At MERCURY we not only rent out bar billiards, we restore them and sell them too!

We always carry stock of new commercial/home tables. We have over 20 years experience in restoring bar billiard tables. Whatever your looking for bar billiard related try us. Not all antique models in stock at all times, they come they go! We usually have about 10 in stock so please enquire. We show pictures of earlier projects for model reference.

Coming soon. Mercury Leisure reproduction bar billiard table ready to play or in kit form for export

shown above. An un restored Jelkes "thruppeny bit leg" fully restored price averages £1795 with clockwork timer

 

Bar Billiards. Not as common in pubs these days but still a fantastic game. Played from one end only so can be pushed almost right into a corner of your room. These are a great space saving design for the discerning cue sport player. Perfect for a range of locations. We normally have stock of refurbished tables and new tables. Most tables use a single slate . The older "antique" tables are made from solid Oak or mahogany and can have the original clockwork timer fitted, the newer tables being made from modern materials. all are covered with a high quality napped cloth and are supplied with balls and mushrooms.

Please note, you will find cheaper tables for sale, many have cracked slates which will make the game impossible to play correctly, this can usually only be seen when the original cloth is removed. The original tables used a 12 mm slate which is very prone to this, they require very delicate transporting and hadling. A bar billiards table requires considerable modification if a new slate is required. It would normally be replaced with a 19mm slate which is much stronger.

We source tables from all over the UK. In our experience you can buy a cheap table from places like ebay but they will require a lot of time and money spent on them, usually requiring a minimum of new slate and cushions and woodworm / weevil eradication before use. Consider the costs involved before purchasing. A tale of woe: We recently purchased an expensive table on ebay, advertised as totally original and excellent condition. result was a treacle varnished table with mdf offfcut bed which took 2 weeks to restore requiring new slate, cushions, woodwork repairs including complete dismantle and re gluing, staining, re lacquering etc etc.

caveat emptor - buyer beware!

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SAMS Bar Billiard table

Restored Sams Bar Billiard front ball return detail. natural or stained to customer order

The most commonly found antique table in UK is the SAMS, also known as sams atlas (other manufacturers copied this design too with small variations in leg shape etc.)

Sams bar billiard tables featured mainly mahogany construction with a high quality finish. Its a shame that most sams tables have cracked slates which are not available and have to be individually diamond cut to replace which is expensive. replacement bare slate £300

Sams tables were made in 2 sizes the narrow and very rare wide body. It also differed slightly by having the 30 and 10 transposed scores for rear holes compared to all other tables on the market. Each pocket hole has a score value, when the ball is potted it runs to the front of table for re placing and scoring. This table uses a clockwork timer and is made from mahogany throughout.

This is an example of a reconditioned sams table pictured before delivery to our customer.

Guide price for a nice condition restored sams table with clockwork timer £1495

please contact us for prices of current stock

"ANTIQUE" original tables are usually in stock

prices from £999 without coin timer. as available

From £1295 to £2095 with fully working clockwork timer

Current stock includes Jelques, sams and riley . all £p.o.a

please note. Pictures not available of all tables as they are stored in disassembled condition, usually restored to order to customer requirements. Timescale for refurbishment approx 2 weeks from order

Riley bar billiards (previously restored, now sold, played by many enquirers at a guest house on the isle of lewis, Shetland)These tables are very hard to refurbish, cushion sets have to be newly made and original french clockwork timer is very hard to find or get spares for!

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Hubble modern coin op table library photo

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A very early (approx 1920) thomas padmore table. Quite a rarity!

library photo

we have 1 in stock, oak, ready for restoration when ordered. £1495

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Some more just in: newly refurbished!

Ex demo model supreme. 19mm slate bed. Complete with accessories including balls, cues,scorer and rear marker board ,mushrooms, chalks. Very nice condition. 1 fingernail size scuff mark on top frame.

free play only price. no timer. £895

Coin operated price with electronic timer £995

too late: sold!

