Despite not knowing the origin of the pool table's invention, it is undisputed that the game has been around for many years. The earliest record of the game dates back to 1500s Northern Europe. The game became popular with men and women of all ages. It has been popularized in the United States for many decades.
Pool was originally played on grass or a board that had a hole in its middle. The object balls were numbered one through fifteen. The game was similar, except that you pushed the ball and not struck it. People started using a wooden stick, called a "mace", to strike the ball in the 1600s.
The game was improved with the addition of a cuestick, a wooden hoops, and the balls. It was very popular in Europe and then spread to the United States. However, the game didn't become very popular until after the Industrial Revolution.
Although the history of the game is not clear, there are many people who contributed to its creation. The indoor billiard table was first invented by King Louis XI, France. The game was also popular in England and became more popular after the Industrial Revolution. The French nobility also enjoyed the game.
It became a popular game in the United States after it was introduced. Many of the first settlers brought billiards to the United States. Tournaments were held across the country. It became very popular in finer saloons. The equipment was too expensive for the poorer classes.
The history of the game was complicated further when ivory was used as a ball material. Ivory was initially made from elephant trunks. Ivory became more fashionable in the 17th and 18th centuries, but it was not durable and was prone to cracking when struck with extreme force.
In the 1920s, Ivory pool balls were replaced with a new ball material. The new ball material, which was a mixture of camphor and nitrocellulose, could explode if struck with extreme force.
This new ball material is called a composite. The nitrocellulose wasn't very stable, but it was a more inexpensive replacement for ivory. The stick and hoop were finally abandoned after a while. A leather tip was added to the cue tip, which made it easier to hit balls.
The game developed over time and was popularized in the United States in the late 1800s. John Wesley Hyatt (a billiards gamer) invented a ball out of camphor, nitrocellulose, and in the late 1870s. This ball material did not last long and could explode if it was struck with great force.
Michael Phelan was another important figure in the development of the game. He is a well-known pool player. Phelan, whose father immigrated from Ireland into the United States in 1883 and Michael followed him to the pool hall trade, was born in Ireland. Eventually, he wrote a book on pool, which inspired a new generation of players to move away from ivory balls.