Pool Tables

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Pool Tables

by Inside POOL Magazine

IP has published their Annual Pool Table Review issue every year since 2005.

In the July/August issue of Inside POOL Magazine released our Annual Pool Table Issue.  The issue quickly became one our best selling issues ever.  Here’s review from the Pool Table Issue.  The 2008 Pool Table Issue promises to be a spectacular issue and is a must have for anybody planning to purchase a pool table any time this year or in the near future. 

Don’t miss the 2008 Annual Pool Table Reviews.   Subscribe to Inside POOL Magazine and you’ll be guaranteed to receive the Annual Pool Table Issue. Subscribe to Inside POOL Magazine by clicking here.

Annual Pool Table Review Article

It’s a dream that a lot of people have had.  Of course, it’s a daydream, but nonetheless, it’s a good daydream.   Whether you live in a college dorm, have a loft of your own, or finally have saved enough to buy a home, you have always wanted that killer game room, that zenith of social status and good times rolled into one, with one magnificent centerpiece ruling over it—a pool table.
 If you should take your dream to the next level and go searching, beware.  For even the savviest buyer, the search for most dream tables turns into a nightmare.  The first problem is that most dreamers believe that there’s a pool table with their name on it waiting in the cellar of some little old lady who would be thrilled if they would give her $50 for her 70-year-old pristine Gold Crown and get it out of her way.  They just need to knock on a few doors, ask a few friends, and, if all else fails, look in the classifieds of their local newspaper.
 Let’s cut to the chase:  There’s no little old lady, there’s no cellar, there’s no pool table, and we’ll talk about the Tooth Fairy in another article.  The reality of it is that there may have been deals like those at one time, but they have long since gone the way of the dodo.  Ultimately, most dreamers come to realize that what they had was just a dream, but they still want to buy a pool table and resort to visiting their neighborhood billiard supply store. 
 Most do not let the smack in the face that reality just dealt them get it the way, but they usually are overwhelmed by what they see at their local billiard store.  Faced with what seems to be thousands of pool tables, the dreamer suddenly realizes that he needed to do his homework.  This is not a multiple choice that involves a blindfold and a pointer. And it isn’t the SAT’s, either.  It’s the centerpiece of the most important area in the world—your gameroom.  
 Before running off screaming into the night, let InsidePOOL Magazine be your guide into this forest of pool tables.  We have spent countless hours going over the pool tables available in the market and have chosen the ones that we would recommend.  Now, we know what you’re thinking.  We’ve also split the pool tables into categories of price so that dreamers can stay within the budget they need.  Sorry, we’ll help you pick your own pool table, but we won’t promise that you won’t ever miss a ball or lose a game on your own pool table.  That’s in the instructional section of this magazine. 

LAMINATE Pool Tables

Redington
The Redington Pool Table is a great example of beauty and functionality with a friendly price tag that doesn’t upset many.  The Connelly Redington is a great family table. Constructed from durable 1 1/2” thermally fused and American manufactured melamine instead of the cold rolled paper product typically seen on imported tables, the legs and cabinet can take a beating while maintaining a natural wood appearance. The Redington features 1” diamond-honed slate and solid kiln dried U.S. hardwood rail construction and is available in dark English oak, medium Renaissance oak, mahogany, or natural maple melamine.  The Redington has a suggested retail price of $2,495. 

For ordering information, please contact Connelly Billiards at 800-861-9619, or visit their website at www.Connellybilliards.com.

Metro
The unique design of the Brunswick Billiards Metro table combines the durability and precision necessary for tournament play along with the elegant styling of a home table. Featuring contemporary design with the craftsmanship and world-renowned playability that Brunswick is legendary for, the Metro will be at home in a billiards club or a private game room. The table is available in 8- and 9-foot sizes, and color options include black, maple, and blue.  The suggested retail price for the Metro is $2,749. 

For ordering information, please contact Brunswick Billiards at 800-336-8764, or visit their website at www.Brunswickbilliards.com.

VENEER Pool Tables

Prescott
The pictured Connelly Prescott is a two-tone variation of the standard Prescott, featuring a matte black maple veneer cabinet.  The solid wood carved legs are highlighted with either a honey or millcreek finish on the ball portion of the ball and claw design and matching honey or milano stain on the 6” hardwood top rail.  The Prescott offers great ball response owing to its Rapid Rail construction, 1 1/4” slate, and an oversized antique style cabinet which allows for a “direct connect” between the 1 1/2” cabinet and the slate.  Available in its original standard design in maple, red oak, or cherry veneer, the Prescott can also be upgraded as a hardwood table featuring any of the noted woods, or you can choose from solid knotty pine or Connelly’s latest wood offering, rustic hickory.  The suggested retail price for the Prescott is $3,495.  For ordering information, please contact Connelly Billiards at 800-861-9619, or visit their website at www.Connellybilliards.com.

