Pool or billiards?
Many people mix them up, but they are two different games. Billiards is all about caroms, pool is about potting balls in the pockets.
What is billiards?
Billiards is an umbrella term for games played on a table without pockets. The best-known form in the Netherlands is carom billiards: you play with three balls (two white, one red) and try to hit both other balls with your cue ball in one shot, a carom.
Because there are no pockets, billiards is all about control, precision and spin. There are also variants such as three-cushion and snooker, each with their own rules.
What is pool?
Pool is more accessible and dynamic, and popular in cafés and pool halls. You play on a table with six pockets, with a white cue ball and fifteen coloured, numbered balls.
The most played variant is 8-ball: first you pot all your own balls (solids or stripes), then the black 8. In 9-ball you pot the balls in numerical order. Pool takes precision and strategy: where do you leave the cue ball for your next shot?
The differences at a glance
| Billiards | Pool | |
|---|---|---|
| Table | No pockets | Six pockets |
| Balls | 3 (two white, one red) | 15 coloured balls and a white cue ball |
| Goal | Making caroms by hitting balls | Potting balls in the pockets |
| Variants | Carom, three-cushion, snooker | 8-ball, 9-ball, straight pool |
| Difficulty | Highly technical, all about precision | More accessible, but takes strategy |
Come and play pool at Hart van Utrecht
Want to find out for yourself how much fun pool is? Whether you are an experienced player or just want a fun night out: our tables are ready for you, with good music and live sports on the big screen.
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