PoolTables

Pool Game for Your Laptop

June 17, 2010
I found an on line Billiard Game. It's just the thing for when you're bored at work. Be careful though, it's tricky!

http://www.axifer.com/axifer_portfolio/billiards.html
 

Watch this Awesome Trick Shot!

June 16, 2010
Watch this awesome Trick Shot

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2XTGBOKqccw
 

Plastic Chalk Holder

June 11, 2010
I can't stand using the pool table chalk at the pub. It is always either mislaid or at the very end of its use. I find the chalk all over my fingers or I have to get down on my hands and knees to locate where it rolled underneath the pool table after somebody dropped it. I was very tired and was going to quit playing pool when I went out, but a associate showed me a chalk holder. It is a plastic holder I can purchase for my pool chalk so when I use it, the chalk won’t get all over my hands. It even has a long cord attached so I will not drop it. I straight away purchased two - one for me and one for the neighborhood bar. It is a fantastic design and I do not know why I hadn’t discovered it sooner.

Click Here for more info about the chalk holder.



 

A Quick Guide to Purchasing a Pool Table

June 4, 2010
A pool table is a really sound investment decision. If you are about to purchase a pool table you'll want to keep some vital information in mind so you can buy the correct one for your needs.

Pool Table - Levels of Performance

The first thing you will want to consider when getting a pool table is the performance level. There are 4 basic levels. The introductory level is the least expensive level. It’s model for children and non-competitive games. This is the style of pool table that you buy for your house if you are not an avid pool player.

The next level up is also an economy level and is nice for recreational play. The second level of pool tables are for those who like playing pool and desire a good performing table without the cost of a table more matched for competitive levels.

The 3rd level up is considered a mid-range table and they tend to be more nice-looking and they also function better. This sort of pool table is a long-term investment and not something that you’ll need to replace after a few years of usage.

The highest level is a custom or expert pool table. These are ideal for contests and serious pool players. This level of pool table is the highest and the best.

Pool Table - Size Does Matter

Guys, size does matter when it relates to a pool table. A regulation pool table will probably be twice as long as it is wide and generally is 7', 8 feet or 9' long. The seven foot long table is what you will see in most bars, the 8 foot long table is what you'll find in nearly all homes and the 9' pool table is what you will find in most contests.

If you are purchasing a pool table for your house or business you might wish to either get a 7' or an 8 foot table unless you are going to have competitive pool players or competitions at your business.

Pool Table - The Playing Surface

Basically your pool table will either be slate or non-slate. Slate pool tables are the ones used for competition. Slate is durable and exceptionally stable. As opposed to being one huge section of slate it is typically three pieces of slate that are independently leveled for optimal play.

Non-slate playing surfaces can be: Slatron; Permaslate; Honeycomb and Medium Density Fiberboard (MDF). These surfaces are less expensive and are used in lesser grade pool tables and non-professional pool tables.

Pool Table - Additional Features

There are various other things to consider when getting a pool table as well. Several of them may be imperative to you and some may not be.

A few of the other considerations can be:
· Material (can be a wool/nylon blend or synthetic nylon)
· Rails (can be particle board or wood)
· Cushions (must be K-66 style for BCA approved play)
· Cabinet/Apron (can be solid wood, MDF, veneers, etc)
· Pockets (can be basket or auto-return balls)

Ultimately the pool table you choose will rely on your desires, room and funds. It is vital to know precisely what you’re buying and for what type of use. If you are buying a pool table for serious play you’ll need to be sure it is fully BCA approved. If you happen to be purchasing it for leisure purposes you have a bit more flexibility in the options you choose designed for your pool table.
 

Mini Pool Table for your Office

June 3, 2010
My home office used to be empty; apart from a small table, chair and computer. Now it holds something much more comical - a mini billiard table. At 36 inches long and 8 inches tall, the table is small enough to be stored in the closet, but large enough to practice a few shots on when I need a distraction. The table comes with the numbered balls, a rack, two cue sticks, and even some chalk. It obviously will not be the same as a game played on a full size billiard table, but it’s entertaining for practice, or a quick match to see who should have bragging rights. This mini pool table is an amazing item for any pool player, novice or pro. It will definitely be a welcome addition to any office, den, dorm, or game room.

For more information about the miniature billiards table, click here.


