Snooker on a 9' Gold Crown

jviss

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Greetings, Snooker Fans!

I've only ever played snooker on a 12' Gold Crown (in Ayer, MA). I now have a 9' Gold Crown pool table at home, and I was wondering if snooker would be practical and fun on it.

I would like your advice on this. I was thinking I'd get a set of Aramith Premier 2 1/4" snooker balls, and then mark my gray Simonis 860 with a white Sharpie for the snooker markings.

But there's this: will this be a reasonable facsimile of snooker? I know the pockets will be easier than a real snooker table setup. Will it be too crowded with balls? Would I have to drop to ten reds instead of fifteen?

Any input is very welcome.

Thanks!

jv
 

Bob Jewett

AZB Osmium Member
Staff member
Gold Member
Silver Member
... and then mark my gray Simonis 860 with a white Sharpie for the snooker markings.
...

As for whether you will find it fun, I can't say, but I would recommend this for marking the cloth:

CropperCapture[321].png

That's "Dritz", find it at a "Jo Ann's" fabric/crafts store.

It is possible to get a "Casino" set of 2 1/4" balls which comes with seven unmarked reds. (You will also get seven unmarked yellows, an essentially infinite supply of "two balls".:D)
 

Straightpool_99

I see dead balls
Silver Member
Greetings, Snooker Fans!

I've only ever played snooker on a 12' Gold Crown (in Ayer, MA). I now have a 9' Gold Crown pool table at home, and I was wondering if snooker would be practical and fun on it.

I would like your advice on this. I was thinking I'd get a set of Aramith Premier 2 1/4" snooker balls, and then mark my gray Simonis 860 with a white Sharpie for the snooker markings.

But there's this: will this be a reasonable facsimile of snooker? I know the pockets will be easier than a real snooker table setup. Will it be too crowded with balls? Would I have to drop to ten reds instead of fifteen?

Any input is very welcome.

Thanks!

jv

It certainly will be fun. I don't think it will be "a reasonable facsimile" of snooker on a 6 by 12. What makes snooker so challenging is the large table and tight Pockets, as well as nap cloth. The rails also do not respond as well as American pool table rails, they Bounce more and give less reaction from English.

I did try to play snooker on a Chinese 8 ball table and that was pretty much the same, except that the table was 8 by 4 (the Chinese claim it's 9 feet, but these are EXTERNAL measurements). These tables have the same cushions, the same Pockets and the same cloth (the Joy tables have nap, Star tables do not).

I think you should absolutely try it out on Your GC. It's fun not only to play, but also give you possibility to practise "line up" drills and other fun snooker excercises. Maybe you could add "Practise-pro" brand Pocket reducers, that would increase the difficulty quite a bit. Anyway, you'll still have fun even without such measures. Snooker is a great game, not only because of the Equipment, but the rules as well.
 

garczar

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Greetings, Snooker Fans!

I've only ever played snooker on a 12' Gold Crown (in Ayer, MA). I now have a 9' Gold Crown pool table at home, and I was wondering if snooker would be practical and fun on it.

I would like your advice on this. I was thinking I'd get a set of Aramith Premier 2 1/4" snooker balls, and then mark my gray Simonis 860 with a white Sharpie for the snooker markings.

But there's this: will this be a reasonable facsimile of snooker? I know the pockets will be easier than a real snooker table setup. Will it be too crowded with balls? Would I have to drop to ten reds instead of fifteen?

Any input is very welcome.

Thanks!

jv
A 12ft. GC? Never heard of that before. I've seen plenty of 10ft's but not a 12. Sure that GC was12ft???
 
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jviss

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
A 12ft. GC? Never heard of that before. I've seen plenty of 10ft's but not a 12. Sure that GC was12ft???

Yes, it's a 12' Gold Crown snooker table - it's a Brunswick, and while I haven't seen a name plate that says "Gold Crown," it's virtually identical in design. It's in the Billiards Cafe in Ayer, MA. (The other tables in the pic are 9' Brunswick pool tables.)

Snooker%20with%20Tim%20small.jpeg
 

garczar

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Yes, it's a 12' Gold Crown snooker table - it's a Brunswick, and while I haven't seen a name plate that says "Gold Crown," it's virtually identical in design. It's in the Billiards Cafe in Ayer, MA. (The other tables in the pic are 9' Brunswick pool tables.)

Snooker%20with%20Tim%20small.jpeg
Did a little search and apparently these were made for the Canadian market. Pretty cool.
 

jviss

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Thanks for the replies so far, guys.

Bob, why is the Dritz superior to a Sharpie?

I've found a set of Aramith Premier 2 1/4" snooker balls, unmarked (no numbers on the colors, which I prefer), for $175. The pool balls I have are Aramith Premier, and they seem very good, and are amazingly precise, within 1 or 2 grams in weight across the set, as I recall. Nice, hard finish. The pool ball set goes for about $150.

I'm starting to research exactly how to mark the table for snooker. I want to make sure the proportions are correct.
 

garczar

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Thanks for the replies so far, guys.

Bob, why is the Dritz superior to a Sharpie?

I've found a set of Aramith Premier 2 1/4" snooker balls, unmarked (no numbers on the colors, which I prefer), for $175. The pool balls I have are Aramith Premier, and they seem very good, and are amazingly precise, within 1 or 2 grams in weight across the set, as I recall. Nice, hard finish. The pool ball set goes for about $150.

I'm starting to research exactly how to mark the table for snooker. I want to make sure the proportions are correct.
http://www.snookerbilliardspool.co.uk/TableMarking.asp
 

jviss

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Thanks very much, garczar. I've found a few references, too. There's a bit of confusion for me about all of this. Please allow me to explain.