Tiberon
Notable for its classic design and versatility, the Tiburon by DLT Billiards would look at home in almost any gameroom.  The rails and legs are made of solid maple, and the Tiburon is available in cherry, honey, teak, medium oak, and walnut oak stains.  Mother-of-pearl diamond sights decorate the rails, and the three-piece slate is one inch thick.  The Uni-frame support structure, which is below the solid-core board, offers style and support.  The suggested retail price for the Tiburon is $2,995.  For ordering information, please contact DLT Billiards at 888-782-2208, or visit their website at www.DLTbilliards.com.

SPECIALTY Pool Tables

Marquette
Relive the romance of a bygone era with the Marquette, an antique reproduction first produced by the Brunswick-Balke-Collender Company in 1912. Created in celebration of Brunswick’s 160th anniversary, only a limited number of these unique works of art will be produced, each one numbered on an engraved brass plate and certified authentic. This limited edition table is a stunning piece of Brunswick history featuring a unique, “sow-belly” baseframe, Italian olive wood veneer with geometric mother-of-pearl inlays, and sleek ebony pin-striping with a brandy finish. It is available in 8- and 9-foot models, and the suggested retail price is $23,499.  For ordering information, please contact Brunswick Billiards at 800-336-8764, or visit their website at www.brunswickbilliards.com.

Waterfall
Olhausen Billiards’ modern line of tables integrates twentieth-century styling, which is characterized by simplicity of form, absence of decorative ornaments, and an emphasis on functional concerns.  With their Waterfall table, art and functionality form a design destined to be a classic.  It is available in veneer oak or maple and has black diamond rail sights and leather pockets.  The suggested retail price for an 8-foot table is $8,350. 

For ordering information, please contact Olhausen Billiards at 800-866-4606, or visit their website at www.olhausenbilliards.com.

Firehole
An elegant but simple design gives the Firehole by Drawknife Billiards a true rustic elegance.  Shown in the Burl style, this Firehole features a rare assemblage of hard-to-find burl accents and medallions.  This table is an exceptional combination of man’s craftsmanship and nature’s unique art.  The Firehole design is also available in Standard and Wilderness model and begins at $14,000. 

For ordering information, please contact Drawknife Billiards at 800-320-0527, or visit their website at www.drawknife.com.

SOLID WOOD Pool Tables

Scottsdale
The Scottsdale is Connelly’s latest post leg design. Featuring massive hand-carved legs stretching from floor to frame, the Scottsdale combines a stylish double-arch cabinet, carved blinds, and wide 6” rails resulting in a handsome table that would fit in any upscale home gameroom.  Exclusive features found on Connelly Pinnacle Collection tables include one-and-one-quarter-inch thick tournament-sized slate, and the Connelly Rapid Rail construction.  The Scottsdale is available in heirloom-quality cherry, lustrous maple, traditional red oak, and other specialty woods. The Scottsdale has a suggested retail price of $5,995. 

For ordering information, please contact Connelly Billiards at 800-861-9619, or visit their website at www.Connellybilliards.com.

Huntington
Handcrafted to highlight its beauty and strength, the Huntington remains one of Olhausen Billiards’ most popular from generation to generation.  This table is made from the preeminent solid American hardwood available on the market.  It is available in solid oak or maple, with a variety of finishes, and has diamond pearlized rail sights and leather pockets.  The suggested retail price for an 8-foot table is $3,840. 

For ordering information, please contact Olhausen Billiards at 800-866-4606, or visit their website at www.olhausenbilliards.com.

CARVED Pool Tables

Columbia
The Columbia is one of DLT Billiards’ finest examples of beauty and functionality combined.  Some of the hand-carving artisans have over 30 years of experience in their field, and their hard work shows with this design.  Constructed of solid maple, the Columbia boasts hand-carved blind rails with mother-of-pearl diamond sights.  Its one-inch thick slate and the double-arch frame also boasts detailed hand carving.  The Columbia’s suggested retail price is $7,895. 

For ordering information, please contact DLT Billiards at 888-782-2208, or visit their website at www.DLTbilliards.com.

