The next time that you play pool with your friends, amaze them with these fun pool and billiards facts. You might even learn something new yourself while uncovering the history of the game and much more.
What’s in a Name?
Pool originated with the term for the locations where the people gathered to play it in the 19th century. At the time, poolhalls were places for people to shoot pool and to bet on horse races. The betting pools on the races gave the spaces their names. However, because people also played pool there, the game became synonymous with the name pool.
Billiards is an even stranger term that did not come from English. Instead, this name for the game likely came from French words for either ball, “bille,” or one of the wooden sticks used to hit those balls, “billart.”
Pool Balls Once Had a Sad Creation
Prior to modern materials, pool balls required elephant tusks to create because they were crafted from ivory. Since only the core of the tusk could provide the correct type of ivory, each tusk produced only enough material for no more than four pool balls.
Thankfully, today’s modern pool balls play better and don’t require harming animals. In fact, the cast phenolic resin used to make balls today produces scratch and temperature-resistant balls that are precisely balanced for accurate movement.
Pool Cloth Remains Mostly the Same
Apparently, whoever decided to use wool as a pool table cloth more than 400 years ago had the right idea because many tables still use the same material today. What has changed is the number of colors and addition of other types of material for playing pool on tables outside or in other harsh conditions that would damage wool surfaces.
Find More Pool and Billiards Facts and the Equipment You Need at A&C Billiards and Barstools
If you need pool tables, accessories, game room furniture, or gaming tables, stop by our showroom at A&C Billiards and Barstools in the City of Industry, CA. We can help you to find the perfect equipment, provide you with services for your table, and offer you the chance to see the tables in person. Plus, our experts might even be able to give you tips and billiards facts to up your game and wow your friends.
Sources
https://aandcbilliardsandbarstools.com/services/cloth-replacement/
https://aandcbilliardsandbarstools.com/product-category/billiards-accessories/cue-balls/
https://bca-pool.com/page/41
https://bca-pool.com/page/39
https://billiards.colostate.edu/faq/facts/interesting/
https://aandcbilliardsandbarstools.com/
