Dining Table / Pool / Snooker Table
Discussion
About to pull the trigger on one of these, 7 ft.
Lots of options, American vs English, dining top storage, ball return, fabric etc etc.
Anyone bought one and happy / regretful, if I bought one again I would……?
Seems to be a lot of price variation, £1k to £10k, was thinking about around £5k all in with benches.
Thanks in advance.
Lots of options, American vs English, dining top storage, ball return, fabric etc etc.
Anyone bought one and happy / regretful, if I bought one again I would……?
Seems to be a lot of price variation, £1k to £10k, was thinking about around £5k all in with benches.
Thanks in advance.
I don't have one and haven't eaten at one, so theses are my just ad-hoc thoughts.
Obviously at 7ft its a pool table not a snooker table. Nothing wrong with that, but I wouldn't try and play snooker on it!
Fortunately I prefer pool to snooker, as I simply don't have the skills for the latter.
I could take or leave central ball return personally, having played on tables in holiday lets without, its fine.
Central ball return is only really a thing in a pub where its pay-to-release the balls from each game.
But I would agree the above suggestions, that ensuring a high specification of game play. Flat surface, nice cloth, good cushions.
And then also that the whole thing isn't too deep for you to be able to get your knees under it for use as a dining table.
Obviously at 7ft its a pool table not a snooker table. Nothing wrong with that, but I wouldn't try and play snooker on it!
Fortunately I prefer pool to snooker, as I simply don't have the skills for the latter.
I could take or leave central ball return personally, having played on tables in holiday lets without, its fine.
Central ball return is only really a thing in a pub where its pay-to-release the balls from each game.
But I would agree the above suggestions, that ensuring a high specification of game play. Flat surface, nice cloth, good cushions.
And then also that the whole thing isn't too deep for you to be able to get your knees under it for use as a dining table.
I have a 7ft one and love it! Albeit mine is an Edwardian one, manual rise&fall of the very heavy slate bed! (Excuse the odd proportions in this wide angle lens shot!)
As already stated, 7ft is no use for snooker, however it’s a great size for a pool table that anyone can use. I’ve had mine 5 years and it’s used daily for pool, because we have a very large kitchen table - we rarely bother to use the dining one (maybe 4 times in 5 years).
If you want it mostly for pool use but occasional dining use, then it’s great. You do however need to think about storage of the dining top and chairs. I wouldn’t bother with ball return etc, the dining element works much better if the playing surface is kept simple with nets.
We’ve had so many really fun evenings with friends playing on it - the room is everyone’s favourite room in the house! Whereas a dining only room would scarcely see any use…….
Was at a friends that have a pool/dining table and their thoughts were it's a bit of a compromise on both fronts.
The pool table is quite cool, but it really needs a bit more space all around it to play better, it's no good just be able to walk around the table because that's not how pool ques work.
As a dining table it's lacking in leg room and a bit too high, obviously that could equally be the seats are too low but the relationship between the table top and the seat height needs thinking about or slightly exaggerated you end up with your chin on the table trying to eat.
The pool table is quite cool, but it really needs a bit more space all around it to play better, it's no good just be able to walk around the table because that's not how pool ques work.
As a dining table it's lacking in leg room and a bit too high, obviously that could equally be the seats are too low but the relationship between the table top and the seat height needs thinking about or slightly exaggerated you end up with your chin on the table trying to eat.
Brother in law bought a 3/4 size snooker table, at first everyone wanted to play on it, within perhaps 12 months nobody was using it, none of the boys took it up, it had it's limitations 3 sides were just about OK, but one side you couldn't really get a full stroke on the cue.
Initially a joiner was supposed to be making something to convert to a dining table, but it never happened and then sister declared it had to go.
Initially a joiner was supposed to be making something to convert to a dining table, but it never happened and then sister declared it had to go.
raceboy said:
Was at a friends that have a pool/dining table and their thoughts were it's a bit of a compromise on both fronts.
The pool table is quite cool, but it really needs a bit more space all around it to play better, it's no good just be able to walk around the table because that's not how pool ques work.
As a dining table it's lacking in leg room and a bit too high, obviously that could equally be the seats are too low but the relationship between the table top and the seat height needs thinking about or slightly exaggerated you end up with your chin on the table trying to eat.
You need a minimum of 5ft cueing room around any table - cues tend to be 57 or 58” long.The pool table is quite cool, but it really needs a bit more space all around it to play better, it's no good just be able to walk around the table because that's not how pool ques work.
As a dining table it's lacking in leg room and a bit too high, obviously that could equally be the seats are too low but the relationship between the table top and the seat height needs thinking about or slightly exaggerated you end up with your chin on the table trying to eat.
The table shouldn’t lack leg room for dining - mine doesn’t, also - it will have a rise & fall mechanism to raise it for playing and lower it for eating. Dining table & chairs are a fairly standard height and you can generally buy the chairs with the table in any event.
Simpo Two said:
yellowtang said:
As already stated, 7ft is no use for snooker, however it’s a great size for a pool table
If a table is too small for snooker why is it good for pool? Same size and number balls I think.Firstly snooker is a very different game to any variation of pool, it really cannot be played properly on a smaller table. It’s hard to explain but basically snooker is a far more complex game.
