When we bought our house it came with a free pool table!
First thing I did was give it away to the first friend that could haul it away...just too much room where pins could go.
Plus pins multiply.

I ditched my pool table for more pins and never looked back.

Briefly considered but ultimately decided not worth the floor space so never got one. If I every change my mind (unlikely) just now I see five on Facebook marketplace for $400 or less.

if I got rid of my pool table I could add probably add four pins, as my pool table rarely gets used, at least for pool, as most of the time the ping pong top is on it, and my wife uses it as a giant craft table, so, getting rid of it for more pins would probably not go over well.

they do make a nice work surface for doing playfield swaps

Wanted a pool table but not badly enough to give up the garage for it. The play room might hold one but hard to play with the table shoved in the corner. Settled for 8-Ball, Star Pool, LaserCue, and Cue Ball Wizard.

I ditched my pool table for pins. I got rid of my guests too.

I’m the opposite of most on here, but lately I have been thinking about selling a couple pins to make room for my pool table to come back. I miss playing pool with some buddies. I don’t have a lot of pin head friends so most of the time the pins don’t get used a ton. I go back and forth almost daily.

I picked up a pool table last year and it has been a hit with the family. My wife won't play pinball but she'll shoot pool with me. https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/used-pool-tables-thought-or-advice

As to your question specifically, arcades are generally better for casuals. I'd lose the pool table if pinball is more your thing.

If you want a compromise, a bumper pool table is MUCH smaller than a "real" pool table, and the grand kids would likely have just as much fun on it. From a practicality point, they usually come with a card playing table top so you could use it for other things too.

ive owned several, finally sold my last one 3-4 yrs ago. don't miss it, takes up waaaaay too much space. they are fun for a few yrs. though.

I got up to three games and thought this is cool but getting rid of that crappy pool table would open up the rest of the basement for even more games.......so I traded it for an antique radio, which I still have today. If I had unlimited space I'd have a nice table since I played a lot of pool when I was a kid and it's still fun but real estate is at a premium here in the basement.

John

Unless you're running a social club I've never been a big fan of worrying about what your guests would like versus what you would prefer.

Do you host a weekly gathering to play pool? Keep it.

Does it get used a few times a year at random parties? Ditch it and buy something you'll enjoy using yourself all the time.

Maybe keep the table for a bit and replace a few arcades with a pinball machine and see how it goes? If you like it and your guests like it maybe down the road you can get rid of the pool table.
Personally I like having a variety of stuff for myself, my family and when people come over. If all I want to do is play pinball there are 2 locations within 20 minutes of me with 30 plus games each.
I have a skee ball, air hockey, pop a shot basketball, multicade with 5k plus games and darts in addition to my 7 pinball machines.
If you are looking for another game for people to play when they come over try a nice wall mount or free standing electronic dart board. They take up almost zero space, people that play pool are usually familiar with darts, you can usually have up to 6 players in a game and it’s a good social game where you aren’t always playing.

mine is a buffet table for league night , food and snacks

Yes. I replaced my former pool table with 13 pinball machines.

It was a really nice table, but my family and friends had no interest in playing pool so the decision to replace it with something that's more fun to play (particularly alone) was fairly easy. No regrets.

It's your house so do what you want to do. I wouldn't keep something that takes up that much space just because guests use it once in a while. If you prefer to have a few pins then go for it.

Like you I have a 1964 Brunswick GC I that I will never get what its worth to me. I recently broke down and am storing it in a side room at the house - takes up a LOT less room than you would think. I actually only fit 1 more pin in its place - prob because that's all I can afford right now-but was able to set up an additional couch TV sitting area instead. I figured I will just hold on to it until I have the desire to set it back up or if I ever move to a new house that will allow me to accommodate both.
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Space isn't an issue in my basement fortunately so the pool table stays. I'm not a hard core player but I like having it.

I have 8 pins now and I could easily fit more, but I've decided 8ish is a good balance for fun vs maintenance of games.

