Pool table recommendation?

atlas333

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I have an 8" GC III that I love since it fits my room and plays perfect! I have the pockets tightened to 4.5" by Trent from Toledo so I do think you should call him. I have his number if you can't find it.
 

Bob Jewett

AZB Osmium Member
Staff member
Gold Member
Silver Member
... When I put it up for sale, I had to drop it to free to get someone to take it.
I think the market may be different now because of Covid. Lots of people bought tables and that turned into very long lead times on new tables.

When I moved in 2006 I tried to sell my 9' Gold Crown 2. Two local table stores wouldn't even take it away for free, so the new owner got a free table (with very used cloth).
 

maha

from way back when
Silver Member
9 foot is harder to sell as too big for bad players and kids, and most houses it cant fit in.
and most people with big houses are rich and not dedicated pool players, and usually want a table that fits in with their living rooms.

if you want a furniture looking one you can get an olhausen. they are very decent and not a gc or diamond but new ones are half or less the price and older ones on craigslist can be almost free.
 

lakeman77

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
If at all possible, get the same brand and size table you will play on in tournaments or local rooms.
 

McRitchie

Active member
I have an 8" GC III that I love since it fits my room and plays perfect! I have the pockets tightened to 4.5" by Trent from Toledo so I do think you should call him. I have his number if you can't find it.

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phreaticus

Well-known member
Everyone will always tell you to just get a Diamond or Gold Crown, especially if you have $10k ish budget. I have a new GC6 TE in my own home. Obviously used versions of those in good condition is ideal, but can be hard to find especially post Covid. And wait times for new ones these days are said to be > 1 year., But there are plenty of other great solid tables that will look just fine in a family rec room and play plenty fine, even if/as you progress into higher level play. The following are some decent choices, if you can find them in your area - all are essentially copies or similar in style/play to a Gold Crown and their quality is not too far off, despite what many folks will tell you.
  • Olhausen Champion
  • Gandy Big G
  • AMF Grand Prix
  • Hans Delta President V (note these are exact copies of Gold Crown 5 and construction/play is almost identical, new they are about 2/3 the cost of a new GC, ie $6k vs $9k).
I also think you could consider a Valley 7 or 8 ft bar table. Much cheaper coin ops that you see in most older bars, but quite good quality and can be made to play very nice for home environment at a low cost by any competent table tech. And great fun to play on. Most of what you will find used, will be fairly beat up 7' bar boxes for $500-1500, but keep an eye out for one in good shape, and occasionally you'll come across an 8 footer.

I personally (and I think most serious pool players) hate furniture style tables that are very common in home env, and usually pretty easy to find cheap on secondary used market. Aside from crappy looks/quality relative to commercial grade tables, their narrow rails & pocket/corner surfaces (designed to save room space) - make them harder & more uncomfortable to play. But, there are decent ones with solid frames and slates that could work fine. I don't know models etc, as I said I hate the look/play of them, and would never have one in my house.

As for Brunswick Anniversary - most seasoned pool players consider these & their fancier cousin the Centennial - to be the creme de la creme and nice restored ones from the 40-50's can easily go for $10-15k range, and can look & play amazing. There is a Brunswick FB group that you can join to see examples and get a bit educated. If you can share some info/pics with us here on the one you're considering, we can help you assess if it's worth the $10k or not.

As for making it fun/addictive for yourself and anyone else - make sure to get pockets no smaller than 4-9/16" mouth size and in general the smaller size table you go, 7, 8 vs 9 will be easier/funner for everyone. But a 9 ft with generous pockets will be good fun also. A very nice quality 8 ft table with generous pocket sizes sounds perfect for your situation.

Hope this helps, good luck.
 
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Nyquil

Well-known member
I would just buy a diamond buy once cry once (if you already dealt with glen he could source one for you most likely) or take a gamble on a Rasson they look pretty awesome. Nothing wrong with a sorted GC either but they are getting up there in price vs just buying a brand new table. If your not gonna play much just be diligent on craigslist etc you can get some banging deals on a lower tier table.
 

Jdel

New member
Thanks to everyone for all the help and the DMs. Here's what I finally ended up with.... It turns out the guy on FB had two diamonds. He also has 2 GC3s for $1200 each; not 100% sure they're still there, but I'm happy to reach out if anyone is interested.
Image from iOS (1).jpg
 

soyale

Well-known member
Thanks to everyone for all the help and the DMs. Here's what I finally ended up with.... It turns out the guy on FB had two diamonds. He also has 2 GC3s for $1200 each; not 100% sure they're still there, but I'm happy to reach out if anyone is interested. View attachment 685897
congratulations!! How they rollin for ya?
 

Jdel

New member
congratulations!! How they rollin for ya?
Well... I haven't played a single game in about 10 years and the last was on an 8' so it's a bit rough. 🤣 The kids are loving it too.

Now I'm not sure if I need to move it a foot to the left so the light is right in between the can lights or go outside the box and let the light be off center. I had it set up perfectly for playing and not thinking about the light placement.
 

soyale

Well-known member
Well... I haven't played a single game in about 10 years and the last was on an 8' so it's a bit rough. 🤣 The kids are loving it too.

