Billiard table prices seem like the one part of this game that hasn't changed much in the last ten years or so. There was a time when trying to find pool on TV was like looking for jai alai or another eighth-tier sport: just not much doing. That was before exclusive contracts between the WPBA and ESPN began bringing tournament-quality play into living rooms every week.

Today a number of channel surfers have caught the same bug the rest of us have known for years: the pleasure of watching flawless play. Whether your taste runs toward Corey Deuel or Karen Corr, chances are you have come to love the sport through the sheer appreciation of spectating. But if you're like most avid gamers, it didn't take long before you wanted to join the party.

The Pinch

This tends to be the formative moment when people go online and discover pool tables can easily run into many thousands of dollars. Instead of stopping there, a few industrious souls end up unearthing less well-known resources where the prices are a little more reasonable. If you desperately want a table and don't want to sacrifice on quality, you may be well-served to plumb some of the very same resources.

Smaller pool table manufacturers tend to offer outstanding values on these celebrated items. Instead of paying half a grand for the markup that comes with scorched-earth marketing, you can get an exceptional piece of playing equipment for close to the wholesale price. If you want to get a great surface without throwing money at brand names, you may want to look into some of these more affordable boutique builders.