Myth number two

Young lieutenant Neville Chamberlain was experimenting on the officers’ mess table with the existing game of ‘Black Pool’ featuring 15 red balls and a black.

The nameless game, played with a pyramid of reds and a black ball, was first mentioned in 1915 as “an interesting variation on the other kinds of pyramids or snooker pool.” ¹ Prior to this date, all books and rule books described Black Pool as a variation of Life Pool with a neutral black ball. ²^, ³^, ⁴^, ⁵

W.G. Clifford, in his book Billiard Table Games for Tables of All Sizes, published in 1927, was the first to call the game with a black ball and a pyramid of reds “Black Pool” and the version with a blue ball and a pyramid of reds “Blue Pool”. ⁶

He did not given the source of this information, and it is quite possible that these names came from the house rules of a particular club. However, he did not claim that this pyramids-based version was the ancestor of snooker.

The myth of a game with a pyramid of reds and a black ball as the ancestor of snooker may have originated from W.G. Clifford’s statement: “These games are now very seldom played, snooker having superseded them”.

In this case, we can only advise mythmongers to read the primary sources carefully.

No publication before the mid-1920s mentions a game called “Black Pool”, using a pyramid of reds and a black ball. This myth has been propagated by modern journalists who refer to each other, but not a single documentary source confirms its existence.

Research by contemporary snooker historians (cf. Clive Everton⁷ and Peter Ainsworth⁸) and Mike Shamos’ New Encyclopedia of Billiards⁹ provide descriptions of Black Pool, yet no information has been found regarding the presence of the pyramid of reds in this game.

A game derived from snooker cannot be its ancestor.

