For commoners, it is easy to wonder if billiards and pools are the same thing. This is a common question that people ask whether billiards and pools are the same thing or not. Today we will learn the difference between the billiard vs pool and look at what similarities they have. By the time you finish reading the article, you will know the difference and will be able to figure it out yourself.
Most people use these two terms interchangeably. But what is the reason behind it? This happens because the pool is a form of billiards. The term “billiards” is used for any of those games that are played on a cloth-covered table with the help of a cue stick. So basically, a pool is a form of billiards with pockets. But there are some other games that come under the billiard umbrella. The basic difference between these two games is that one has pockets and what size balls are used in these games.
Billiard Vs Pool: Definition
Let’s start with billiards first.
Billard
Billiards is a game that is played on a table that does not have any pockets. This game uses only three balls, two white balls, and one red ball. Sometimes, one yellow, one white, and one red ball is also used.
When two white balls are used, one has a spot on it, and the other does not. The ball which has the spot is often replaced with the yellow ball. These balls are mostly larger than the balls that are used in pools.
When billiards is played, the aim is to use the cue ball, meaning the white ball, so it goes and hits the other two balls one after the other. When this is done, the player is given one point. And the player who scored the highest wins.
Pool
The pool is a game that is a lot different from carom billiards, and it’s played on a billiard table that has pockets, and to be precise, six pockets. The pool has also been called “pocket billiards.”
Instead of three balls that are used in billiards, the pool uses 8 to 15 object balls. But this mainly depends on which version of the game you are playing. There is also a cue ball in the pool. And pool tables are mostly smaller than billiard tables. Those are also made from cloth, which helps the ball slide slowly across the table. These tables have six pockets. The cue sticks used in pools are thinner and longer than the ones used in billiards.
Moreover, other than the standard pool game, there are various different versions of it that you can play. From playing the basic 8-ball to Cutthroat, if you bring a pool table home, there is nothing like it. This would be an amazing addition to your family.
Read Also: 10 Greatest Pool Player Of All Time You Should Know
Difference: At A Glance
| Category | Billiard | Pool |
| Popular games | One cushion, Straight rail, Three cushions, Balkline, and Atristic billiard | Straight pool, Ten ball, Nine ball, Eight ball, One pocket, Bank pool and Blackball |
| Table size | It is ten feet in length | The length ranges from 6 feet to 9 feet |
| Table surface | Worsted wool | Wool-nylon blend |
| Pockets | No pockets | It has got 6 pockets, one on the four corners, and one centered by the length |
| Cue | Average length is 54-56 inches | Average length is 57-59 inches |
| Balls | 3 balls: red object ball, white cue ball, and yellow cue ball | 16 balls: 7 striped balls, 7 non-striped balls, black eight ball, white cue ball |
Both Game Uses Different Balls
On the other side, Billiards use just three balls, white, red and yellow. The white and the yellow balls can be used interchangeably for striking. The balls in billiards are 2 7/16 inches in diameter. Meanwhile, in the pool, the number of balls is a lot more, and that also changes depending on the type of game you are playing.
But the full set consists of 16 balls, and each of those is 2 ¼ inches in diameter. There are eight solid-colored balls, and they are numbered from one to eight. The number of striped balls is seven, and they are numbered nine to fifteen. The cue ball is a solid white-colored one.
Difference In Rules
Of course, each of the games has a different set of comprehensive rules, and that includes the variants as well. The basic idea in a game of carom billiards is to score points, which is known as counts, by bouncing their own balls, known as the cue ball, off of the other balls that are there on the table.
There are various games that fall under the category of pool. However, in a straight, simple pool, players score points when they shoot the balls and put them into the pockets. This is known as pocketing the balls
Before beginning the game, players agree on a particular point, which will declare the winner of the game. Mostly, a typical game needs 100 to win, whereas the mark is set at 150 in any professional game. Players have the liberty to pocket any ball they want on the table, and with each ball that is pocketed successfully, the player is rewarded with one point.
Straight pool is a game where you have to call the pocket before you take the shot. This means before taking the shot, they have to mention which ball they are going to hit and in which pocket they are going to aim it. For the shot to be successful, the player has to pocket the declared ball in the pocket he or she mentioned before taking the shot.
This is the overall difference between billiard and pool, and after finishing the article, there should be no confusion about the two games.
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