The comments about getting an appropriate sized table for the room are spot on. A tournament 9 foot table requires a lot of space. I have an 8 foot table and the room I have is more than long enough and just a little tight side to side as the room is just over 13 feet wide. You basically want 5 feet of space or more around the table for full access or get used to special short sticks. This means an 8 foot table requires a room that is 18 feet by 14 feet while a 9 foot table requires 19 feet by 15 feet. Bar tables are usually 7 foot tables and these are also used in the early round of play at large tournaments. TV matches are on 9 foot tables. There is nothing really wrong with the shorter tables, but it does change the game and the strategy as the balls and pockets are the same. I.e., on a small table, there is more clustering of the balls and there are no really long shots. The larger tables tend to have more open shots but the length of the shot adds difficulty. Refelting a table will also cost a fair amount and it needs to be done correctly. So, if buying used you need to figure out the cost of refelting which is more than the cost of a Sears table. Expect to pay at least $1,000 on getting a nice pool table installed and do not get cheap felt. Consider Simonis cloth and a good installer who will also make sure the table is level. Slate is a must and should be at least 3/4 inch. Slate does not warp, so what you are looking for is strength. BTW, I play a lot of pool but am no expert and I have an 8 foot Olhausen that now needs new felt again (for a few hundred bucks). The standard pool table sizes are 6 ft, 7 ft, 8 ft, 8 ft oversize, and 9 ft. Snooker tables are bigger.