Most of us that are not familiar with pool may ask “what is that blue square for that people use when playing pool?” The truth is that this blue chalky substance is very important to playing pool, and professionals as well as amateurs will pay up to $30.00 USD for a single one of these squares. In this post, we will explain what pool chalk is, what it is for, and several of the top quality brands of pool chalk.

What Does Chalk Do in Pool?

It turns out that the blue square of chalk has a significant role when it comes to a game of pool, or billiards as it is also called. The blue substance that is compressed into a small square is actual chalk. The proper name for this particular type is “pool cue chalk.” Now, I know you may be asking yourself “why is it called cue chalk?”  Well, the term “cue” means “pool stick,” also referred to as “cue stick.” With this in mind, the next question most likely is, “So why do you chalk a pool cue?”

The purpose for putting chalk on the pool stick is to coat the end of it so that the player can hit the ball correctly. Without pool chalk, the cue will hit the ball in an awkward manner, causing it not to go to its intended target.

Pool cue chalk comes in a variety of colors such as red, orange, yellow and as well as many others. The different colors provide consumers with the option of choosing a color that best matches the color of their pool table. When the chalk closely resembles the felt color of the pool table, the chalk residue (if any) will blend with the color of the billiard table. The main idea of choosing a color chalk to match the table is to maintain a clean table appearance. After you decide what color chalk you want to use, the next step as with any product, is one of the most difficult – choosing a brand.

The Best Pool Chalk Brands

There are several quality brands of pool cue chalk. Below, we feature four popular brands to choose from when it comes to selecting pool chalk. For more information on each pool chalk and to purchase, please click on the photos and titles on each listing. For current prices, scroll over each photo. If you are using and ad blocker on your browser, it may interfere with the price pop-up, so you may need to temporarily disable it.

1.Master Chalk

2. Silver Cup Chalk

3. Kamui Chalk

4. Predator Chalk

The main differences between these chalks are that some have fewer color options than the others, some are finer (leaving little or no residue), and others are applied to the cue in a smoother way thereby offering an even coating.

This video illustrates some of the main differences between Master, Predator and Kamui pool cue chalks and which one to choose depending on your style of play:

Why Do You Chalk A Pool Cue

Both for professionals and amateur consumers, choosing the best brand of chalk is extremely important. Your chosen brand of chalk may possibly cause a big loss or a big win and here’s why. The chalk squares in pool are “…used to coat pool cue sticks to prevent miscues.”¹  A miscue is “…a shot in which the player fails to strike the ball.”²

The average consumer is likely to enter a billiard store and ask for the least expensive pool cue chalk. This, however, is not how professionals do it. Whether you are a professional billiard player or an “average Joe” player, the type pool chalk you choose is very important. It really comes down to the phrase, “you get what you pay for.” Therefore, when making a decision to purchase pool chalk, be sure to choose one that will help you reach your goals in the sport.

References:

¹Pool Cue Chalk. (n.d.). Retrieved March 07, 2016, from https://www.pooldawg.com/category/pool-cue-chalk?dir=asc

²Google. (n.d.). Retrieved March 07, 2016, from https://www.google.com/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant