All About Pool Tables

There are many types of a pool table depending on the brand, price, shapes, and materials that it is made out of. A game of pool, billiards, or snookers is a great way to relieve stress, have fun, and spend quality time with your family or friends. Pool tables can be very expensive depending where you find them at. You can find many pool tables for sale from online manufacturers, stores located in your area, or from individuals selling their used pool tables in a local newspaper. To making or getting your own custom pool tables.  Many of the tables include pool accessories to go with the price.  Always wanted to impress your friends with your newly learned trick shots?  You can either find a discount pool table for your home, go to a game room to play on a coin operated pool table for a dollar fifty, or go to a pool hall where you can pay by the hour.  Just make sure you agree on the rules of which ever game that you play so that your night does not lead to arguments.  If you decide to buy a billiards table than there are several things you should consider before buying one.

• Do you have enough room for a pool table?
• What size table will you need?
• What brand of table do you want?
• What price range of pool tables can you afford?
• Where to get the billiards table?
• Used or new?
• How to get it back to your home?

 

Once you decide on your pool tables and you buy it, with some TLC your table, no matter if it is in your home or in your business, will last for years and years.  Take care of it like you would a new car or a new flat screen high definition television.  Let’s see if we can find you the perfect pool table.

What Games Can You Play on Pool Tables?

There are so many games to play on pool table.  There are three main sports, which are billiards, snooker, and normal pool. You might recognize pool games like eight ball, one pocket, straight pool, nine ball, and cutthroat. Each of these games has different rules that can vary depending where you are from or living.  Most billiard games usually start the same way.  The game eight ball was invented around the 1900’s. Straight ball in 1910 and nine ball was developed in 1920. You place the balls in a rack, which can be different shapes depending on the game that is being played.  Usually the eight ball goes in the middle and the one ball goes on the top, than you alternate strips and solids.  The game eight ball you use all 15 balls. Depending on if you sink a solid or stripe, one person can only sink the balls 1 through 7 and the other goes for the 9 through 15.  The game is won depending on which person completely sinks all their opponent’s balls and the eight ball.  Nine ball only uses 1 through 9, hence the name of the game.  The rack for this game is in the shape of a diamond.  The nine ball goes in the middle and one in the front.  You shoot the balls in order from smallest number on up.  In this game you win by sinking the 9 ball instead of the 8 ball.  Cutthroat needs about three players to play.  You use all 15 balls, each player gets assigned balls.  For instance, player one gets 1 through 5, player two get 6 through 10, and player three gets 11 through 15.  The rules are that everyone can hit anyone’s balls but their own.

Ever Been Interested in the History of Pool?

The name billiards was to be thought to derive from the French words “billart” that means stick or the word “bille” that means ball. The game of billiards started, that we know of, as far back as the 1500’s.  Believe it or not, pool games came from the lawn game of croquet.   For some unknown reason someone decided to bring the lawn game inside.  It started out on a flat table and the balls, which were thought to be made out of stone before it was created out of wood and then to ivory then to Phenolic Resin, were pushed across the table with a wooden stick called a mace.  The table was covered in green felt to symbolize green grass and eventually there was rails put on the edges of the table so the balls would not fall off.  At first they pushed the balls through hoops just like croquet but soon they created “pockets” to replace the hoops.  The maces got replaced with a skinnier stick because they felt like it was easier to hit the ball that way.  Chalk that goes on the tip of the cue stick was created to help with control over the cue ball.  In 1826 the slate table bed was created by John Thurston.  Slate keeps the table from warping as time goes by.  In 1845 he created cushions made out of leather, cork, and rubber.  Coin Operated pool tables were introduced in the 1950’s.  The word “pool” came from the fact that billiard tables were located in rooms where poker and other games of betting “pools” of money were played.  Now that I have informed you on fun facts on how pool came to be, I will get back to the information that you need to know.

What Types of Pool Tables Are There?

There are many different types of pool tables, so many that I am sure that you can find just the perfect pool table to go in your home or bar/pool room.  They range from different prices and quality.  There are many name brand pool tables.  A few of the popular brands are Valley pool tables, Brunswick pool tables, Mizerak pool tables, and Murray pool tables.  They can come in sizes of 9, 8, and 7 foot pool tables, the table size depends how much room you have available.

You can find high quality pool tables, luxury pool tables, custom pool tables, commercial pool tables, coin operated pool tables, and reconditioned pool tables. High quality pool tables are made from quality materials to make sure they are stable and durable.  Luxury pool tables can include tables like outdoor pool tables, which is treated with weatherproof materials, hidden pool tables, which can be transformed into a dinner table, and glass pool tables.  Custom pool tables can be created to suit your needs and wants.  Commercial pool tables are usually meant for commercial uses at bars, pool tables, and game rooms.  Coin operated pool tables are tables where you have to put coins or dollars in to play pool.  Reconditioned pool tables are used pool tables that needed new parts or materials replaced before it can be resold.

Pool table’s playing surface is usually made out of slate.  This is where the term “slate bed pool” comes from to describe the table.  It can weigh up to 450lb, comes in three pieces, and according to regulations is 1 inch thick. The slate is sealed with sealing wax so to keep the table seeming like it is one piece for better playing. The structure of the billiard table surround the slate bed is mostly made out of hardwood materials.  The wood on the pool tables can range between oak, maple, mahogany, cherry, poplar, and ash.  Of course some pool tables are not always made out of these materials, for example the G-1 glass pool table.   Other materials that billiards tables can be made out of is mica laminate or veneer laminate, these materials are of the lesser expensive variety.

