Shuffleboard can be played on tables as short as 9 foot and as long as 22 foot.
In tournament play a 22 foot table is usually used in the United States.
For home use, some of the best shuffleboard tables may be in the 12 to 14 foot zone to accommodate a family room, but some smaller tables are available.
Home playing on too small of a table may not adequate for adults that are in shuffleboard leagues and tournaments to practice on because of the difference in force needed to move the weights to the farthest scoring points.
The best shuffleboard tables are usually made with a wooden surface or laminated wood covered with silicone or polymer for a slick surface, like a bowling alley.
To keep the surface slick, a shuffleboard wax or powder is used.
The painted scoring lines are easily visible.
The most attractive wooden tables are made with solid 3" thick, select kiln-dried wood, (maple and walnut are commonly used because it is so attractive) and they will have a polymer finish that will last a lifetime.
These are considered some of the best shuffleboard tables and what is typically used for sports bar and family activity fun center play.
They will have electronic scoring mechanisms, climatic surface controls and usually they are available in a variety of sizes in two foot intervals from 12 to 22 feet.
While most sports bars or places that hold shuffleboard tournaments will opt for the larger models, the average person can expect to pay around $10,000 for the best shuffleboard tables, but you can sometimes find great deals on 22 feet long tables around this price range.
There are models that are made much cheaper that are sufficient for home play, but they probably will not last nearly as long as the professional grade tables, which is something to keep in mind.
The important thing to consider is that the best shuffleboard tables will have lifetime warranties and will last for a very long time of play.
For this reason, they should be considered an investment and the wood should maintained by keeping the shuffleboard wax or the silicone powder handy for the best play.
Once you have played table shuffleboard, you will see what a fun and addicting game it is for all ages.
There can be two types of the best shuffleboard tables, those that have gutters and those that have cushioned bank-boards.
Obviously, they are two different playing techniques.
For those that have gutters, any weights that go off the board are considered dead, much like bowling.
For playing on those that have the cushioned banks, it is much like playing pool or billiards.
The weights can move position and be bounced out of scoring positions, which can change the outcome of the game with each shot.
Of course, table shuffleboard is a game that changes with each shot anyway, since it involves a good offense and a good defense.
An opponent is just as likely to attack your weight as striving to put theirs in the farthest scoring zone.
One thing is certain, it is a fun game for the whole family, just buy as much table as your budget will afford.
The best shuffleboard tables are not the cheapest, however.