Which Pool Table?
By Jeff King

There are a few things to consider when purchasing a pool table that have an effect on the price and quality of your table and therefore, your game. Note that the term “pool tables” refers to the table used to play billiards, snooker, and all other cue-sports similar to this. The differences between these games are the rules and sets of balls used, not the table itself.

Pool tables are constructed in a wide variety of sizes and there can be great variation in the quality and construction methods used. The main reasons for the range in sizes in pool tables for sale are simply that an authentic full-size table is huge and a consideration of the various costs of a full-size table. Pool tables are invariably a perfect rectangle with the width being half the length. A standard full-size English Billiards table measures 12' long, and, therefore, 6' wide! These days it is not difficult to locate tables measuring nine, eight, and seven feet long respectively, which are more realistically suited for people's homes.

When buying a pool table it is important to consider the construction materials used. Of these the surface is by far the most important feature. If you're after a basic, cheap table, new discount pool tables which use a wooden surface with cloth overlay can be found for less than US$400. However, if you are after a more authentic table, which will ultimately give you a much better game, then there is no substitute for slate. Any serious cue-sports enthusiast will not settle for anything less than a slate table which will not flex or suffer the deformities that wooden-surfaced tables are subject to. Slate is a very hard, dense stone which is quarried and cut into single, solid slabs the full size of the table, machined to near-perfect flatness and covered with cloth to make the surface of the table.

Unless subjected to absolutely brutal punishment it will not chip, dent, flex, or be affected by moisture. The slab used for tables will vary anywhere between a full 2 ½” thick for much older tables and, more recently, about one inch in thickness. Generally speaking the thicker your slab the better, however, the biggest drawback with slate tables is that they are truly monumental in weight, especially for larger, older tables. These can weigh as much as 1000 pounds! Along with such a large, heavy cut of solid stone come increased handling and construction costs.

Other things to consider when assessing the quality of a table include: The grade of cloth used – good tables use a woolen cloth; the sturdiness of the frame and type of wood used in the construction, particularly the legs; how well the pockets and netting are made, what the netting is made of, and whether they use real leather guards. Finally the quality, feel, and bounce of the bumpers running along the inside edge of the table. Brunswick pool tables are an example of a respected brand that performs well for all these tests of quality, with more than 150 years of experience to their name.

The cost of authentic, full-size slate tables reaches well into the thousands of dollars which, for most people, is not a realistic purchase, assuming you have room for it in the first place. However, if you're after cheap pool tables there are a few options open to you: For real discount pool tables you can go with the wooden-based tables mentioned earlier. Their surface may dent, warp, and may make for a less enjoyable game as time progresses but they're highly affordable. If you're unwilling to settle for lower quality, and you have a bit of ability with your hands, consider looking for cheap pool tables in the classified advertisements in your local paper or online that may be in a state of disrepair. If you're willing to put the work in, so long as you can find a table with a slab intact, you can more or less rebuild or restore the rest of the table from the ground up and re-cover it yourself. In this way, you can have a quality slate table for a fraction of the cost of a new one but every bit as good.

Fortunately ball sets are getting cheaper and cheaper these days, with little reduction in quality. The same cannot be said for cues, unfortunately, so you should always remember to look down the length of a cue to see if it has bowed before buying it. Finally, you don't want to be peering at your table in the dark. Consider purchasing a set of good overhead pool table lights to ensure you get the most from your table.

Jeff King writes on many consumer topics.

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