Pricing custom tables: anyone regret not getting a raised rail, lighting or cutout? (1 Viewer)

GenghisKhan

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Hi, haven't been around here much since summer, but my wife just gave the all clear to buy a table.
So shit just got serious and I need your help. :)

I have a budget of approximately $2500-$3000 cdn to have a table built.
I thought that would buy me any option I could think of. I was wrong.

I was pricing them out on various sites and with all the bells & whistles I'd like, some were getting closer to $4000.
Now I'm trying to decide what I'm cutting out. For those of you who built or had a table built for you, does anyone regret not getting a raised rail and, or a cutout for the rail? What about rail lighting?

I'm thinking those are what I would cut out, to get the price closer to my goal. Cause it's not like there's much else I can trim.
But I really like the look.

Here's what I was pricing online so far:
-large enough to seat 10;
-raised rail
-lighting in rail
-metal look cut outs for inner rail;
-dual pedestals;
-custom cloth;
-decorative nails on outer edge;
-in rail cups (no room for carts);
-black vinyl rail;
-maybe a chip drawer underneath
Totaling near $4000

If I remove the raised rail (and in doing so the cutouts and the lighting), I'm looking at around $2000 cdn with custom cloth.
My question to those that skipped on the raised rail, lighting & cut outs, how bad do you regret it? If at all.

My friend has claw foot pedestals so that's what I'm pricing. Love the look. And I have room for a table in my man cave so don't need to put the table away. Current table been setup where it is for 11 years no problem. So the legs are not something I want to skimp on. (Coincidentally, I think the legs is where the pricing fluctuates a lot. Are there any El Cheapo claw foot pedestals I need to be on the lookout to avoid?)

Thanks for listening to my ramblings, and providing your input. :D
 
Raised rail feels much more natural and IMO makes people pay more attention just because the way you're forced to sit at the table.
Lighting looses it's lustre quickly and is not really a functional feature.
Cup holders are a def no-no. No drinks on the table!
 
Built in cupholders are probably the #1 thing guys would remove if they had a do-over.
 
Mines the opposite. I'd add cup holders if I could do over

Same here (as long as they were in-rail, and not in-table.) Slide-unders work fine though, not a big issue.

I really dislike raised rails - I don't want to have to reach down into the table to look at my cards / play with my chips. I also wouldn't want a dealer cutout, unless you plan to have a dedicated dealer for every game. LED lighting is cool-ish I guess, though I don't really see the point unless you plan to have games in the dark. o_O

A chip drawer that could hold about 800 chips would be pretty darn useful, if it could be done unobtrusively (not really sure how that works.)

When I had my table built I bought a set of X-legs from BBO poker tables - not sure if they're still available, you'd have to email them. It was only $280 for the set and just as sturdy and stylish as using pedestals at $400 each, IMO:

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I would contact @T_Chan. He is in Canada also and can make you a table that suits your needs.

Good luck with your table and show us a picture of your man cave when it is in place. (y) :thumbsup:
I was going to suggest this very thing. Pretty sure he can do what you want for the best value. As well as provide guidance too
 
Tbh, I included the cup holders in the pricing models online to get a real idea on maximum price. If I can fit carts, I'm going that route. Haven't measured it out yet.

Just took this pic of my cheap 42 x 84 table we're playing our regular 10-man tourney on tonight. Gives an idea of space.

Cheap table, but I think the Grand Casino chips save this picture a bit. 1st use of them tonight.

Thanks for the comments, keep them coming. It's really making me rethink things. Like how I like the look of my buddy's raised rail, but just remembered how most guys lift their cards up to their face cause they have a tough time peeking at them on the table. (n) :thumbsdown:
 

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Drink carts are great in theory, I've had more
Tipped over drink carts from people backing their chairs into them than I care to remember
 
I'm a pretty big fan of cup holders in the rails, lets face it, people drink while player poker whether it's just water or boozing all night. Drink carts are the best options but most of the time folks don't have enough space for them. I would say 80-90% of the tables I build get cup holders in the rail. For my own table, I have and would do the same.

Raised rails are mostly decorative. They can assist with seeing your cards better with the backlighting, and we've also had power outages where we fired up the raised rail lights and kept degen'ing until hours after the lights were out. That being said, it's a pretty rare occurrence. I've never had an issue with peeking at my cards at a raised rail table providing the raise isn't too tall, I normally recommend 1-1.5". Yes you have to bend your cards a bit higher to see them but I've personally never had a problem.

There are different types of pedestal legs on the market. Though there's different designs and manufacturers, I haven't really found any that are lower quality than others unless they're made in China. Bolting hardware and finish is inferior if it's premade in China in my experience. Anything American or Canadian made, or even from Indonesia, Inda, Phillipines, Thailand, are all pretty good. I've only ever bought USA and CDN made pedestals but have had people bring in their own before from elsewhere and they're all solid.

