Billiards and its American cousin, pool, are popular past-times and a booming industry. According to the Billiard Congress of America (BCA), in 2005, $240 million was spent on pool and billiard table and accessories. The game table comes in a variety of sizes and heights, but competition tables must meet specific size and manufacturing requirements set by the World Pool-Billiard Association and the BCA. The three most common pool tables are bar, regulation and tournament.
Table Design
Billiard tables should range between 29 1/4 inches and 31 inches in height. The table should be rectangular and devoid of sharp edges that could injure a person or damage clothing. The table must be level and stable to support any type of billiard play such as the weight of a player leaning over or on the table. A slate table should be constructed with three equal-sized pieces of slate of at least one-inch thickness, set in a wooden frame of at least 3/4-inch thickness and attached to the table frame with countersunk bolts or screws. Tournament and regulation tables should have at least 6 feet between them and any other object, such as chairs, bars and other tables.
Bar Tables
Pool tables in bars that do not host regulation play or tournaments are generally 7-foot tables. Bar tables measure 3 1/2 feet wide and 7 feet long excluding rails, which can range from one inch to three inches in width. These tables also tend to be pay tables, with a slot to place quarters to release the balls so the table can be used and a closed pocket and rail system to collect the balls once they have been sunk. Some tables are three-piece slate tables, while others are either two-sheet or made with a thick sheet of plywood. For a novice player, a 7-foot table can assist with learning the fundamentals of setting up shots and learning angles. 7-foot tables are placed in homes as well since they do not take up as much space as a regulation or tournament-sized table.
Regulation Tables
An 8 foot table is considered a regulation table. Regulation tables measure 4 feet wide by 8 feet long with rails that add three inches to the table's total diameter.Pool halls and billiard clubs use these tables for recreational play and for local and regional competitions. Instead of the closed pocket and rail system found on bar tables, regulation tables have drop pockets, meaning the balls sit in the pockets once they are sunk. A player who has mastered a 7-foot table will graduate to an 8-foot table in preparation for tournament play.
Tournament Tables
Billiard tables that measure 4 1/2 feet wide and 9 feet long are referred to as tournament tables. These tables are used in pool tournaments around the world. Tournament tables are often the most ornate of pool tables, with carvings in the legs and on the corners. The table has drop pockets, created with either weaved leather strips or a leather pouch that is attached to the bottom of the pocket. The tables are usually three-piece slate designs with three-inch rails. A serious pool player will purchase a tournament table for his home to best emulate a tournament situation during practice; but to comfortably house a table of this size, a home should have a room that is at least 20 feet by 15 feet.
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