Hundreds of pool table dealers have seen and played the alley pool prototype at the BCA tradeshow. The response was excellent!
The inventor has no de
sire to start a factory to build this new type of pool table. He is a retired entrepreneur from the computer industry. Therefore, a decision has been made to allow people to make their own table because it is so easy to build, and portably the best way to introduce this new cue sport to the public. One of the key features of an alley pool table is its compact size.
Bumper pool was invented to save space. It attained a Utility Patent in 1916. Alley pool recently received the only other utility patent for a cue pool game invention. That’s over 100 years later! A “utility patent” is known as a "patent for invention". To make the game more challenging smaller size bumpers were added. Alley pool makes it more challenging by adding motion. There is no obstruction in the playing surface, which makes alley pool more like real pool using standard cue sticks and billiard balls.
A standard pool table requires a room size of 14′10″ x 19′0″, and a bumper pool table requires a smaller room size of 12′5″ x 13′8″ using a lesser size cue. The space required for a bumper pool table is larger because there must be room to shoot from all sides of the table. The one pocket design of alley pool saves lots of space because it can be close to one wall. An alley pool table space-wise is like having a pinball machine.
The pinball machine became tremendously popular during the Great Depression in the 1930’s due to the need for low-cost entertainment. The first flippers were not introduced until 1947. Flippers require timing. Movements of the object balls in alley pool also require timing. Alley pool creates a game where you play against the machine; like pinball but using a cue stick as in pool. Playing a game with cue sticks and billiard balls, against the table is a brand-new idea, which makes alley pool revolutionary.
