# What size pool table should I buy? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 1, 2004, 4:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-size-pool-table-should-i-buy/277449 "2004-12-01T04:15:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Fritz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c57346/32.png) [@Fritz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fritz)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2004, 4:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-size-pool-table-should-i-buy/277449/21 "2004-12-02T04:57:55Z")
Sorry - a hijack here - I’m quite taken with Snooker - the best sources in the US for Snooker tables…? ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2004, 6:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-size-pool-table-should-i-buy/277449/22 "2004-12-02T06:44:27Z")
Sorry, but 10’ just isn’t wide enough for a pool table. I have a 4 x 8, and in my last house the room was just slightly over 13’ wide - and it was tight. Or think of it this way - a 4’ wide table is only going to be 36" from the wall, and a cue is about 54" long. That means you can’t play a straight shot almost any time you are perpendicular to the wall. You would essentially be forced to play with 36" cues. Also, having two and a half feet available on each side of the table isn’t enough to get a good stance. ---
**Author:** ![Shade](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2bfe46/32.png) [@Shade](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shade)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2004, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-size-pool-table-should-i-buy/277449/23 "2004-12-02T15:54:23Z")
> [@Plan B](#): > > Love this board! I’ll talk to the contractor tomorrow. Any ideas on how to do this without spending more than it would cost to buy a new basement? I’m thinking (1) LITERALLY lateral thinking and (2) any good ideas on how not to move the balls while rotating the table? ---
**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2004, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-size-pool-table-should-i-buy/277449/24 "2004-12-02T16:28:19Z")
> [@MrO](#): > > Whoa. I just got out of bed, but I’m thinking that a three and a half inch by seven inch pool table wouldn’t even be big enough to rack the balls on. Are you sure you meant inches? 😉 :smack: Thanks for the catch. ---
**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2004, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-size-pool-table-should-i-buy/277449/25 "2004-12-02T16:31:38Z")
> [@Plan B](#): > > We’re almost finished renovating our basement. We’ll have an area which is 10 feet wide by about 15 feet long for a pool table. Wait a minute – I just noticed this. This 10’ x 15’ area … is it not bounded on all four sides by walls? Because if not, there may be hope yet. Perhaps items in the basement can be rearranged in a creative manner? ---
**Author:** ![Bippy\_the\_Beardless](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ac8455/32.png) [@Bippy\_the\_Beardless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bippy_the_Beardless)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2004, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-size-pool-table-should-i-buy/277449/26 "2004-12-02T17:44:57Z")
> [@Shade](#): > > I’m thinking (1) LITERALLY lateral thinking and (2) any good ideas on how not to move the balls while rotating the table? I susspect the rotating bed uppon which the table is placed would have to be extremely smoothe and slow to avoid upsetting the balls on the table, it would I’m sure have to be custom built and cost a lot more than increasing the size of the basement. Also I susspect you would have to take about 5 minutes to rotate the table so time between shots would be a problem. I said lateral thinking, not realistic thinking, sorry 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Doctor\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctor_jackson/32/32_2.png) [@Doctor\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctor_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2004, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-size-pool-table-should-i-buy/277449/27 "2004-12-02T22:24:09Z")
> [@](#): > > (2) any good ideas on how not to move the balls while rotating the table? Velcro! ---
**Author:** ![Plan\_B](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Plan\_B](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Plan_B)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2004, 5:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-size-pool-table-should-i-buy/277449/28 "2004-12-03T05:14:46Z")
> [@Bippy the Beardless](#): > > I susspect the rotating bed uppon which the table is placed would have to be extremely smoothe and slow to avoid upsetting the balls on the table, it would I’m sure have to be custom built and cost a lot more than increasing the size of the basement. Also I susspect you would have to take about 5 minutes to rotate the table so time between shots would be a problem. I said lateral thinking, not realistic thinking, sorry 😉 Damn! I was hoping I could buy one of those 2" x 2" Lazy Susan things at the hardware store and just put a big piece of plywood on top of it. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Plan\_B](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Plan\_B](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Plan_B)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2004, 5:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-size-pool-table-should-i-buy/277449/29 "2004-12-03T05:16:34Z")
> [@bordelond](#): > > Wait a minute – I just noticed this. > > This 10’ x 15’ area … is it not bounded on all four sides by walls? Because if not, there may be hope yet. Perhaps items in the basement can be rearranged in a creative manner? No such luck; the ten foot dimension is the distance between two support walls in a brownstone. The fifteen foot dimension could be increased, but that’s not the problem. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-size-pool-table-should-i-buy/277449.md?page=1)