Snooker vs Pool Table

Pool and snooker are two different games and the tables they are played on are also different, though they may look the same to people who do not know. The snooker table is different from the pool table in that it is larger; the balls used smaller, the pockets narrower and the pocket lead is curved. This does make it seem that snooker is the more challenging of the two games.

There is also a geographical and cultural dimension to the two games. This explains why pool is popular in the United States, while snooker is the game of choice in Britain and its former colonies of Canada, Australia and India, as also the Middle East and Europe. The officially sanctioned size for a pool table is 8 feet for regulation games and 9 feet for tournament games. In the case of snooker, the sizes are 10 feet for American and 12 feet for British tables.

The corner pockets are smaller than the side pockets in the case of pool tables, while they are the same in the case of snooker. The table markings too differ for the two games. In the case of pool, tables are marked with a head and foot spot, with the rack’s apex ball being put at the latter spot. The break is from behind an invisible line, which goes across the table at the head spot. In a snooker table a D marks the bottom (called head end in pool). A rack of 15 balls is placed at the top (foot end in pool). Numbered balls are placed on certain spots to which they are returned after being pocketed.

Another noticeable difference between the two is that pool tables will always have a playing surface ratio of 2:1 (in their 9 foot, 8 foot and 7 foot tables) whereas in the case of billiard there are two different ratios for the two different sizes of 12 foot x 6 foot and 9 foot x 5 foot tables.

Summary:
1. The snooker table is different from the pool table in that it is larger; the balls used smaller, the pockets narrower and the pocket lead in curved.
2. Pool is popular in the United States, while snooker is the game of choice in Britain and its former colonies of Canada, Australia and India, as also the Middle East and Europe.
3. The officially sanctioned size for a pool table is 8 feet for regulation games and 9 feet for tournament games. In the case of snooker, the sizes are 10 feet for American and 12 feet for British tables.
4. The corner pockets are smaller than the side pockets in the case of pool tables, while they are the same in the case of snooker.
5. The table markings differ for the two games.
6. Pool tables will always a playing surface ratio of 2:1 (in their 9 foot, 8 foot and 7 foot tables) .In billiard there are two different ratios for the two different sizes of 12 foot x 6 foot and 9 foot x 5 foot tables.

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