Now I'm not sure if I need to move it a foot to the left so the light is right in between the can lights or go outside the box and let the light be off center. I had it set up perfectly for playing and not thinking about the light placement.

it will come back to you. i took a similar break from pool, about 12 years, and now that i’ve been playing consistently again for about a year i’m starting to feel almost back up to speed. just have fun and pay attention to your mistakes and you will progress.
 

SBC

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Sorry for the long post but I'm hoping to answer most questions up front.

We've just reclaimed our basement from the kids, and I'm looking for a table. I know there are a bunch of threads like this, but I've been through many of them and I haven't found what I'm looking for. Hopefully, the detail will help me figure out what to buy.

Room size - 20' x 30' with a 9" wall edge at 17.6'
Room floor - hardwood on concrete
Budget - very flexible but the ($10k refurbished anniversary in town seems a bit high to me)
Goal - a good, higher-end table that I will be happy with for years to come (selling pool tables seems to be a PITA)
Skill level - I've played pool before but not for about 10 years
Chances I'll play tournaments - ~5% (I've done a lot of random tournaments in different things, so who knows).

The last time I owned a table was about 12 years ago, but that house had a structural subfloor in the basement, and it was nearly impossible for me to keep it perfectly level, which made it no fun for me to practice. Now that it's hardwood on concrete, I expect it to be much easier to get the setup correctly.

I was initially thinking about a 9' GC or Diamond since there's that tiny chance I might want to play in a tournament, but I can't find anything on the used market (I've been looking off and on for the last 2 years). The only thing that looks good is that anniversary, but $10K is a lot of $$$$. I want to place the table so that it takes up less space so that there is room to add other games like air hockey, foosball, etc. Based on what I've read here, I think an 8' table would be perfect and more fun for everyone else who might plan, and 17.6' seems good for an 8'. If I found a great deal on a 9' I could just swap how it's placed so that is till an option.

Now to my main question. What tables other than GC, Anniversary, and Diamond do people recommend? I'm hoping for some specific tables since I don't think saying Brunswick is the same as GC or Aniversary. If you have a table and love it (8' or 9') I'm curious what it is.

Also, does anyone know a good mover/installer in Colorado? I exchanged emails with Glen (RKC) when I had a Diamond lined up during Covid, but someone else got it and well.... it was covid so I'm just getting back to this. ;-)

If you have a table you think I'd like, please PM me with the details.
Where do you live?
If you are in the Northeast, I can get you a Diamond at a reasonable price.
 

Poolplaya9

Tellin' it like it is...
Silver Member
Yeah.... can I have directions to this alternate universe?
In post #29 he said he will see if the guy still has any left (he had a couple of each) if anybody is interested. OP is in Colorado so presumably they are in that general area.
 

Jdel

New member
The two GC3s (what Dave I thought they were based on the pic, do your own due diligence if you want one), are still available for $1200 each. The owner is not an expert in table manufacturers. Waiting on easier contact info, outside of FB.

I'd like to add that I get nothing from this, just trying to help someone hopefully find a great deal from someone else who treated me 100% fairly.
 

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tableroll

Rolling Thunder
Silver Member
Sorry for the long post but I'm hoping to answer most questions up front.

We've just reclaimed our basement from the kids, and I'm looking for a table. I know there are a bunch of threads like this, but I've been through many of them and I haven't found what I'm looking for. Hopefully, the detail will help me figure out what to buy.

Room size - 20' x 30' with a 9" wall edge at 17.6'
Room floor - hardwood on concrete
Budget - very flexible but the ($10k refurbished anniversary in town seems a bit high to me)
Goal - a good, higher-end table that I will be happy with for years to come (selling pool tables seems to be a PITA)
Skill level - I've played pool before but not for about 10 years
Chances I'll play tournaments - ~5% (I've done a lot of random tournaments in different things, so who knows).

The last time I owned a table was about 12 years ago, but that house had a structural subfloor in the basement, and it was nearly impossible for me to keep it perfectly level, which made it no fun for me to practice. Now that it's hardwood on concrete, I expect it to be much easier to get the setup correctly.

I was initially thinking about a 9' GC or Diamond since there's that tiny chance I might want to play in a tournament, but I can't find anything on the used market (I've been looking off and on for the last 2 years). The only thing that looks good is that anniversary, but $10K is a lot of $$$$. I want to place the table so that it takes up less space so that there is room to add other games like air hockey, foosball, etc. Based on what I've read here, I think an 8' table would be perfect and more fun for everyone else who might plan, and 17.6' seems good for an 8'. If I found a great deal on a 9' I could just swap how it's placed so that is till an option.

Now to my main question. What tables other than GC, Anniversary, and Diamond do people recommend? I'm hoping for some specific tables since I don't think saying Brunswick is the same as GC or Aniversary. If you have a table and love it (8' or 9') I'm curious what it is.

Also, does anyone know a good mover/installer in Colorado? I exchanged emails with Glen (RKC) when I had a Diamond lined up during Covid, but someone else got it and well.... it was covid so I'm just getting back to this. ;-)

If you have a table you think I'd like, please PM me with the details.
Go to craigslist or offer up. Many tables go unused and people move but do not want to move the table. Also many divorces cause them to sell at a steal price. Another good home table is oldhausen. Do not pay more that $1,500 for a good used table. What matters is the straightness and smoothness of one's stroke, not that the table is expensive.
 
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