Table size questions

L

livemusic

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I have seen these length pool tables (ft) mentioned here and there... 6, 6.5, 7, 8, 8.5, 9, 10. I didn't know there was such a thing as a 6 ft table but there is and now I just saw there is 6.5? What is commonly barbox size, 6.5 or 7? If it is 7, are 6.5 ft tables pretty easy to find? (My brother might get a table, has a small room.)

Just out of curiosity, if they could choose, what size table do pros enjoy playing in general? Regardless what they are best at. I saw a Corey-Shane 8-ball match on a barbox and it is certainly different! Anyone know... are pros more likely to run out on barbox or larger? They certainly didn't have any problem on the barbox! Looks like they are more likely to use ball collisions to get position since it's a more crowded playing area. Cloth seemed to be slower, too.
 
livemusic said:
I have seen these length pool tables (ft) mentioned here and there... 6, 6.5, 7, 8, 8.5, 9, 10. I didn't know there was such a thing as a 6 ft table but there is and now I just saw there is 6.5? What is commonly barbox size, 6.5 or 7? If it is 7, are 6.5 ft tables pretty easy to find? (My brother might get a table, has a small room.)

Just out of curiosity, if they could choose, what size table do pros enjoy playing in general? Regardless what they are best at. I saw a Corey-Shane 8-ball match on a barbox and it is certainly different! Anyone know... are pros more likely to run out on barbox or larger? They certainly didn't have any problem on the barbox! Looks like they are more likely to use ball collisions to get position since it's a more crowded playing area. Cloth seemed to be slower, too.
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Most popular 7’ quality barbox currently is the Diamond, which is 40”x80” playing area, although 38”x76” and 39”x78” are also considered as 7’ barbox tables.

Pros generally play competition on 9’ tables, but more and more tournaments with pros or with a combination of pros and amateurs competing together are now being played on usually Diamond Barbox tables.

10’ pool tables are extremely rare, and virtually no pool rooms have more than one or two 10’ tables. If pros are playing on a 10’ table, it’s generally a challenge match between 2 pro players as opposed to an entire tournament played on 10 foot tables, since they are so rare.

It’s more likely a skilled amateur can somewhat compete with a pro on a smaller table particularly in a shorter race, but far less likely on a 9-foot table.
 
table sizes.JPG
 
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livemusic said:
I have seen these length pool tables (ft) mentioned here and there... 6, 6.5, 7, 8, 8.5, 9, 10. I didn't know there was such a thing as a 6 ft table but there is and now I just saw there is 6.5? What is commonly barbox size, 6.5 or 7? If it is 7, are 6.5 ft tables pretty easy to find? (My brother might get a table, has a small room.)

Just out of curiosity, if they could choose, what size table do pros enjoy playing in general? Regardless what they are best at. I saw a Corey-Shane 8-ball match on a barbox and it is certainly different! Anyone know... are pros more likely to run out on barbox or larger? They certainly didn't have any problem on the barbox! Looks like they are more likely to use ball collisions to get position since it's a more crowded playing area. Cloth seemed to be slower, too.
Click to expand...

There are really only two common sizes, 7 and 9 footers. The pros play on anything, the "majors" are played on 9 footers. There are a lot of big events on 7 footers also, but the pro tours when they had them were all on 9 footers. 9 ball on a 7 footer is quite a bit easier than on a 9 foot table, 8 ball may be equal to the fact of the small area to get around balls.
 
It depends a lot where you are located. We have 9’, 10’ and 12’ ( snooker) tables in our pool halls...and the occasional 8’ table. 7’ tables are found in bars.

The technical skills are largely the same. Strategy and safety game varies according to table size but this just comes with experience.

I enjoy playing on any table. I’ve had fun in 6’ tables in the U.K.

Don’t get caught up on table brand as long as it’s slate. Decent used slate tables sell for about $300 in my city and another $500 to have moved and reclothed. Does your brother rent? Again, reason to get an inexpensive table as might not be worth taking with him if he moves.
 
