What Size Pool Table?

Feb 5, 2012

Are you trying to figure out what size pool table you have? Or, are you looking to buy a pool table and aren’t sure what size will work for you? We are about to take the mystery out of pool table sizes and answer both of these questions.

Different pool table manufacturers use different width rails, so the industry standard is to measure your playing field. You should also know that a seven-footer isn’t truly 7′, an eight-footer isn’t really 8′, and so on. Some people also are convinced they have one size and they really have another.

If you already own a pool table and just want to know what size you have. Find a tape measure and measure in (inches) between the cushion tips on the short end of the pool table (see the photo of an 8′ right). Don’t measure under the cushion tip or inside the pocket. The length is typically double the width, but if it makes you feel better you can measure lengthwise, too.

Typical pool table sizes are:
7′ — 39″ x 78″ or 40″ x 80″ (sometimes called bar size)
8′ — 44″ x 88″ (sometimes called standard size)
Pro 8′ — 46″ x 92″ (this is a standard 8′ antique size)
9′ — 50″ x 100″ (sometimes called tournament size)

But let’s say you are looking to buy a pool table and want to know what size will work best for your space. First, measure the room you are thinking about putting the pool table in.

A standard length cue stick is 57-58 inches. Ideally, you need enough space around your pool table to shoot when your cue ball is up against a rail. Since we know how large the playing field is on different sized pool tables and the size of a cue. We can come up with the room size needed for a pool table. In a perfect world, your home would have a perfectly proportionate room for your pool table. Unfortunately, this isn’t the case in most homes. People have large furniture that cannot be moved, fireplaces, angled walls, etc. They also have rooms that are long enough or wide enough, but not both.  Don’t fret if you don’t have the ideal-sized room. Chances are a pool table will still work.

Take your measurements and refer to our pool table room chart. The room sizes along the bottom row are the ideal width and length, but if you are a little tight on a side or an end, you can always use a shorter cue like a 52″ or a 48″. We even have cue sticks as short as 42″ and even 36″. Now, this doesn’t mean that you’ll have to use this short cue all the time, just for the shots when the cueball is really close to a rail. But, if your room size is in the top row, you may want to consider buying a smaller pool table.

You can also tape off the size of the playing field on the ground or even use a bed sheet to get a visual of the space needed. If you are still in doubt, give us a call. We can help you determine if a pool table will work in your room.