PoolBilliard

PoolBilliard is a term used to describe cue sports that involve striking balls on a table with a cue, and it is often used as an umbrella label for both pool (pocket billiards) and billiards disciplines such as carom. It does not denote a single standardized sport, but rather a family of related games and venues where these activities are played under various rule sets.

Cue sports have a shared lineage that stretches back to Europe in the Middle Ages, with modern pool developing in the United States in the 19th century. Pool is typically played on pocketed tables with numbered object balls and a cue ball, while carom billiards is played on pocketless tables and emphasizes scoring through deliberate caroms between cushions and balls. PoolBilliard contexts highlight common equipment—cues, balls, and tables—while maintaining separate regulations for different games.

Popular pool games include eight-ball, nine-ball, and straight pool, each with its own scoring and foul rules. In carom billiards, common disciplines include three-cushion and other cue sports that do not use pockets. In venues branded as PoolBilliard hubs, players may transition between disciplines, adhering to the respective rule sets. Equipment standards vary by discipline: pool tables are pocketed and typically come in sizes from around 4.5 to 9 feet, while pocketless carom tables are larger and designed to facilitate multiple-carom scoring.

Governing bodies for these activities include the World Pool-Billiards Association (WPA) for major pool disciplines and organizations such as the Union Mondiale de Billard (UMB) or other federations overseeing carom billiards. The term PoolBilliard also appears in branding and community discussions to emphasize the broader family of cue sports rather than a single official sport.