Pool and billiard tables can be a great addition to any business where the public gathers, whether it's in food service, hospitalities or shopping, but part of administrating this leisure resource is supplying the additional gear players need to enjoy your table. With a few quick buys, you can set up your contemporary pool tables for day to day use.

Specialized companies offer billiards gear online, with competitive pricing and demonstration of quality, so that with just a few clicks, you can have your billiards supplies on the way to you. In addition to purchasing issues like pool table financing, managers with new pool tables might look for:

1. Racking triangles for starting each new game and chalk for cues.

2. Cue sticks that players will be able to rely on for long-time play

3. Comprehensive billiards sets offering all of your billiard pool tables supplies in one easy purchase.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Get racking triangles for pool and billiard tables

Whether your table is coin-operated or staff-supervised, players will need these simple contraptions to begin each game. The classic eight ball game uses an equilateral triangle: other games have different racking positions. A triangle is the minimum for supplying players with racking tools.

I recommend: Get affordable plastic pool triangles at Border Billiards. Or, for not much more, you can get stylish and durable wood triangle models as well as specialized game holders for nine ball and more at the Billiard Warehouse.

Get cue sticks for pool and billiard tables

When it comes to cue sticks, the tools players actually use to compete at the table, there's a big difference between a minimum buy and a good, quality cue you can rely on. Cheaper cue sticks can warp and diminish the quality of play. Choosy players will pay attention to whether cue sticks are in good condition. Choose sticks according to your needs for your business.

I recommend: Get quality brand name McDermott cues at Pool and Billiards. For more quality maple cues as well as free shipping offers, try Pool Cue Expert.

Find supply sets for pool and billiard tables

Other vendors can get you everything, from cues and triangles, to chalk, replacement balls, and more in a billiards set. Look at the product information pages to see what all the set includes for long-term play.

I recommend: Overstock.com's 32 piece billiard set includes everything you need to set up your table right. Find more detailed pool sets, including felt for used billiard pool tables, and more at Lakeside Billiard Supply.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Look at all of your options for getting this leisure activity onsite. From deals on used pool billiard tables, financing on pool tables, or billiards tables for rent, you can find different ways to get tables that fit into your budget. Then, focus on great supplies purchases that fit the length of time you will be keeping your tables running.

Pool and billiard tables come in a number of designs depending on the type of cue sport you play. The billiard pool tables most people have for home entertainment are 8- or 9-foot pool tables, though other shapes and sizes are available.

Contemporary pool tables also are available in a variety of designs. Some remind you of antique billiard designs, while others use new materials and aesthetics. Some new tables even offer multiple uses as convertible furniture.

When shopping for pool and billiard tables, look at the following:

1. Look at a number of leg designs to pick the basic shape of the wood and browse different stains for a wood tone to match your decor.
2. Check out convertible tables or custom tables for special orders.
3. Shop for a coin-operated pool table for business use.
4. Look for economy lines or used pool table dealers for less expensive options.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Look at different designs for pool and billiard tables

Whether contemporary or antique, billiard pool tables come in a variety of wood carving styles. Browse entertainment furniture collections to get an idea of the styles you're interested in, from wood shape to a stain color that matches your decor.

I recommend: Compare the differences in pool tables at Pool Tables USA. Curved legs give pool billiard tables a more classic look, while straight legs are more common for contemporary pool tables. Browse dark, medium and light wood stains in various models of pool and billiard tables to select a table that matches your home decor. Also look out for pool table financing deals a company is offering as you browse their options.

Shop coin-operated pool and billiard tables for your entertainment business

Coin-operated pool and billiard tables come styled as both antique and contemporary pool tables depending on the atmosphere of your bar, arcade or other business. Many coin-operated pool tables are available in non-coin operated versions, so the pool and billiard tables in your business can be identical to those purchased for the home.

I recommend: Browse several coin-operated pool and billiard tables at Billiard Pool Tables Direct to see the many sizes and styles available. Also check out the coin and coin-free pool tables at Global Billiards Manufacturing that can be switched between coin operation and coin-free operation, and also feature computerized variable pricing.

Look at specialty pool and billiard tables

Pool and billiard tables today can be found in several exciting options for people purchasing new. Convertible models allow multiple uses and you can use one as a dining table until you're ready to play. Custom pool tables are easy to customize and order online to your specifications.

I recommend: Hamilton Billiards' convertible pool tables are the answer for people who want a pool table but don't have the space. If you've browsed some billiard pool tables and can't find one that quite suits your decor, you can build your own table easily online at Brunswick Billiards by selecting the model, stain color and cloth color, among other features.

Search used billiard pool tables and economy lines for cheaper options

Pool and billiard tables can be costly, but many reputable manufacturers have begun producing economy lines of entertainment furniture targeting students and young professionals. Used pool billiard tables also are fairly easy to find, although a local dealer is best for quality assurance.

