Much of the credit for this growth is owed to the American Poolplayers Association (APA), a Missouri-based outfit that claims a quarter of a million players as members and sanctions weekly amateur leagues in 9,000 different sites. If the group's official mission is to organize and standardize recreational pool -- serving as a governing body for amateur pool -- the unofficial mission is to serve as a public relations vehicle for the sport. For one, there's a strict prohibition in gambling. ("That's not the view we want others to have of us," says APA President Renee Poehlman.) Women are welcome and comprise nearly one-third of APA membership. And thanks to an in-house handicapping system, The Equalizer, ball-bangers (beginners) can play alongside the most skilled practitioners. "We don't want to be considered the pool of yesteryear," says Poehlman.

Part of that mission also means emphasizing the fun. Watch pool on television and it's a somber exercise, solemn players sizing up their progression while the crowd is pin-drop silent. During APA play, music often blares in the background and shooters socialize between racks. Teams have five to eight members, so it's not a solitary pursuit. Matches are held virtually anywhere that has a pool table -- one league even competes in a firehouse -- and the national championships will be held in August at the Riviera in Las Vegas.

In most sports, popularity and growth tend to be top down, with the biggest stars fueling grass-roots growth. Michael Jordan arrives on the scene and suddenly kids from Sheboygan to Shanghai are practicing their crossover dribbles. Tiger Woods starts winning majors and sales of golf clubs start to burgeon. In pool, the widespread hope is that the growth will go in reverse. That is, all these league players who play 8-ball and 9-ball each week (and all those yuppies buying tables for their rec rooms) will eventually give birth to a viable pro league. One that draws mainstream sponsors, figures out a way to make pool more television-friendly, and even pays the players the prize money they're owed.