A Word on "Regulation" Tables

Heart and Soul

The table is the blood and body of good pool. The best shooter, equipped with the world’s best stick, would fare poorly on a table with broken pockets or on one too small to present a challenge.

Pool tables are typically rectangular with a 2:1 ratio play surface, length to width (in a variety of sizes). The best sized-table to play on is nine by four-and-a-half feet. Warning: Beware rip-offs due to the deregulated nature of pool competition worldwide! Table ads that guarantee "regulation size" mean nothing in particular, except that they have a 2:1 ratio. Even a tiny 4' x 2' table could be legally advertised as "regulation"!