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Patrick Johnson said:
View attachment 584094
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If the 12-footer is a snooker table, the official rules give a different measurement:

1. The Standard Table ​
(a) The Playing Area The playing area is within the cushion faces and shall measure 11 ft 8½ in x 5 ft 10 in (3569 mm x 1778 mm) with a tolerance on both dimensions of +/- ½ in (13 mm). ​
(b) Height The height of the table from the floor to the top of the cushion rail shall be 2 ft 10 in (864 mm) with a tolerance of +/- ½ in (13 mm).​

That would be 140 1/2 inches by 70 inches. Yes, that is turned sideways because snooker dimensions are given length first (12 x 6). And yes, that is not in a 2:1 ratio although a 2:1 ratio is within the tolerances.
 
Bob Jewett said:
If the 12-footer is a snooker table, the official rules give a different measurement
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It's supposed to be a pool table - don't remember where I got that size (years ago), and I can't find the source now. In fact, today I only found dimensions for one "12-foot pool table" and it's a slightly different size (63" x 126"). So for now I've just removed that one from the chart until I can find reliable dimensions.

Appreciate the attention to detail.

pj
chgo
 
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Patrick Johnson said:
It's supposed to be a pool table - don't remember where I got that size (years ago), and I can't find the source now. In fact, today I only found dimensions for one "12-foot pool table" and it's a slightly different size (63" x 126"). So for now I've just removed that one from the chart until I can find reliable dimensions.

Appreciate the attention to detail.

pj
chgo
Click to expand...
Pool table dimensions nominally begin with the shorter dimension:
4 1/2 foot gives
48+6 = 54 inches minus two inches on each side for the cloth-covered part of the rail gives
50 inches of width (nose-to-nose) multiplied by 2 gives
100 inches of length which gives:
The playing area (nose-to-nose measurement) of a 4 1/2 by 9 foot table is 50 inches by 100 inches.

In the same way you could run the numbers on a 6x12-foot pool table to get:

6 feet = 72 inches
72-4 is 68 inches nose-to-nose
multiplied by 2 is 136 inches

So... A standard 6x12 pool table has a playing surface of 68 by 136 inches.

I notice that such a pool table is smaller than a regulation snooker table.
 
Geosnookery said:
It depends a lot where you are located. We have 9’, 10’ and 12’ ( snooker) tables in our pool balls...and the occasional 8’ table. 7’ tables are found in bars.

The technical skills are largely the same. Strategy and safety game varies according to table size but this just comes with experience.

I enjoy playing on any table. I’ve had fun in 6’ tables in the U.K.

Don’t get caught up on table brand as long as it’s slate. Decent used slate tables sell for about $300 in my city and another $500 to have moved and reclothed. Does your brother rent? Again, reason to get an inexpensive table as might not be worth taking with him if he moves.
Click to expand...

Snooker and the english 8 ball tables are a different size than the pool tables. The "bar" english 8 ball tables are 6 footers vs 7 footers for pool tables.
 
Bob Jewett said:
Pool table dimensions nominally begin with the shorter dimension:
4 1/2 foot gives
48+6 = 54 inches minus two inches on each side for the cloth-covered part of the rail gives
50 inches of width (nose-to-nose) multiplied by 2 gives
100 inches of length which gives:
The playing area (nose-to-nose measurement) of a 4 1/2 by 9 foot table is 50 inches by 100 inches.

In the same way you could run the numbers on a 6x12-foot pool table to get:

6 feet = 72 inches
72-4 is 68 inches nose-to-nose
multiplied by 2 is 136 inches

So... A standard 6x12 pool table has a playing surface of 68 by 136 inches.

I notice that such a pool table is smaller than a regulation snooker table.
Click to expand...
So the width dimension of a nominal size table ("9-footer", "8-footer", etc.) = playing area plus rubber (2" x 2)? Cool - I never made that connection. (Doesn't work lengthwise, of course - you'd need 4-inch wide cushions that way.)

