Snooker Pocket Size...

Samiel

Sea Player
Silver Member
I've always heard that American Snooker tables (small 10' tables) have tighter pockets than Pro Snooker tables in England. Is this true?

Also, there is a great disparity in pool table pocket sizes here in the US... is that true of Snooker tables in the UK?

The more I know... :p
 

Bob Jewett

AZB Osmium Member
Staff member
Gold Member
Silver Member
Samiel said:
I've always heard that American Snooker tables (small 10' tables) have tighter pockets than Pro Snooker tables in England. Is this true?

Also, there is a great disparity in pool table pocket sizes here in the US... is that true of Snooker tables in the UK?

The more I know... :p
The rules of snooker require the pockets to conform to templates distributed by the governing body (currently IBSF?). Some records have not counted because the table was not certified. That's for international play. American tables are set up however the room owner pleases. Some American tables are set up so that the black cannot be potted off its spot to the near pockets. That would be done for golf players rather than snooker players.
 

Samiel

Sea Player
Silver Member
Thanks Bob! Unfortunately for me, there is a definite lack of Snooker tables around me here in Texas. I've seen a few 10' tables recently and some were super tight and others were pretty loose. I used to play Golf on a 6' x 12' that I'd probably rate somewhere in-between, so maybe that one was closer to the International standard. That room closed though... really before I started getting serious about learning billiards.

From the Pro Snooker tournament videos on YouTube, it seems like the pockets may not be super-tight like some of the Golf tables over here. Obviously though, they're being played on by great Pros, so I might not have a good idea of how tight they really are.

Are there any Snooker rooms in the US that have International Standard tables that I might be able to check out some day? I don't know of any offhand.
 

Bob Jewett

AZB Osmium Member
Staff member
Gold Member
Silver Member
Samiel said:
...
Are there any Snooker rooms in the US that have International Standard tables that I might be able to check out some day? I don't know of any offhand.
There are several rooms in California that have more or less standard tables, although I believe the USSA has never been able to get templates to check them in spite of repeated requests. The USSA at http://www.snookerusa.com/ should have a list of rooms in the US with tables.
 

wolfgun

Wolfgun
Silver Member
And just to make matters more confusing, some rooms have 2 1/16" balls and some have 2 1/8" balls. When you combine this with the different pocket sizes, the conditions can be all over the map. Usually, if a table is primarily used for golf, the pockets/balls ratio makes for a tight fit. If a table is used mostly for snooker, the combination leads to looser fits and longer runs. When was the last time you watched a guy run 2 and out in a 5 handed golf game? Pretty rare. Wolf

above is in reference to 6' x 12' tables
 

Fatboy

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
from my experience here in America, I have seen all different pocket sizes on 10' & 12' tables, some are set up for golf and are tight, I believe there is probably more standardization(is that a word?) in the UK reguarding pocket size. My best break was 53 or 56(been along time ago) on a American table with what I would say medium size pockets, i have seen bigger and smaller, its a shame snooker isnt more popular/organized in America.
 

Alan Morris

U.S. Snooker Association
Silver Member
Samiel said:
Thanks Bob! Unfortunately for me, there is a definite lack of Snooker tables around me here in Texas. I've seen a few 10' tables recently and some were super tight and others were pretty loose. I used to play Golf on a 6' x 12' that I'd probably rate somewhere in-between, so maybe that one was closer to the International standard. That room closed though... really before I started getting serious about learning billiards.

From the Pro Snooker tournament videos on YouTube, it seems like the pockets may not be super-tight like some of the Golf tables over here. Obviously though, they're being played on by great Pros, so I might not have a good idea of how tight they really are.

Are there any Snooker rooms in the US that have International Standard tables that I might be able to check out some day? I don't know of any offhand.
As Bob Jewett suggested, the Embassy Billiards Club in San Gabriel has three Riley Aristocrat Tournament tables with match standard pockets.

The president of the United States Snooker Association has just acquired a set of snooker pocket templates from the International Billiards & Snooker Federation (IBSF) that we intend to loan out to billiard rooms, although our association is not insisting that pockets for snooker tournaments in the United States comply with these templates at this point in time. Just as long as they conform to a recognized snooker pocket design.

Best wishes.

Alan.
 
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