Pool Table FAQs

There are important questions to consider before committing to buying a particular pool table brand and model.

Regulation Table

The playing surface of a professional tournament table is 9 feet long and 4 1/2 feet wide. From the table's outside edges, the length is nearly 10 feet by 5 feet.

Room

To have full clearance for your pool cue on every shot, there must be 5 feet of clearance from each edge of the table. A 9-foot table requires at least a 15-by-20-foot room.

Smaller Tables

Fundamentals of cue ball control don't change from one table to another. But if you play primarily on a small table, speed control, long shots and one-rail bank shots might be challenging when you play on a full-sized table.

Slate

If you love pool, you must have slate. While manufactured table surfaces might be inexpensive, they rarely hold their shape as well as slate does. Without slate, your table is more likely to develop localized low and high spots that cause balls to curve when they shouldn't.

Thickness

Ideally, get 1-inch slate or thicker. But if you're choosing between a "honeycomb" bed and a 3/4-inch slate bed, go with slate.