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Earlier model supreme/ avante/riley. (real wood leg) 19mm. Complete with accessories including balls, cues,scorer and rear marker board( not shown on photo),mushrooms, chalks. Excellent condition. Ex display only.

sorry sold

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Bar Billiard table restoration

We specialize in all types of supply of bar billiard tables

1. Sales of brand new commercial / home use bar billiard tables, eg The "supreme" and coming shortly our own reproduction solid oak table based on the "jelques"

2. Refurbed , Mainly for newer tables, clean, re cloth and test operation

3. Restored: This is the full service for "antique" tables. It includes cleaning, remanufacturing of operating parts and cosmetic parts if required. Re rubbering of cushions or in most cases making complete cushion rails. Checking slate for flatness,cracking, new slate cut and fitted if required, Eradicating any woodworm or moth larvae present. Rebuilding, Re staining and final burnish finishing, new cloth, accessories etc. final test and check before delivery.

A restored table from us will still look old and totally in character with its age. We use the same materials as much as possible with the same techniques as the original manufacturers.

We will undertake a full restoration of your table at our workshop only. Not cheap but the final product will please you! Please enquire.

We have a full joinery available if your table requires parts made. See examples on spares section below. we stock seasoned white oak, red oak, cherry and reclaimed mahogany.

Sams table levelling foot being hand turned from reclaimed mahogany for a customer

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New Commercial/home use Bar billiard table

 

click pictures to enlarge in new page

Brand new SUPREME bar billiards as shown above. 19mm slate bed, "straight" coin mechanism with easy price of play change, electronic timer for fast switchable game time setting. Superb build quality from modern materials. Superb for long life commercial use. Obviously great for home use too!

Supplied with 4 cues, ball set,rule sheet, mushrooms and scorer. Always In stock £1195

This is our recommended table for heavy commercial use. All spares for this table from stock!

now exclusively from Mercury Leisure. Available in light oak finish too £1195 spec as above

A note received from one of our customers: (delivered to a remote part of scotland)

I am writing to let you know how very pleased we all are with our new Supreme Bar Billiards table; the workmanship and standards of finishing are most impressive. Assembly was just as easy as you had promised, aided by your very clear instructions. I and my sons are enjoying this highly skilled game – I never understand why every pub doesn’t have one.

Thank you once again for providing such an excellent customer service. I am very impressed, and will happily recommend your Company to anyone.

With best wishes,

Peter S Smith, Strathpeffer, Ross-Shire, Scotland

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Bar Billiard Spares
We also stock spares for bar billiard tables including ball sets, lighting,cues,mushrooms, skittles, cloth,pocket rings, coin mechanisms and timer assemblies.

Bar billiards Pocket ring set of 9 £25 available in white nylon. diameter 65mm. (require turning or sanding to pocket diameter. Best done after fitting cloth to ensure a perfect fit)

Bar billiard cloth bed and cushions £78 napped top quality

Bar billiard cushion rubber set, please state model required for £29

Complete cushion set made to order for any table £90 (uncovered)

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Bar billiard Marker board numbers, Table marker numbers. Full set .Self adhesive £35

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Replacement rear hole marker board £60

Available in mahogany or oak, natural or antiqued.

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Bar billiards rear marker and scorer. Oak or mahogany £99

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Bar billiards score board only. Real solid oak or mahogany. Solid brass rails and sliders. Gold numerals. Solid kiln dried oak or mahogany. size 21" by 7" nominal. £79

solid oak

mahogany

mahogany with fancy pointers add £10

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Jelkes replacement solid oak rear marker board. Finished in dark oak, For early models. satin stained. £85

see restored table above.

also available in mahogany or antiqued oak as below (unlike the originals, ours are symetrical)

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Dark stained budget scoreboard for bar billiards £39 (mdf)

Solid brass slide rail 36" and 6 pointers set. £39 as shown on scorer above

Chromed slide rail and solid pointers chromed (same as brass but chrome finished) £39

Mushroom set of 4. brand new, high quality finish £37

set of 3 "dollys" or pegs as used on older tables and favoured by bar billiard leagues £40

set of 3 (1 black and 2 natural)

new Quality ball set of 7 whites, 1 red £24

Set of 4 ramin club cues 57" long. 11mm screw on tip for bar billiards £28

Set of 4 Ash club cues 57" for bar billiard table . 10mm replacable leather tip for accuracy. £40

Replacement 19mm slate to fit jelkes and supreme. fitted with cloth and rings £300

replacement slate for sams, padmore, riley etc. P.o.a and as available. Cut to order only.