Unless you have a dedicated dealer, I wouldn't do the dealer cutout. Even if you do have a dedicated dealer, they can work with a full rail without the cutout. It's not as nice as having the extra space to pitch and shuffle cards, but if you're unsure to include it or not I would say to just stay with a full rail all around.
 
Interesting. A couple of things.

First, there is some functionality to a lighted rail.for folks with bad eyes, it illuminates the cards when peeking at them. And coolness factor is off the charts when done right. Unless you're doing it right, I'd forgo the lighted rail. And by right, I mean with the aluminum or other diffuser. Something more than the milky white generic diffuser. Theee are ok... but at least look into the sticker apliques that go over these and lend a look similar to chans aluminum cutouts.

The raised rail functions very well. despite me having some similar misgivings that Ben had, I discovered I like mine I lot. However, once I actually used my raised rail table, it feels more natural. I think it actually allows you to fondle chips easier since you're reaching at the same level as the tops of stacks. Hard to describe.

The cutout for Dealer? Meh. Why unless you have a dedicated dealer. And even then, it is limiting. Even if most of my ga,Es had dealers, I'd opt to forgone this feature.

The chip drawer seems more trouble and cost than it'd be worth. I've played a buddy's house and he has one. One person can access it, and it's constantly knocking them in the knees.

The bases can be tricky. You could shop Craigslist for some industrial table bases, and maybe you could find two matching ones to use, for cheap? I've gone this route with some success.

If you're ditching the rail bling, then why not just build yourself. You could do a nice table for around 350(usd), including deco nails. This one was built solidly for around 300-400 (probably less)

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A chip drawer that could hold about 800 chips would be pretty darn useful, if it could be done unobtrusively (not really sure how that works.) View attachment 83118

I had this built years ago and has worked perfectly for our games. Takes an entire case or simply place your chip racks into it:

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Where are you in Canada? Tony is in Vancouver. Definitely reach out to @T_Chan

With that budget, you are going to get something beautiful. Prepare to be a very happy man haha.
 
Wood pedestals make for a really solid table and nice look, however IMHO the claw feet are overkill. Unless you *really* like them or they're a feature that appeals to a significant other, I would go standard feet and put more of your money into the parts of the table you'll actually be looking at 95% of the time - once you belly up to the table, everyone will forget about the claw feet.

I like a raised rail as long as it's not too high, ~3/4" to 1" is perfect IMHO. The diffuser/lights are cool, however the novelty does were off - for my money, I'd prefer a raised rail with a nice wood inlay. Classy, more durable and you don't have to worry about a battery or wire coming from the table. I have 2 tables, one is ~7 years old with a 7/8" raised rail with a custom wood inlay and another much newer one with a 1.5" LED lit raised rail with a suited diffuser - the older one with the 7/8" wood raised rail is most everyone's favorite. My 2¢ worth.
 
Same here (as long as they were in-rail, and not in-table.) Slide-unders work fine though, not a big issue.

I really dislike raised rails - I don't want to have to reach down into the table to look at my cards / play with my chips. I also wouldn't want a dealer cutout, unless you plan to have a dedicated dealer for every game. LED lighting is cool-ish I guess, though I don't really see the point unless you plan to have games in the dark. o_O

A chip drawer that could hold about 800 chips would be pretty darn useful, if it could be done unobtrusively (not really sure how that works.)

When I had my table built I bought a set of X-legs from BBO poker tables - not sure if they're still available, you'd have to email them. It was only $280 for the set and just as sturdy and stylish as using pedestals at $400 each, IMO:

View attachment 83118

Totally agree with everything here. If you go with cup holders in the rail, I would strongly consider modifying them into the "Larscup" Best damn holders that can be had. Check it out...

https://www.pokerchipforum.com/threads/all-things-lars.12536/page-2


I would contact @T_Chan. He is in Canada also and can make you a table that suits your needs.

Good luck with your table and show us a picture of your man cave when it is in place. (y) :thumbsup:

Chanman is the official table of the Exit Only Lounge.
 
Raised rail? No.
Rail lighting? No.
Dealer cut-out? No.

Nearly all of our rotating-location games use dedicated dealers. Most of them actually prefer a relatively low full rail, and the ones that like dealer cut-outs really only like them when the table has a raised rail (it's more tiring to deal down into a pit; the arm angles are all wrong for repeated actions).

My personal preferences:
  • removable full rail (for easier cleaning and cupholders),
  • gaming cloth with a printed racetrack 'look' (or at least a clear and definitive betting line),
  • dual X-leg supports (super-stability with a classy appearance, without looking like Queen Anne's parlor furniture), and
  • slide-under cupholders in multiple sizes (that will always be placed exactly where each individual player wants it, with drinks NEVER in an uncomfortable or awkward position).
Perfect. Easy to build for a reasonable cost, too.
 
that will always be placed exactly where each individual player wants it, with drinks NEVER in an uncomfortable or awkward position

YES! This is my thing.
There's some wiggle room on a full size oval with cupholders in the rails. What gets me is I've seen octagons with in-rail cupholders square in the middle of each side. I think that's the worst place to put a drink, and with an octagon, there's no wiggle room at all.
 
