Ресейлік пирамида: Шығыс Еуропаның танымал бильярд түрі

Form of pocket billiards popular in Eastern Europe

Russian pyramid, also known as Russian billiards (ру́сский билья́рд, russky bilyard), is a form of billiards played on a large billiard table with narrow pockets. It is played across Russia and several former Soviet/Eastern Bloc countries. In the West, the game is known as pyramid billiards, or simply pyramid.

Table: Playing surface sizes vary. The official tournament size is , the same size used for professional snooker. Smaller sizes as used by other cue sports are also found in less formal venues. The used in Russian pyramid tables are typically much thinner than those of pool and snooker tables, but is occasionally heated, similar to carom billiards tables. Balls: There are sixteen balls, fifteen and a , but in contrast to pool, the numbered balls are usually white, and the cue ball is red or yellow. They are typically larger and heavier than other types of billiard balls. The official tournament size is in diameter, weighing approximately 255 g (9 oz), while smaller balls – e. g., , , and (regular pool ball size) – are available for smaller table sizes. The old tournament size was 68 mm in diameter. Pockets: The are only 3 mm (approx. 3/16 in) wider than the diameter of the ball, while the are 12–13 mm (approx. 1/2–3/4 in) wider than the diameter of the ball. This requires great precision to pocket a ball in such tight pockets. Cues: Due to larger ball size, the cues used for Russian pyramid are slightly thicker and heavier than those of pool cues, and the tip diameter is wider (up to 15 mm), in comparison to 10–13 mm used in pool cues. Specialty shots like and are usually more difficult to perform with a Russian pyramid cue, due to its heavier nature. These shots are also not allowed in official tournaments, doing so may result in a .

Versions of the game have featured prominently in notable Russian films such as The Meeting Place Cannot Be Changed (1979) and The New Adventures of the Elusive Avengers (1968). An episode of the popular animated television series Kikoriki has two characters playing the game. The main characters of Dead Man's Bluff, or Zhmurki (Russian: Жмурки) play Russian pool in the bar scene. A Russian pool configuration can be seen in “Tulsa King” starring Sylvester Stallone in Season 1, episode 5, while making a phone call, he walks around a pool table with all white balls racked, and a white cue ball. Russian pyramid has been adapted into video games, both in stand alone form and as a play mode in multi cue sports video games. Many recent releases have been mobile games for Android and iOS.

Colored numbered balls for playing eight ball, nine ball, and other pool games on Russian billiards tables are also produced. The balls are 68 mm (2 11/16 in) in diameter, like the standard ones for Russian pyramid, and thus much larger than the American style balls they are patterned after .