Do I really NEED a $10k table?

[Fore Rail]

We have moved and the distance made transport of my 24 year old cheap furniture table more than it was worth so I am in the market for an 8ft table for my new space. Of course I would LOVE to get a top tier brand, but it's double or more the cost of the lower end "Billiard Store" tables. I am not and will never be a pro level player. Fargo just over 400. Love the game and league play, but want a good value for a home table that mostly only I ever touch.

Thoughts? Thanks for the honest recommendations.

Let's start with league - what tables are those? What tables are sold at your new location? Does it have to be a 8 ft table?

 

[GoldCrown]

Far and away the most common size for home tables when I was growing up - you don't have to have a 9 foot table to be "serious" about the game - they're popular because of fit and price and people with home tables weren't going to pool halls, if they even still had one, they were playing . . . . at home.

My Anniversary is the 8 foot "pro" or oversized - love it, but I wouldn't hesitate to get an 8 foot table if it was needed for fit. Even when I played on bar tables, if I had a choice I wasn't playing on 7 foot tables otherwise - but sure, if someone plays a lot of league pool on a 7 footer and that's about it, no doubt that is a great option.

Any size table is fun. A 3x6 bar table is a blast… I have a love for bumper pool.

 

[Moe Szyslak]

Hell, there are people here that think you should go with a $7k custom cue from Szamboti, never mind the goddamn table...

 

[oldroller]

Far and away the most common size for home tables when I was growing up - you don't have to have a 9 foot table to be "serious" about the game - they're popular because of fit and price and people with home tables weren't going to pool halls, if they even still had one, they were playing . . . . at home.

My Anniversary is the 8 foot "pro" or oversized - love it, but I wouldn't hesitate to get an 8 foot table if it was needed for fit. Even when I played on bar tables, if I had a choice I wasn't playing on 7 foot tables otherwise - but sure, if someone plays a lot of league pool on a 7 footer and that's about it, no doubt that is a great option.

I've owned two pro 8 or Over sized 8 Gold Crown Brunswick tables nothing wrong with them and the average players don't know the difference

 

[skogstokig]

I have no experience with Brunswick Black Wolf tables - are they a GC? No. Are they the same quality materials throughout the frame and so forth? No. Would you likely get years of good play on it for as long as you live? I'd bet you would - I'd guess people enjoy them.

i've heard they're not very good. used GC would a smarter buy. for brand new table, rasson accurra (not sure about the name) is probably better at that price point. it seems to hold up in commercial rooms and is used at pro tournaments in vietnam, philippines etc

 

[Renegade4006]

Love the game and league play, but want a good value for a home table that mostly only I ever touch.

Think of these 2 things: Table consistency and familiarity

Do you like the tables that you play on in your league?? What are they? Do you consistently play on one size and one brand of table in your league??

If you play league on 7 ft. Diamonds Blue Labels and you like a 7 ft. Diamond Blue Label, then I would suggest you look for a 7 ft. Diamond Blue Label.

The leagues in my area (APA and NAPA) are "traveling" leagues so we do not play at the same location every week. Each location we play at has different sized tables, one with 7 ft. Diamonds, another with "oversized" 8 ft. Steepletons, another with Valley bar boxes and another with 9 footers (I need to check the brand but I think Brunswicks). Keeps you on your toes but makes consistency a bear.

 

[TrxR]

I don't know why anyone would bother with an 8 foot table. If you almost always play on barbox diamonds, get a 7 foot diamond. If you have room and like the challenge or want to be serious about the game get a 9 foot. If a 9 foot won't fit, get a 7 foot. You're almost never going to see an 8 foot outside of your home.

Brunswick used to have mid size gold crowns. They were half way between an 8 foot and a 9 foot.

In my part of Canada 7ft tables are non existent. it's all 9ft or 8ft valleys.

So it depends on where you are at.