Usually if the player  then an additional life is lost. It is a popular pub game because it can involve a potentially unlimited number of players, and offers the opportunity for each player to bet a small amount of money for a reasonable return in winner-takes-all.
Usually, when a player plays, one life is lost. This pub game is popular because it can involve an indefinite number of participants and offers each player the chance to wager small sums of money with the potential for a significant return if they win everything.