Chalk, racks, bridges and the small gear.

Chalk

What it is and what it does

Chalk adds friction between the tip and the cue ball so the tip does not slip off and miscue. Dr. Dave Alciatore points out that billiard chalk is not natural chalk, which is calcium carbonate rock. Wikipedia credits William Spinks and William Hoskins with patenting modern cue chalk in 1897, as a mix of silica and an abrasive, either corundum or aloxite (aluminum oxide). Black Label Billiards describes today's chalk the same way, as silica blended with abrasives such as aluminum oxide.

How often and how to apply it

Sources differ on frequency: Wikipedia says about every other shot, while Seybert's says before every shot. On technique, Seybert's says to use a light brushing motion for even coverage, because grinding the tip into the cube causes wear and buildup. It also says to store chalk away from moisture, temperature extremes and sunlight.

Hardness, color and residue

Seybert's notes that chalk that is too hard does not stick, while chalk that is too soft leaves residue on balls and cloth. Color does not change performance; matching it to your cloth just makes the residue less visible.

Brands and tiers

Black Label Billiards lays out a rough ladder: Master as the traditional budget choice, Predator 1080 Pure as a mid-level upgrade, and Kamui and Taom as premium low-dust chalks. It describes Master as dustier than newer premium chalks, and Blue Diamond as cleaner than Master but dustier than Kamui or Taom. Seybert's also describes Taom, which comes from Finland, as low-dust. Claims from the makers themselves:

• Predator Pure comes in soft (blue), medium (teal) and hard (green). Predator claims it leaves virtually no residue on the cue ball and reduces kicks.
• Kamui ROKU takes its name from the Japanese word for hexagon. Kamui claims finer particles and a dense press with no trapped air. An endorser quoted by Kamui says it leaves far less residue than the older Kamui 0.98; that is a testimonial, not an independent test.

Dr. Dave's view keeps this in proportion: premium chalk slows tip glazing, but the specific brand matters little.

Racks

• Triangle racks hold 15 balls and are used for eight-ball, straight pool, one-pocket, bank pool and snooker reds. They come in wood, plastic or metal.
• Diamond racks are sometimes used for nine-ball, though a triangle can rack nine-ball too.
• Template racks are thin sheets, usually 0.14 mm or less, with precision cut-outs that hold the balls in place. The sheet stays under the balls during the break and is removed afterward.

Wikipedia notes that template racks are now named in professional rules, and that they are almost never used in games with slow breaks because the sheet can interfere with slowly rolling balls. For how racking rules differ by game, see the rules overview.

Bridges and rests

A mechanical bridge (called a rest in snooker) holds the cue for shots you cannot reach with your hand. Masters of Games sells cross, spider, swan, extended spider, and full and half butt rests, with shafts of 48, 54 or 60 in, full butt rests of 96 in and half butt rests of 84 in. It prefers brass rest heads over plastic for stability, and says a pool table should have at least a short rest or a spider.

Rules allow them. Snooker rules from the EBC permit rests and long cues and require extensions and adaptors to be of a WPBSA-approved design. The APA allows bridges and cue extenders in league play. Wikipedia notes that a butt extension lengthens the cue and reduces how often you need the mechanical bridge. For using a bridge well, see bridges.

Gloves

A billiard glove gives the bridge hand a smooth, low-friction surface so the cue slides consistently. Predator's Second Skin, as one example, uses breathable mesh and a Velcro wrist closure, comes for the left or right bridge hand in sizes XXS to XXL, and should be hand washed in warm water with mild detergent and air dried.

Table covers and brushes

Monarch Billiards says to cover the table whenever it is not in use, but to leave it uncovered while a spill is drying. It says table brushes should have soft bristle tips. We could not find sources on cover materials (such as fitted vinyl versus other types) or on bristle types (such as horsehair versus nylon), so we do not compare them. How to brush, and the disagreement over brushing versus vacuuming, are on the cloth and table care pages.

Cue racks

McDermott's advice for a wall rack is to keep cues perfectly straight and to avoid mounting the rack on an outside wall. It recommends about 70 °F and 40 to 50% humidity where cues are stored.

Ball cleaners

Aramith recommends cleaning phenolic balls after each game with its Ball Cleaner applied with a microfiber cloth, buffing dry, and using its Ball Restorer for very hard spots; both are silicone free. Full steps are on the balls page. No source we read covered ball-cleaning machines, rotary or tumbling, so we do not describe them.