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POOL TABLES
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Pool Tables
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Pool Tables and Billiards Games is a consumers' guide to the world of pool
tables, billiards tables and other basement gaming furniture. Our site is
dedicated to helping you make educated purchases for your gaming room.
Our site features resource links to pool tables manufacturers and
retailers that deal with popular home gaming accessories such as pool
tables, foosball tables, air hockey tables, dart boards and darts, ping
pong tables, pool balls and much more. Simply put, if you are a gaming
enthusiast that is looking to add to your collection, you've found the
right place to start!
Pool tables have become quite a hot item for online shoppers. Maybe
companies are now shipping more and more orders for pool tables across the
country everyday.
Please use the links below to browse the top online sites relating to pool
tables. It is a good idea to take notes to compare prices and
specifications on the pool tables you find online.
Pool Tables are a perfect way to add fun to almost any setting and are a
fantastic addition to any basement or recreational area. If you're a
billiards enthusiast and have the floor space in your dwelling, pool
tables are the ideal addition to any home.
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Billiards table
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
(Redirected from Billiard table)
A billiards table with 6 pockets A billiards table or billiard table is a
table on which carom billiards games are played such as three cushion
billiards, straight rail (carambole) and balkline. Regulation billiards
tables are perfect rectangles, with the bed of the table (the playing
surface) measuring ten feet by five feet. Although not common in the U.S.,
smaller size Billiards tables are occasionally seen, typically used for
the Korean game of "four ball."
Pocket Billiards tables, sometimes called pool tables, are specific to the
various pool games such as Eight ball, Nine ball, Straight pool and One
pocket. As the name implies, pocket billiards tables have pockets;
normally six of them--one at each corner of the table ("corner pockets")
and one at the midpoint of each of the longer sides ("side pockets").
The regulation size of a Pocket Billiards table's playing surface is 4.5
feet by 9 feet. Non-regulation size tables come standard at four by eight
feet, three and one-half by seven feet, and three feet by six feet.
Whilst most tables are perfect rectangles, there are other tables which
are round, hexagonal and even zig-zag shaped. The latter, however, are all
far less popular than the rectangular tables ubiquitous in many social
halls, from Gentlemen's Clubs to bars.
On the sides of all varieties of billiard table are "rails" (or
"cushions"), which are made from elastic materials such as synthetic or
vulcanized rubber. The cushion's purpose is to rebound balls without
letting them lose too much kinetic energy. The playing surface (the "Bed")
on all quality tables is made of 3/4"-1" thick slate, typically imported
from Italy. Cheaper table surfaces are usually made of "Slatron" or some
composite wood variant. These surfaces are usually more susceptible to
warping and are not as flat.
Both the rails and slate beds are covered with 21-24 ounce billiard felt
which is most often green in color, because it is easiest on the eyes, and
consists of either a woven wool or wool/nylon blend called Baize. Most bar
tables, which get lots of play, use this slower, thicker cloth because it
can stand up to heavy usage. By contrast, high quality pool cloth is
usually made of a napless weave such as worsted wool, which gives a much
faster roll to the balls. The faster or slower a cloth is, affects the
amounts of swerve and deflection of the balls. Snooker table cloth
traditionally has a directional nap, upon which the balls behave
differently when rolling against the direction of the nap.
Common pool table sizes for the USA are:
3.5' × 7' (1.06 m × 2.13 m) — Bar
4' × 8' (1.22 m × 2.44 m) — Home
4.25' × 8.5' (1.30 m × 2.60 m) — Commercial
4.5' × 9' (1.37 m × 2.74 m) — Tournament
In the U.S., pool is mostly played according to the Billiard Congress of
America's World Standardized Rules.
Smart pool table improves
play
A laser helpfully points out what you are doing wrong
If going on the pool table in your local bar is a humiliating experience
then help is at hand.
Scientists at Aalborg University in Denmark have devised a smart pool
table.
An overhead camera and laser placed above the interactive table watch the
ball play, with a laser beam drawing shapes on the table pointing out the
best shots.
A virtual coach called James, connected to the table via a computer, will
help you improve your play with a series of exercises.
Sympathetic coach
"People do not speak to pool tables so we came up with this personalized
system and people are happy to talk to him," explained Mr Larsen.
The technology behind James, who looks like a professional pool player, is
the same Microsoft uses for its paperclip office assistant.
He is also more encouraging than your mates down the pub.
"He congratulates you if you get a high score," said Mr. Larsen.
It is too early to say whether the interactive pool table has improved
people's games.
"At the moment we are focusing on how people use it. We haven't done a
long-term experiment in a pool hall," said Mr. Larsen.
The interactive system has also been used to provide an interactive map of
the university campus which draws a route for visitors to the building.
"Potentially this could be very useful in complex buildings such as
hospitals," said Mr. Larsen.
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