Snooker is also played on a much larger table - 12 x 6ft, whereas pool is generally played on a 6ft table in the UK (but USA tables are bigger).
Snooker has 15 reds and 6 colours - so not the same number of balls.
Edited by yellowtang on Monday 21st August 16:22
Simpo Two said:
yellowtang said:
As already stated, 7ft is no use for snooker, however it’s a great size for a pool table
If a table is too small for snooker why is it good for pool? Same size and number balls I think.It's not to say you can't play snooker on a small table, but it will always be compromised in this way, whereas pool was always meant to be played on smaller tables, so it works better.
Frankthered said:
It's not to say you can't play snooker on a small table, but it will always be compromised in this way, whereas pool was always meant to be played on smaller tables, so it works better.
Yeah, I guess it like saying you can to move house with a Ford KA, yes but it would be easier to rent a Luton Transit for the day!I have this one
https://www.homeleisuredirect.com/pool_tables/pool...
Bought some benches separately, I can see why it may be a compromise as a dining table, although from my experience it’s just fine, however I’m not sure why its a Compromise as a pool table, it plays just fine, the cushions are to spec, I upgraded the cloth on mine, it’s a gatley table.
Mines a 6 footer, I thought this would be best for our room however could have probably gone for a 7 footer, we have plans to remodel the house making the dining room open plan so will sell mine and buy a 7 foot when the time comes
https://www.homeleisuredirect.com/pool_tables/pool...
Bought some benches separately, I can see why it may be a compromise as a dining table, although from my experience it’s just fine, however I’m not sure why its a Compromise as a pool table, it plays just fine, the cushions are to spec, I upgraded the cloth on mine, it’s a gatley table.
Mines a 6 footer, I thought this would be best for our room however could have probably gone for a 7 footer, we have plans to remodel the house making the dining room open plan so will sell mine and buy a 7 foot when the time comes
I'm in the trade. (Well just retired)
In my experience (50 years) items like these, and home gyms get forgotten about after three or four years, once the initial novelty has worn off,
I must add, not in all cases obviously, all I am saying is think very hard before spending a lot of money, on something that could become a white elephant.
In my experience (50 years) items like these, and home gyms get forgotten about after three or four years, once the initial novelty has worn off,
I must add, not in all cases obviously, all I am saying is think very hard before spending a lot of money, on something that could become a white elephant.
Wacky Racer said:
I'm in the trade. (Well just retired)
In my experience (50 years) items like these, and home gyms get forgotten about after three or four years, once the initial novelty has worn off,
I must add, not in all cases obviously, all I am saying is think very hard before spending a lot of money, on something that could become a white elephant.
I think this really boils down to what your main use of the table will be….In my experience (50 years) items like these, and home gyms get forgotten about after three or four years, once the initial novelty has worn off,
I must add, not in all cases obviously, all I am saying is think very hard before spending a lot of money, on something that could become a white elephant.
I suspect these are purchased by older people, perhaps grandparents who have a notion of family fun etc on occasions but they predominantly want the table to be a dining table…….hence it's not actually often required/too much hassle to set up for pool/snooker.
If however, like me - you mostly want a pool table and it will be left as a pool table all the time, bar occasional dining use. Then they work brilliantly, particularly if the space/room is suited to leaving it in pool table mode.
thecopster said:
That looks like a free play Supreme winner, the table I was originally going to buy but a 1910ish Riley rise and fall table came up locally, a right state so I stripped it right back and gave everything 10 coats, then had a billiard fitter recloth it with napped Strachan, new nets, pockets, cushion rubbers etc, effectively a new table but hardly used it so sold it. The big problem with modern pool/ dining tables is the height, for sitting you need it lower than the playing height of a table.
I think they’re set at playing height rather than dining height.
Riley really did invent a great product in the rise and fall mechanism that sadly you can no longer buy.
Mine ended up in the garage.
yellowtang said:
You can buy new tables in both traditional or contemporary style with rise&fall mechanisms.
Don’t buy a fixed height one, as already stated - it will not work well as a dining or pool table!
Mine raises about 5” to playing height.
Looking at yours it looks very similar to what my Riley was, are the modern rise and falls as easy to use, ie just lift it up and it locks in then repeat the other end?Don’t buy a fixed height one, as already stated - it will not work well as a dining or pool table!
Mine raises about 5” to playing height.
Frankthered said:
Maybe. 15 balls on the table for 8-Ball pool (or 9 for 9-Ball) - a 6ft or 7ft snooker table would have 10 reds plus 6 colours; full size table would have 15 reds. The issue is the balls getting in the way of each other in snooker on a smaller table - in particular around the baulk colours. On a full size table, all three colours will pot into either corner pocket, with lots of margin for error on the cue ball position. On a smaller table, they will often be blocking each other and the margin for error is much reduced.
It's not to say you can't play snooker on a small table, but it will always be compromised in this way, whereas pool was always meant to be played on smaller tables, so it works better.
Good answer, thanks.It's not to say you can't play snooker on a small table, but it will always be compromised in this way, whereas pool was always meant to be played on smaller tables, so it works better.
I was surprised to discover - as in the early C20 they played billiards rather than snooker - that a true billiards table doesn't have pockets.
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