Snooker & Pool Centres in the UK

Finding a good snooker or pool club in the UK

Snooker and pool clubs are the halls with a dozen or more full-size snooker tables and English or American pool tables under their own lights, hired by the hour, with a bar, food, a licence into the small hours, and usually a members' room: some are the old-school clubs with match tables, leagues and a resident professional, some are the American pool bars with music and cocktails, and most are somewhere in between, with darts, table football and sports on the screens. Many open from late morning until one or two in the morning, seven days, and are quietest in the afternoons.

Playing well is a matter of the table and the time: full-size tables at a serious club are recovered, levelled and lit properly, and cost more than a pub table; off-peak daytime rates halve the price; membership at £20 to £60 a year cuts the hourly rate and opens the leagues and the members' bar; and coaching from a club professional at £20 to £40 an hour is the fastest way to a fifty break. Booking matters on Friday and Saturday nights and for groups; equipment is provided, though regulars bring their own cue.

The listings here show each club's tables and hire prices, membership, leagues and coaching, bar and food, hours, tournaments and contact details, so you can see who is nearby, who has full-size tables free this evening, and where people in your town play.

What snooker and pool clubs offer

Tables by the hour: full-size snooker tables, English and American pool, match tables under tournament lights, and cues, balls and rests provided.

Membership: annual membership at £20 to £60 with cheaper table rates, the members' bar, priority booking, tournaments and the leagues.

Leagues and tournaments: club, county and national leagues for snooker and pool, handicap tournaments, and the pro-am and exhibition nights with the professionals.

Coaching: lessons with club professionals and qualified coaches, junior sessions and academies, and cue sales and tipping.

Bar, food and late hours: licensed bars into the small hours, food, darts and sport on the screens, and parties and corporate nights with tables booked.

Before you book a table

• Check the hours and the peak rate; evenings and weekends cost more than the daytime.
• Book for Friday and Saturday nights and for groups; walk-ins wait.
• Ask about membership; a year's membership pays back in a few visits if you play weekly.
• Ask which tables are match tables; the best cloth and lights are usually the dearer ones.
• Check the age policy; many clubs are 18 and over in the evening and juniors only with an adult or at junior sessions.
• Ask about coaching and the leagues if you want to improve; the club's players and coach are the way in.

What snooker and pool costs in the UK

As a rough guide, a full-size snooker table costs £5 to £10 an hour off-peak and £8 to £14 an hour in the evenings and at weekends, split between the players; English pool tables £4 to £8 an hour or £1 to £2 a game on coin-op tables; American pool £8 to £14 an hour at the bars; membership £20 to £60 a year with tables 20 to 40 per cent cheaper for members; coaching £20 to £40 an hour; league entry £5 to £10 a week; and parties and hire packages £10 to £20 a head with tables, food and a bar tab. Drinks are pub-priced or a little under.

Two hours on a full-size table with a friend on a weekday afternoon costs less than a cinema ticket, and the table is a lot better than the pub's.