Welcome to our Pool Table Advice and Buying Guide!So you've decided to buy a pool table (or a snooker table)...but are not exactly sure what you should be looking for when deciding which table is right for you. Well this guide is here to help. Below you will find a list of things to consider, frequently asked questions and pool table parts information to help you to choose from the multitude of pool table designs, styles, sizes and qualities available on our site. Click the links below.
Most pool tables and snooker tables are twice as long as they are wide. This is generally what people would consider to be a regulation size table. These tables will start at 4ft 6in and 5ft kids pool tables and then move up through 6ft, 7ft, 8ft and 9ft lengths. We are able to offer you a full choice of all of these different sizes. Your decision will mainly be down to four factors
It is very important that you have enough room to freely move you cue at any point around the pool table when taking your shots. YOu really need the lenght of your cue with some added space to accommodate your cueing action. This means that the size of the room required can be reduced if absolutely necessary by using cut length cues. Full size cues are 57" / 58" long so you would normally need this much space around your table plus space for your cueing action. 58" is just under 5ft (approx 150cm) so we advise that ideally you have 6ft clearance on each side. Smaller available cues sizes are 36", 48" and 54" so you can adjust the required space accordingly.
Delivery and Installation Access Please ensure that there is ample access to the room that you require your Pool or Snooker Table to be delivered or installed to. There should be room for the length and width of pool table that you purchase to easily fit through doors, around corners or up / down stairs as required. If you are unsure then you can email us photos of the access to the room in question and our Installation team will let you know if this will be ok. Access to the room is the responsibility of the customer and if for any reason the delivery / install team are unable to get to the room required and the pool table has to be returned to us and the order cancelled then you may be liable for all outward and return delivery costs (charged at actual cost price).
If you are buying your pool table or snooker table for a bit of occasional fun or as a gift for your kids then the main aim is to get something decent and durable without spending too much money. We have selected a range of the best value tables available in the UK. They come in 4ft 6in, 5ft and 6ft sizes and are usually fairly portable. We also have a number of folding pool tables and folding snooker tables on offer. All of these tables come with everything you need to get started and can be found in our Kids Pool and Snooker tables section.
When browsing the pool tables and snooker tables that we have to offer you will notice that some of them have a "slate bed playing surface". This means that the actual surface on which the balls sit (underneath the playing cloth) is made of precision ground slate (usually from Italy). If you are looking to get a decent pool table that will last the test of time then you really should opt for a table that is built in this way. Pool tables that have a compacted MDF playing surface will tend to be less accurate and even and can warp over time. They are of course less expensive. A quick summary of the advantages and disadvantages of a slate bed playing surface is below:
For slate bed pool tables click here | For MDF bed pool tables click here
If you have decided to go for a slate bed pool table then you may also have the option to go for a single piece slate bed or one that comes in two or three pieces. Basically the advantage of having the slate in more than one piece is that it is a lot easier to transport into position or to move in the future if required. A full size single piece slate bed is very heavy and also needs to be handled with care. Generally speaking the single piece of slate is also more expensive than the split piece slates. Once in place however the single piece slate is considered to give the better quality playing surface. It is easier to install perfectly level and unlike the split slat beds there is no chance of it moving out of place. Plus you get a continuous perfectly flat surface. That said as long as the 2 or 3 piece slate bed is professionally installed you are very unlikely to notice much difference.
You will notice that some pool tables are described as English Pool tables while other are described as American Pool tables. So what is the difference? Pool originated in America where it was played in pool halls and in homes where generally speaking there was plenty of room for big, chunky, impressive pool tables (up to 9ft in length). When the game transferred across the Atlantic the English were already playing snooker, but only in very large dedicated snooker rooms. The game of Pool though was better suited to Britain's pubs and this is where pool stated for us. Britain's pubs were generally busy, full of people moving around and full of people playing other pub games - board games, table games, darts etc. The pool tables needed to be made smaller in order to fit so the 9ft was reduced to 7ft or even 6ft in some cases. The balls used were also slightly smaller (to stop the table being too crowded) at 2" rather than the American standard of 2.25" and the most popular game ball colour was red and yellow - in keeping with what was usually seen on English snooker tables. There are now so many varieties and designs of pool table that the two styles get merged and mixed but here are some general characteristics that each has.
Both table styles and resulting game formats are now accepted games in their own right there are now many English Pool tournaments played across the UK.
Most of our pool tables are available in both freeplay and coin operated versions. Below is a description of what each is and the types of situations they would be used. Freeplay Pool Table - Click here to view our Freeplay Pool table range Uses: Freeplay pool tables are used either in the home, in members bars where customers can play for free or in any venue where the owner wants to allow the free use of their pool table. For example most pool halls that charge by the hour have freeplay pool tables rather than coin operated. Coin Operated Pool table - Click here to view our Coin Operated Pool table Range Uses: Coin Operated Pool tables are great for any venue where the owner wants to make money from their customers making use of the table. Most commonly seen in pubs they are usually charged out at a fixed cost per game.
We have a full page of info dedicated to your options. Please click here to read about the different types of coin operation mechanism available.
Freeplay pool tables are either fitted with drop pockets or a ball return system. Info on each is below. It is really personal preference as to which is preferred but usually the ball return feature adds an extra cost to the pool table (you do not have to walk round and collect the balls at the end of the game as they are already grouped at one end of the table).
Thank you for reading our pool table advice buying guide. We hope that it will help you to make an informed decision about which pool table or snooker table is right for you. If you require any further assistance please give us a call or send us an email - we are always happy to help. |
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