Speed cloth or felt?

[juanez]

Got into a discussion with coworkers about this. What do you prefer?

[SossMan]

i like speed cloth so long as there is a good amount of padding.

[youtalkfunny]

Only knock on speed-cloth is it wears out quickly, and leaves an oily feeling.

I think the parts that rub off adversely affect the shuffle machines. I don't know this to be fact.

[GoblinMason (Craig)]

What's the difference? I only play live at one place and I don't know which they have.

-Craig

[youtalkfunny]

Felt is like the cloth on a pool table. Thick, fuzzy, and probably what you play on.

Speed-cloth is vinyl, and slick. Cards and chips slide like pucks on ice. A dealer can push the pot in one pushing motion, instead of two or three, and he's not fighting to get the chips across the table. Pitching also requires much less effort--just pitch the cards half as far, and they'll slide the rest of the way.

Every time I hear a dealer say they don't prefer it, I'm shocked. I'm guessing that they find any sort of change upsetting, even drastic improvements.

[mrkilla]

they use speed cloth on pool tables too just FYI /images/graemlins/smile.gif

[smoore]

As an amateur table builder (only home tables, no casinos), "speed cloth" means:

1) 550 Cordura nylon. Won't find this in any rooms I've played in. I have this on my table and it's freakin' bulletproof but ugly.

2) Suited speed cloth. This is what's on all the Colorado tables. It's got the suits within a diamond pattern. You can see an example at yourautotrim.com.

Suited speed cloth outlasts everything in "rubs" except a $40/yd woolen felt. The speed cloth costs $7-8/yd in quantity. No quantity discount on the scottish felts that I know of. What do you expect, my relatives have kilts that cost $600 today but have lasted these gentlemen over 60 years... find me a pair of slacks that can do that. Yes, they still look great.

I am curious as to this vinyl speed cloth, youtalkfunny. Is this what they use in the rooms in your area? Do you have a link to a picture? Is it the stuff on yourautotrim? ( I think that stuff is poly, but it MAY be vinyl, I dunno )

[Randy_Refeld]

[ QUOTE ]
they use speed cloth on pool tables too just FYI

[/ QUOTE ]

I have worked in both of these industries. It has been quite some time since I worked in pool/billiards, but what we called speed cloth there is not what we call speed cloth in poker.

[lighterjobs]

[ QUOTE ]
Only knock on speed-cloth is it wears out quickly, and leaves an oily feeling.

I think the parts that rub off adversely affect the shuffle machines. I don't know this to be fact.

[/ QUOTE ]

they put speed cloth in the new card room at cherokee in tulsa and the color had faded badly within a month. the color is no big deal to me, but the cloth did get oily to where the cards barely slide across the table. as long as it's not the felt used on pool tables that balls up, I like felt better.

[mrkilla]

oh hehe, see I played pool as a youngster [not like im old] and "thought" it the same
thanks for clearing me up though

[bernie]

Is speedcloth fiberglass? If it is, players may not be affected as much as the dealers. Up here they have some fiberglass felts. The dealers said once in awhile they will get slivers from it. ( i think primarily when bringing cards into the muck or during a scramble)

For this reason, since I don't really see any benefit for the players, I'd vote for a non fiberglass felt.

b

[youtalkfunny]

[ QUOTE ]
I am curious as to this vinyl speed cloth, youtalkfunny. Is this what they use in the rooms in your area? Do you have a link to a picture? Is it the stuff on yourautotrim? ( I think that stuff is poly, but it MAY be vinyl, I dunno )

[/ QUOTE ]

I'm not a table builder. I don't know what the hell I'm talking about.

That suited speedcloth you spoke of--that's what I was talking about. I called it "vinyl" because I didn't know what else to call it.

Sorry for any confusion caused by my ignorance.