, and accounts of watching events such as the Kyusei.
Who it’s forReaders who want daily contact with how an A-class player thinks
Reflections on aiming systems, the bridge, side spin, banks and the draw shot, mixed with opinions on the industry.
Who it’s forPlayers who want to reason through aiming and side spin
From a shop staff member: the “shots that make the impossible possible” series, safeties, 14.1, drills and cue introductions.
Who it’s forPlayers who want to find a way out of hard situations in real matches
Steady writing on personal views of the game, manners at the table and practice. Much of it reads as a diary, and the days of someone who plays come into view.
Who it’s forReaders who want the daily reflections of someone who plays
Reports from a top pro’s overseas trips, news of the hall, and a corner for questions to the pro, such as how to practice from B-class to A-class.
Who it’s forReaders who want to know what touring abroad is really like for a top pro
The pro herself looks back on her matches and reports on events. On YouTube, she shares short clips of techniques learned from other pros.
Who it’s forReaders who want a pro’s own look back after a match
Start hereOn YouTube: a technique I learned from Pro Yamamoto, for safeties and position alike
Columns by a JPBA-certified lesson pro on the order in which to improve and on 4-stance theory, plus a self-made app for practicing fullness of hit.
Who it’s forPlayers who want to understand the order of improvement from a teacher’s side
The “Billiards Physics” and “Billiards Anatomy” series ran to #90, covering jump shots and tip position, the movement of the wrist and more.
Who it’s forReaders who want billiards theory as a coherent whole
Physics, drills and tactics, in English
Physics and technique explained by a professor emeritus at Colorado State University. FAQs, high-speed video, even myth-busting. No ads. In English, with auto-generated captions on videos.
Who it’s forPlayers who want to rethink technique through physics
Start hereOn the site: How to Use This Website / Video: KICKING MASTER CLASS
YouTubeCo-founded by Dr. Dave. The BU Exams turn your skill into a score, and there are ratings and challenges as well. In English.
Who it’s forPlayers who want to put a number on their own ability
The channel of André Schickling, a German professional and coach. Lessons, match analysis, drills and live matches. In English.
Who it’s forPlayers ready to take on lessons in English
“Free Pool Lessons” from a PBIA-certified instructor, from the stroke and cue ball control to 8-ball patterns. In English.
Who it’s forPlayers who want to learn 8-ball pattern play systematically
Start hereThe Basics of Reading 8 Ball Patterns
WebsiteA top professional and former world champion plays uncut practice sessions and 99-ball straight pool runs, explaining as he goes. In English.
Who it’s forPlayers who want to watch a top pro’s practice from start to finish
Long-form free lessons from a Las Vegas instructor: kicking systems, the break, safeties. The site lets you follow them by level. In English.
Who it’s forPlayers who want to go deeper into kicks and safeties
Start hereFree Pool Lessons index
Free lessons indexRun by the maker of an online straight pool course, with frequent explanations of how to think about patterns of play, including position percentages. In English.
Who it’s forPlayers who want to deepen their thinking about 14.1 and pattern play
Short analyses of the stroke and the causes of misses, for intermediate players still on the way up. In English.
Who it’s forPlayers who want to break out of an intermediate plateau
About 200 articles from roughly 1992 to 2011, on the 90-degree rule, ball-to-ball collisions, diamond systems, masse and practice methods. English PDFs.
Who it’s forReaders who want to take their time with the classics of theory
Start herePythagoras & Pool Perpendiculars (1995)
An American specialist magazine founded in 1978, carrying instruction columns by Tony Robles, Darren Appleton and others. Some content is paid. In English.
Who it’s forReaders curious about instruction columns from abroad
A worldwide player rating, recalculated daily and searchable by player. In Japan it is used by JCL, among others. In English.
Who it’s forPlayers who want to know where they stand on a world scale
The largest body of technical discussion in the English-speaking world, with boards such as Ask The Instructor, the Aiming Conversation and questions for cue makers. In English.
Who it’s forPlayers who want to dig into technical debate from abroad
Another world, beyond the pockets
Snooker technique and commentary on professional matches, written in Japanese. Events such as the English Open 2026 are covered too.
Who it’s forReaders who want to learn snooker in Japanese
The official home of the professional snooker tour. Rankings and news, with match highlights on YouTube. In English.
Who it’s forViewers who want to watch snooker at the highest level
YouTubeNumbered, systematic snooker lessons. The cueing and cue ball control carry over to pocket billiards as well. In English.
Who it’s forPlayers who want to rebuild their cueing from the ground up
Start hereIndex page
Ways to improve from a three-cushion professional who runs Roots, a hall in Asagaya. Includes the “Suzuki-style Position” series.
Who it’s forPlayers who want to learn position play in three-cushion
Start hereTips for rail-first shots, explained
Broadcasts top international three-cushion events, and offers the course “Carom Billiards Basics – Training Program.” In English and other languages.
Who it’s forViewers who want to watch the world’s best at three-cushion
Start hereCourse
The world governing body for carom. Rankings, the tournament calendar and coverage of the Three-Cushion World Championship. In English.
Who it’s forFans who want to follow the world of carom
Local associations, and halls that stream
The pool hall of top professional Lo Li-wen, in Naka Ward, Yokohama. It streams 14.1 high-run attempts and the Ladies Tournament for JPBA women professionals.
Who it’s forPlayers who want to feel the atmosphere of tournaments in Yokohama
Start here2026 LADIES TOURNAMENT Final: Kyoko Sone vs Chie Aoki
Streams and archives of the tournaments organized by the Yokohama Open Executive Committee.
Who it’s forViewers who want to look back on Yokohama’s tournaments on video
Details and results of handicap events such as the monthly tournaments, and points rankings. More than 380 match reports.
Who it’s forPlayers who want to enter a handicap event in Kanagawa
The local official body, with activity reports, schedules and member halls. It runs events such as the Kanagawa Three-Cushion Festival.
Who it’s forPlayers who want to know Kanagawa’s official events and member halls
The channel of a Yokohama pool hall, streaming the finals of its open weekly and monthly events, along with live house matches.
Who it’s forPlayers who want a look at Yokohama’s weekly events
Start hereOpen Weekly (No. 460) final
A billiards and snooker hall in Center-Minami, Tsuzuki Ward, Yokohama. It streams the finals of its weekly events and the BC Monthly.
Who it’s forPlayers who want to try snooker in Yokohama too
Start hereThe 57th BC Monthly final
Organized by field, including those we could not fit on this page.
The information here reflects each site and channel as we checked it on September 28, 2026. Linked content is updated by its respective owners.
To request a correction, or to suggest a listing, please contact us and let us know.
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