Why bigger pool tables? And questions?

J

jaime_lion

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
So if most leagues are played on bar box's. I guess my question is why do the pro's use bigger pool tables? Like watching videos of Efren Reyes I dont see him using a bar box. Or is this just during special televised tournaments?

If I want to play on bigger tables. What tournaments should I look for that only play on 8 foot tables and such? More or less just curious I highly doubt I am good enough.

So how much does it cost where you live to play on a bar box? I believe the price is $1.00 usd here.

Do any of the bar box tables take contactless payments where you guys are at? Such as google pay or apple pay.

So during your league events how intoxicated do people get?

Thanks.
 
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I know of no tournaments that use 8 feet tables.

9 feet is current regulation and has been so since before I was born. It used to be 10, although the difference between the 9 and 10 feet Diamond tables I shoot on is minimal, sometimes indiscernible.

I only shoot on 9/10/3c and the price difference is usually +1 or 2 dollars per hour.

All but 1 place takes NFC payments.

I orbited far from pool for 15 years and surely never visited a pool hall. When I returned in 2014, I couldn't believe 7 feet tables were so popular. Growing up, they were only used in bars or kids tournaments as pool halls only had 8/9, snooker, or 3 cushion tables. That said, I had seen 10 feet tables in lodges, bowling alleys etc. but never played on them and currently I have no idea where to find an 8 feet table (maybe somebodies house?).
 
Largest Pool table I have seen recently was a 10' X 5' Diamond Big Foot, other common sizes are 4.5' X 9.0, 4' X 8', and last your 3.5' X 7' Bar Box.

Also there are still 6' X 12' Snooker table around, most 3 Cushion tables are 5' X 10'.

Think the Bar Box Size is popular in Bars because you can just fit more revenue generating tables in a small space.

Last the least amount I have paid to user a Bar Box was OX-Bar in Phoenix, their tables were only $.25/game. Place close years ago, it was kind of a dump, but had active pool tournments weekly. Most place today a $.50 - 2 - $1.00/game in Phoenix.

Hope this help.
 
...Jaime_Lion,
do you have a good ol' buddy named Glenn whom checked in
and asked if you wanted to have some fun,

...if not, please disregard

either way, you've came to the right place for fun and games,
your curiosity is admirable
 
Well...,

Cron said:
I know of no tournaments that use 8 feet tables.

9 feet is current regulation and has been so since before I was born. It used to be 10, although the difference between the 9 and 10 feet Diamond tables I shoot on is minimal, sometimes indiscernible.

I only shoot on 9/10/3c and the price difference is usually +1 or 2 dollars per hour.

All but 1 place takes NFC payments.

I orbited far from pool for 15 years and surely never visited a pool hall. When I returned in 2014, I couldn't believe 7 feet tables were so popular. Growing up, they were only used in bars or kids tournaments as pool halls only had 8/9, snooker, or 3 cushion tables. That said, I had seen 10 feet tables in lodges, bowling alleys etc. but never played on them and currently I have no idea where to find an 8 feet table (maybe somebodies house?).
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Every Pool Hall in Texas and Louisiana has 8' foot tables and major tournaments are
played on them. The Houston Open is played on 8' tables and almost all of the big payout amateur tournaments are too.., Big Tymes went to Diamond Bar Box's a couple of years ago.
 
IMO....10’ Tables Are Inarguably More Difficult.

The difference between a 9’ table and 10’ table is indiscernible seems a bridge too far.
I have been playing pool since 1960 and have countless hrs. of pool play on both tables.
Unless the pockets were friendly, I have found 10’ tables to be a harder table to run out.

IMO, 4 3/8” pockets on a 9’ & 4 1/2” pockets on a 10’ are the perfect combination to have.
And every 10’ table I have played on has been more difficult than a 9’ table just as much
playing on a 7’ table seems like riding a bike with training wheels. It’s just a little too easy.
 
jaime_lion said:
So if most leagues are played on bar box's. I guess my question is why do the pro's use bigger pool tables? Like watching videos of Efren Reyes I dont see him using a bar box. Or is this just during special televised tournaments?

If I want to play on bigger tables. What tournaments should I look for that only play on 8 foot tables and such? More or less just curious I highly doubt I am good enough.

So how much does it cost where you live to play on a bar box? I believe the price is $1.00 usd here.

Do any of the bar box tables take contactless payments where you guys are at? Such as google pay or apple pay.

