Buying a snooker table
What is snooker?
Snooker is a game played on a
table in which a white ball, struck with a cue, is used to hit
fifteen red balls and six balls of different colours into pocket. It
is a game which is traditionally played on a full size (12ft x 6ft)
slate-bed table. The game can also be played on proportionately
under-sizes tables, at 11ft, 10ft, 9ft and 8ft (10 reds balls would
normally be used for this smaller table).
What size of snooker table to buy?
If you are a serious snooker
payer, or want to become a serious player, then you should buy a
full size table if you have the available space. As a comfortable
guide to calculating the room-space required, add a cue length (say
5ft) to the table dimensions (say 12 ft x 6ft) to allow for a room
dimension of say 22ft x 16ft. For under-size snooker tables
calculate downwards proportionately. If your calculations are tight
there are probably marginal allowances that can be made, but it is
recommended you contact us first before you proceed.
Buying a second-hand full size snooker table
There are many second hand
full size tables advertised on E-bay or other similar sites. The
prime market for these tables is generated by club-closures.
Individual private owners also sell through this medium. Potential
buyers need to be aware , however, that the costs associated with
dismantling, transporting and reassembling these tables will often
be greater than he value of the table itself particularly as a
table-removal will likely require a cloth recover. Most buyers will
also prefer to have the table-parts stripped and re-polished. As
such the overall cost of a second hand table, even at a knockdown
price, can also be greater than the inclusive price of a brand new
table.
Buying an antique full size snooker table
Because of the factors
mentioned above, even older snooker tables and snooker tables with a
well-known name or pedigree have a residual value less than most
owners expect. Snooker is very much a niche market in which only a
handful of experienced of dealers have the knowledge and resources
to be able to operate professionally. Such dealers will tend to
bring together individual buyers and sellers often through third
parties, and therefore there are few shop-windows. If you are a
potential buyer or seller you should contact a specialist dealer if
you want a snooker table with a good provenance and high-level
snooker functionality.
Customer protection
Warranty on snooker tables:
All snooker tables bought or
commissioned directly or indirectly from this website are subject to
our own warranty of satisfaction and those warranties of
satisfaction given by the manufacturer. In particular, we also
recognise our obligations under the Sale of Goods Act, and comply
with our obligations under the Distance Selling Regulations 2000,
not least in enabling customers the right of a cooling-off period
within 7-days of placing an order, plus the added right of rejection
and cancellation (with no financial penalty) should they be
dissatisfied with the table upon installation.
Ordering and payment:
The tick-box enquiry forms on
the website are there to enable the many table options to be
presented, and to simplify customer enquiries. They are not part of
any formal ordering process. Orders are always arranged through
personal contact by telephone, fax or email. Except for
special bespoke orders a deposit of 35% is payable at the time of
order by cheque, bank transfer or by debit card. Settlement of the
balance is after the table has been installed, and to the customers
satisfaction. Settlement, upon presentation of a sales invoice, is
by bankers draft or pre-arranged money transfer. Our card payments
(for deposits against tables, or for settlement against playing
accessories) are processed by
Barclaycard Business and can be made by mail fax or phone.
Contracting to buy a snooker table:
The main products of snooker
tables purchased through this Matchtable / snooker-tables website
are sold by Corporata Ltd, and it is Corporata Ltd that enters into
contract with those seeking to buy snooker tables unless it has been
agreed otherwise, or that Corporata is specifically acting as agent
for another seller. We enter into all agreements in good faith and
under our warranty indicated above
Privacy notice:
We do not accept payments
directly through this website therefore there is no Internet Privacy
issue concerning financial data. However we observe the conditions
of our card-processor, Barclaycard Business, in the handling of
"non-present" or telephone orders. We also observe the conditions of
our Bankers, Cater Allen Ltd, in the administration of cheque
payments and Inter-bank transfers. We collect customer details in
our response to customer enquiries and in our response to brochure
requests. We observe our obligations under the Data Protection Act.
We do not release this information to third parties other than that
is necessary in the fulfilment of customer orders.
Trading overseas:
We do not export our pool
tables or snooker tables. All tables are priced in sterling and
include VAT at the prevailing rate.
Phone us on 02380 276806 or
email us if you have any queries on these terms
History of Snooker
Snooker's invention
Snooker, as a
cue sports game, was invented in the 19th century by officers in the
British Army officers in India. It was a variation on one of the
many Billiard games popular at the time - uniquely adding a sequence
of coloured balls.
Snooker as a sport
Snooker became
more popular and less elitist, and in 1927 the first World Snooker
Championship was held. Joe Davis dominated these championships for
the next 20 years although after the War, the popularity of the
sport declined. However, following the introduction of colour TV in
1969 snooker was turned into a mainstream sport attracting massive
audiences at its peak in 1985. Until recently the sport was confined
mainly to the UK and the English speaking commonwealth, although it
is now emerging as a major national sport in China.
Snooker: the basic game
Snooker is a
game that uses 22 coloured balls. When they are potted each player
accumulates points as follows:
15 x red balls
each scoring 1point
1 x black ball scoring 7 points
1 x pink ball scoring 6 points
1 x blue ball scoring 5 points
1 x brown ball scoring 4 points
1 x green ball scoring 3points
1 x yellow ball scoring 2 points
1 x white cue ball
The aim is for
the player to build up a “break” of points by continuously potting
balls starting with a red ball followed by any of the colours. When
all the reds have been cleared from the table the colours are potted
in the sequence of ranking points starting with the yellow and
finishing on the black (the maximum break for an un-interrupted
table clearance is 147). For normal play, breaks are
interrupted by a failure to pot any given ball or by a foul shot
(when the wrong ball is potted or struck and which concedes 4 points
to the opposing player). An important element of the game is to play
defensive shots which place the opponent in a position where a foul
shot is difficult to avoid (referred to as a “snooker)
Tournament snooker
The World
Professional Billiards and Snooker Association (WPBSA) was formed in
1968 to provide governance for international competition amongst
professional snooker players. The professional tour is organised by
World Snooker based in the UK. International Billiards and Snooker
Federation (IBSF) is responsible for the amateur snooker game
The most
prestigious professional tournament is the Snooker World
Championships now held every year since 1927 and famously at the
Crucible Theatre (Sheffield) after 1977. There are other important
snooker ranking tournaments including the UK Championships and the
“The Masters”.
Equipment for a full size domestic snooker table:
First, a set of full size
snooker balls with 15 reds (undersize tables usually play with 10
reds) plus a triangle to contain the balls at the game start-off.
Chalk cubes are also required
Second, a rack of cues.
Cue-racks hold a minimum of 6-cues. Snooker cues will normally have
a narrower tip-point (11mm) than American and European cue sports
Third, a series of cue-rests
to allow for cuing outside normal reach. A cues rest is a stick
(similar in length and weight to a normal cue) with various metal
(brass or chrome) heads to form a "rest" for the cue: a cross rest
for open play; a spider rest to cover an obstructing ball; and an
extended spider rest (and swan-neck rest) to cover a group of
obstructing balls. These rest heads (plus other variants) are also
added to "long tackle" and "short tackle" sets. These are made up of
the full butts and half buts which are elongated cues/rests for use
where a normal cue and rest cannot reach (most players now also use
various screw in extensions to increase the length of their
preferred cue.
Fourth. As snooker is a points
scoring game a 4-player scoreboard is required.
Fifth. For serious play,
over-table lighting is recommended either in the form of a shade
with fluorescent tube or as a 6-bulb source.
Finally, for table
maintenance: a table bush and a table iron.
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