Adrain and Paul:
Snooker tables (both UK and Canadian) are 6 X 12 ft (which is odd but true...I have repaired, moved, and recovered a few of them.) Canadian snooker tables have wider pockets than their homeland UK airfield landling strip models.
Billiard tables are 5 X 10 ft and have no pockets. I once played three cushion billiards for 8 hours in Dublin IRE with real ivory balls (two white and one red) and I was exhausted. My tip was mushroomed in the first hour...the remaining hours were just "one point for Shawn. click, one point for Bernard. click, one point for Shawn. click, well...you get it. I am pretty certain that billiard play "over the pond" (as Chuck says) is a drinking game. The first player that gets pissed and makes a mistake, pays the more experienced drinker for the game..but, does not have to pay for the "winners round"!
Pocket billiard tables start at 5 x 10, just as above, and scale downward like this:
4 1/2 X 9 ft which is the standard for all USA tournements.
4 X 8 ft
3 1/2 X 7 ft usually called a "Bar Box" No explaination needed.
3 X 6 ft no kidding. They are "cute"
You should understand now, why all the championship UK snooker gals come to the USA to play 9 ball for money. To them, I am certain, our tables seem tiny with giant buckets for pockets.
Shawn.