One look at the swanky apartment complexes in the city is proof enough that living life high on the hog has arrived with a bang. With sports facilities getting increasingly integrated into residential complexes, a highrise apartment brandishing an air-conditioned billiards room or a neighbourhood dotted with pool parlours is now a common feature. Once a privilege of the society’s swish set, billiards today is not just a popular sport but also a perfect excuse to spend time with friends.

If the table is right there yet you fear to get around it, just go out and learn the fundas! There are numerous clubs in city that will gladly take you through the tricks of wielding the cue. Karnataka State Billiards Association is one such place. Located in the Miller Tank Bed area, this association has a dedicated team of professionals and holds month-long camps for its members. Though the membership will burn a hole in your pocket, the access to its state-of-the-art billiards facilities is worth it. Bowring Institute and Bangalore Club are other places that facilitate learning this sport for their members, albeit at an amateur level.

Apart from these long-established clubs, where memberships are hard to come by, there are some recently-set-up private clubs as well that have instructors to help you out with your snooker needs. The Woodrose Club and Best Club are answers to your call.

For those not inclined to make all that effort, there are numerous snooker parlours where you can learn the ropes of the game through trial and error. BBC Snooker Parlour, Manipal County and Snooker Zone are a few such parlours where fun and sport merge seamlessly.

Or else, you could just pick up a manual from any of the bookshops like Landmark at The Forum or Gangaram's Book Bureau and practise the moves if you have access to a pool table.

Now isn’t that cue enough to call the shots?