Difference between American and English Pool Tables
Whether you were browsing our range of products or are looking for a specific pool table, you may have noticed that there are two different styles - English Pool Tables and American Pool Tables. When it comes to buying a table for your home or space, we understand that this may cause confusion or add another layer to the all-important decision - what pool table is the best one? What are the differences? Does it matter?
Both English and American pool tables give the player the joy of pool in different ways and here at Snooker and Pool Table Company, we are avid believers that each is as good as the other. We carefully design our tables to suit each game as well as your specifications and desires - want a modern looking English pool table, or a traditional design for your American pool table? Give us a call on 01268 777293 or send us an email at info@snookerandpooltablecompany.com.
If you're new to the world of snooker and pool, or you have your head in the game but aren’t sure of the specifics, here we’re defining the differences between English and American Tables to help you decide.
The English-style pool table came from quite noble beginnings - A number of Kings and Queens would play a game of pool as one of their many pastimes, so much so that it was even dubbed the "Noble Game of Billiards" in around the 1800s. Since then, the English game of pool has gone through a number of changes throughout the decades, but one thing has remained the same - it is the first and often most widely recognised form of the game.
Although pool table sizes do differentiate, particularly on custom builds, a traditionally regular-sized English pool table is 7ft and is therefore the size that most professional competitions also use. However, UK tables can also come in smaller sizes of 6ft or under if space is limited, or larger sizes of 8ft and up, all depending on the space you need to fill.
An English table will also have various features that sets it apart from its American counterpart. This includes distinctly smaller pockets, smaller billiard balls (around 56mm in size) and are typically played with cue sizes of 48 inches, or 57 inches. This ultimately depends on the space available, but for a more traditional game these are the cue sizes that are used.
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American tables are closely aligned to their English pool table counterpart in appearance, but diverge slightly on sizes. The standard American Pool Table is sized at either 8ft or 9ft, with the latter being the official size used when playing professional USA Pool. The standard cue used for playing is also a similar size to that of an English pool table, at around 58 inches.
Other features that the American Pool Tables hold over their English counterparts include billiard balls that are slightly bigger by 1mm, making that 57mm instead of the previous 56mm, and larger pockets around the table to accompany the increase in pool ball size. Around the table itself, the rails that work to keep the balls on the table are also known to frequently feature diamond system markings: these are used to improve accuracy and overall performance of the game, especially for those who are geometry-minded when it comes to play.
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If you're still a bit bewildered, we'll finish off with a comparison chart below, so that you can understand the differences between the pool cues, balls and the table itself:
Features of the table
Want to know more about English or American Pool Tables? Or how we can help you create the perfect table for your home? Get in touch with one of our team - our experts are on hand to provide advice, information and quotes for your very own English or American Pool Table.