A table for two

A pool table is not only a great recreation option for a leisurely afternoon but also ups the cool quotient of your living room. The author tells you where to buy one and for how much

During the late 1990s and early noughties, there was an explosion of cue sports in India. Not that the country hadn't already produced world class players, from Michael Ferreira to Pankaj Advani, but it was only then that towns - small and big - saw the mushrooming of pool and snooker parlours. The craze, it seems, has certainly cooled now. But the green baize still affords a leisurely afternoon recreation.

A pool or a billiards table - space permitting - is a great addition to any home. They have a long life, provide lots of entertainment and certainly up the cool quotient of your living room. So where do you go looking for a pool table and how much do they cost?

First identify what kind of table you're looking for. Is it pool you want to play or snooker or billiards? Pool tables, of course, take up less space than a full-sized snooker table.

Billiards tables come in a standard size of 12ft x 6 ft whereas pool tables come in different shapes and sizes-mainly 8x4 and 9x4.5. So depending on the space available, make your choice.

Always opt for a slate-bed table - be it for pool or snooker - as it has a longer life than wood-bed tables. The Indian slate billiards tables are relatively cheaper than the ones that are imported. The cost of a standard Indian slate 12x6 billiards table starts from Rs 80,000 and goes up to Rs 1.15 lakh. Keep in mind that this doesn't include any cues or accessories, though that may depend on the dealer you're buying from. Lodhi Sports, located in Mehrauli - a south Delhi neighbourhood - is a good place to buy pool or billiards table. There are several shops in the outer circle of Connaught Place as well that sell both second-hand and new tables. In Bangalore, Snooker Alley in Shanthi Nagar caters to all the needs of cue sports fans.

The imported slate billiards tables start at Rs 1.5 lakh and go up to Rs 2.5 lakh, with brands like Wiraka, Riley and Shender making sturdy tables. The cost of the table also depends on the kind of cloth used. The more expensive tables are crafted from mahogany wood and come with steel-cushioned pockets. The cue sticks come in different tip sizes of 9mm, 11mm, 12mm and 13mm. and are priced between Rs 1,000 and Rs 3,000. A snooker ball set costs Rs 3,000-5,000. The "Made in China" ball set, however, comes as cheap as Rs 1,200.

Since most pool parlours have shut shop, there's a huge market for used tables. On sites like eBay or olx, you can get pretty good deals, with tables priced as low as Rs 40,000. However if you're in the market for a brand new pool table, then you will have to shell out in excess of Rs 60,000. Just like billiards, an imported pool table costs more than the Indian ones. The 8x4 American pool table range starts from Rs 75,000 and goes up to Rs 1.35 lakh. A pool ball set costs Rs 2,500-Rs 3,000.

Maintenance of a pool or billiards table isn't an easy job. You do get table brushes but it's better to use a vacuum cleaner to keep the table clean. Be careful while trying tricks and stunts with the cue, as a potential tear would require you to replace the entire cloth. Use a good polish to clean the wooden parts of the table. Dealers like Snooker Alley and Lodhi Sports also offer an annual maintenance contract.