Pool , also known as pocket billiards , is the general term for a family of cue sports . These games are played on a pool table with six holes cut into them called pockets , into which balls are deposited as one of the main goals of play . Pool , also known as pocket 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 .