So, you’ve got a pool player on your gift list and you have no idea what to get them? If you’re looking to get them the absolute best gifts available, here are three excellent high-end gifts for the pool player in your life.

First of all, we’ve got a quality leather case. This one features a solid code inside. Each one is individually felted and lined, you can see how nice it is inside. This one is made of real leather, not vinyl like so many lower-end cue cases. Another nice feature about this particular case is it’s shoulder strap is well padded. This makes it far more comfortable to carry from place to place.

The next gift you can get that any pool player would be absolutely thrilled to receive is a new break stick. For “money-is-no-object” types, the Predator BK2 Break Stick is the best around. This one features a sport-grip and, like all break cues, this is only designed for one single shot and that’s the break shot. As you can imagine, a lot of players out there can’t justify such an expense for a single-purpose cue… which is what will make it such a fantastic gift!

Finally, if you really want to surprise the pool player in your life, a new pool table would be an excellent choice. Of course, a pool table is highly customizable, offering numerous options for stains, colors, sizes and more. If you know the recipient’s tastes pretty well, you can definitely create a table that they’d be proud to own. If you’re unsure of what combinations would work, simply bring a photo of the room that the table will be installed in to the owner of the store. At Billiards and Darts Direct, we often help customers to decide what combinations will work best for their pool table based on the room it’s going into.

At Billiards and Darts Direct, we sell a lot of pool tables. When a customer asks me what the difference is between felt grades, I usually show them a swatch chart that lets them feel the difference for themselves. However, this being the internet (and feel-o-vision not yet being invented) I am taking a different approach at explaining the difference between standard and professional grade felt.

First up, we have standard grade felt. This is characterized by having much more nap (fuzzyness) and may ball up when brushed. Because of that extra texture, balls will not roll as fast or as accurately when shot on standard grade felt. This is a major reason why professional pool players prefer to shoot on professional grade felt.

The professional grade felt is much smoother and doesn’t have the nap that a standard grade does. It also has a grain which makes the surface uniform across the playingfield. When balls roll across it, they travel much more smoothly and accurately. With professional grade felt, everything is much more precise.

The question remains in the new pool table buyer’s mind; “do I need professional grade felt?” The simple answer is, yes. The upgrade to professional felt is a minor cost difference (usually only about $100 more than standard felt) and it can have a major impact on the accuracy of your game. As usual, feel free to come on down to Billiards and Darts Direct and feel the difference for yourself.