So during your league events how intoxicated do people get?

Thanks.
Click to expand...

The smaller tables are mostly used in smaller spaces and where the room owners want more tables in the area. There are pro level events played on 7 footers but they are most likely on very well setup 7 footers like the Diamond tables. Many pro events are specifically setup for the tournament and space is one of the least important things there. Or they are selected to be played in pool halls with the larger tables. Smaller tables are just too easy for the higher level players to really compete on at a high level of play and difficulty. It's like getting a pro golfer onto a course setup for beginners, it would be too easy for them to show off their talent. MLB does not play on the same size fields as the local little league players, WNBA uses a smaller ball than the NBA, etc..different skill levels call for different equipment to be used to make things a challenge.

To find a tournament to play on the larger tables you will first need to find out where you can actually find those tables where you are, just do a web search or ask some players that seem to know what they are doing. If a guy is playing good, chances are he knows the area pool scene. Trick is not to be shy and actually approach people. I don't know a single good player that will not answer questions or take time to talk to someone.

Don't think I have run across a table yet that takes phone payments where I am, but have been seeing some with credit card and game card swipes on them, especially in non-pool halls that have tables. Although I may not be the best person to talk about smaller tables, places near me that don't have 9 or 8 footers don't have any tables good enough for me to head to play on them so there may be 30 bars with phone payments on tables I just don't see because I don't go there LOL
 
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Cron said:
I know of no tournaments that use 8 feet tables.

9 feet is current regulation and has been so since before I was born. It used to be 10, although the difference between the 9 and 10 feet Diamond tables I shoot on is minimal, sometimes indiscernible.

I only shoot on 9/10/3c and the price difference is usually +1 or 2 dollars per hour.

All but 1 place takes NFC payments.

I orbited far from pool for 15 years and surely never visited a pool hall. When I returned in 2014, I couldn't believe 7 feet tables were so popular. Growing up, they were only used in bars or kids tournaments as pool halls only had 8/9, snooker, or 3 cushion tables. That said, I had seen 10 feet tables in lodges, bowling alleys etc. but never played on them and currently I have no idea where to find an 8 feet table (maybe somebodies house?).
Click to expand...

I have a 10' table and every person that has played on it has said it is more difficult. I'm not so sure you've ever played on a 10' table.
 
jasonlaus said:
I have a 10' table and every person that has played on it has said it is more difficult. I'm not so sure you've ever played on a 10' table.
Click to expand...

I learned basic pocketing on 10" Brunswick type snooker tables. Yes, pool balls. Lotta rooms had the tables as part of the starter pack I guess. Also had limited access to 12 footers over the years. Once I was able to hit the pockets I'd do the throw 'em all out shoot 'em back in drill. Got out once I think on a 10 footer and somewhere around nonce on a 12. Never played on a big pool table though I read the jaws were more square and tougher than 9 footers. I agree 10 footers gotta be tougher than 9 but pool pockets is pool pockets. If you pay attention to the lines you're shooting, switching sizes shouldn't be much of a problem.
 
Bavafongoul said:
The difference between a 9’ table and 10’ table is indiscernible seems a bridge too far.
I have been playing pool since 1960 and have countless hrs. of pool play on both tables.
Unless the pockets were friendly, I have found 10’ tables to be a harder table to run out.

IMO, 4 3/8” pockets on a 9’ & 4 1/2” pockets on a 10’ are the perfect combination to have.
And every 10’ table I have played on has been more difficult than a 9’ table just as much
playing on a 7’ table seems like riding a bike with training wheels. It’s just a little too easy.
Click to expand...

Well... I guess it depends on what you played when you were younger and learning...? I did say "similar", but it does sound like it's more noticeable to you than me. I played 3 cushion for several years religiously long, long ago and maybe 3 or 4 times a week I played snooker (only 1 pool hall I visited had a snooker in the Cincinnati area at that time). Excluding just for kicks snooker, I played pocket pool somewhat more but only on 9'. When I started to play again about 6 years ago I went straight to the 3 cushion for a couple days, but I found it not as entertaining as it once was (Ie. I sucked, think my high was 2!). I noticed that in one of the pool halls I sometimes visited had a 10' foot Diamond so I switched to that for a couple weeks, and the rest leads me here today.

