Origins Of The Pool Game

Nobody really knows the origins of billiards. The common belief is that the game originated as a game that was played outdoors which was a bit different from croquet that was played early in the 14th century in France. Its said it became quite popular and when the cold weather did not allow the game to be enjoyed outside, it moved indoors and was played on a table that was covered with green felt.

Do you know that when Mary, Queen of Scots, died, she was wrapped in a billiard cloth? Did you also know that pool was the first sport to have a world championship game in 1873? Interesting huh


There are well know historical figures that loved the billiard game. These include King Louise X1V and wife Marie Antoinette, Mozart, Abe Lincoln, Napoleon and George Washington among others.

Back then, billiard balls were made from ivory and were usually carved out from the center of an elephant’s tusk. The elephant tusks could only give you three to 4 billiard balls.

The pool game is said to have the highest average age among its players at about 35 yrs and also said to be one of the safest game in the world

“Billiard” was coined from the French word “billart” that means mace. The mace was a stick with a handle that started to be used with the game called croquet.

It was illegal

In its earliest history, the pool game was outlawed in certain. Its funny that the church in France considered pool as immoral. In the nineteenth century in America, the word “pool” room was used to mean a parlor room for horse race betting and was banned in a number of states in America.

Its said that Thomas Jefferson had a pool table that he hid in his home in Virginia. Nowadays, the terms pool room and billiard room mean the same thing.