Is this table ok?

[JKCZ]

Hello everyone,

I have a pool table (used for 8 ball), but I never really used it because I didn't play. However, I recently started getting into it, as I started playing with some friends, so I uncovered the table to start practicing at home as well. The thing is, I seem to have a much harder time pocketing the balls on the corner pockets of this table (the side pockets seem about the same), than on the tables we usually play on.

I thought this was strange, so I looked closer to the pockets, and the sizes on the corner pockets and the side pockets are really different. On the side pockets, you can easily fit two balls at the same time, but on the corner pockets, one ball almost fills the whole entrance space. Besides this, the entrance to the pockets seems really unforgiving, as I either shoot them perfectly or they just bounce out, and some angles are really hard, even if I'm pushing the ball with my hand or whatever. I took two pictures so it's easier to understand (I tried to post them directly, but I need 5 posts to do so apparently, so I attached them instead).

Is this normal? If it is, I'm sorry for the stupid question, but I don't really know much about this. All I know is I'd rather shoot the side pockets than the corner pockets on this table (contrary to every other table I played in).

 

[Chopdoc]

Um....yeah....that ain't right.....

There are several issues going on there.

But I'll let the table guys be more specific.




.

 

[xplor]

Rounded corners would indicate it is not a 8 ball table.

 

[mr8ball]

Looks like someone tried to make it a snooker table or maybe it is one. Hard to tell from the pic. Never heard of a 4 x 8 snooker though

 

[Baxter]

Is that an English 8 Ball table?

 

[rrich1]

Looks like someone tried to make it a snooker table or maybe it is one. Hard to tell from the pic. Never heard of a 4 x 8 snooker though

looking at the rails makes it look like it was meant to be like that size of pocket.

 

[pt109]

It's a snooker table.
Buy a set of snooker-size pool balls....2 1/16 diameter.

And lose the cue-ball....it's not good for ANY game.....
.....it makes a measle ball look healthy....:frown:

 

[MahnaMahna]

You have a snooker table there. Google image search snooker tables and you will see that the mouth of the pockets have those rounded entrances (called bends), which play much harder.

I would say that you have a great table to practice long straight in shots into those corners. Once you are drilling shots into those with regular pool balls, most other tables will seem easy!

 

[Johnnyt]

I thought it was an English 8-ball table also. Johnnyt

 

[PETROBOY]

That doesnt look like any snooker table I have ever seen there is no way to make a ball up the rail. How are the pockets on those Russian Pryramid tables cut?

 

[Cornerman]

Hello everyone,

I have a pool table (used for 8 ball), but I never really used it because I didn't play. However, I recently started getting into it, as I started playing with some friends, so I uncovered the table to start practicing at home as well. The thing is, I seem to have a much harder time pocketing the balls on the corner pockets of this table (the side pockets seem about the same), than on the tables we usually play on.

I thought this was strange, so I looked closer to the pockets, and the sizes on the corner pockets and the side pockets are really different. On the side pockets, you can easily fit two balls at the same time, but on the corner pwockets, one ball almost fills the whole entrance space. Besides this, the entrance to the pockets seems really unforgiving, as I either shoot them perfectly or they just bounce out, and some angles are really hard, even if I'm pushing the ball with my hand or whatever. I took two pictures so it's easier to understand (I tried to post them directly, but I need 5 posts to do so apparently, so I attached them instead).

Is this normal? If it is, I'm sorry for the stupid question, but I don't really know much about this. All I know is I'd rather shoot the side pockets than the corner pockets on this table (contrary to every other table I played in).

Snooker table. Maybe American snooker which is different than UK tables.
Is the nose flat or pointed?

 

[3andstop]

Looks like some kind of snooker table.

Hey! Maybe it's one of those tables they have set up at the carnivals where if you run 4 balls you win a stuffed animal.

 

[JKCZ]

Wow, thanks for the replies everyone. It seems like it is indeed a snooker table. I just measured it (roughly) and the table size is 2.70m (9'), while the diameter of the balls is approximately 5.6cm.

It's a snooker table.
Buy a set of snooker-size pool balls....2 1/16 diameter.

And lose the cue-ball....it's not good for ANY game.....
.....it makes a measle ball look healthy....:frown:

So the problem is actually the ball size and not the table? If that's the case, that's much better, but really strange as the guy who sold this to me is the one who gave me the balls. By the way, when you say the cue-ball isn't good for any game, you're talking about the millions of blue dots from the lack of cleaning, right?

That doesnt look like any snooker table I have ever seen there is no way to make a ball up the rail. How are the pockets on those Russian Pryramid tables cut?

