🎱 From Lawn to Table
Billiards evolved from a lawn game similar to croquet in 15th century Northern Europe. The game was moved indoors onto a wooden table with green cloth to simulate grass.
🏇 The Original “Poolroom”
“Poolroom” originally meant a betting parlor for horse racing. Billiard tables were installed to give patrons something to do between races — and the name stuck.
🏛️ Jefferson’s Secret Room
Thomas Jefferson concealed a billiard room inside Monticello’s famous dome because billiards was illegal in Virginia at the time.
✏️ Origin of “Scratch”
The term “scratch” comes from the old penalty system where opponents would literally scratch a point off a chalkboard scoreboard.
🏆 First World Championship Sport
Billiards was the first sport to have a world championship, held in 1873. It predates championships in sports like boxing, tennis, and golf.
👑 Mary Queen of Scots
Mary Queen of Scots was an avid billiards player. After her execution in 1586, the cloth covering from her billiard table was used to wrap her body.
🪙 First Coin-Op Table
The first coin-operated billiard table was patented in 1903. It cost just one penny to play a game.
🐘 Ivory Billiard Balls
Billiard balls were originally made from ivory. It took the tusks of an elephant to produce just one set of 16 balls. This led to the development of early plastics.
🔒 Captain Mingaud’s Invention
Captain Mingaud invented the leather cue tip while imprisoned in France. He became so obsessed with perfecting his game that he asked for his prison sentence to be extended!
🏙️ World’s Largest Pool Hall
“The Recreation” in 1920s Detroit was the world’s largest billiard hall — featuring 103 pool tables and 88 bowling lanes under one massive roof.
🎱 “Behind the Eight Ball”
The expression “behind the eight ball” meaning in a difficult position comes directly from billiards — when the 8 ball blocks your shot at the cue ball.
🏦 Origin of “Bank Shot”
Pool tables originally had flat walls called “banks” around the edges. Bouncing a ball off these walls became known as a “bank shot” — and the term is still used today.
🇫🇷 Why It’s Called a “Cue”
“Cue” comes from the French word “queue” meaning “tail.” Players originally struck the ball with the tail end of a mace — and eventually the mace evolved into the cue stick we know today.