Cavalier II
This table by Olhausen Billiards captures the elegance of fine furniture with its ornate carving and is sure to be a beautiful addition to your family gameroom.  The highest detail and attention are paid to these tables, which are meticulously crafted by Olhausen Billiards’ master woodworkers.  Available in solid oak, maple, or specialty woods, the Cavalier II also has mother-of-pearl rail sights and leather pockets.  The suggested retail price for an 8-foot table is $9,975. 

For ordering information, please contact Olhausen Billiards at 800-866-4606, or visit their website at www.olhausenbilliards.com.

Lonestar
This variation of Drawknife Billiards’ Glacier table features six distinctive five-pointed stars reminiscent of designs out of the Old West.  As with the Glacier, the design accents and legs may be stained in a contrasting color.  This table also includes star-shaped sights in the rails, fashioned from a dark cocobola wood, to add to the overall Western look.  Pricing for the Lone Star begins at $6,800. 

For ordering information, please contact Drawknife Billiards at 800-320-0527, or visit their website at www.drawknife.com.

COMMERCIAL Pool Tables

Gold Crown IV
The Brunswick Gold Crown IV is the standard of the industry and the professional players’ table of choice.  It is available in mahogany with bronze or brushed nickel trim or matte black with chrome or brushed nickel trim. The Gold Crown comes in 8-foot pro and 9-foot sizes with either gully or drop pockets.  The Gold Crown IV is a world-class billiard table of legendary quality.  The Gold Crown IV has a suggested retail price of $7,999.  For ordering information, please contact Brunswick Billiards at 800-336-8764, or visit their website at www.brunswickbilliards.com.

Diamond Pro-Am
Designed for players by players, Diamond Billiard Product’s Diamond Second Edition Pro-Am has it all.  It features one 1-inch piece slates, Dymondwood rails, a leg-leveling system, and Simonis 860 cloth.  It also boasts the fastest and quietest ball-return system in the industry.  It is available in 19 different stains and starts as low at $4,175.  For ordering information, please contact Brian Miller at 812-288-7665, or visit their website at www.diamondbilliardproducts.com.

Cheapshot Billiard Supplies

Posted by admin as Product Reviews

Spending countless hours searching the web for the best deals on gameroom accessories and billiard supplies?  Inside POOL Magazine has a good tip. Cheapshotbilliards.com carries all the equipment your pool table has been needing, featuring quality supplies and accessories to keep both its style and performance in top physical condition, without breaking the bank. Carrying everything from Aramith Pool Balls to Instructional Trick Shot DVDs, Cheapshotbilliards.com is the premier online destination for all things pool-related, and even offers free shipping on each and every order over $50. Don’t forget to enter the “Name the Cheapshot Billiards Logo Contest” while you visit.

Experience Superior Performance & Design with a Players Cue.

One of the best selling cues in America for 11 years running, Players pool cues have long provided their customers with quality construction and exquisite design…all at an incredibly reasonable price. Each cue features a 100% North American hard rock maple shaft and a high-gloss UV finish, and offer increased protection against chipping and fading. The incredible selection of Players cues offered at Cheapshotbilliards.com also features Le Pro tips, high impact ferrules and exotic hardwood butts.

For a Quality Pool Stick at an Incredible Price, Choose a Lucasi Cue.

Ensuring high quality and a solid hit in each and every affordably priced cue, there’s no wonder why Lucasi is one of the most popular cues on the market. Excelling in both style and performance, Lucasi cues offer a wide array of features, including Uni-Loc, Quick Release Joints, Ivorine III Ferrules, and many more additions that come standard with every Lucasi cue. Cheapshotbilliards.com offers a fantastic selection of these remarkable cues.

Make Shots Like the Pros with a Viking Pool Cue.

Providing the straightness and structural integrity a professional needs in their pool stick, Viking cues are designed to reach unmatched levels of playability. Each and every Viking billiards cue is made to promote greater cue ball control and enhance shot accuracy. Adding to their charm is an original ferrule and a pro tapered shaft that’s been perfected for over 35 years. One of America’s oldest cue manufacturers, Viking has the experience to truly know what a player needs to reach the pinnacle of their performance.

Grab a Great Deal on Quality Pool Sticks

Featuring a wide selection of the most respected names in the business (such as Predator, Fury, Viking, Lucasi, Players, and many more), CheapshotBilliards carries a great selection of custom, bar, house, and two-piece pool sticks for every level of player out there, regardless of their age, sex, or ability.  Remember, the cue you carry shouldn’t be the most elaborate or expensive one in the pool room, but the one that makes the best fit with your own personal performance.

