Black pool was a form of pocket billiards

Pocket billiards

Pool, also more formally known as pocket billiards or pool billiards , is the family of cue sports and games played on a pool table having six receptacles called pockets along the , into which balls are deposited as the main goal of play. Popular versions include eight-ball and nine-ball...

 (pool) mainly played in the 19th century. It was one of several pool games that were popular during this time. It was called this because gamblers pooled their bets at the start of play. This game had fifteen that were in a triangle, as in snooker

Snooker

Snooker is a cue sport that is played on a green baize-covered table with pockets in each of the four corners and in the middle of each of the long side cushions. A regular table is . It is played using a cue and snooker balls: one white , 15 worth one point each, and six balls of different :...

 today but without the six . There was also a that was either placed on the or what is now the in snooker. Each player extracted winnings from their opponents for each ball they potted. Potting the black ball meant receiving additional winnings. Around 1875, black pool was merged with life pool

Life pool

Life pool was a form of pocket billiards mainly played in the 19th century. It was one of several pool games that were popular at this time . The object of the game was to be the last player left "alive" and therefore scoop the pool...

 to form the new game of snooker, today one of the most popular cue sports in the world.