We have been supplying tables with "trespa" solid laminate playing surfaces which is unbreakable for export tables or commercial use. It is totally waterproof and can even take a blow from a lump hammer! Cut on our cnc so they are accurate. Please call for further info

Small brassed cue hooks for table sides qty.8 to hold 4 cues £22

Reproduction bar billiard cue rests. Steel, black or brassed finish £40 set of 4.

Green corner weighted cover suitable for bar billiards £22

Bar billiard light (bar and 3 shades) £120 or £90 with a table from us

Green canopy light. 2 internal lamp fittings £79

Commercial straight coin mechanism,new, for modern tables only £45

Original clockwork timer/mechanism refurbished. very expensive & very hard to find elsewhere! £300 (doesn't fit some riley tables without modifications to table) shown below before restoration for size reference only. Meter unit is an add on and not included.

Export: We are happy to pack and palletize for you to arrange collection from us using a freight forwarder. We have shipped tables as far as Usa, Australia, Spain, Portugal, France, Turkey etc. Please ask for packed dimensions and weights.

Delivery and ground floor only setup available anywhere south of Glasgow/Edinburgh available @ £99

(please note that yes Australia is technically south of Glasgow as pointed out by one gentleman, but unfortunately this price is limited to UK mainland)

 

Click here to get a quote/stock check or to place an order

Brief rules of the bar billiards

Bar billiards is played on a special table without side and corner pockets unlike a pool table, but instead has 9 holes in the playing surface which are assigned certain point values (from 10 to 200). There are 8 balls for play - one red and seven white. Potting the red ball in any hole scores double points. On the playfield are normally placed three pegs (4 pegs are supplied with tables but the 4th is rarely used) two white pegs or mushrooms just behind the two '50' holes, and one black peg in front of the '200' front hole. If a white peg is knocked over then the player's turn is ended and all score made during that turn is lost. Knocking down the black peg ends the player's turn and all points scored from the start of the game are lost. In the case that a white and a black peg are both knocked over, then only the rule for the first peg to be knocked over is used.

All shots are played from one end of the table so access to all sides of the table is not required.

A white ball is placed on a starting spot, then another ball (the red ball, if available) will be placed on a spot a few inches in front of that. The player usually aims to get one ball in each of the 50 score side holes, this can only be done a maximum of three times, if both balls fall down the 50 holes for a fourth time then all points from that turn are lost. As a result of this, the player usually tries to keep one ball up, and is often referred to as the 'one up shot'. The player then tries to pot this ball, if both balls are potted then two balls are put back on the spots. If the player fails to pot a ball then the turn has ended and the second player takes his turn by placing another ball on the first spot. If all balls are in play, then the closest ball to the 'D' (the semi-circle around the first spot) is removed and put on the spot. If a player fails to hit a ball, then the turn ends and all points earned in that turn are lost.

Why is it called bar billiards?

The play is time-limited (normally 15-17 minutes of play). After this time a bar drops inside the table stopping any potted balls from returning, leading to a steady decrease in the number of balls in play.

The last ball can only be potted by getting it into the '100' or '200' point hole after bouncing off a side cushion. For this last shot the pegs or mushrooms are placed in the 50 score holes to block them. The game can still be decided here if the black skittle in front of the 200 hole is knocked over with the unlucky player losing all of his score! Rules played differ by county slightly. A complete rule set is supplied with all tables we supply.

Where can i play bar billiards? if you have a bar billiard table in your local pub please email us and let us know. We will try to list any location in the uk and jersey.Please send info of pub name, address, county, contact number and email /website as available. Help make us the number 1 for bar billiards info in the uk.

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All images and text © mercury leisure 2002 to 2008