Take Your Game to the Next Level with McDermott

Widely known throughout the industry as the epitome of quality, McDermott cues are sure to make a noteworthy addition to any billiards collection. Crafted by some of the most highly-acclaimed American wood makers, McDermott utilizes a process that includes over 150 separate operations in the construction of each cue. Featuring hand-selected shafts made from North American Hard Rock maple, each McDermott billiards cue features wood that has been aged for up to two years, and made to ensure maximum straightness.

Hunting for an Extraordinary Cue? Try a Predator Shaft.

Used by a countless number of the billiard industry’s top professionals, Predator shafts are some of the most popular pool cue products on the market today. This is due to the fact that each Predator replacement pool cue shaft includes a patented ferrule and internal bore that allows you to shoot straighter, and helps reduce the tendency to buckle on impact. Their increasingly popular Z2 and 314 shafts (available in a variety of sizes) will dramatically reduce cue ball deflection, a feature that is helpful to just about every skill type out there.

Searching for a Billiards Cue at a Fantastic Price?

Just try to find a cue of this quality at a better price than a Rage. We dare you. Featuring strikingly beautiful inlays, and a shaft made of exotic hard woods (ranging from imitation bone, ivory, mother-of-pearl, and many more), it’s the perfect blend of good looks, exquisite craftsmanship, and affordability. With smooth, well-pressed Irish linen and truly eye-catching decal designs, you might think the look Rage pool cues are their best trait…until you take notice to how great it plays, that is.

Increase Your Play with a Dufferin Pool Cue.

A perfect example of the genuine quality that can be found in a pool cue, Dufferin has long been a top choice for many demanding billiard players. Dufferin pool cues are known for their consistently solid hit, offering a stiffness that increases the power of the strike by lessening both the distortion and the flex. In addition, the quality and style that has been a hallmark of Dufferin is greatly enhanced by their high-impact fiber ferrules, Le Pro tips and a high-gloss UV Finish. Their impressive selection ranges from budget-priced one-piece billiard sticks to incredibly high-quality two-piece cues.

Covers to Shield Your Prized Possession From Dust, Dirt, and the Occasional Cat. We got you covered…

We all know that maintaining a full-size pool table isn’t always cheap. As a responsible table owner, you’re going to want to do everything you can to protect, most likely, your largest gameroom investment. With the wide selection of stylish pool table covers at CheapshotBilliards.com, you can. These billiard table covers will help to prevent your table from the natural wear and tear that comes from pool balls, cue tips, and time in general. Cheapshotbilliards.com strongly believes that – as long as you can prevent them – unsightly scratches and wear to your pool table felt should never, ever, affect your playing experience.

Want to Keep Your Pool Sticks Safe?

As the most essential tool of your game, no one wants their pool cue rattling around in the backseat whenever they take it on the road. Thankfully, CheapshotBilliards.com offers a fantastic array of cue cases to ensure your sticks stay in top physical condition, even when they’re always on-the-go. Offering reliable soft cases to extremely durable hard billiard cases that will also hold your cue chalk and other cue accessories, these products will carry your cues from one tournament win to the next.

Illuminate that Wicked Bank Shot of Yours with Pool Table Lights.

Get ready to transform your game room into the ultimate eye-popper. In order to achieve an accurate shot, the right lighting is absolutely essential. Why not do it right and create a cool atmosphere while you’re at it?  Whether you’re looking for a down-and-dirty pool-hall feel or a classy look to show off your distinctive personal style, you’ll find it within our excellent collection of pool table lights. Good lighting will properly accentuate the rich greens of your felt, and provide that extra visual “pop” to your ball collection as they soar across the billiards table.

Play Like the Pros with Aramith, the Industry’s Leading Billiard Balls.

By far one of the most respected names in the industry, Aramith billiard balls meet all professional quality specifications, such as density, balance, diameter, roundness, color, gloss, hardness and weight. These balls feature remarkable endurance, and contain a hardened, vitrified surface with incredibly high density for exceptional impact and scratch resistance. BorderBilliards.com offers such great Aramith pool balls like the Pro TV Ball Set, as well as their Standard, Premier, and Premium Belgian Ball Sets.

Incredible Table Accessories To Maintain and Accentuate Your Prized Possession.

