Reportedly invented by Chicagoan Calistus 'Kelly' Mulvaney in 1893, kelly pool was a popular game during the early to mid-20th century. In the instance where pills are unavailable, a cloth may be used to cover the balls, which are then chosen blindly, recorded, and replaced for play. In the second, in addition to the goal of pocketing one's secret ball, points are scored in various ways. In the simpler form, the object of play starts and ends with the goal of pocketing one's secret ball. Two rule variants are set forth under rules promulgated by the Billiard Congress of America (BCA). In order to pocket the cue ball, the player must contact the lowest ball first and in the same shot, pocket the cue ball. If a player draws the number 16, this player is assigned the cue ball. Kelly pool is a rotation game, which means that players must contact the lowest numbered object ball on each shot first until the opportunity to pocket their own is presented. Gameplay involves players each drawing one of 16 numbered markers called peas or pills at random from a shake bottle, which assigns to them the correspondingly numbered pool ball, kept secret from their opponents, but which they must pocket to win the game. Kelly pool (also known as pea pool, pill pool, keeley, the keilley game, and killy) is a pool game played on a standard pool table using a standard set of 16 pool balls.
Pool table game A leather shake bottle and plastic pills or peas as used in kelly pool