 

Just What Your Billiards Room Needed

June 2, 2010
I was searching "billiards" on the web and came across an extremely cool appliance that every player should have. It's a custom stained glass light fixture. Every pool table requires lighting, and why use a standard light stand when you could get a custom one? You can personalize it to have your name, or slogan written on it. The light has a picture of a nine ball on each side, with the words "Rack 'em" in the center. The stained glass is tinted green and white, with some gold on the top to match the chain. It looks extremely well made and very sturdy. This is on my wish list now and I cannot wait to get one. It reminds me of all the lights you see in the Pool Hall scenes in the movies.

Click here for additional information about the light fixture.


 

Greatly Recommended Pool Book

May 28, 2010
I only just found an outstanding book focusing on billiards. I found it very effective and thought I should spread the word. I am definitely what you would call an beginner in this sport, and I was looking for something to help me improve my game. All the books I’d read already consisted of trick shots, something I would never be able to grasp. Thanks to this book, I now comprehend the basic principles of the sport and can decide the correct shot that I need to complete. Not only does this book cover the basic shots critical to any game, it goes over the rules and regulations as well. Everything was comprehensible and to the point; you will not be disappointed. If you’re looking to improve your game, check out the book

The 99 Critical Shots in Pool: Everything You Need to Know to Learn and Master the Game

by Ray “Cool Cat” Martin and Rosser Reveves.

 

Fun Facts about Pool

May 27, 2010
1.) The game of pool evolved from a European lawn sport similar to croquet, played through the 15th century.

2.) When precisely the first pool table was created is unknown. The original trace of a pool table was documented in 1470, at some stage in an inventory of the goods of King Louis XI of France.

3.) The original pool tables were believed to have consisted of a stone layer, cloth top and hole in the center to send the pool balls into.

4.) The initial pool billiard room was built in England in 1765.

5.) The Church denounced the pastime of pool as sinful, dodgy and dishonest; play was forbidden in France during the 15th century. In early on American history, legal guidelines were passed banning the sport resulting from sacred influences.

6.) For the duration of the age of Thomas Jefferson, pool was unlawful in the state of Virginia. The auditorium on Thomas Jefferson's dwelling hid a discrete pool room.

7.) Pool table cloths have changed a small amount in more than 400 years. Wool remains the fabric of choice to this era, though it sometimes is blended with nylon.

8.) Former pool tables featured flat vertical walls for rails named “banks” thanks to their resemblance to riverbeds. Their lone job was to restrain the pool balls from falling off the table; however, pool participants soon discovered that their pool balls can bounce off the table rails, so they began to knowingly aim for them. Hence, the "bank shot" was born.

9.) All the way through olden times, the game of pool bridged the chasm between upper and lower classes, as citizens of each social standing were known to play.

10.)  In later years, pool began to be considered as a sport. In 1873, it grew to become the earliest sport to appoint a world championship.

11.) Throughout the majority of the 1800’s, the chalk used on the new leather cue tips was carbonate of lime, better recognized as blackboard chalk.  Nearly all chalk used at present is comprised of fine abrasives and won't include a speck of chalk.

12.) The declaration “cue” is derivative from the French queue, meaning tail. Before the cue stick was designed, billiards was played with a staff. The rod consisted of a bowed timber (or metallic) top used to ram the ball onward, attached to a narrow knob. Since the weight of the rod top made shots beside the rail demanding, it was frequently turned around and the “tail” end was used. Experts in time realized this technique was a lot more efficient, and the cue as a detached instrument grew out of the mace’s tail.

13.) 1903 brought the first coin-operated pool table. The charge per match was one penny!

14.) Until nearly 1920, American billiards was dominated by the carom games. Pool was a boring, or disappearing activity. When the first championship pool tournament was held in 1878, the winner, and the happening itself, all but went unnoticed.

15.) At times, including through the Civil War, billiard results received wider coverage than war news. Competitors were so distinguished that cigarette playing cards were issued featuring them.

16.) These days, pool and billiards is a well-known and pervasive game, equally for recreational competitors and competitors.  Organizations such the APA and others put on annual billiard tournaments and considerable billiards events are made known and even air on major television stations.  Pool halls exist across the nation, from the smallest of towns to large cities, and millions of people possess pool tables in their houses. 

Pool tables are so everyday now that they are sold via the internet and in a number of brick and mortar stores devoted only to pool tables.
 
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