Pool connects public figures to the game in different ways: playing, hosting conversations, supporting tournaments or appearing on screen. These five examples show the game’s reach beyond its professional tournament circuit.

1. Joe Rogan

Joe Rogan has brought pool into his podcast conversations. Episode 2034 of The Joe Rogan Experience, released in September 2023, features professional player and commentator Jeremy Jones. Listeners can hear a discussion of the game from a guest with direct experience at its highest levels.

2. Mark Twain

The Mark Twain House & Museum provides a concrete connection between the author and billiards. The third-floor billiard room in his Hartford home also served as his study, where he worked on major books and entertained friends. The room brought recreation and literary work into the same part of his home.

3. Barack Obama

An official White House photograph by Pete Souza shows President Barack Obama playing pool with Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper in Denver on July 8, 2014. The image captures a public outing in which the table became a place for a relaxed game during a presidential visit.

4. Manny Pacquiao

Manny Pacquiao’s connection goes beyond a celebrity photograph. In January 2015, the World Pool-Billiard Association announced his role in bringing its World 10-Ball Championship to General Santos City in the Philippines. The association’s on-site reporting also describes his support for pool events beginning in 2014. His financial and promotional involvement helped bring international competition to his hometown.

5. Tom Cruise

Tom Cruise’s best-known screen connection is Vincent Lauria in Martin Scorsese’s The Color of Money (1986), opposite Paul Newman’s returning “Fast Eddie” Felson. The American Film Institute documents those credits. Vincent’s confidence and showmanship make the performance a memorable part of pool’s film history.