Billiard Pool Tables By Nicky Meintjies At Isnare.com Ezine Articles

A billiard table is rectangular shaped. The surface of the table is covered with green cloth. Though there are variations in the shape of billiard table and novelty tables are found in hexagonal, round, and zigzag shapes, the traditional rectangular shape is the most popular one. The rails of the table are raised and cushioned to facilitate the rebounding of the balls. There are two types of billiard tables: tables with pockets and tables without pockets. Tables with pockets are referred to as pocket billiard tables and these tables usually have six pockets that collect the balls. Of the six pockets four are found on the four corners of the rectangular table and two pockets are found facing each other in the middle of the longer sides of the table. The pockets in the corner are referred to as corner pockets and pockets in the middle of the longer sides are known as the side pockets. Pocket less billiard tables are used for a type of billiard known as carom, usually played with three balls.

The arrangement of billiard balls on the green bed of a pool table just before the break shot is sheer beauty. No other ball game offers so much color and variety as billiards does. In the game of Carom, a type of billiards played without pockets on the table, only three balls are used. One is a red ball and the other two are white balls with one of the white balls marked with a black dot. Sometimes a yellow ball is used instead of a white ball. The red ball is known as the "object ball". The white ball is the "cue ball" for the first player. The yellow or the dotted white ball is the cue ball of the second player.

Billiard tables come in various sizes: 3.5 feet by 7 feet, 4ft by 8ft, 4.5ft by 9 ft, 5ft by 10ft, and 6ft by 12 ft. For tournament play 4.5 ft by 9ft tables are preferred. Billiard bars and halls use 3.5 ft by 7 ft tables to cope with space constraint. Pool and snooker games use 10ft and 12ft long tables. The height of the table is such that it allows for a person of average height to bend over the table at the waist level and play shots comfortably. The side railings of the table are raised a few inches above the table surface, and they are cushioned with vulcanized rubber so that when the balls hit the railings they rebound allowing for amazing angles of stroke play. A green cloth covers the entire surface and the railings of the table.

The pockets of a billiard table are rimmed with leather or plastic. The balls are collected in a plastic or leather net and are channelled to a collection chamber through ball return troughs inside the table. Carom billiard tables don't have pockets. The surface of a carom billiard table is made up of slate, and often it is heated above room temperature to allow for faster play. International carom rules mandate that the bed of the table be heated for competition games.

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