Billiard table

A billiard table or billiards table is a special table used for playing games with cues, also called cue sports. These games include carom billiards, pool, pyramid, and snooker. The table has a flat surface that is usually made from a strong material called slate, covered with a smooth, tightly woven cloth known as baize. Around the edges of the table are soft rubber cushions that help the balls bounce correctly during play.

Different types of billiard tables are used for different games. For example, a snooker table is used for snooker, and a pool table is used for pool. Each type of table uses differently sized billiard balls that match the game being played. In the past, an older term for these tables was billiard board, but this is no longer used today.

Parts and equipment

Cushions are found on the inner sides of a billiard table’s wooden rails. They are made from elastic materials such as vulcanized rubber and help the billiard balls bounce back while keeping their energy. The shape of these cushions changes depending on the type of table.

The bed of the table is the flat surface covered with cloth. High-quality tables use smooth slabs of slate, often from Italy, Brazil, or China. Smaller tables might use fewer pieces of slate, while larger ones need more. The cloth on the table, called baize, is usually green and made from wool or a wool-nylon mix. This cloth affects how the balls move across the table.

Some tables have special markings like sights along the rails to help aim shots, and spots to mark important positions on the cloth. Other lines and shapes can appear depending on the game being played.

Carom billiards tables

Pocketless carom billiards tables are used for games like straight rail, balkline, one-cushion billiards, three-cushion caroms, and artistic billiards.

Regulation 10 × 5-foot carom billiards tables have a playing surface of 2.84 by 1.42 metres with a small allowance. The table height ranges between 75 and 80 centimetres. The slate bed of a carom billiards table is at least 45 millimetres thick and is often heated to keep the cloth dry and help the balls move smoothly. Heated tables are needed for international carom games, especially for three-cushion billiards and artistic billiards.

Pool tables

A pool table, also called a pocket billiards table, has six pockets—one at each corner and one at the midpoint of each of the longer sides (corner pockets) and (side pockets or middle pockets).

Pool tables come in different sizes, commonly known as 9-foot, 8.5-foot, 8-foot, or 7-foot tables. They are all rectangular with a 2:1 ratio (for example, 9 × 4.5 feet). The World Pool-Billiard Association approves two sizes for tournament play: 9 × 4.5 feet and 8 × 4 feet.

Snooker and English billiards tables

A table used for snooker and English billiards is called a snooker table. Tournament snooker tables are usually 12 feet by 6 feet, but smaller tables are also used in pubs, homes, and smaller snooker halls. These tables have six pockets, one at each corner and one at the center of each long side. The playing surface is made of slate and covered with a special cloth called baize. The table has markings like lines and spots to help players know where to place the balls.

Tables for other games

There are special billiard tables for different games. For example, Russian pyramid and Kaisa use tables that are 12 feet by 6 feet, similar to snooker tables but with smaller pockets. Another game, Asian four ball, uses a table that is 8 feet by 4 feet without any pockets. Games like bagatelle can have more than six holes, sometimes even one straight through the middle of the table. This feature is still seen in bar billiards and bumper pool. Other games, such as boccette, Danish pin, and carom games like five pin and goriziana, often have pins placed in the middle of the table.

Novelty and home tables

There are special billiard tables made for fun, often used for pool. These tables can have many shapes, like zig-zag, circular, or hexagonal. Some tables can change shapes and be used for other games like table tennis, foosball, or air hockey by using removable tops. Small home tables are often 4 × 8 feet or 3.5 × 7 feet. Some smaller tables can fold up for easy storage. Tiny tables, called miniature tables, range from very small tabletop sizes to bigger free-standing ones and use smaller cues and balls.

Heating

Billiard tables are sometimes heated with electricity to keep the playing surface dry and help the balls roll smoothly. Long ago, Queen Victoria had a billiard table heated with zinc tubes to prevent the ivory balls from warping. The first electrically heated table was used in a big competition in December 1927.

Today, international rules for some billiard tournaments require tables to be heated, though they don’t say exactly how warm. These tables are often kept warm to between 33–37 °C (91–99 °F), and some clubs may heat them even more, up to 45 °C (113 °F). A typical heater uses about 600 watts of power. If left on all the time, it can use 3,500 kilowatt-hours each year, costing around 525 euros. Turning the heater off when not in use can save more than half the energy and money. This can be done automatically with timers. Using cloth made from synthetic materials instead of wool can also save energy because it warms up faster. However, some games might damage synthetic cloth more quickly because of how the balls are hit.

Rising energy costs in Europe in 2022 made heating billiard tables very expensive. One group mentioned that heating a table could cost between 2,400 to 2,500 euros a year.