That's one of the things I always found strange about it. Those shots are pretty much impossible on this table, even if I just use the cue ball or push it with my hand (it just bounces off). I assume they're supposed to work with smaller balls then?

Snooker table. Maybe American snooker which is different than UK tables.
Is the nose flat or pointed?

I'm sorry but I don't know what the nose is (I looked it up but couldn't find a clear explanation). Is it the top part of the rails? If you're talking about the rails, they're like "/", or "\", depending on the side, if that's what you're asking?

Looks like some kind of snooker table.

Hey! Maybe it's one of those tables they have set up at the carnivals where if you run 4 balls you win a stuffed animal.

Maybe I could host something like that!

 

[Cornerman]

Okay thanks. It looks to be an American Snooker table. A UK table would have an obvious flat face for the nose profile.

Where are you from?

Keep playing on it!!!!

American Pool Tables do not have curved pocket facings.


Freddie

 

[JKCZ]

Okay thanks. It looks to be an American Snooker table. A UK table would have an obvious flat face for the nose profile.

Where are you from?

I'm nowhere near America, but I'm pretty sure the table was imported from there, so that's probably why. It was sold as an eight ball table though, that much I know.

I just went looking for snooker balls (I'll keep these to practice harder stuff and snooker balls for playing for now), and I'm confused with the sizes. The pocket entrance size is about 2 1/2". The sizes I found were 1 7/8", 2", 2 1/8" and 2 1/4". Which size am I supposed to get?

 

[Johnnyt]

I'm nowhere near America, but I'm pretty sure the table was imported from there, so that's probably why. It was sold as an eight ball table though, that much I know.

I just went looking for snooker balls (I'll keep these to practice harder stuff and snooker balls for playing for now), and I'm confused with the sizes. The pocket entrance size is about 2 1/2". The sizes I found were 1 7/8", 2", 2 1/8" and 2 1/4". Which size am I supposed to get?

2 1/2" are real tight even for a snooker table. Johnnyt

 

[pt109]

I'm nowhere near America, but I'm pretty sure the table was imported from there, so that's probably why. It was sold as an eight ball table though, that much I know.

I just went looking for snooker balls (I'll keep these to practice harder stuff and snooker balls for playing for now), and I'm confused with the sizes. The pocket entrance size is about 2 1/2". The sizes I found were 1 7/8", 2", 2 1/8" and 2 1/4". Which size am I supposed to get?

2 1/8" is American snooker size....2 1/16" is world regulation.

When the table needs new cloth, I would suggest making the pockets
a little bigger....world standard for corner pockets is 3 1/2" at the fall..
...that is the edge of the slate where the ball drops.

 

[Scaramouche]

. Never heard of a 4 x 8 snooker though

Americans seem to have this notion that ALL snooker tables are 6 X 12.

Just like pool tables they are available in many sizes.
And the smallest set of balls I've seen from suppliers were 1 3/8".

 

[Cornerman]

Americans seem to have this notion that ALL snooker tables are 6 X 12.

Can we at least qualify this by saying pool players who know nothing about snooker have this notion?

American snooker tables come in all sorts of sizes with 5x10 being the biggest.

Those areas that still play American snooker often have never seen a 6x12.

Freddie <~~~ but ignorance of the game prevails

 

[JKCZ]

Well, this is funny. I was looking around for similar tables and found a video on youtube called "DPM -- The Impossible Snooker Table", that's pretty much like my table, although the corners are actually a bit wider (either that or the balls they are using are smaller). I can't link it (5 posts rule) but if you search that title on youtube you can see what happens on rail shots (around 0:40 in the video).

The good news is that after spending 8 hours shooting balls into the corners from various angles yesterday (I was frustrated with all the misses), I went to play with my friends today (on a regular table) and destroyed them (we're all bad players though). I won every game because the pockets looked huge so I could pocket all normal shots (i.e. not blocked or bank shots or anything complicated). This is probably just because since I'm still a beginner, the tight pockets forced me to start shooting straight instead of moving the cue around like I used to do due to lack of control.

The bad news is, my cue ball positioning is non-existent, as I can't practice that at all on this table (it's too much for me). Maybe with (lots of) time it'll get better, but for now I just feel like I either shoot it dead perfect and pocket the ball, or I try to position the cue ball as well and the object ball just bounces out of the corner, making me very angry. Think I'll just continue using these balls for practicing pocketing like I've been doing, gradually increasing the distance, and use smaller balls for normal playing and cue ball control practice. I just hope smaller balls do make a difference (they still seem very big compared to the pocket size).