5 Traditional Games Still Enjoyed Today

Many popular games we play today originated hundreds or thousands of years ago. Each of these games has changed with innovative technology, growing more popular than ever before.

Billiardsr
Pool, also known as pocket billiards, is a type of table game. Pool and similar games originated in medieval England. Billiard supplies include the six pocket table, pool cues and billiard balls. There are many variations of the game. Eight-ball is the most common version in the United States. This version begins with players choosing a suit of balls to claim. A player wins by pocketing each of their balls, followed by pocketing the eight-ball.

Today, serious players often use their own custom pool cues, which they carry with them in pool cue cases. These serious players compete in televised events, which you can oftentimes watch on ESPN 2. There are many tournaments around the world, watched by millions of billiards fans worldwide.

There are many computer imitations of billiards, which are fun and can be enjoyed from just about anywhere; but these limited games barely stack up to the feeling of holding pool cues and hearing the crisp sound of cue sticks striking the ball. Billiards is best played with a real table.
Chessr
Chess, a two-player board game, originated thousands of years ago in India. Each of the player's 16 pieces can only move in certain ways. The goal of chess is to forcibly capture the opponent's king.

Today, chess is enjoyed by millions of people all over the world. Many play chess on computers as well. Schools worldwide have chess clubs. Tournaments are held internationally to determine the best chess players.
Backgammonr
The earliest records of backgammon date back to 3000 B.C. in Persia. Movement on this two-player board game is determined by rolling dice. To win backgammon, a player must essentially clear their board of their pieces.

Backgammon is a popular game throughout the world with annual tournaments. It is also a popular online game.
Cricketr
Cricket is an outdoor game played with two teams on a rectangular pitch. Each team takes a turn at bat and tries to score runs. If a batter successfully hits a ball and runs to the edge of the pitch, his team scores.

The game was invented in England and spread into lands occupied by the British Empire. Today there are many cricket leagues and championships worldwide, mainly played in Europe, Asia, Australia and New Zealand. Arguable the most popular cricket league in the world is the Indian Premier League, where players average the second highest salaries for any league in the world, behind just the National Basketball Association.
Gor
Early records suggest Go began in China over 2,000 years ago. Players score points by encircling territory and capturing their opponent's pieces. The player with the most points wins. It's a simple game with unparalleled strategic depth, actually making it one of the most complicated strategy games to ever exist.

Go has gained worldwide favor due to online play. In some Asian countries, professional leagues flourish. Newspapers in these countries run Go columns like Western newspapers run Bridge columns.