Great Shots

Connelly

In this era of tight budgets and “staycations,” you might be spending your entertainment dollars closer to home, and today’s game tables give “quality time” a new meaning. All types of game tables over a wide range of prices offer opportunities for fond memories and intense competition without sacrificing quality.

For billiards tables, there has been a noticeable push in the past few years among major manufacturers to maintain quality and hold prices down, largely in response to the wave of low-end imports and knock-off tables sold online.  

“The trend has been toward people outfitting entire game rooms rather than just buying a single pool table to put in a room,” says Sean Cummings, chairman of Billiard Congress of America (BCA). As fuel prices have increased, so has the selection and availability of home recreation products, he says. Many retailers offer complete game-room packages for one price. In some cases, we’re talking packages that cost more than $10,000. This is a lot of money, of course, but remember, in any case, the more you buy, the more likely dealers will knock off a percentage.

RACK 'EM UP. Picking the perfect pool table is not just a “guy thing” anymore, Cummings says. Manufacturers are operating under the premise that more women are now weighing in on the style, wood and finish of the tables. A few manufacturers make premium pool tables with stylish removable tops. These can double as dining tables. Also, “build your own table” design options are widespread, and many manufacturers allow you to choose finishes and leg styles to match your room décor. Some of those options come at no extra cost, although choices are as broad as your wallet is deep; and exotic woods, extreme designs, inlays and custom cloth can add thousands of dollars.

Interest in historic and antique furniture styles has prompted manufacturers to re-introduce designs from days gone by. There’s something appealing about a billiards table that would look right at home in a 19th century Wild West saloon but performs at 21st century standards. However, yesterday’s looks don’t come at yesterday’s prices; these high-end designs can cost from around $8,000 to well over $10,000.

And manufacturers are offering better cloth to go with new designs. Liquid-resistant cloth that allows liquids to bead up, not soak in, and that is easily cleaned is an innovation since we last covered game tables in 2004. Rob Johnson, chief executive officer of BCA, figures that consumers who have children or use the table as a reason to party will be particularly interested in this. In fact, you’d be hard-pressed now to find a pool table without a liquid-resistant cloth.

Of course, when it comes to how a pool table performs, slate remains the name of the game, and the industry standard now calls for 1 inch of slate. Models in all price ranges have that thickness—it’s offered in more than 85 percent of models that have slate. But now a few tables have 1-1/4-inch-thick slate, and Connelly’s six-legged behemoth dubbed The Ultimate features slate a full 2 inches thick. Although some experts think 2 inches of slate is overkill (and at $6,800 for The Ultimate, about double the price of a premium table, we agree), we have to admit that it delivers an impressive dead-silent roll—you won’t even hear the ball crossing the table!

(Editor’s Note: As the thickness—and thus weight—of the slate increases, getting a pro to assemble the table is crucial. Tables from major manufacturers are sold through licensed dealers who are trained in installation. If you hire your buddies and they mess up the job, expect your warranty to be voided. Replacing chipped or cracked slate can cost from $500 to more than $1,000 for an 8-foot table with 1-inch slate.