Placing a Pool Table in a Room

Pool tables may not look that big in a large bar or a pool hall, but in your living room their proportions can seem overwhelming. And of course you need plenty of room to maneuver around the table and take your shots comfortably.

Instructions

1

Consider what size table you want. Typical bar tables are 7-footers, 39 inches by 78 inches. The professionals usually play on 9-foot tables, 50 inches by 100 inches. And in between, there are 8-footers (44 by 88) and oversize 8s (46 by 92).

2

Make sure that the table you want will fit in the room you've chosen for it. Pool table sellers' recommendations vary by an inch or two here and there but in general, if you want to play with a regular 57-inch cue, you need this much space for your table:
7-foot: 13 feet 3 inches by 16 feet 6 inches
8-foot: 13 feet 8 inches by 17 feet 4 inches
oversize 8: 13 feet 10 inches by 17 feet 8 inches
9-foot: 14 feet 2 inches by 18 feet 4 inches

3

Plan for less space if you don't mind playing with a "shorty cue," as small as 42 inches. For a 42-inch cue, Best Billiard recommends that rooms be at least:
7-foot: 10 feet 9 inches by 14 feet
8-foot: 11 feet 2 inches by 14 feet 10 inches
oversize 8: 11 feet 4 inches by 15 feet 2 inches
9-foot: 11 feet 8 inches by 15 feet 10 inches

4

Make sure there aren't any obstacles in the room. Size isn't the only consideration; support beams, pillars and other structural parts of your home can cause a real problem in placing a pool table. If one is off to a side such that you can still fit the pool table in, try to position the table so the beam is along the side of the table, not at one of the ends. If it must be at an end, make it the end where you break.

5

Figure out a furniture configuration. Chances are the pool table isn't going to be the only piece of furniture in the room. Chairs, sofas, tables and other furniture shorter than 32 inches high can generally go anywhere, as they aren't tall enough to block the cue when you draw back to make a shot. Taller pieces--armoires, china cabinets--need to go outside the space designated as the minimum.