- Life pool
Life pool was a form of
pocket billiards (pool) mainly played in the 19th century. It was one of several pool games that were popular at this time (so called because gamblers pooled their bets at the start of play). The object of the game was to be the last player left "alive" and therefore scoop the pool (take the winnings). Each player had three "lives" to begin with and would lose one when another player potted their Cuegloss|Colour ball|coloured ball which was designated to them at the start of the game.Clarifyme|date=December 2007 Once a player lost their three lives, they were declared "dead", i.e. out of the game. The game continued in this way until the there was only one player left, who was declared the winner. Around 1875, life pool merged withblack pool to form the new game ofsnooker , today one of the most popularcue sports in the world.References
*Cite book|last=Everton|first=Clive|year=1991|title=Snooker and Billiards: Techniques, Tactics and Training|series=Crowood Sports Guides|publisher=Crowood Press|page=p. 10|isbn=1-85223-480-6
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