Its so funny how people are so ademate about cup holders and their location. There seems to be no right or wrong...just preference.

For me, I would HATE to not have the cup holder right in front of me. Both my arms sit on the rail which mean I have to have my drink right in front of me. It never gets in the way there. And I get the idea behind the slide under holders, but I don't want the drinks to take up table space so I think that eliminates that option for me.

And I love a low raised rail and will definitey be doing it when I build my table which I am currently doing. I'll probably just go with 3/4" raised rail just for the improved table look without negatively impacting game play.
 
Its so funny how people are so ademate about cup holders and their location.

For me, I would HATE to not have the cup holder right in front of me. Both my arms sit on the rail which mean I have to have my drink right in front of me. It never gets in the way there. And I get the idea behind the slide under holders, but I don't want the drinks to take up table space so I think that eliminates that option for me.

Weird I k now... I am in the camp that prefers my cards in front of me, and my chips slights off center. Drinks just get in the way with both. I like my drinks on a cart.
 
Weird I k now... I am in the camp that prefers my cards in front of me, and my chips slights off center. Drinks just get in the way with both. I like my drinks on a cart.
Makes sense using carts. Unfortunately thats not an option for me due to space. Like MAK mentioned is an issue for him, do you find that people are constantly bumping into them?
 
Nearly all of our rotating-location games use dedicated dealers. Most of them actually prefer a relatively low full rail, and the ones that like dealer cut-outs really only like them when the table has a raised rail (it's more tiring to deal down into a pit; the arm angles are all wrong for repeated actions).

^^ this ^^

The dealer cutout is useful for a dedicated dealer if either:
a) There's a raised rail. With a raised rail, a cutout area makes dealing easier.
b) There's chip tray in the table. If you're working a tray for a rake & bad beat change, a cushioned rail gets in the way, and forces the tray to be too deep into the table. So it's really providing space for the tray more than the dealer.

If you don't have either of those, the dealer cutout is completely unnecessary, is an extra expense, makes the table look worse, and is less comfortable when you're not using a dedicated dealer... and if you are using a dedicated dealer, having been there, it's less comfortable for the dealer. I can tell you I've often wished there was no tray, so that I could put my arms down in front of me. The tray is just not comfortable. The low-padded dealer cutout is less comfortable than the regular rail.

The cutout is mostly there for the tray, and I'll never have a tray in a home table, so I'll never have a cutout.

Also, I'm against an under-table drawer. I'm tall. Whichever side of the table I'm on, my knees are going to be hitting that thing all night.
 
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Makes sense using carts. Unfortunately thats not an option for me due to space. Like MAK mentioned is an issue for him, do you find that people are constantly bumping into them?
I've been hosting a weekly game for about 9 months now. I've had at least 6 carts tipped over
 
Makes sense using carts. Unfortunately thats not an option for me due to space. Like MAK mentioned is an issue for him, do you find that people are constantly bumping into them?

No, rarely. Of course on occasion folks have bumped into a cart, but I've never had a spill from a knocked over cart (that I can recall).

I'm not opposed to slide under cupholders, but these tend to trash a table's innerds... Sure they're ok if people use them correctly, but most people I've seen use them, tend to force them straight into place, shoving them under the rail. This can rip at the vinyl at staple points. Over time this can lead to these rips becoming visible, or big enough that they release some of the tension on the rail material. Having the rail loose enough can prevent the need to force them into place, but then this opens up the issue of cards sliding under the rail, lol... Why is this damn cupholder argument so complicated, ha!

I've been hosting a weekly game for about 9 months now. I've had at least 6 carts tipped over

Wow, what carts are you using? AND more importantly, how much hard liquor are you serving, lol... :)

A long time ago, I had a few regulars get so drunk, one broke one of my older chairs, and another broke a glass. In every single story of stupidness, douchebaggery or drama I've ever seen at one of my games or any other game I've attended, hard liquor was ALWAYS involved. It's hard to limit or restrict the consumption of hard liquor at a game, but I've done well to discourage the regs who get plowed. A casual convo reminding them that everytime they play cards and drink X booze, they break chairs, glasses, and they lose big $. These regs have self regulated, stopped drinking so hard, and have admitted to me after that it's helped their fun factor when playing at my game. It's also helped improve the enjoyment factor of all the players. Now, don't get me wrong, it's not atypical for a player to tie one on from time to time, but I think it's pretty tame, and we've had very little negative drama.
 
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[QUOTE=" In every single story of stupidness, douchebaggery or drama I've ever seen at one of my games or any other game I've attended, hard liquor was ALWAYS involved. [/QUOTE]

Worth mentioning that most of my stories of big wins also include the quoted statement. (and most Navy stories) :whistle: :whistling:
 

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