Now that you’ve got that dream pool table, the time has come to accessorize. Cheapshotbilliards.com offers an incredible selection of pool table accessories that are perfect for enhancing your game room and increasing the look and performance of your table. Pool table brushes are perfect for keeping your billiard table cloth tidy and scratch-free, and pool cue racks and floor stands are ideal for keeping your cues together and safe. Oh, and don’t forget about pool room furniture. Where else can your opponents plant themselves while you finish up that winning shot?

Sometimes, Your Playing Skills Aren’t the Only Thing That Needs Brushing Up.

Much like when you pamper your favorite pet, sometimes your pool table just needs a good brushing to let it know how much you care. Extending the life of your table cloth is crucial to enhancing your enjoyment of the game, and having a quality table brush on hand helps to ensure just that. Pool table brushes are perfect for cleaning both the table bed and underneath the rails, allowing you to eliminate excessive dust and dirt, and preserve the integrity of your game room centerpiece.

The Right Selection of Supplies & Equipment You Need for All Things Billiards.

Looking for a complete selection of the billiard supplies and accessories you need to create the ultimate game room? From Cues, Table Covers, Professional Pool Balls, to Instructional DVDs, Cheapshotbilliards.com has just the right collection of pool-related products you need…all at some of the best prices you’ll find anywhere on the web.

Pool Cues, Pool Sticks and Cue Sticks

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Pool Cues, Pool Sticks and Cue Sticks

Some call them pool cues, cuesticks, or even pool sticks. No matter what terminology you use, a cue stick is the most important piece of equipment that most pool players purchase.

Ask any great player and they’ll tell you that the most import piece of equipment that a pool player can own would is a pool cue. The modern two-piece pool cue has been around for over a century. The pool cue actually started as a mace , which was an instrument that had a club-like end and the player would simply scoot, shove or hit the cueball with as they desired. The o­ne-piece cue as we know it today when a leather tip was added at o­ne end so to decrease miscues. chalk soon followed aftwerwards and the evolution of english and spin took over the imagination of the players.

Players soon decided to travel with their own cues, since they noticed that they played better with a familiar instrument, and the two-piece cue became an overnight necessity. About that time, cuemakers invented methods to secure the two pieces of the cue. This spawned the invention of several modern-day joints that pool cues use today. Several advancements have been made to enhance the pool cue and it’s playing characteristics, but for the most part all cues have the same elements of construction; butt, shaft, joint, tip and ferrule.

 
There are numerous brands of pool cues available in the market today.  Most of the brands fall into two basic categories; custom cues or production cues.  Custom pool cues are cues that have hand chosen materials and have an artisan construct them to the highest qualities.  They would be synonomous with a Ferrari.   Production cues usually lack a portion of the hands o­n attention that a custom cue receives, but they also lack the price tag that accompanies the more sought after custom names.  Make no mistake, a good production cue will improve a players’ game.  Production cues can be synonomous with anything from a Ford Escort to a Cadillac or a Lexus. Prices range from $10 to over a $1000 in this category.  The best way to judge these cues is by the way they feel in your hand.

Pool Cues and Pool Sticks

Blaze Pool Cues, Cuetec Pool Cues, Hampton Ridge Pool Cues, Tempest Pool Cues, Lucasi Pool Cues, McDermott Pool Cues, Predator Pool Cues, Children’s Pool Cues, Viking Pool Cues, Joss Pool Cues, Pechauer Pool Cues, Sierra Pool Cues, Fury Pool Cues and House Cues, Bar Cues, One Piece Pool Cues.

What most players need to do is to get away from house cues that have lousy tips and varnished shafts.  These o­ne-piece cues or bar cues are synonomous with a subway or city bus.  They’ll get you top where you’re going, but it won’t be in style and rarely o­n time.  In a word, o­ne-piece cues offer limited playing characteristics.  The characteritic that most house cues lack is the materials of construction.  The most important of this category is the wood in the shaft.   It should be a Hard Rock Canadian Maple and not Pine or Ramin wood.  These woods are not flexible oand do not allow the cue stick to bend and apply english during the stroke.  A shaft that bends during the shot is like a loaded rubber band or spring that snaps back and releases energy into the cueball in the form of speed and spin.  So the next time you’re forced to shoot with a bar cue, choose the o­ne that has a shaft made from Canadian Hard Rock Maple. 

Visit InsidePOOL for information about pool cues, cue sticks, pool sticks and billiard cues.

Billiard Management Software

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