I bought my Brunswick Gold Crown III (4 1/2 by 9) pool table brand new 30 years ago. I thought I never sell it, but I did a few months ago. It went to a good home who will get the enjoyment I got out of it. I sold it because our son needed to put his 2022 Mustang in our attached garage which had 13 pinball machines in it and needed space for the 6 pins from the garage I just couldn’t let go. I really wasn’t using the pool table the last 15 years or so and became a catch all for household items. I had so many good times with my GC3 and so did my friends and family and thought it is time to part with it. I play regularly at my buddy’s house who had a GC1 for the past 15 years and love every minute of it.

I do miss having my GC3, but I’m happy with the pins I have in place of my GC3 and the pins feel nice in their new location then in the attached garage.

Only you will know if and when you will be ready to let go your pool table… best of luck with your decision.

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For my business. People often suggest getting rid of a pool table. I have 5. But that would only make room for 3 or 4 more pins, yet create a lot of dead floor space.

This past year my pool has increased, and pinball play has decreased.

So I've contemplated that it might be time to go the other way.

LTG : )

I’m not sure what your space looks like, but you can add a really nice table tennis top to your pool table. We use it quite a bit. Setup and removal is very easy to do.

Having table tennis makes me feel the pool table is more justified for the space it takes up.

https://www.brunswickbilliards.com/ct8-table-tennis-conversion-top/

The grandkids, age 10 to 20, have really enjoyed the little Hooligan Pool EM I have. They play a few games of pinball but spend most of their time on the pool table. I think it's more of a direct competition thing. All play is from the end so doesn't take up a ton of room.

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Gameplay:

Yup,Wife and I bought our house about 5 yrs ago. It had a Pool table in a nice playroom in the rear of the house! A Pool table and a hot tub as well! I had 6 pins at that time>We gave away the Pool table, moved the hot tub outside, and put 6 more pins in that room!A couple of Bar lights, and poof,a pinball arcade!! No Grandkids to worry about!! All mine

I thought about doing this but I'm afraid the light above the pool table will get in the way.

I sold my Valley bar table 4 years ago to free up more pinball space as seen towards the end of this old thread.
https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/do-you-miss-your-pool-table/page/5
Now at this point in time, I have reduced my pin count significantly, and bought another Valley bar box. I know most good pool players don't care for them, but I just dig them. (and I am not a great pool player) Very well built, priced about the same as a defunct EM, and easy to maintain. Missed having a pool table and now I have one again. My kids are older now and really like shooting pool, but have little interest in pinball.
Not saying my way is the right way. I guess I am saying pins and pool tables are just things. You can flip flop and do whatever you want.

Wish I had space for a pool table. I know the resale market on them has always been soft, personally I’d keep it.

Pinballs are great, you’re on a pinball site so the feedback here is pretty predictable. Doesn’t sound like you own one yet, I’d find a way to get one in the house to see if you like pinball ownership before parting ways with the pool table. Also, unless you’ve got a real love for dedicated arcade machines I’d look at reducing those and getting a single mame machine to make room for a pinball.

I have a pool table, it came with the house. The pool table room is right next to the pinball room which currently houses 6 pinballs, one arcade cabinet, a full sized Skee-ball, and a kids basketball game.

If I didn't have two rooms, a row of several pins is much better than a pool table. You can play them anytime without needing an opponent. You don't need to worry about your opponent being too different from you in skill either, because it's not really fun if one person is crushing the other.

As it happens though, I seldom use the pool table for pool. I have two 4x4 sheets of wood that I put on top and use it as a gaming table for tabletop wargames. In my situation I have room for enough pinballs that I feel I can afford to keep this functionality as this is my other main hobby.

But if you don't play or host a pool league or something like that, and you don't use the pool table regularly for some other function, then I'd definitely ditch it for pinball room.

If you get rid of your pool table, then where will you stack up all the junk you're not using?

