Billiards was the umbrella term for the sport as a whole historically. While that familiar name is still employed changeably a generic name for all games, the word’s usage has splintered into more inclusive competing meanings among certain groups and geographic regions.

Today, they can easily be exchanged and mean the same thing. When people refer to one, it is assumed the other is also being included. On the technical side, there is a difference. Billiards is played with smaller balls. In billiards, only three balls are used; white, yellow and red. Both the white and the yellow ball can act as the strikers. Billiards is basically pool without pockets.

It is understandable that the majority of us are well known with pool and pool tables. A number of us may be conscious of the dissimilar differences of the pool game, a small number of being Eight-Ball, Nine-Ball and Cut Throat. As stated above, billiards is played on a table with no pockets. We are familiar with pool tables are created with 6 pockets.

The game is played with two sets of balls, each containing seven balls, with one set being solid colored and the other striped. The two sets are combined into one set and then completed by a black 8-ball. This is a standard set of pool balls and can be broken up to play different versions of the game.

While there are vast differences between the two games, they are commonly grouped as one and referred to as cue sports. If someone says they are going to shoot a game of billiards, we all know what they are referring to in general. It all depends on what style of the game you would like to play. Billiards is a form of pool. So perhaps in future reference, it should all be covered by using the term pool, unless you are actually playing by billiards rules and regulations.

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