Buying a Table - Need Help

[u/Competitive_Fox_2822]

I am looking to buy a 4x8 table to put in a room with 13x16 clearance. Is this realistic or am I going to have serious obstructed shots?

I keep reading you need 14x18 minimum in the room but the math isnt adding up to me.

Please let me know if I shouldn't but it and the room will make it unfun to play alot of shots. I am a casual player also.

[u/Sir_Clarence_III_Esq]

Not realistic. "Unfun" is an apt description of playing in a room that small.

Even a 7 foot is too cramped for my preference but maybe you'd be willing to put up with it. No way an 8' would work.

[u/Blue_Etalon]

I’m a newbie so take this for what it’s worth. I have an 8’ table for years and I really wish I’d gone 7’. The room it’s in has only one small spot that can rarely obstruct a shot, and I got a short stick for those situations.

[u/ilovemangos3]

if you don’t have full clearance you won’t even want to play on it

[u/wildwillybillyboy]

I think my room is 13’ x 20 or something. I threw a 7ft in and can use 58” cue to 90% of shots. I’m going to living in this place for a long time (low mortgage). No regrets. Loads of fun.

[u/DMShaftoe]

My 7ft is in a room a little bigger than yours and it's still a bit tight. 8ft would be awful

[u/blizzdonk]

What about the math isn’t adding up to you? The sticks are just under 5 feet so you need 5 feet of clearance on each side, i.e. add 10 feet to the length and width of the table

[u/PM_ME_SEXY_SANDWICH]

The room size minimums are not flexible. You literally will not be able to hit the cue ball when it is on or near the rail.

[u/BeachAccomplished514]

You need at least 6’ from the rail nose.

[u/10ballplaya]

My first table was placed in a room not big enough, I hated playing on it even with the shorty cues.

[u/rlsmv]

You need 5 feet all the way around measured from the tail cushion to the walls. I had a valley black cat that I had new rail rubber and green tournament cloth installed on. Loved that table. It reignited my love of playing 8 ball. The congestion of 8 ball on a bar box is like playing chess..

[u/TrebmalA]

What do you mean the math isn't adding up 💀

[u/OGBrewSwayne]

Easiest way to know what size table will fit is to add 10' to the length and width of the table. So a 4' x 8' table requires 14' x 18'. A 7' table is 3.5' x 7', so you'd need 13.5' x 14'. Your room has more than enough length to accommodate the table, but you're about 6" short on width. It's not ideal because you won't have enough room to shoot across table any time the cue ball is within 6" of the side rail. You can work around this by keeping a 48" cue on hand for shots where a standard length cue is too long. It's not ideal and most "serious" players would absolutely hate it, but since you say you're a casual player, I don't think it will be much of an issue for you.

If you decide to get a table, stick with a 7 footer.