Slate:

The Premier table comes with 1"
3-piece Bella slate.

3-piece slate is the best type of slate because it allows for more precise leveling. With three different sections of slate, each can be leveled individually to achieve a perfect level.

1" thick slate is the only slate approved by the BCA for tournament use. It comes only in 3 pieces. It will provide the truest and most accurate play of any of the three slate thickness. It is the very best slate, as it is the only slate guaranteed by the slate mines not to warp. Although it is only slightly more expensive than 7/8", it is 12.5% heavier in total weight. It is important to note that the weight of the table will have direct impact on how true a ball rolls and rebounds.

Rail Construction:

K-66 full gum rubber style cushions are used on the Premier rails. This construction is approved by the BCA for tournament play. They are time tested for correct speed and accuracy.

The cushions are the most critical aspect of the rail system. In order for a pool table to be tournament approved, the Billiard Congress of America requires that "Rubber cushions should be triangular in shape and molded with conventional K-66 profile with a base height of 1 3/16" and a nose height of 1".

Sub Rail:

The rail liner or "sub rail" is the part of the rail that you cannot see once your table is assembled. It is what the rubber is actually attached to and it is the part of the rail that comes in contact with the slate and allows the rails to be fastened to the slate.

The Premier uses solid wood sub rail: this will allow for the most accurate rebound available.

The Premier rails are attached to the slate with "Floating Nut Plates". This method literally has a nut plate in the rail, which is not secured, and actually moves around until fastened with a bolt. This has become a very common method.

The cloth that covers the cushions is stapled to the bottom of the sub rail. The rail on the Premier has a recessed area for those staples to be attached. This area is called a tack strip. Without a tack strip, the staples will prevent the rails from sitting flat on the slate and therefore will change the angle and raise the height of the cushion. This will cause the rebound of the table to seem very slow or "dead".