The Evolution of the Pool/Billiards Game

The Pool Table, Evolved

Ever wonder how the pool table came to be? The game of pool has a long history and a rich tradition of being played by everyone from kings to noblemen to commoners, and its origins just might surprise you.

The 15th Century Pool Table

Back in the 15th century, the first pool table was created as a way for men of the time to play a version of indoor croquet. A table was covered with a green sheet (to look like grass) and colorful balls where pushed around the table with short sticks, much the way croquet balls would be hit with a mallet on an outdoor lawn. With that, the first pool table was born.

Pool Tables through the 1800s

From the 1600s through the 1800s, slightly more modern versions of the table were adapted in various countries around the world. In England, Snooker and “English billiards” became the game of choice, using three balls on a rectangular table with six pockets. In America, longer tables were developed and played with four balls and four pockets. By the 1870s, Americans were playing fifteen-ball pool, played on tables that closely resemble those played on through much of the 20th century.

20th Century Pool Tables

From the 1950s through the latter part of the 20th century, most pool tables had the same standard look – a traditional dark wood base with a standard felt green top. By the 1970s, the standard pool table was a common sight in corner bars and rec rooms across America. Coin-operated tables rose in popularity for commercial use in the late ‘70s and ‘80s, and the classic look of the pool table remained pretty much the same throughout the decades, but not anymore…

The Pool Table of Today

It’s a new century, a new millennium, and many of the pool tables that exist today bear little resemblance to those played on just a few decades ago. Clean lines and architectural bases. Elliptical designs with open sides. Eye-popping colors and felt tabletops in the custom color of your choice. Sleek metal legs or hand-stained, hand-crafted wood bases in unique shapes that look like works of art. We’ve come a long way from pushing a couple of balls around a tabletop draped with a sheet.

Check out the newest and most unique pool tables of the 21st century at Elevate Customs. Hand-crafted, built to order, and fully customizable, Elevate Customs offers a one-of-a-kind experience that will have you playing so often you’ll be perfecting those bank shots and trick shots in no time.