How did the name pool originate for billiards?

Answer by  kellbot (28)

There are a few different theories. One is that the word comes from the french "Jeu de la Poule," a gambling game in which items were thrown at a hen and the first person to successfully hit the hen won. The Spanish word "polla" meaning "collective stakes" is another possibility.

Answer by  kmac (235)

The name pool is a reference to poolrooms. Poolrooms were a place where gamblers came and pooled there money together for betting purposes. They usually had billiards tables for the gamblers to play on while there. Pool then became synonymous for pocket billiards.

Answer by  Briar (26)

Pool is a type of billiards game, in which players stake a sum of money into a "pool," which is awarded to the winner of the game. It comes from the French "poule," which means "stakes" or "plunder."

Answer by  Jason19 (54)

Pool usually refers to pocket billiards as opposed to carom billiards (tables without pockets). These pocket billiard tables were often in "poolrooms", which were places for gamblers to place bets on races, like OTB. Eventually, the term "pool" became associated with the tables.