Pot as many balls as you can...

Watching the snooker at The Crucible over the weekend, I wondered where the name came from.  I knew the game was a derivative of billiards, and originated with the British Army in India in the late 19th century, but the name itself was a mystery.  Bit of a surprise then to find that the name has nothing directly to do with the game, and was originally a slang expression for an inexperienced newcomer (what we in the RAF would have called a "sprog"). and by extension, an inept performance as a result  of such inexperience.  Still can't see the connection, mind you.