Brief History of Pool Tables

Billiards has grown in popularity around the world. But this modern day sport is not so modern after all because, believe or not, the development of the billiard table was inspired by other sports such as croquet, which dates back in the 15th century. The term “billiard” came from the French word “billart” (wooden sticks) or “bille” (ball).

Brief History of Pool Tables

A billiard table is a table that has surrounding borders wherein special billiard balls are used to play different kinds of games. Billiard tables have flat surfaces which are covered with a layer of felt material and are carefully crafted in their dimensions to ensure proper function. Billiard tables are elevated from the ground for easy play.

The production of billiard tables is now widely commercialized in various countries around the world. The United States has been manufacturing billiard tables since the early 1800s. One of the leading manufacturers of billiard tables then and even in the present day is Brunswick Company. There might even be a possibility that billiards existed in the 16th century since the game was mentioned by Shakespeare.

The billiard table was said to have been used by nobles or people of royalty. The game of billiards was considered a gentleman\'s game back in the 16th century. Now, billiard tables can be seen in various bars or pubs. Men used to dominate their use, but now that there are billiard competitions featuring women, the perception of it being a man\'s game is slowly fading away.

The billiard table usually has particular dimensions, especially if it is used in competitions. There\'s usually a standard size for each of the various kinds of billiard tables. The most common shape of billiard table is the rectangle. Other shapes are round, zigzag or hexagonal. They may also vary in size, depending on the specific type of game played.

The rails located on the inner borders of the table are padded with special cushions made of rubber and covered in felt cloth. There may also be markers on the table. Other kinds of billiard tables include snooker tables, carom billiard tables, pocket-less carom billiard tables and the common pocket billiard (pool) tables.