This is the way.
There are a handful of pool-based EM games available from the 50s and 60s if you know where to look and are decent at working on EM machines. I have plans on doing a post covering the wide range of arcade games that still use a pool cue, so feel free to message me if you have some and want to contribute to that.

I've said this a few times before, but I think it's time for North America to embrace bar billiards. The footprint is only a bit larger than a pinball machine and can fit decently well in most lineups. http://pinballnovice.blogspot.com/2021/07/a-note-on-bar-billiards.html

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bar billiards pics: http://pinballnovice.blogspot.com/2022/08/bar-billiards.html

I have seen many playfiield swaps happen on a tarp-covered pool table

I got rid of my pool.table years ago and replaced it with all arcades and pinballs. Pool is overrated and takes up too much space.

I'm in the pro pool table camp for sure. Growing up with my mother always owning a bar, I couldn't imagine not keeping my table. I was always addicted to it and had many great memories of winning the weekly pool tournaments pretty regularly and playing for cash against anyone I could find, ha! I'd be in the minority on this site I'm sure, but I'd never consider getting rid of mine for more pinball space. But I'm also very fortunate I don't have to choose since I have space for both thankfully. Obviously do whichever gives you the most enjoyment if you must choose one or the other of course.

As mjs2 showed once taken apart most pool tables take minimal space. I had mine packed away in the corner for years before putting it back together after my daughter reached the age where we no longer needed a playroom for her stuff.

Take it down store it, and if you later decide you miss it, put it back together.

Under the pinballs of course!

It's a mixed bag for me. I host poker and fantasy football draft parties, and during the intermission people would go 50-50 on pool/pinball. Those who liked pinball didn't care for pool, and vice-versa.

The pool table would never be played solo, but the pinball machines would. Pool also takes up a large amount of real estate. That's why I made the decision to get rid of the pool table, and I haven't missed it one bit. Can't say the same for a few guests of mine though. They don't play pinball, they just sit around drinking beer. They don't even watch! lol.

Make sure to put in your Ad.............. Interested in PINBALL/ARCADE Machine Trades toward your Pool Table.... Things Pop up that you Least Expect.

I have a nice solid oak Beach pool table that sits nicely in the old front room (living room). My late wife (from England), had the front room decorated (lilac carpeting and walls), not to my tastes. It sat mostly unused. After She passed away, I found the Beach pool table at a distressed estate sale and set it up in the reno'd front room. Now this new games room gets more use than ever before!

I have a special history and fond memories of playing pool, so it is staying forever. Also, it doubles as a highly visible monument and unmovable omen to any woman with designs on making it a living room again!

Pins fit really well in the corners and leave enough elbow room to shoot pool. As the pics show, it also makes a great pinball work table and the neighbour's cats just love it!

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I ditched my pool table. Had 3 tables over 15-20 years. I love playing pool, but few guests do, and it takes up a gargantuan amount of space.

It’s not fun playing against newbies at pool when you are a good player, I had a small handful of friends who would come over and we would get good games going.

Got a new shuffleboard table, which is played by everyone. And more room for pins. It’s a no brainer if you have limited space

I ditched a pool table not long ago....

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If anyone either wants to ditch their Valley bar table or go buy one, a set of handles like these can make the body of the table much easier to lift. They bolt to the leg holes. 4 guys can all get a good handle on it and control the weight much better then just the 2 cutouts on the bottom of the tub allows. You still will want to carry the slate separately. Each piece is about 320 pounds give or take depending on which one you need to move.

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This is like,do you do Coke,or,Pepsi!!

This is true for fooseball or Chexx or darts… or pinball actually… playing against people who can’t play at the same level can get tiring fast, often for either party. Pinball can be alright if the new people take an interest but I think the same could be said for other games too, can be fun teaching people how to play pool.

I wouldn’t get rid of the pool table. Doesn’t get used much, but it’s an essential part of any game room in my opinion. When shopping for my new house, there were two basement requirements for me. It had to fit at least 10 pins and a pool table. Harder to find a house like that than one would think.