Best Practices for a Great Game Room ( things to keep in mind when selecting your game tables )

by Great GameRooms June 26, 2019

There are many important things to consider when creating a game room. Whether you decide to have one or many different types of games for you and your guests to play or a whole full-blown arcade game room. There are many game options to consider, both new and classic depending on your space availability and budget. Billiard tables, poker tables, dartboards, shuffleboards, Foosball soccer tables, arcade games, pinball machines, ping pong tables and more.

Here are a few important factors to consider for some of these games ;

POOL TABLES

If you plan on making a pool table the center piece to your room, be sure to have enough space around your pool table to play with a 57 inch cue all around whether you choose an 8 x 4 foot table or a 9 x 4½ size pool table, if you'd like to keep your game within a regular cue size. The popular standard size 8 foot billiard tables are common in homes, hotels and bars. Although 9 foot billiard tables are more of a competition size and often found more often in pool halls and official competitions, they occasionally are preferred for residential use for a more challenging game on a long-term use basis. GreatGameRooms.Ca offers a few different models in 7 and 9 foot sizes, aside our whole collection that's available in the standard 8 foot size.

Not sure if your room layout is big enough for a pool table? Then check-out this helpful Room Size Billiard Table Selection Chart.

Trouble Shooter short pool cues allow you to use a well balanced shorter pool cue to fit a pool table in a smaller room - Click here for a full PDF brochure on Trouble Shooter short cues. When your game room has limited space, you may even want to consider using your pool table as a base for a Conversion Top style two-piece ping pong table top that just rests on your pool table and can easily be removed from the surface when you want to play pool. Your pool table can also be used to play a Snooker with a separate set of 2¼" Snooker balls. The pool tables we offer include your choice from over 18 Teflon protected Chapionship Invitational billiard felt colours - See the colour chart here to make your selection Pool Table felt colour choices.

SHUFFLEBOARD

A old European classic game that doesn't seem to fall out of fashion, Shuffleboard is a great add-on to any game room because it can be placed along a wall and will make better use of a lost awkward long space and of course add an extremely fun element to your room. It's easy enough for guests of almost all ages to play and has a variety of rules that can be adapted for the different player levels.

FOOSBALL SOCCER TABLES

Although they all more or less look the same, Foosball soccer tables to come in different configurations and some interesting design features that can make one model more fun or less frustrating than others. North American models tend to be made with the 3 goalie player figures on the net side rods at each end, unlike European models that typically only have a single goalie on the net side rod. Over a certain time, having a single goalie will offer a more challenging game and help develop your skill level. Sloped corners will help keep the ball in play and reduce dead-spots where the ball can get stuck. Player rods are made in two configurations with either straight-thru cabinet rods or telescopic rods. A telescopic rod prevents the rod from poking out the opposite side of the cabinet and may be a much better option when young children will be playing or present when the Foosball soccer table is being used. A good sturdy leg system should be considered to keep the table well anchored and stable during a match.

PING PONG TABLES AND CONVERSION TOPS

Table Tennis has been rapidly increasing in popularity over the last decade and can now be found not only in homes, but also often in schools, recreation centers, bars and even work spaces to keep employees active during their break times. It's a dynamic game and now even an Olympic Sport. Tables come in many different sizes, colors and features. There now even ping pong tables specifically designed to use outside that can withstand the elements when stored outside for an extended time. Most models can fold for solo play, practice or for easier moving and storage. If you're considering a model that your can on occasion store away, be sure that it has rolling casters, that it can easily fold and may even be better if stored in two detached pieces. Square tube frames tend to provide more strength and stability, the thicker the square tube, the heavier and more stable the table. Keep in mind that a regulation size table should be 2.74 m ( 9.0 ft ) long, 1.525 m ( 5.0 ft ) wide and 76 cm ( 2.5 ft ) high with any continuous material so long as the table yields a uniform bounce of about 23 cm ( 9.1 in ) when a standard ball is dropped onto it from a height of 30 cm ( 11.8 in ). If you plan on nurturing a future pro in your household or you want to practice to play on a regulation size table somewhere else, make sure your table size is within those ITTF ( International Table Tennis Federation ) standards.

DARTS AND DARTBOARDS

Darts and dartboards come in a variety of size, qualities and colors. There are competition worthy designs when it comes to dartboards, thinner wire profiles that will interfere much less with the game. Unicorn and Winmau are two brands that have been most commonly used in Word Competitions. When it comes to darts, there are some matters of weight and flight shape preferences to consider but often require much play to refined a preference between 18 to 40 grams). Most players use darts within a range of 18 to 23 grams when using brass dart shafts and a range from 23 to 26 grams when using tungsten made darts. The maximum weight of a dart used for competition is 50 grams, as allowed by most regulatory competition governing bodies. A dartboard should be installed at 5 feet 8 inches from the floor to the bullseye as a standard height and a distance of 7 feet 9.25 inches from toe-line ( a.k.a throw-line ) to the front of the dartboard ( not the wall ).