From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Historic print depicting Michael Phelan's Billiard Saloon, January 1, 1859.

A player going down to take a shot in eight-ball pool, in Beijing, China

Pocket billiards, most commonly referred to as pool, is the general term for a family of games played on a specific class of billiards table, having 6 receptacles called pockets (or "holes") along the rails, in which balls are deposited as the main goal of play. Cue sports that are played on pocketless tables are generally referred to as carom billiards.

Outside the cue sports industry, pocket billiards is almost exclusively referred to as "pool," due to a perhaps unfortunate association with the "poolrooms" where gamblers "pooled" their money to bet remotely ("off-track") on horse races. Because these venues often provided billiard tables, the term "pool" became synonymous with billiards, and though the original "pool" game was played on a pocketless table, the name stuck to pocket billiards as it gained in popularity. Though the traditional view of billiards as a refined and noble pastime did not blend well with the low-class connotations of gambling, the billiards industry's attempts to distance itself from the term "pool" beginning in the late 19th century were largely unsuccessful.

There are hundreds of pocket billiards games. Some of the more well known include eight-ball, nine-ball, straight pool, and one-pocket. The game of snooker is played on a table with pockets but is considered to be its own cue sport discipline and is governed internationally by the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association/World Snooker Association (professional) and International Billiards and Snooker Federation (amateur). There are also hybrid games combining aspects of both pocket and carom billiards, such as English billiards, American four-ball billiards, cowboy pool and bottle pool.

Pocket billiards is more popular than carom billiards in most countries of the world.^{[citation needed]} Carom billiard games thrive in Asia, Europe and Latin America, but pool (especially in the form of nine-ball and eight-ball) and snooker are gradually taking over as the most widely played cue games.^{[citation needed]}

As a competitive sport, pocket billiards is governed internationally by the World Pool-Billiard Association (WPA), which has national affiliates such as the US Billiard Congress of America (BCA), and which represents pocket billiards in the World Confederation of Billiard Sports which in turn represents all forms of cue sports in the International Olympic Committee.

Pocket billiards uses different equipment from carom billiards. Other than the table having pockets, the balls for pocket billiards are generally smaller and range from 2.25 inches in diameter to 2.375 inches in diameter. (By comparison Carom billiard balls are generally 2-3/8 (2.4) in., or 61.5mm.^[1] While UMB, the International Olympic Committee-recognized world carom billiards authority, permits balls as small as 61.0 mm, no major manufacturer produces such balls any longer, and the de facto standard is 61.5 mm. Modern pocket billiard tables range in size from 3.5 by 7 feet, to 4.5 by 9 feet. Modern cues are generally 58.5 inches long for pocket billiards while cues prior to 1980 were designed for straight pool and had an average length of 57.5 inches, while carom billiards cues are generally 56 inches long.

In British slang, "pocket billiards" (or "trouser billiards") is used as a euphemism for a man scratching his genitals (or even masturbating) through his trouser pocket.^[2] The equivalent Americanism is "pocket pool".^{[citation needed]}

This article or section includes a list of references or external links, but its sources remain unclear because it lacks in-text citations. You can improve this article by introducing more precise citations.

• Directory of pool leagues around the world
• Inside Pool magazine — pool news and information
• BiliardoWeb - The first Italian Community and e-magazine (in italian)

v • d • e Cue sports
Pocket billiards (pool)	Nine-ball • Eight-ball • One-pocket • Straight pool • Bank pool • Blackball • Baseball pocket billiards • Bottle pool • Chicago • Cowboy pool • Cribbage pool • Golf pool • Kelly pool • Rotation • Ten-ball • Three-ball • more
Carom billiards	Three-cushion • Artistic billiards • Five-pins • Balkline & straight rail • Cushion caroms • Four-ball • more
Other games	Snooker • English billiards • Russian pyramid • Bumper pool • Bagatelle • Carrom • Novuss • more
Resources	Glossary • Techniques • Billiards table • Billiard balls • Cue stick • Rack • Players • Organizations • Events • Categories