Why 9' ft. Tables ? Guy...

It’s so hard.

I haven’t played on a 6’ box in decades, but I remember playing on them and especially 8B was a nightmare. The traffic jams are brutal. Open up a cluster and create 2 new ones. Tough action.

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Fatboy
6' was standard in bars in New York State for years and years. The law was changed in the late '90s or 2000's to allow 7'.
 
6' was standard in bars in New York State for years and years. The law was changed in the late '90s or 2000's to allow 7'.
I didn’t know that. Interesting 👍

Seems like NY would have a law on the books about pool table sizes, sounds like Ca as well.

I was sitting here thinking about the last time I saw a 6’ table, I can’t recall a specific time. In high school we had 2 6’ box’s. I know I’ve seen them since, can’t remember where tho. Had to be a bar for sure.
 
Why 9' ft. Tables, Instead of 8' ft. Tables ?

Just how it developed. Big enough to be not so easy, small enough to fit in spaces, about the right size to be able to reach shots without going to crazy means like in snooker. 60+ years ago 10" tables were very common as the "standard" but I am guessing due to size and maybe cost of the slates it migrated to 9. I see some 8 foot Diamond tables in some pool halls so they could fit a few extra tables in and for home use 8 foot is almost a standard to find. Probably as many 8 foot home tables as 7 or 9 foot.
 
I personally prefer 9’ and 7’ barboxes, and think of 8’ as a “tweener “ oddball. I’ve noticed that 8’ tables specifically make 8-ball easier. It seems to be the optimal ratio for the game; minimal clustering like big tables, but shotmaking is also easier, more like the barbox.
 
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It’s so hard.

I haven’t played on a 6’ box in decades, but I remember playing on them and especially 8B was a nightmare. The traffic jams are brutal. Open up a cluster and create 2 new ones. Tough action.
Making balls is a snap on smaller tables:: but then
You have to learn how to break up clusters, and maneuver the cue ball more accurately.

It ends up just like taking candy from a baby........
 
Whatever you grow up with that is IT. However every table is fun. Some of the best times I had were in Bradford, Pa with a 6' in the bar. Otherwise a 9'ft white GC with a gold cloth is glued in my mind. I feel 8' tables are better than nothing but 9 is it.
Many are ok with playing par three golf courses, most prefer par 5 courses.
 
New York has a law that regulates table size ?
That’s crazy.
I gotta see and read it to believe that……The Division of Alcohol & Beverage Control
within the State Liquor Authority has jurisdiction over the sale of liquor & locally, the
Office of Business Licenses. Table size connection to the sale of liquor may have to
do with the number of patrons allowed or fire ordinance for emergency egress but I
don’t understand how or why it would otherwise be regulated. Gotta see it in writing.
 
6' was standard in bars in New York State for years and years. The law was changed in the late '90s or 2000's to allow 7'.
I guess it was 20 years ago, or so, I had a layover in Albany (I think it was Albany). I met my coworker in the hotel lobby bar for a drink. We noticed they had a bar box, and walked over to play a few games. And then we saw it was a 6 footer. Holy cow, that thing was tiny. Neither of us had seen a table that small, before. Unfortunately, the tip on the only house cue was pretty much worn out. We struggled through one game and then gave up.

But wow, a 6 foot table is just too little.
 
I see it as sad that the 8' foot table couldn't be our favorite table. Ever time i see someone screw in an extension i think why, are we to short for these tables. Was our games designed for tall people... They could see the table better. Now in our day and time we walk into a room and all 7' tables for the casual players, I miss the 8's I don't like 7's... As I came up in life and went in any room or hall there were 8's and that was life... Other wise you played snooker. Snooker tables were good but 8s were more fun... Easier and more self providing, I come from the South , did we have more 8' than North players had? I was almost six feet tall , didn't need to stand on a box to play... And now there are 7'ers as far as the eye can see... Guy
8' tables suck. I still cant believe all the 8' tables in Texas.
As for extensions, I like them better than bridges. Don't tell me you don't need one on an 8' table because I've needed one on a bar box a few times.
 
8' tables suck. I still cant believe all the 8' tables in Texas.
As for extensions, I like them better than bridges. Don't tell me you don't need one on an 8' table because I've needed one on a bar box a few times.
Tom as the shaft and the butt are made to a perfect balance is the extension also made to the custom cue ? Guy
 
If we get to a certain age or have handicaps, we'll a foot out walk around a 8' box is one quarter of a mile after a hundred walks, not all people can be road hot shots, but still want to do that which they have done for so many years... Time goes by and we all if luckie will be there... Guy
 
I didn’t know that. Interesting 👍

Seems like NY would have a law on the books about pool table sizes, sounds like Ca as well.

I was sitting here thinking about the last time I saw a 6’ table, I can’t recall a specific time. In high school we had 2 6’ box’s. I know I’ve seen them since, can’t remember where tho. Had to be a bar for sure.
Not all can afford, some people have them in the garage... Guy ... Thanks for our pool ...
 
New York has a law that regulates table size ?
That’s crazy.
There might be something in regards to what you say. In some states or counties or cities they regard coin operated pool tables as vending machines and they have special taxes on them. Vending machines often have a set of regulations for one reason or another.

I remember in my city they wanted to get rid of video arcades so they just made a law you can't have more than a certain number of coin operated machines in one location. This included cigarette machines soda vending machines as well as coin operated pool tables.

Unfortunately they all got caught up in this because they were trying to go after video arcades which they thought were basically a nuisance. They did put an exclusion in there for places llike laundromats..
 
I played on 8 footers for many years then 9 footers. Of course, I also played on 7 foot bar boxes. If you can play on a 9 footer, you can play on a 7 footer. The opposite is apparently not true. I have encountered bar box "champions" who could not, or would not, play on a 9 footer. Which ability should a pool player want to acquire?
 
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Making balls is a snap on smaller tables:: but then
You have to learn how to break up clusters, and maneuver the cue ball more accurately.

It ends up just like taking candy from a baby........
They are fun for sure. But given a choice to play full time on, I’d choose a big table. But for a change of scenery smaller tables are fun and present different challenges. 😃😃
 
9ft and 7ft games are very different.
Part of the fun IMO.

Both require some different styles of play, good at breaking out clusters and those delicate little positional shots then 7ft tables. Like moving the cueball around and playing for lines, 9ft table.

The professional game is 9ft as some shots are harder at range.
Same reason Snooker is on a 12ft table and not 9ft etc.
 
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