Sports Articles

Billiard Tables Offer Variety of Games

In one form or another, billiard tables have been a part of recreational pursuits for centuries. While often called pool tables in some areas of the world, they are a common sight in pubs, bars, taverns and game rooms. Billiard pool tables have also always had a place in private homes, but they are enjoying a surge in popularity these days. These specialty tables can be used to play a wide variety of different billiard-type games and are a great way to gather people around for camaraderie and friendly competition.

One common concern people have when thinking about buying a billiard table is if they have enough space to fit one into a spare room or a family room. While everyone’s idea of the perfect spot to play pool is different, in most cases you will want to have enough room for more than just the table. You must also have ample clearance around it to be able to wield your cue stick effectively. Billiards is a social game, and you should select a space in your home that can accommodate comfortable seating, as well as places to hold food and beverages that people often enjoy while shooting pool.

Most standard American billiard tables measure nine feet by four-and-a-half feet, with a slightly smaller version that is eight feet by four feet, and the most common length for the cue sticks is 57 inches long. To have enough clearance, so that walls and other obstacles won’t interfere with shots, the minimum room size needed would be 14 feet by 18 feet. This would be a “bare minimum” space and does not account for seating and mingling room.

If you just don’t have that much space, you could opt for one of the smaller sized tables. There are billiard pool tables as small as six feet by three feet. In conjunction with a smaller pool table, you could also use shorter cues which are available as short as 36 inches. The combination of these two factors would mean that you could conceivably play pool in a room as small as 9 by 12 feet.

However, there is a drawback to trying to squeeze smaller tables into a room that won’t hold a full size pool table. Once you get used to playing on smaller billiard pool tables and with shorter sticks, you will find it quite challenging to be able to play well on the more common size tables that you will find at bars, pool halls, and in most other homes. In addition, if part of your idea for buying a pool table is to entertain friends and have social gatherings with it as the central activity, then you will find that other people will have trouble adjusting to what many think of as mini pool tables.

Once you have determined the size of the table that will fit into your home, you next need to look at the quality of the materials before you make your decision. Most quality pool tables have a slab of slate underneath the felt. This provides a very stable, even, and good quality surface. The best tables actually have three slabs which can be adjusted independently to assure the ability to properly level the surface.

Since slate is such heavy material, a slate pool table bed can weigh up to 800 pounds. Because of this, the construction of the billiard tables frames must by very sturdy and of high quality to support that weight and assure that the table playing surface is always level. Look for metal-to-metal construction for the joints and solid cross members that are bolted securely.

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