Simonis Pool Table Cloth Colors: A Buyer's Guide for Billiard Businesses

I'm the office administrator for a 40-person billiard table manufacturer. I manage all cloth and supply purchasing—roughly $180,000 annually across 8 vendors. I report to both operations and finance. When I took over purchasing in 2020, I didn't realize how much color choices affect inventory, callbacks, and customer satisfaction.

This is the Simonis pool table cloth colors FAQ I wish I had before I wrote my first PO. It's for table manufacturers, dealers, and repair services—not for players looking for a quick rulebook answer.

Quick index:

• What colors does Simonis offer?
• Is Tournament Blue always the right choice?
• Does cloth color affect gameplay?
• 860 vs. 760: Which should I stock?
• How do I choose colors for resale or production?
• How should I clean Simonis cloth?
• What mistakes cause callbacks after installation?
• Where should I buy Simonis cloth for resale?

What colors does Simonis offer?

As of January 2025, Simonis 860 is the cloth I order most. The current core lineup includes Tournament Blue, Tournament Green, Tournament Red, Tournament Burgundy, Tournament Purple, Tournament Turquoise, and Tournament Black. 760 is typically available in a smaller set—Blue, Green, Red, and Black are the ones I see on order forms. But don't treat that as an official list (as of January 2025, at least). Distributors add and drop SKUs, and regional availability varies.

The phrase "simonis pool table cloth colors" usually means the 860 Tournament series. If a customer asks for "Tournament Blue," they're usually describing the shade, not the cloth weight. If they ask for "green cloth," confirm whether they want a traditional green or a tournament green. They're not always the same.

Ask your distributor for physical swatches. Color names on a screen are not enough.

Is Tournament Blue always the right choice?

No. I recommend Tournament Blue for tournament rooms and most commercial installations because it's the visual standard for pro matches and offers good contrast with red object balls and the white cue ball. But if your customer wants a traditional pub look, green sells better. If they're building a high-end home theater room, black looks sharp—until it shows chalk dust and lint.

The honest answer: there is no best color, only the best color for a specific customer. If you're a dealer, carrying only Tournament Blue simplifies inventory, but it can also push customers to a competitor who offers green or red. In our 2024 vendor consolidation project, we standardized on 860 Blue for stock, but we kept a swatch book and special-order options for everything else. That worked for us, but our situation was a mid-size manufacturer with predictable orders. If you're a one-person repair shop, your mix may be different.

Does cloth color affect gameplay?

Color itself doesn't change the weave, the nap, or the ball speed. A red 860 plays the same as a blue 860. But color does affect how players see the table. In a dimly lit bar, dark cloth can make object balls harder to read. In a bright tournament hall, a true blue cloth makes the table look serious and clean.

Black and some dark colors show chalk dust and table lint quickly, which can make a table look dirty between brushings. That's a maintenance issue, not a speed issue. The bigger variable is cloth weight: 860 vs. 760. The color is mostly visual and psychological. If a customer says the table feels slow, changing from blue to green won't fix it; look at the cloth weight and installation tension first.

860 vs. 760: Which should I stock?

860 is the heavier cloth and the default for tournament play. In my experience, it's also the easier sell because room owners recognize the name. I recommend 860 for commercial tables and for customers who want a durable, consistent surface.

760 is lighter and plays faster. It's not "worse"—it's a different speed. Serious home players and some league rooms ask for it. If you can stock both, do it. If you can only stock one, 860 Tournament Blue is the safer bet. Offer 760 as a special order rather than losing the whole sale.

I learned this in 2020 when a customer walked because I didn't have 760 in stock. The upside of carrying both is more sales; the risk is carrying inventory that doesn't move. This worked for us as a manufacturer that sells to dealers. Your mileage may vary if your sales mix is mostly direct-to-consumer.

How do I choose colors for resale or production?

I group customers into three buckets:

• Tournament rooms: 860 in Tournament Blue or Green
• Bars and social clubs: Green, Red, or Burgundy
• Premium home installations: custom colors, often black or purple

For production, order enough cloth from the same dye lot to cover the entire run. Dye lots can vary slightly. It's usually within an acceptable tolerance, but if you're building ten tables and the aprons don't match, the customer will notice. Ask for physical swatches. Don't rely on a Pantone conversion; industry standard color tolerance is Delta E < 2 for brand-critical colors, and above 4 is visible to most people. Reference: Pantone Color Matching System guidelines.

In our 2024 consolidation project, I ordered all blue cloth for a 12-table install from one distributor after the first quote didn't confirm the dye lot. That one detail saved us a callback.

How should I clean Simonis cloth?

Brush first, vacuum second. Use a soft brush and low suction. For spills, use Simonis X1 cleaner on a clean cloth—don't spray the product directly on the felt and don't soak the area. Gently blot, then let it dry naturally.

Please, don't use gym equipment cleaner. Multi-surface sprays made for treadmills or exercise mats can leave residue that traps chalk and dust. That's how to clean gym equipment, not billiard cloth. The most frustrating part of cloth maintenance calls is that they're avoidable. You'd think "cleaner" means all-purpose, but billiard cloth has a woven worsted surface that reacts differently to chemicals.

If a customer asks about cleaning products, sell them Simonis X1 and a proper brush. It's a small add-on that prevents bigger problems.

What mistakes cause callbacks after installation?

The three biggest ones in my order history:

1. Installing cloth from different dye lots on the same table or multi-table order.
2. Using water-based or all-purpose cleaners on stains, which makes them worse.
3. Not verifying invoice documentation before paying.

On the last point: in 2022, a new vendor offered a great price on 860 Tournament Blue—about $2,400 cheaper than our regular supplier. They couldn't provide a proper invoice, only a handwritten receipt. Finance rejected the expense report (unfortunately), and I ate $2,400 out of the department budget. Now I verify invoicing capability before placing any order.

That's not a Simonis product issue. It's a purchasing discipline issue. But it's the kind of mistake that makes a good cloth color decision look bad, because the customer sees a delay instead of a table.

Where should I buy Simonis cloth for resale?

From an authorized distributor, not a marketplace listing with a stock photo. I've seen rolls advertised as "Simonis" with no lot number and no recognizable packaging. If something goes wrong, you need a paper trail: a proper invoice, the lot number, and the distributor's contact. The cheap listing isn't cheap when you have to redo an installation.

As of January 2025, I always ask the distributor two questions before ordering: Do you have this SKU in stock, and can you confirm the dye lot? If they can't answer both, I look elsewhere. Authorized distributors also handle the rare warranty issue without making you chase a stranger in a chat app.