The London Evening Standard, 9 February 1915.
“Following yesterday afternoon’s play at Thurston’s, George Gray and Thomas Newman gave an exhibition of a new game of pyramids. A black ball on the centre spot has to be potted after each red ball, an interesting variation to the other kinds of pyramids or snooker pool.” ↩︎
Billiards. By William Cook. 1884.
“Black, or as it is sometimes called, everlasting pool, is a variation of the ordinary game of pool. In the first place the word pool is somewhat a misnomer, as one peculiar feature of black pool is that there is no stake at all, but only lives count.
The balls are given out in the usual way, with the exception of the black ball, which at starting is placed on the centre spot of the billiard table, between the two middle pockets. The white ball is placed on the spot in the ordinary way. The red plays on the white, and yellow on red, &c.
When any player pockets a ball, the owner of that ball pays him a life; the player then has the option of playing on the nearest ball, as in ordinary pool, or on the black. Should he play at the black and put it in, he gets a life all round-i.e., each player in the pool
pays him a life. If, on the contrary, he plays at the black ball, and either misses it or runs in off it, he has to pay a life all round-i.e., he has to pay a life to every other player.
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The rules of black pool vary in different rooms. In some the rule is that after making an ordinary hazard the player must play on the black. The more common, and, I think, the better rule is to leave it optional after making an ordinary hazard whether you play on the black or on the nearest ball. As when you run in off the black you have to pay all round, it follows that any one interfering with his own ball after playing on the black should pay a life all round.” ↩︎
The Art of Practical Billiards for Amateurs. By Major-General A. W. Drayson. 1889.
“Next to following pool, black pool is most generally played in billiard rooms. Black pool is sometimes termed “shell out,” because if a player pocket the black ball, all the other players pay a certain sum to the striker.
At black pool, a black ball is placed on the centre spot, the white on the spot at the top of the table; red plays on white, yellow on red, etc., just as in following pool, until each player has played once. When each player has had a stroke, then any ball may be played at, and if put into a pocket the striker may then (if he choose to do so) play at the black. If he pocket the black, each player pays a life to the striker. Thus the owner of the ball that was first pocketed pays two lives, one because his own ball was “held,” the other for the black ball being held.” ↩︎
Billiards. By Major W. Broadfoot, R.E. 1896.
“The special feature of the game is the introduction of the black ball, which may be described as public property, for every player who takes it is paid by all the others the amount of the stake agreed upon, and all penalties incurred when playing at it are also paid all round. It is spotted on the centre spot; if that is occupied, on the pyramid spot; if that is occupied, on the billiard spot; and if all are occupied, it is held up till one is vacated. Each player has an infinite number of lives, and cannot be killed, however often he is put down. Each life lost is paid for by a stake agreed upon. There is no subscribed pool. Each game lasts half an hour; when time is up, directly after white has played the marker announces the last round, white having always the last stroke. Any number can play for whom balls can be found, but five players make the most interesting game. At the end of a round a new player can enter. His ball is spotted on the billiard spot, and he has to stand fire till his turn to play comes. Similarly, any one can retire by giving notice of his intention directly after he has played, but his ball remains on the table till his turn comes again. In fact, the spotting of the new-comer’s ball and the removal of a player’s ball may be considered their first and last stroke respectively. Foul strokes are regulated by the rules of ordinary pool, but after a miss the striker’s ball is left where it stops and is not removed from the table.” ↩︎
Pyramids and Pool Games. By J.P. Buchanan. 1896.
“One notable feature of Black Pool is that in it there is no Pool formed by the players ‘ stakes at all, but that only lives count. Another point in which the game differs from ordinary Pool is that no player is ever “knocked out” in Black Pool. Consequently, it is sometimes termed “everlasting” Pool. The fact of there thus being no “sitting out” should specially recommend this game to parties of friends.
The black ball is spotted on the middle spot and the white ball on the billiard spot, the game being played just like ordinary Pool – red playing on white, yellow on red, and so on, until each player has had one turn. After the first round, any ordinary Pool ball may be played at, and, if pocketed, the striker may next play either at the black ball or at any other Pool ball, but he cannot play at the black ball twice in succession. Should a player, however, after playing at and hitting an ordinary Pool ball, in the same stroke knock in the black, he receives a life from each player, and may play at the black ball again with his next stroke.” ↩︎
Billiard Table Games for Tables of All Sizes. By W. G. Clifford. 1927.
“‘Blue’ pool, or ‘black’ pool, are played by putting the blue on the centre spot, or the black on the billiard spot, and the reds as for pyramids. The rule is that a red must be first taken, after which you may either take another red or the coloured ball at your option, the coloured ball coming up when pocketed. Generally, the coloured ball counts two points, but may be more by agreement. These games are now very seldom played, snooker having superseded them.” ↩︎
The story of Billiards & Snooker. By Clive Everton. 1979
“Pyramids, perhaps Snooker’s most obvious forerunner, was a game played with fifteen reds, initially placed in a triangle, with the apex red on what is now the pink spot but which was then known as the pyramid spot. Each time a player potted a red, all his opponents paid across the agreed stake money per ball.
In Life Pool, each player was given a cue-ball and an object-ball (e.g. white on red, red on yellow) so, for the second player, his object-ball was the first player’s cue-ball and so on. The object was to pot one’s specified object-ball three times. Each time a player’s ball was potted, he lost a life and had to pay an agreed stake. When he had lost three “lives” he paid an extra sum for a “star” (or extra life) and when that was gone he was “dead”. When only one player remained he scooped the kitty.
Black Pool was a development of Pool in that a black ball was added. When a player had potted his allocated ball, he could attempt the black. If he was successful, each of his opponents paid across an additional sum and he could then attempt the nearest ball. Joe Davis spent many of his youthful hours playing a similar game, Pink Pool.” ↩︎
The Origin of Snooker: The Neville Chamberlain Story. By Peter Ainsworth. 2017.
“There is a fundamental problem here which requires an understanding of the types of game played on a billiard table at that time. Next to billiards, the most popular game on a billiard table would have been “Pool”. This game actually derives from the earliest form of billiards which had only two balls (no red) and the players would each take a ball and try to pot each other. Pool was (in 1875) a game which would regularly involve up to a dozen players, each having their own cue-ball and taking turns to try and pot each other in a fixed rotation. Those potted would lose a “life” and pay a monetary forfeit. After losing a number of “lives” a player was eliminated from the game. To differentiate between each player’s ball, they were first numbered (in pencil) then coloured by staining with a dye. The range of coloured balls, and the sequence they were played, were initially: White, Red, Yellow, Green, and Brown. The Blue, Pink and Black balls were subsequently added to this series, and would have been available around this time. Additional players could be added to the game by starting this colour rotation again with balls marked by a “cross” or “spot”. A number of variations of essentially this same game were played. Amongst these was the “Black Pool” mentioned by Chamberlain. This varied from the basic game only in that the black ball was neutral. It was placed on the centre spot and a player would be entitled to shoot at it only after he had potted his allocated ball.” ↩︎
The New Encyclopedia of Billiards. By Mike Shamos. 1993
“Black Pool (game, obs.) A precursor of Snooker, similar to Life Pool, but in which there is no pool and each player has an unlimited number of lives. The black is placed on the CENTRE SPOT, the white on the LOSING SPOT. If a ball is pocketed, its owner must pay a life to the striker After each player has played once, any ball may be played at, and, if a ball other than black is pocketed, the striker may then elect to play at black. If he is successful, each player pays him a life. 1862 Crawley 120, 1889 Drayson 105, 1896 Broadfoot 419, 1919 Hoyle 642, 1979 Everton 60. The black was known as the ROVER, since any player was allowed to strike at it. Since the object was to sink black after every other ball, the connection with the eventual game of Snooker is clear. 1986 Trelford 22. The game is also known as Shell-Out. Cf. Black and Pink Pool, Blue Pool, Everlasting Pool, Perpetual Pool, Selling Pool.” ↩︎