The bumpers or rails located around the pool tables help the balls to stay on the table and to make awesome trick shots to amaze your friends. The railing is made out of wood with Grade-A rubber over it, which gives it the bouncy characteristic when the ball hits it.  The diamonds or circles located on the top of the railings of pool tables are made out of different materials, pearl, shell, or plastic.  Pool pockets can be made out of plastic, rubber, or even leather.  A lot of people would suggest the leather pockets but if they are too expensive or not your taste than the second choice would be rubber.  Plastic is considered the worst because of how easy it can break or become unaligned.

What Accessories Should I have For My New Pool Tables?

If you think about it pool tables have many different accessories to go with it.  Not only can they make you look good but it can also make you play better.  Pool cues or pool sticks are one of the main components to playing billiards.  When you go to buy a pool cue, make sure it is straight or is not warped.  Pool cues come in many shapes and sizes.  Make sure you get the right height and weight that better suits you and your needs.  They can come in granite, maple, or ash wood.  To keep your cues from damage you can buy a pool cue case or if you have your own pool table than you can always get a pool cue rack to match your table and/or other furniture.  Depending on where you get your cue stick and what quality you prefer, prices for cues can reach from $15 to $1,000.  They come in many colors and designs, whatever matches your personality. Need help with beginning lessons?  If so than maybe you should consider buying a laser cue stick.  A laser comes from the tip of the stick to show a plus sign on the cue ball and another mark shows on the ball in front of the cue.  The pointer helps you learn how to align your shots and memorize the best angles to get the best trick shots.  You can get this special cue stick for around $129 to $150.   Just in case of an incident you might want to have a small supply of pool tips too, you never know when a tip can crack or bust.   Another neat accessory for your stick is chalk.  Chalk helps to grip the cue better.  It also helps with slippage and control the ball better.  Pool cue chalk comes in a variety of colors. You can find chalk that goes on your hands as well.

Another important accessory for your pool tables are a cue ball and a set of billiard balls.  What would be the point in having a table and stick with no billiard balls?  None.  Pool balls have been changed from different materials such as wood, resin, plastic, ivory, and the material that it is made out of now.  These balls are numbered from 1 to 15 and the 16^th ball or cue ball is ivory colored to be able to tell it from the others.  1 through 7 is usually solid colored while 8 through 15 is striped colored.  You can get the traditional set of pool balls or you can get decorative pool balls to suit your personality.  Snooker balls are available also if you ever get tired of playing straight pool. Snooker balls are 21 solid colored and a cue ball.  Individual balls can be purchased in case you lose one somehow.  Ball racks are also recommended to keep all of your billiard balls together and to make them easier to rack or put together to shoot.  They come in different shapes depending on what game you are playing.  Racks come in triangles and diamonds.  You can get these fairly cheap.

If you want to own any pool tables, accessories like pool tables covers and brushes can help with maintenance.  Your table can last for many, many years if you take great care of it.  Pool table covers are to keep dust and other harmful particles off your table.  They come in vinyl, hard cover, or other materials.  Brushes are for you to dust your table off every use because chalk can be harmful to your felt.  If you ever get sick of or need to replace your table felt than do not worry for there is many sites and pool table supplies stores available to help you with that.  You can get any color cloth or logo that you want.

Room Sizes for Your Pool Tables Size

Measuring your room to make sure you do not get a table so big that you end up not being able to shoot or ruining your walls is a very important action to do.  Cue sticks are usually 58 inches in length so you might want to leave 5 feet to 10 feet on each side of the pool tables in order to be able to maneuver your stick back and forth to hit the pool balls correctly.  I would recommend either a dining room area or a basement to put your billiard table. Or you can always buy an outdoor pool table for your garage or patio.  The smallest table is the bar pool table, which is 7 foot.   Next to the 7 foot pool table is the standard 8 foot table.  Then there is a tournament size that is 9 foot.

 

 

 

These pool tables include what space you need including enough space to use at the most a 58’’ cue stick, shorter stick means even more room to play.

Ever Wonder About The Rules of Pool?

If you are learning basic lessons on the games of billiards than you might want to brush up on the rules as well.  Without rules there would be many arguments about who won or if a trick shot was acceptable.  Here is a short breakdown of the rules for pool:

	Pool Rules
No.1	Rack the pool balls into the triangle.  Make sure they are touching.  The one ball (solid yellow) on the top of the triangle with the eight ball (solid black) in the middle.  Alternate solid and stripes for the rest.  Push the triangle to the starting dot located on the table. Take the triangle off the pool balls.
No.2	Put the cue ball on the other side of the table.  Hit the cue with the tip of your cue stick to break the other pool balls.
No.3	If you do not make a ball the turn goes to the next person.  Whoever makes the first ball gets that color ball for the rest of the game.
No.4	If at any time the cue ball goes into a pocket, the turn goes to the other player and the player can put the cue wherever he desires.
No.5	At least one foot has to be on the floor or it can be considered a foul.
No.6	The shooter has to complete their stroke when shooting at their designated pool ball.
No.7	A shooter cannot shoot a ball until it has stopped moving completely.
No.8	You will get a foul if you double tap a pool ball.
No.9	No illegal jumping.  It can bounce anywhere on the table just not on the floor or railing.
No.10	No interference of another player while you are shooting.
No.11	The winner breaks after each game.
No.12	Alternate players after each play.
No.13	No illegal marking on the pool table.
No.14	No special devices to assist while playing.

Keep in mind that the rules depend on what game of pool you are playing, where you live, or the person that you are playing with. Wanna win?

As you have probably notice there is a lot of information when it comes to playing pool and even when it comes to buying any of the great pool tables around.  You can find pool tables for sale at many places like discount pool table outlets or you can get cheap pool tables from online sources like Craigslist or eBay.  Used pool tables are favored when money is tight but be aware of the condition of it.  If you do not have to worry about money than custom or luxury pool tables are recommended among Brunswick pool tables as well.  Good luck on finding your perfect pool tables!