Learning More About Pool Tables
Billiards is a popular sport that has been around for many centuries
. Some forms of billiards have evolved from disks and targets to what is more commonly known in the American culture as pool.
At first pool tables started out as flat surfaced table not having boarders or pockets. As pool tables evolved they became a cloth covered table with boarders around the edges keeping the balls on the table.
These boarders started out as cushions just to keep the balls on the table. Eventually the boarders were stuffed to allow the balls to rebound. Six holes are placed in the boarders that allow the balls to be hit into them.
The holes are known as pockets. Originally, holes in the table were placed in the table as an obstacle attempting to make the game more challenging.
These holes soon became a part of the game with the purpose of making the balls into certain holes. The sticks used to hit the balls on the table are known as cues. They were first used to push balls around the table, as opposed to striking the balls.
There was a transitional period where only the more experienced played with the striking cues but it soon became the standard method of play. Similar to the cue, the balls also had its evolution.
They were first made of wood and clay. They had trouble making these balls last and getting them properly weighted.
To fix the problem the rich moved to ivory balls and they became the preferred material. The felt on the table was probably green to simulate grass on which the game was originally played.
The word "billiard" may have evolved from the French word billart or billette, meaning "stick". King Louis XI of France (1461-1483) had the first known indoor billiard table.
Previously, the game was commonly played on the ground. Which games have evolved to golf, croquet, and bowling. King Louis popularized the indoor version among the French nobility.
Early billiards involved many pieces of additional equipment. Some played using arches like in croquet.
Other games included sticks or poles in the table instead of pockets and also used hoops different than the arches. The game was played in many different ways.
In America billiards has a unique history, but how billiards came to America has not been proven. There are tales that it was brought to St. Augustine by the Spaniards in the 1580's but research has failed to reveal any trace of the game there.
More likely it was brought over by Dutch and English settlers. A number of cabinet makers in the early 1700s made pool tables but usually in very small quantities.
Even George Washington was reported to have won a match in 1748. At this time there still wasn't any form of written rules and regulation.
The American billiard industry and the incredible rise of popularity of the game are due to Michael Phelan, the father of American billiards. Phelan emigrated from Ireland and in 1850 wrote the first American book on the game.
He was influential in devising rules and setting standards of behavior. An inventor, he added diamonds to the table to assist in aiming, and developed new tables and cushion designs.
Now there are several different styles and sizes of pool tables. Most pool tables are known as 7-, 8-, or 9-footers, referring to the length of the table's long side. Phelan also became the first billiard columnist which also helped popularized the sport.
Other types of billiard tables are used for specific games, such as Russian pyramid, Asian four ball, and bumper pool. Also, British pool tables differ significantly from pool tables found in the USA.
In addition, there are novelty billiard tables, typically for pocket billiards, that come in various shapes including zig-zag, circular, and hexagonal. Currently, it's not uncommon to find pool tables in the average American home, Bars, and Bowling Alleys.
Also, pool tables can be found in pool halls, which businesses are strictly dedicated to pool tables and the different games played on them. Generally, the players are billed according to the amount of time spent using a table or can be billed according to the number of games played.
by: Jack Landry
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