Does The Cue Ball In Pool Have A Different Composition Than The Other Balls?

[Omoutreachtim]

What is the density and composition of cue ball?

[Ken4155]

I have never played pool on a pool table that was not coin-operated. "If the cue ball is just slightly bigger, the table redirects it to an exit instead of holding onto it like it does the object balls. Newer coin-op pool tables may use a magnetic cue ball instead of a larger one. In this situation, the cue ball is usually the same size as the object balls."

[Zacs-Master]

Cheers, Tora.

[ToraToraTora]

ken, I prefer to play nine ball on a proper table usually in a pool hall. The pub ones are like a postage stamp. Nine ball (or 10 ball) is a much better game than American Pool or straight pool in my opinion.

[Gromit]

^ For every pool hall there will be hundreds of pub tables, which is where most people play it.

[Ken4155]

I don't play at all now, TTT, but i did play for a few pub teams from 1980 up to about '98/'99. The local league only catered for ordinary 7 ball pool though i do often play 9 ball on line at Miniclip. Yeah, i know it's not the same as playing in a pool hall or a pub, but it kills an odd half hour or so :-)

[roadman]

Of course the cue ball has a different composition because when it goes down the hole the table knows it's the cue ball and lets it out again

[Ken4155]

^
That's because only it knows the password :-))

[roadman]

lol imagine, thats how toon town works

[dannyk13]

Gromit, I think you are discounting all the pool and snooker leagues that there are in the the UK.

[roadman]

if you are playing on a bar box or coin operated table then the cue ball is different so the machine can register the cue has ben potted.

On professional tables I'm not sure...

[davebro]

It's not unusual to have balls of different sizes.

[royfromaus]

Yes, it does.

Different colour for a start.

[Gromit]

// I think you are discounting all the pool and snooker leagues that there are in the the UK. //

I am discounting snooker because the question is about pool.
I have played in pool leagues and the majority of teams are from pubs playing a slot table.

[Gromit]

I remember being in a pub once when the white pool ball came off the table and was collected by a big fierce dog that wouldn’t give it back. They had to use a snooker white ball for the rest of the evening.

[dannyk13]

Gromit//he majority of teams are from pubs playing a slot table.//
Not in my experience,I never came across a team playing on a coin slot table.

[dannyk13]

https://www.libertygames.co.uk/store/pool_tables/buying-advice/british-pool-table-size/

[Ken4155]

Danny, as i said earlier, i played in pub pool teams for almost 20 years, locally and throughout Lancashire. Always on a coin-operated table, never on anything else. Some landlords would provide the captain of the team the key to the table so that no coins were needed, other landlords would pay for the games played.
If your experience is different, then it must be down to which area of the country you play in.

[dannyk13]

Ken, it is a long time ago since I played snooker and pool and I am not sure whether the advent of coin operated tables had arrived at that time.

[ToraToraTora]

yes they are mostly slot tables just saying that there are others/ I've played in many pool teams over the years and usually they put it on free play for matches. Roadman, the cure ball is the same density and composition, it comes out because it's usually slightly smaller.