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Pool Tables
Choosing your Table Branded/Custom Cloth History of Pool Rules for Pool Delivery Details
Similar to the football tables, pool tables also tend to exponentially increase in quality for minimal increases in price. The pinnacles of home pool tables are slate bedded models, similar to those found in pubs and pool clubs. For those games rooms where slate bedded tables are overly cumbersome MDF tables provide the perfect compromise.
 
An MDF base pool table A Slate base pool table
Manufacturers now make a range of tables from 4ft long all the way up to 7ft tables. The lower priced tables tailored for home use are lighter and more compact than the slate bed tables. They are made using an MDF playing surface, which in many cases can be recovered, and provides a phenomenally good playing surface.
What Should I Consider When Buying One For Home?
Room Size and Cueing Room
Unfortunately not all games rooms are the correct size to house a full size pool table, the solution is to look into the range of different table sizes available. As a rule of thumb at least 5 ft of space in needed between the sides of the table and the surrounding walls or furniture. To achieve this in most room sizes is difficult and therefore shortened cues can be used to continue play around an obstacle.
Recommended Sizes
| Table Size |
Room Size |
| 6' x 3' |
15' x 12.5' |
| 7' x 4' |
16' x 13' |
| 7' x 4' (American Pool Table) |
16.5' x 13.5' |
| 8' x 4.5' (American Pool Table) |
17' x 13.5' |
| 9' x 5' (American Pool Table) |
18' x 14' |
Slate or MDF?
The slate bedded playing surfaces are superior to any other material used primarily because slate is tough, durable and totally unaffected by temperature and humidity. Modern MDF tables are of the highest quality however and provide an excellent compromise.
Cloth Colour
Pool tables come with a range of cloth colours, some may be more suited to your recreation room than others so be sure to check the pictures carefully! Liberty Games can also supply unique custom cloths for pool tables with a wide range of colours, brands and patterns to choose. You can create your own unique table, or even use the table commercially to increase brand awareness! Please call Liberty Games on 0800 612 8180 to arrange a quote.
 
Trick Shots!
Having a pool table in your own home gives you a chance to practice your trick shots and impress your friends in the pub!
History of the Game
The game of Pool, technically known as Pocket billiards, is the general term for a family of games played on a billiards table, while cue sports that are played on pocketless tables are generally referred to as carom billiards.
Outside the cue sports industry, Pocket Billiards is almost always referred to as "Pool," historically due to its association with the "poolrooms" where gamblers "pooled" their money to bet "off-track" on horse races. Because these venues also had billiard tables as an additional entertainment, the term "Pool" became synonymous with Billiards, and though the original "Pool" game was played on a pocketless table, the name has been synonymous with pocket billiards as the game has gained in popularity.
There are actually a large number of different Pocket Billiards games, the most well-known probably include eight-ball, nine-ball, straight pool, and one-pocket. There are also hybrid games combining aspects of both pocket and carom billiards, such as English billiards, American four-ball billiards, cowboy pool and bottle pool.
Pool Rules
PUB POOL RULES
These rules are for the pool game often known as “8 Ball Pool”, “Pool” or “Pub Pool”. It is intended that the game be played in good spirit and in a sportsmanlike manner. The game is played on a pub pool table with 16 balls.
Object of the Game
The player or team pocketing all their group of object balls in any order, and then legally pocketing the black ball, wins the game.
Commencing the Game (or Restart)
1. The balls are racked as illustrated with the black on the black spot.
2. Order of play is determined by the flip of a coin.
3. The opening player plays at the object balls from baulk. An object ball must be pocketed, or at least TWO
object balls pass the middle line of the table to be classed as a “fair break”.
i. Failure to do so is a foul break and will result in the balls being re-racked.
ii. The opposing player then starts the game with two visits.
4. If the black is pocketed from the break shot, the balls will be re-racked and the same player will restart the
game. No penalty will be incurred. This applies even if a foul shot is played
5. If the Cue Ball is potted on a fair break it is a Non-Standard Foul that is penalised by the turn passing to
the opponent
6. Colours are determined by the first legally potted object ball. If one or more balls of both sets of object
balls are potted then that player must nominate his group of object balls.
7. If a foul is committed, before groups are decided, then those balls are ignored in determining the groups
to be played.
8. If a ball, or balls, are legally pocketed, this entitles the player to one additional shot and this continues
until the player either:
i. Fails to pocket one of their own set of allocated balls, or;
ii. Commits a foul at any time.
Properly Racked Coloured Balls
Standard Fouls
1. In off (white pocketed) – except in the case of a fair break
2. Hitting an opponent’s ball before hitting one of your own.
3. Failing to hit any ball with the white.
4. Jump Shot.
5. Hitting the black ball before hitting one of your own if there are balls of your own colour remaining.
6. Potting any opponent's ball.
7. Ball off the table.
i. Any object ball or the black ball, shall be returned to the black spot, or as near as possible to that
spot without touching any other ball, in direct line between that spot and the centre of the baulk line.
ii. If the white, then the white played from in hand.
8. If a player's body or clothing should touch any ball.
9. Player not having at least part of one foot on the floor.
10. Playing or touching with the cue any ball other than the white.
11. Striking the white with any part of the cue other than the tip.
12. Playing out of turn.
13. Playing before all balls have come to rest.
14. Playing before any ball(s) require re-spotting.
15. Striking the white with the cue more than once.
16. Playing a push shot.
17. Failing to nominate when required to do so.
18. Foul break as defined in rule 3.
Penalty Following a Standard Foul
1. The offending player loses their next visit to the table, giving their opponent two visits to the table.
2. If the white has come to rest on the playing surface, then the player having two visits may proceed to play
from where the white lies, or the white may be played from baulk. Moving the white to baulk does not
count as a shot, or visit.
3. On the first shot only of the first visit, the oncoming player may, without nomination, play the white on to
any ball without penalty, including any opponent's ball, or black ball.
i. If any object ball is pocketed directly, or by combination, the player is deemed to have pocketed a
legal ball, and continues with the first visit.
ii. The player must not pot the black ball, unless they are on the black ball.
4. When the player fails to pot a ball on the first or subsequent shot of the first visit, play then continues
with the second visit.
Loss of Game
1. If a player pockets the black ball before all the balls in their own group, the player loses the game.
2. A player going in off the black ball when the black ball is pocketed loses the game.
3. A player pocketing the black ball and any other ball on the same shot will lose the game. Except following a
foul when only the black ball and ball(s) of the opponents group are on the table, then with the first shot
of the first visit, the player may legally pocket the black ball as well as ball(s) of the opponent's group by
any combination and in any order.
4. A player who clearly fails to make any attempt to play a ball of their own group will lose the game.
5. If a player seeks to gain advantage by deliberately touching a moving ball or retrieving a ball dropping into
the pocket he/she shall lose the game.
General
Touching Ball
1. Touching opponent's ball or black ball - the player MUST play a ball of their own group.
2. Touching any ball the player is legally entitled to play - the player must play away from the touching ball,
and be deemed to have played that ball.
Player in Control
A player is said to be in control of the table from the time their body, cue, or clothing touches the table prior to their shot, throughout the visit, and up until the opponent does likewise prior to their visit. Any balls falling in when a player is in control shall be deemed to have been part of that players visit.
Completion of Game
The game is completed when the black ball is pocketed in any pocket, and all the remaining balls have come to rest.
Stalemate
1. Should any situation arise whereby a legal shot is impossible to play, then the frame shall be restarted.
2. If, in the opinion of the referee, neither player is allowing the game to progress or a stalemate situation has
arisen, then the frame shall be restarted. |
