Pool Table Basics

October 20th, 2009 by Matthew Kerridge

While the most common pool table in use today is the regulation six pocket table, there are actually a number of different types of pool tables that have been designed for different cue games. Other designs of pool tables include the twelve-foot table used for snooker or English billiards and the ten foot tables used during the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. During the 1970’s and 1980’s, there was also a popular game of pool that was played on an octagon shaped table with a set of bumpers in the middle.

The game of billiards dates back to the late sixteenth century when fans of outdoor sports such as croquet devised similar, smaller games to play indoors. These early versions of billiards were based upon pushing balls about a table with the ends of sticks. Later, players began to perfect their own pool cues in order to start shooting the balls about the billiard table. Various hazards such as holes and bumpers were added to the table in an effort to make the game more challenging, and the pockets of the modern pool table became incorporated into the most popular cue games.

There are few features of a pool table that are as important as the smooth felt surface that ensures unobstructed play. The all important fabric that covers the surface of the table is made of baize, a textile that is produced from woven wool. Pool tables that are designed for carom billiard games often have a special component that keeps the surface of the table slightly heated so that it remains completely dry during play.

By employing a few simple maintenance tips, a good pool table can easily last for generations to come. Many owners fail to realize the dangers of humidity to the life span of the table, and changes in room temperature will warp the frame over time.

While the most popular form of pool is the game of eight-ball, there are many other fun billiard games that you can play with a regulation pool table. Snooker is fairly popular in parts of Europe, while other common games include nine-ball, one-pocket and bank pool.

The traditional six pocket pool table must meet certain criteria in order to be up to regulation for professional play. A regulation eight-ball table is nine feet long and four and a half feet wide. Pool tables can either be constructed with the cost effective single slab of slate or the three slab design that keeps the humidity on the surface of the table to a minimum.

One of my fondest childhood memories was the time that my father and I found a used pool table at the local garbage dump and brought it back home to fix it up. Needless to say, Mom was less than thrilled to see what we were hauling out of the back of the pickup truck, but restoring that pool table to perfect condition made for a great father and son project over the next couple of months. The two main steps of this process were replacing the felt surface of the table and restoring the frame so that the pool table was perfectly level. Both of these are projects that just about any craftsman should be able to complete with a little bit of research.

Matthew Kerridge is an avid pool fan and loves playing the sport. If you would like more information about any type of pool table or are searching for a trusted pool table company please visit http://www.topofthecue.com

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