The Evolution of Pool – From Pool Rooms to the Internet

 

The game of pool, or pocket billiards, has entered a very interesting phase – the online era. Today, there are hundreds of pool games offered on the Internet, some quite simple and easy-to-understand and others more complex. Nonetheless, pool is changing, and so is many pool players’ attitude towards the online version of the game.

 

Where did it all begin?

 

In the beginning of the 19th century, billiard became very popular; and at the time, it was considered a high-brow pastime. Later, however, “pool rooms” started to offer the game.

 

Of course, you might think. The name implies that…

 

But pool was at the time a name for a type of betting – players put money in a pool to bet on remote horse races etc. So pool and billiards was two completely different things. After a while though, billiards became the most popular activity in pool rooms, so billiards simply adapted the name pool. Maybe so the owners didn’t have to change signs.

 

Modern Billiards

 

Today, there are hundreds of billiard games, which have been invented over the last 200 years: Snooker, Eight Ball, Straight Pool, Nine Ball, well, I could go on. Many variations are considered real competitive sports and not only a pastime. Just like in other big sports there are associations governing the game, for instance World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association and World Pool-Billiard Association.

 

Online Pool

 

There is also a new version of the game - online pool. The Net is littered with different pieces of online pool software offering all types of billiard variations.  These games are perfect for those who want to learn the rules of the game, and maybe even for those who want to practise their pool strategies.

 

But the games are good on their own. Today, there are pool players who have never held a cue – and they are still pool players. That’s how good these games have become.

 

The evolution of online pool has many similarities with casino gambling and poker. There was a time when we thought that it would be impossible to transfer a game like poker to the Internet. But now, very few players say that online poker is not the real thing.