How do pools work?

https://zcash.flypool.org/miners/t1PrMneYnd1JLBmLHFYw3PHQx1zXoJ6XqEt

My friends and I are mining on our computers. What are “workers” exactly? If we each want stuff to our wallet, we have to be in different pools? So those pools will be only 1 person then right? I see ppl with ~50 workers and I wonder why everyone doesnt do it on different pools (instead of a worker, be the host)? Thanks

Workers on flypool are the mining rigs you have setup to a t-wallet address with the . and what ever name you put here, which looks like puppylover101_vps_1. If you added a second mining rig(your friend) that is mining to the same t-wallet.puppy102 (or what ever) you now have two workers, etc etc

Pools can be 1 person to (whatever their network can handle). The more hashrate on a pool the better the odds of finding a block so that you get paid.