As long as the survey group is a true statistical representation of the country -- in terms of race and gender, for example -- even a small pool of respondents can yield results that are accurate for the whole country.

CNN: To a pollster, less is more

Possibly a larger pool of inspectors or better terms for the oil-for-food exchange.

ECONOMIST: America and the Arabs

Pool Six leads the way in terms of Heineken Cups won, with Toulouse and Leicester having won the tournament five times between them.

BBC: SPORT | Rugby Union | Wasps handed tough Heineken draw

In Facebook's terms, the social graph is the name given to the collective pool of information shared between friends that are connected via the site.

BBC: Facebook unveils social search tools for users

Pool enjoyed a period of dominance as the Bluebirds tried to come to terms with their double blow, but Stephen Crainey shot wide and DJ Campbell, who scored a hat-trick in the play-off semi-final second leg against Nottingham Forest, failed to connect with a precise low cross.

BBC: Blackpool 3-2 Cardiff