Walk into any decent pool hall and you’ll notice it straight away. The tables aren’t all the same size. Some stretch nine feet with numbered stripes and solids. Others sit at seven feet with reds and yellows. They look similar from across the room, but sit down at each one and you’re playing two completely different games.
Most Australians grew up playing English pool. The pub table in the corner, smaller balls, reds and yellows, a few coins per game. That’s what most of us picture when someone suggests a round of pool. American pool is what you’ve seen on TV and YouTube – the bigger table, the triangle rack of 15 numbered balls, the dramatic breaks.
Both formats are worth playing. But they reward different skills, feel different under the cue, and attract different playing styles. Here’s what separates them.
American pool – bigger table, wider margins
American pool is played on a nine-foot table with 2¼-inch balls, numbered 1 through 15 and split into solids and stripes. The black 8-ball sits in the middle of the rack.
The pockets are the first thing you’ll notice. American table pockets are wide, with straight, angular cushion openings called shelves. If your shot line is close, the pocket accepts it. That forgiveness changes how you play. American pool rewards aggressive shotmaking: powerful breaks, long pots down the length of the table, and cue ball positioning that covers more ground.
The cloth matters too. Tournament-grade American tables run Simonis 860, a fast, napless worsted cloth that lets the cue ball travel with precision over long distances. The speed of the surface means you can hit harder and still control where the white ends up.
Club9 in North Strathfield runs 16 Diamond Pro Am nine-footers fitted with Simonis 860 HR cloth. The Diamond Pro Am is the same table used in professional tournaments in the United States – one-piece slate, tour-specified cushions, and pockets built to competition dimensions. If you’ve watched professional pool online, this is the format and the equipment you’ve seen.
It’s fast, it’s satisfying when you drop a long pot, and even the break is worth the price of a table.
English pool – smaller table, sharper precision
English pool is played on a seven-foot table with smaller 2-inch balls, split into reds and yellows plus a black.
The pockets make all the difference. English pool pockets have rounded cushion openings – called knuckles – that reject anything off-centre. You can’t muscle a ball in on an English table the way you sometimes can on an American one. It either drops clean or it rattles out. There’s no room to be sloppy.
That changes the entire game. English pool is slower, more positional, more tactical. The smaller table means balls cluster together more often, and getting out of trouble requires careful cue ball placement rather than power. Many players find it harder to score but more satisfying when a frame comes together.
The cloth plays differently too. English tables typically use Strachan 6811, a napped woollen cloth with a directional grain. The cue ball behaves slightly differently depending on which direction you’re playing, and learning to read the nap is part of the skill.
Club9 runs eight Rasson Apollo seven-foot tables with Strachan 6811 cloth. The Rasson Apollo is the official table for Ultimate Pool events and the WEPF World Championships – the highest level of competitive English 8-ball in the world. If you grew up playing at the pub, stepping onto a Rasson Apollo will feel familiar but noticeably sharper. The slate is flatter, the cushions respond consistently, and every shot is honest.
Which should you play?
Honest answer: try both.
If you want a faster, more social game with bigger margins for error, start on an American nine-foot table. The wider pockets are more forgiving, the breaks are more dramatic, and groups tend to cycle through games quicker. It’s a good pick for a night out with mates who play at different levels.
If you want something more tactical and precise, English pool on a seven-footer will challenge you differently. The rounded pockets demand accuracy, the slower cloth gives you time to think through each shot, and it’s the format most Australians already know the basics of. The transition from pub pool to a proper table is straightforward – you just notice every mistake more clearly.
The real advantage of a pool hall that has both formats is that you can switch mid-session. Start with English, move to American when the group gets bigger, or challenge a mate to try the format they’ve never played. Most pool and billiards venues in Sydney don’t give you that option.
Club9 has both formats under one roof at the Bakehouse Quarter in North Strathfield – 16 Diamond Pro Am tables for American pool and eight Rasson Apollos for English, all tournament-grade. There’s a full bar, a kitchen, and free parking for two hours. Book a table and settle the debate for yourself.
