<human>:  Why is the game of billiards called billiards?
<bot>: The game of billiards is derived from the French game of baguette. In the game of baguette, players would shoot a small ball into a small hole, and the object was to get as many points as possible by getting the ball into the hole. The game of billiards is similar, but instead of shooting a ball into a hole, players are shooting a cue ball into a series of pockets. The object of the game is to get the cue ball into the pocket closest to the center of the table.