Table for two, please: Pool, billiards tables are redefining home luxury

For India’s luxury homeowners, having a pool or billiards table is increasingly a lifestyle accessory that blends sport, style, and social connection.

From smoky clubs to slick corporate lounges, the billiards table has always been more than just sport — it’s a stage for strategy. In Martin Scorsese’s The Color of Money (1986), Tom Cruise and Paul Newman used the pool hall as a metaphor for business itself: risk, nerve, and the art of reading your rival. Hindi cinema too has leaned on the snooker table — think Amitabh Bachchan in Shaan or Shah Rukh Khan in Don — to signal suave, high-stakes deal-making.

Where the real game is off the table

And it’s not just limited to the silver screen. Across Gymkhanas and five-star hotels, the billiards room often doubles as an informal negotiation zone. Executives loosen their ties, cues in hand, while conversations over property, politics, or partnerships flow more easily across the green baize than in stiff boardrooms. Developers admit that in luxury clubhouses and penthouse lounges, a good break on the table sometimes softens the ground for a bigger business handshake. As one veteran quipped: ‘More deals are closed on a billiards table than at a conference table because, here, trust is built cue by cue.”

In luxury homes, these tables are no longer just for play: they also double as design statements. Crafted in premium wood, glass, or metal, and often installed with bespoke lighting, cue racks, and lounge seating, they transform basements, dens, and entertainment rooms into vibrant social hubs where sport, leisure, and style converge.

An investment in a statement

A pool or billiards table is more than a sporting indulgence — it’s a stage for connection, where the click of the cue ball is as much about the game as it is about the company you keep. In luxury homes that prize both style and soul, it’s the ultimate in-play investment.

In spacious penthouses, sprawling bungalows, and even well-designed duplexes, the billiards table has found pride of place in entertainment rooms, basement lounges, or open-plan living areas. Homeowners are commissioning custom-built tables — often crafted from premium hardwood, brushed metal, or even tempered glass — matched with designer lighting, leather pockets, and hand-stitched felt in bespoke colours. For some, it’s a bold conversation starter; for others, it’s a nod to heritage, with antique billiards tables restored to their original glory. And for many who find billiards too fancy for their liking, a pool table will do just as well.

“It’s given my family a great way to spend time together. I’m a software professional glued to screens all day, so this felt like a classy investment in a healthier lifestyle,” says Ratan Rathore who bought a pool table for his penthouse in Gurugram.

According to Ravinder Singh Ahuja, owner of Jaipur Billiards & Sports (JBS): “…. beyond the business aspect, it has become a status symbol for luxury homes and also a health investment. People want to move away from screens. Whereas earlier the trend was to have a home theatre in the house but now clients specifically are replacing the home theatre idea with that of a pool table. On the health side, it gives you stretching, involvement and focus. It is not about just hitting the ball- you develop finesse, the temperament, the strategy, the patience and a lot of stretching is there.”

The bestseller in Indian homes is the pool table – which is similar to a billiards table – not snooker, says Vineet Singh, manager at CLUB 147, one of India’s better-known manufacturers and suppliers of cue-sport and recreational tables.

“No one plays snooker much in Indian homes. The bestsellers are pool tables of size 4×8 ft,” he said. Most home buyers opt for 4×8 ft or 4.5×9 ft tables, which cost about Rs 50,000– Rs 1.5 lakh. These balance space, playability, and aesthetics. For serious players or statement interiors, premium and ultra-luxury models with imported Italian/Belgian slate and custom finishes are worth the investment. These tables typically come as complete sets with cloth, slate, cues, balls, triangle, dust cover, chalk, and stands.

What to look for in a good table

When buying a pool table, Singh advises, the first consideration is size and space. A table too large for the room quickly turns from luxury into frustration. The second is construction quality: the best tables use a heavy slate bed topped with baize (wool-nylon cloth), while cheaper versions with particle board warp easily in India’s humid conditions. Installation is also critical: a table with poor leveling, badly fixed rails, or misaligned cloth will ruin playability, so it’s best to hire a trained professional to set it up.

For serious players, playability is critical, so elements like rail design, pocket opening, rubber quality, and cloth speed separate a tournament-grade table from a recreational one. But for families and friends looking for fun, Singh says, the focus can remain on sturdiness and aesthetics. Interestingly, he points out that buying a used table is an option often overlooked. Given their bulk and difficulty to move, owners are usually motivated sellers, and a well-maintained slate table can last for decades, making it a surprisingly smart investment for luxury homes.

Key players behind the tables

India’s sports table market is defined by a blend of heritage craftsmanship and contemporary design, catering equally to clubs and luxury homes. In Delhi, Sharma Billiard Accessories and Badam Sharma Billiards are known for their designer and handcrafted luxury tables with imported Italian slates and solid wood finishes, while Billiardiers International, dating back to 1930, brings a legacy of quality and export expertise. Pandit Billiards Co. has built its niche with imported-style pool and snooker tables, including versatile dining-cum-pool variants, whereas JBS (Jaipur Billiards & Sports) is trusted for its premium bespoke models like the Crown and Diamond series.

For modern interiors, Club 147 (Delhi NCR) has made a mark with sleek designer editions, while Jai Balaji Billiards specializes in championship-grade wooden and slate tables suited for both home lounges and professional clubs. Nationwide suppliers like Vishvakarma Amusement Games, Royal Play Equipments, Metco Sports, Sikhan International, SAS Sports, and Rambo Fitness ensure that pool, snooker, and other indoor sports tables are widely available.

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