How did the billiards game come to be called pool?

Question

How did the billiards game come to be called pool?

Answer 1

Billiards doesn't have pockets and pool does which means they are completely different games.

Answer 2

Rhuzzy is correct on this one.  Pool is in fact a gambling term referring to a collective bet.  Pocket billiard tables were frequently installed in the betting rooms at horse racing tracks to help people pass the time between races.  These betting rooms were called pool rooms and over time the word pool became linked to pocket billiards.  For the record, pool is a subcategory of billiards, just like carom and snooker games.  So, it is not wrong to call pool billiards, just not very specific.  M.D.-BCA Instructor/Referee.

Answer 3

They were called poolrooms as money was "pooled" to determine the odds.