I currently play on 9's and honestly, the most noticeable difference between a 9 and 10 to me is the same difference I notice between a 9 and 7.... 1 rail banks. For pocket billiards my muscles are burned in for banking on 9's. One rail banks, especially a simple cross to the side, become painfully frustrating. It's hard for me to become visually conscious from the perspective alone that the side pocket I'm banking to will require less or more travel. However, 7's are the worst! I rarely play on a 7 (VERY rarely), but when I do my cross banks always go short. However, on a 10' (and I suspect 8) they either just go in or hit the tit and usually still go in.

!! RAMBLE AHEAD !!

But yeh, those 7's... Those will **** your bank game all up!!! Somebody mentioned something about the rail rubber being Blue or Red and that it compensates or scales or some shit I honestly don't know about... yeh... none of that is true. I bank a lot in pocket pool (yeh, percentages blah blah), but there is no way I'll ever feel confident that a 1 rail bank of mine will ever go in on a 7'. What's crazy though is that there is plenty of regulars I see across the rooms of pool halls that are exclusively playing bank, exclusively on these 7' tables... that's border line magical to me... I could never learn that.
 
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To the OPs question, around here all the bars have 7'. I have never seen one set up to pay with a card or swipe. They are usually around 1$ per game. Pool halls are usually pay by the hour and the tables don't have coin mechanisms. I live in the sticks in Michigan. There is a town of about 50,000 about 20 miles from me that only has 1 pool hall and all they have is 7' tables.
There is another city about 40 miles from me that has a couple pool halls with 7,8, and 9' tables, I don't know what they do for tournaments as I don't go that way since I retired. If my game progress's to a point where I need stiffer competition I may check those out.
Also most bowling alleys have 9' tables but none of them have pool tournaments.
 
jaime_lion said:
So if most leagues are played on bar box's. I guess my question is why do the pro's use bigger pool tables? Like watching videos of Efren Reyes I dont see him using a bar box. Or is this just during special televised tournaments?

If I want to play on bigger tables. What tournaments should I look for that only play on 8 foot tables and such? More or less just curious I highly doubt I am good enough.

So how much does it cost where you live to play on a bar box? I believe the price is $1.00 usd here.

Do any of the bar box tables take contactless payments where you guys are at? Such as google pay or apple pay.

So during your league events how intoxicated do people get?

Thanks.
Click to expand...
Seriously? Have you never played on a 9ft table? I'll use a basketball comparison. You see those adjustable goals that go up-n-down? Well,when its set on 7-8foot its pretty easy to make shots and slam dunk. That would be a bar-table. Now, put the rim at the full 10ft. height. That would be a big table.
 
jaime_lion said:
So how intoxicated do people get at your leagues?
Click to expand...
I don't play but i'm there when they do. Very few get anywhere close to drunk. Now mind you i'm in a poolroom/sportsbar. In some smaller bars the drinking may be more of an issue. Really varies from place-to-place but generally not a problem. You'll always have one or two who get hammered.
 
garczar said:
I don't play but i'm there when they do. Very few get anywhere close to drunk. Now mind you i'm in a poolroom/sportsbar. In some smaller bars the drinking may be more of an issue. Really varies from place-to-place but generally not a problem. You'll always have one or two who get hammered.
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Thanks so not like darts where people get hammered.
 
jaime_lion said:
Thanks so not like darts where people get hammered.
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No clue about darts. Like i said, it varies from place to place. Most are there for the pool. A couple drinks, a few beers maybe. Always some that over do it. Always.
 
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I play in three leagues. One in a non alcohol rec center.

In the last decade I don’t recall anyone getting drunk. Nobody. It’s just not acceptable anymore. Likely half the players have a couple beer...max. Females often a glass or two of wine. Other half drink water, coffee, soda.

We also go out dancing once a week or so at clubs. In my city, just don’t see anyone drunk anymore. They wouldnt be allowed in the door or served.

Norms have changed. Guys would once almost boast about getting wasted or how many beer they drank. Now it carries a stigma as a loser.
 
I play APA on 9’ Olhausen and Gold Crown’s. My home table is a 7’ Valley. APA plays on 7’ Valley’s in Las Vegas.

The difference I’ve found between the two are longer shots are more difficult on the 9’ footers and managing traffic is more difficult on the 7’ foot.

I’m not for or against either sized table, the good players I know are good regardless of the table size. Same with the bad players, they’re still bad regardless of the table.
 
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