Anyone here in this forum who thinks that the state of pool needs "more difficult playing conditions" is very misguided. First of all, look at multi million dollar prize funds at every major golf event in the US-did they make the golf hole smaller yet?? NO the golf equipment and golf ball technology made it easier.
Secondly, all of a sudden everyone on this forum runs out consistently on traditional 4 7/8 pockets?? I do not believe that for a minute.
This game of pocket billiards was built on straight pool and the pocket size was absolutely correct for that game and those earlier tables. People came to watch in the thousands and pool hall flourished by the hundreds in major cities because it was a not the size of the pockets that mattered - it was that pocket billiards had an audience reach from the lowest to the highest financial classes in US society. Ever see the old ads from many US companies featuring pool playing- there were many of those in every major periodical.
Success in rebuilding pool in the US has everything to do with marketing reinvention, billiards branding towards the youth in this country, obtaining acceptance of the middle/upper financial class audience, and the resulting corporate financial support- it has nothing to do with pocket size. If anything, you would start by making the game easier, not harder. The entire existing format needs to be scrapped and rebuilt on a new platform that draws masses of people into the game- you will never do that by making the game more difficult. Pocket sizes should be back to the original intent of the game- pocketing balls with a "reasonable" amount of skill, so that the masses of people enjoy a minimum level of success every time they play the game.