It holds true for other sizes too - playing area widths:
- 10-footer = 5 * 12 - 4 = 56
- 9-footer = 4.5 * 12 - 4 = 50
- 8-footer = 4 * 12 - 4 = 44 (small 8-footer)
- 7 footer = 3.5 * 12 - 4 = 38 (small 7-footer)

...but not for the two sizes of 6-footers in my chart (33 and 36 wide):
- 6-footer = 3 * 12 - 4 = 32

Is there a smaller (32 x 64) 6-footer that I didn't include?

And are there actual 12-foot pool tables that are 68 x 136?

And what about 11-footers (62 x 124) - do they exist?

pj
chgo
 
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Patrick Johnson said:
...And are there actual 12-foot pool tables that are 68 x 136?

And what about 11-footers (62 x 124) - do they exist?
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I have never heard of 12-foot pool tables, but I think some pool tournaments were played on 11-foot tables in the 1800s.
 
Have any of you played on a 6 ft table? What game? What was it like, fun or not? Do you use the same size pool balls, lol?
 
I Live in Scotland had while most pool halls have a 7ft table quite a few pubs have a 6ft table as well. I remember some of my cousins from Canada were over and when i took them into pub to play on 6ft table they were laughing at how easy this was going to be.

They weren't laughing 30 mins later as they missed & jawed so many pots due to the tightness of the pockets, the balls may only be 2 inches but pockets are only between 3 and 3.2 inches and trying to pot balls down the cushions/rails is way harder than shooting a rail shot on even a 9ft USA pool table.
 
Patrick Johnson said:
So the width dimension of a nominal size table ("9-footer", "8-footer", etc.) = playing area plus rubber (2" x 2)? Cool - I never made that connection. (Doesn't work lengthwise, of course - you'd need 4-inch wide cushions that way.) ...
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It works if you think of it this way. Take 2 square tables with 50"x50" playing surfaces and 2" cushions (no other rails) on all 4 sides. Butt them up against each other. Voila -- 54" x 108" = 4 1/2' x 9'.

[tough to play on such a table, however]
 
To win a bar bet from someone who is too proud of being a "big table" player, bet them that two balls each frozen to the middle of an end rail are less than 8 feet apart. It's only very slightly less, so be sure to measure ahead of time. You have to specify the nearer edges of the balls, away from the cushions.
 
Bob Jewett said:
To win a bar bet from someone who is too proud of being a "big table" player, bet them that two balls each frozen to the middle of an end rail are less than 8 feet apart. It's only very slightly less, so be sure to measure ahead of time. You have to specify the nearer edges of the balls, away from the cushions.
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Bob, to clarify, you are referring to a 9-foot table? Correct - there would be 95-1/2” between the two balls - 1/2” less than 8’. Problem is it would be hard to win this bet in a bar, where there is like likely no bigger than a 7 foot barbox!
 
livemusic said:
I have seen these length pool tables (ft) mentioned here and there... 6, 6.5, 7, 8, 8.5, 9, 10. I didn't know there was such a thing as a 6 ft table but there is and now I just saw there is 6.5? What is commonly barbox size, 6.5 or 7? If it is 7, are 6.5 ft tables pretty easy to find? (My brother might get a table, has a small room.)

Just out of curiosity, if they could choose, what size table do pros enjoy playing in general? Regardless what they are best at. I saw a Corey-Shane 8-ball match on a barbox and it is certainly different! Anyone know... are pros more likely to run out on barbox or larger? They certainly didn't have any problem on the barbox! Looks like they are more likely to use ball collisions to get position since it's a more crowded playing area. Cloth seemed to be slower, too.
Click to expand...
You aren't related to Justin386 are you??
 
livemusic said:
Have any of you played on a 6 ft table? What game? What was it like, fun or not? Do you use the same size pool balls, lol?
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I have but its been like 15 years. There was a bar in Kent, OH that had 2 of them. Basically if you incompletely run out 8-ball even the worst players can finish you. Also, 9-ball on them is total joke because the pocketing lanes are so large you dont need to move the cueball much and you have a good shot.
 
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