Have an extra room in your house? Looking to dress up your basement area? Decided you want your own personal pool hall? Has an exciting game played out on a Saturday night got you wanting your own table? Want to sharpen your game? Maybe you are just looking to have fun with family and entertain friends from the comfort of home. Or perhaps the answer is really all of the above.
Buying a billiard table is a long-lasting investment. Taking your time, doing the research, and not making an impulse buy are all wise avenues to travel. Your billiard table will become a focal point, so choose one that will leave you ready to rack and play. You may find yourself feeling inundated with all the many choices involving style, construction, cues, and accessories. Use this guide to help you take aim, and you’ll be “running the table” like a pro in no time.
Which Style is Right for You?
From hair, clothing, and accessories to home layout, furniture, and décor; we all have our own unique sense of style. Your future billiard table will be the centerpiece wherever it is placed, so having an eye for detail is crucial. Choosing the right style of billiard table for your space will be dependent on what the existing area looks like. What style of furnishings and décor will be surrounding your table? Are you a lover of antiques and vintage pieces or are you all about being surrounded by a sense of modern flare? Whatever your style, you can be sure there is a table body style to compliment it.
Besides the body style, you can further accentuate your table in the choice of the billiard table felt. The billiard or pool felt is the material that is used to cover the top of your billiard table. There are woolen, worsted, and woven materials in solids, or you can be more unique in your choice and decide on an interesting patterned felt. Whatever body style and felt choice you make, you are sure to have a billiard table that is as unique as you are.
Selecting the Slate
Your pool playing prowess is going to be showcased on the foundation of your table. In pool, the foundation has little to do with the support of the table, and everything to do with the tabletop. The slate is what constructs the playing surface of your billiard table. There are a variety of materials and price points when looking at a billiard table slate. The type of material you choose for your table slate will affect the quality of play.
If you’re looking for something relatively inexpensive, you may want to look at synthetic choices. But if nothing will do but the highest industry standard, then you are going to want to look at all-natural slate. Slate from Italy and Brazil both have excellent reputations. Keep in mind that synthetic slate is cheaper and significantly lighter than natural slate, which can weigh upwards of 600 pounds.
Looking at Location
Once you’ve determined style and have decided on the slate type, you want to turn a critical eye to the perfect location for your table. Many novice shoppers have run out and selected a table without taking the vitally important and necessary measurements to ensure that their dream billiard table will actually fit in the chosen location. There is more involved than just the measurement of the table.
Your area may hold the table just fine, but have you taken into account the space needed for the players? Consider how much room is needed for holding a cue and being able to take those impressive shots you want to show off. You definitely want to measure your billiard table size options. You have the options of professional or bar-sized tables. The size you choose will also affect play, since you will need a proper amount of clearance around the table to make your shots perfect.
Accessorizing your Billiard Table
Accessorizing your billiard table can be as fun as the process of choosing one. You can choose to incorporate all sorts of bells and whistles and of course, there are all the basic pool supplies you want to keep on hand such as pool chalk. Do you want to choose a table that has its own storage, or do you prefer to have a cabinet to store your cues? There are a variety of colors and styles for your cue ball, as well as ball sets. What do you want your pool table pockets to look like? Do you want a table that has lights incorporated into it? Racks, table covers, scoring boards, ball cleaners… you could go on and on with the variety of items that you can use to accessorize your billiard table.
Games, Games, and More Games
Not only is a billiard table a great way to entertain your friends, but it is also a fantastic family investment. What better way to spend time with family than teaching your children to play pool. Starting the process can begin even if you have a precocious preschooler. As they mature, their ability to play also increases. Pool is a perfect intergenerational game. Whatever the age, everyone can have a great time playing pool.
Having a billiard table also offers versatility in game play. There are numerous games you can play using your pool table. There’s Eight Ball, Nine Ball, One Pocket, and Bank Pool just to name a few. You can be sure that everyone in the family will discover a favorite game they always want to play. Because there is so much variety with a billiard table, you won’t have to worry about it becoming boring or stale. You can always find a new game to play or even come up with one of your own. And when you aren’t playing a game, you can certainly entertain yourself just practicing the different shots that make the time fun and exciting.
Here at The Pool People, we have a variety of gorgeous billiard tables to fit any style. We invite you to come to one of our four convenient locations and play a game on one of the many tables you can choose from. Our experts will be happy to help you determine which table will be right for you and show you the many cues and other supplies that we carry. So “don’t get behind the eight ball.” Come see us today!