I recommend: Browse an economy series of new pool tables from Pool Tables USA to see if economy tables are in your price range.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Pay attention to the pool table financing being offered by the company from which you purchase your pool table. Financing on pool tables can be difficult to obtain independently if you are uncertain about your credit, and may be easier with a company that is running a promotional special.

A pool or billiard table can be a great addition to a restaurant, an arcade, a hotel or any other kind of business where the public generally puts in time. The pool table can be a great amenity or a way to make side money in a "pay to play" scenario. Either way, there are some elements that can help business owners get the best return on the purchase of a pool table.

From how you buy your table, to the way that you utilize it in a facility, business operators can find good information online about making the most of pool and billiard tables. Managers looking to add a pool table into an existing business area might look for:

1. Best deals on pool and billiard tables or how financing on pool tables can make a difference.

2. Types of tables for either amenity use or for paying customers to play.

3. Ways to set up the table within a greater business environment to maximize the revenue and impact of the table.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Get a good deal on pool and billiard tables

One way to get the best purchase is to find out about relative pricing and how to get a good table without paying more than what it's worth. Use these online resources to get what you pay for when ordering pool and billiard tables for your business.

I recommend: Find out about the pricing of different categories of tables like mini pool billiard tables or contemporary pool tables at the ACPT Consumer Guide to Pool Tables online. Find more information on economic pool table buys from the Ideamarketer's Guide to Discount Pool Tables.

Get coin-operated pool and billiard tables for easy revenue

One of the main ways a business makes money off of a pool table is through coin-operated models that do their own vending. Other businesses use counter staff to regulate pay-to-play, but with coin-operated models, no human labor is required (beyond minimal supervision and maintenance). A coin-operated table can help you get the most out of your addition.

I recommend: The Los Angeles based Global Billiard Manufacturing sells coin-operated models to boost business by attracting players and raking in coin cash daily. Get more coin-operated models like this Great American Legacy table at Gold Star Games.

Get deals on used pool tables and pool table financing

Looking to ease the bottom line of your purchase? Get competitive deals on used pool tables or find financing on pool tables to get a table into your business at a price you can afford.

I recommend: Get a lot of information and some used buys at Used PoolTable, a nationwide vendor. Look for financing deals including 1 year at 0% and other attractive options at Pool Tables Direct, another online provider with an eye for helping you budget in your purchase.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  When you're considering adding high dollar items like pool and billiard tables to your shop, it helps to have an overall business plan for the addition. When you think about how much revenue the table can bring in, then you can figure out how fast it will pay for itself, and look into things like used billiard pool tables, pool table financing or billiards tables for rent to match expenditures with anticipated revenues.

Owning a pool hall can be great fun and lead to great profits, but there are a lot of pool and billiard table key terms you should know before you start buying equipment. This terminology will allow you to familiarize yourself more with the industry and know what players will be discussing when they patronize your establishment. It'll also help you keep an eye on your equipment to know when it's time to replace things.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Rack

This is a piece of wood or plastic in the shape of a triangle or diamond; it holds the billiard balls in place so they can be arranged on the table. It is used for racking various billiards games, such as '8 ball' and '9 ball.' Triangular racks are sometimes called triangles.

I recommend: Border Billiards emphasizes that no matter which type of rack you use, the balls always need to be racked tightly.

Rails and cushions

The sides of the playing surface are lined by rails. These are rubber and covered with felt and allow the balls to bounce off and back into the playing field. Every table has six total rails (two along each side and one along each end). Another name for the rail is 'cushion.'

I recommend: Learn how to care for the rails on your table at Cloudbow Billiards.

Carom

In billiards, balls are caroming off each other all the time, meaning that they are constantly knocking into one another as players try to sink their balls. While this is the whole point of the game, you will notice that over time, your billiard balls will become scratched and scuffed because of this. You may hear this term referring to a game called 'carom billiards,' which is played on a table without pockets, but this is not played commonly in the United States.

I recommend: You can find out more about carom and caroming at billiardsforum.info. Try BilliardsExpert.com for videos of carom billiards and caroming.

Head string

This is usually an imaginary line at the 'head' of a billiard table. This is the end that the player breaks from, and also the end that the player would shoot from if his opponent scratched. In either case, the player is required to place his cue ball behind the head string, giving him about a quarter of the table to choose from for this placement.

I recommend: You can check out billiardsforum.info for more details on the head string.

Snooker

This is a billiard game that originated with the English, but has more recently become popular in the United States. A snooker table is significantly larger than a pool table and the balls are not numbered.

I recommend: The United States Snooker Association goes over the rules and regulations of the game as well as what supplies are needed.

Ball return

Many bar pool tables have a chute that will return the cue ball to one end of the table. This is common with coin-operated billiard tables, but some non-coin-operated tables will do it as well. The cue ball, in these cases, is magnetized, which allows the table to differentiate it from the rest of the balls and return it to the players.

I recommend: The article at Play89 describes how ball returns work with billiard tables.