I assume that when dual-purposing a US pool table for snooker, that one wold keep the head string and head spot, foot string and foot spot, where they are. The baulk line would then be the head string, and you''d determine some appropriately proportioned radius for the "D." The center (blue ball) is at the center, of course. I assume the reds would be racked at the same position as if one was racking 15 pool balls, and you'd determine appropriate positions for the pyramid (pink) and "the spot" (black).

Note that in the reference you provide the baulk line is at 1/5 the length of the table. In pool, the head string is at 1/4 L. So, that won't work. (It also shows the head string for pool at 1/5 L, so this must be for English pool?)

I found this reference, that has locations for various table sizes, but it doesn't make any sense to me, at all:
https://www.fgbradleys.com/docs/Spot_Chart.pdf

So, I wonder if I my assumption of using the pool head and foot spots, and head string, is valid, or need I create different ones for snooker?
 

jviss

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Looking further into this, I realize I could simply adopt the proportions of the snooker table and mark those in white, keeping the black spots I have for pool.

So, I'd make a baulk line at 1/5 L, or 20" from the head rail;
"D" of radius 1/6 W, or 8 1/3";
center spot at center;
Pyramid Spot is on the existing foot spot;
Black Spot at 1/11 L from foot rail, so 9.1".

Amazingly, I haven't found a spec on where to rack the reds!
 

jviss

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Let the experiment begin...

O.K., so I pulled the trigger, ordered the Aramith Premier 2 1/4" snooker ball set (unmarked), and the Dritz fabric marker (thanks, Bob), and when I get them, I think I'll mark the table according to the snooker proportions. Then we'll see how it plays.
 

garczar

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Thanks very much, garczar. I've found a few references, too. There's a bit of confusion for me about all of this. Please allow me to explain.

I assume that when dual-purposing a US pool table for snooker, that one wold keep the head string and head spot, foot string and foot spot, where they are. The baulk line would then be the head string, and you''d determine some appropriately proportioned radius for the "D." The center (blue ball) is at the center, of course. I assume the reds would be racked at the same position as if one was racking 15 pool balls, and you'd determine appropriate positions for the pyramid (pink) and "the spot" (black).

Note that in the reference you provide the baulk line is at 1/5 the length of the table. In pool, the head string is at 1/4 L. So, that won't work. (It also shows the head string for pool at 1/5 L, so this must be for English pool?)

I found this reference, that has locations for various table sizes, but it doesn't make any sense to me, at all:
https://www.fgbradleys.com/docs/Spot_Chart.pdf

So, I wonder if I my assumption of using the pool head and foot spots, and head string, is valid, or need I create different ones for snooker?
I wouldn't sweat these details too much. You're not trying to qualify to World's, right? I think close enuff is close enuff.
 

jviss

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I wouldn't sweat these details too much. You're not trying to qualify to World's, right? I think close enuff is close enuff.

Good point! I tend towards the obsessive-compulsive.

I do, however, think I will make a 1/5 L baulk line, with a 1/6 r "D", and then mark the "The Spot" and a small outline spot for the head read ball, all in fine, white lines.

(There's hope that the Dritz marker can be 'erased' if that ever becomes necessary.)
 

Bob Jewett

AZB Osmium Member
Staff member
Gold Member
Silver Member
... (There's hope that the Dritz marker can be 'erased' if that ever becomes necessary.)
That's why I recommended it. Tailors don't want the lines to stay on the cloth. It makes a very fine, very visible line. I use it to mark the triangle for 14.1 whenever the room will let me and a selling point there is that it will be gone in two weeks.
 

jviss

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
That's why I recommended it. Tailors don't want the lines to stay on the cloth. It makes a very fine, very visible line. I use it to mark the triangle for 14.1 whenever the room will let me and a selling point there is that it will be gone in two weeks.

So, I received my Dritz marker today; balls are due Thursday. I also got some tailor's chalk, in several colors including white. I realized I have some fabric scraps from my table that I can try these on, and see what I like.

Do you have any advice on the baulk line location?
 

Imotv8u

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I would love to have that 12 foot table in that pic! Those old tables play great I’m sure. We had two 10 footers in my local pool hall until it shut down.
 
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Bob Jewett

AZB Osmium Member
Staff member
Gold Member
Silver Member
... Do you have any advice on the baulk line location?
The baulk line is in the wrong place on a snooker table, of course. I suppose you should just scale it. You don't need to mark the whole baulk line, just the D, unless you are also going to play English billiards.
 

jviss

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
The baulk line is in the wrong place on a snooker table, of course. I suppose you should just scale it. You don't need to mark the whole baulk line, just the D, unless you are also going to play English billiards.

The source I found places the baulk line at 1/5 the playing surface from the rail, so 20" for mine, while the head spot is at 25".
 

jviss

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
First Trial

Thanks to all, for all the kind comments so far.

I received the balls today, and marked the table, first trial of a marking scheme.

I made the baulk line at 1/5 the length, and the radius of the D 1/6 the width. The Spot is 1/11 the length from the foot rail. The Pyramid Spot (pink) is at the regular pool foot spot, and the head red ball spot is 1 1/2", center to center, behind it. The blue spot is at table center, of course.

Here are some pics:

Home%20Snooker%20GC%20I%20small.jpeg


Home%20Snooker%20GC%20I%202%20small.jpeg


Home%20Snooker%20GC%20I%203%20small.jpeg


Home%20Snooker%20GC%20I%204%20small.jpeg


Feedback welcome!
 
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