The accessories worth owning.

Chalk

Chalk adds friction between the tip and the cue ball to prevent miscues. Billiard chalk is not real chalk; it is silica mixed with an abrasive such as aluminum oxide. Chalk that is too hard will not stick, and chalk that is too soft leaves residue on balls and cloth. Color does not change performance, though matching it to your cloth hides residue.

Black Label Billiards places Master as the traditional budget chalk (dustier than newer premium chalks), Predator 1080 Pure as a mid-level upgrade, and Kamui and Taom as premium low-dust options. Dr. Dave Alciatore's view is that premium chalk slows tip glazing but that the specific brand matters little. Sources disagree on frequency: Wikipedia says about every other shot, Seybert's says every shot. Brush it on lightly rather than grinding the tip into the cube.

Racks

Triangle racks hold fifteen balls for eight-ball, straight pool, one-pocket, bank pool and snooker reds. Diamond racks are sometimes used for nine-ball. Template racks are thin sheets with precise cut-outs that stay under the balls for the break and are removed afterward; they are now named in professional rules, but they are almost never used in games with slow breaks, where they can interfere with slowly rolling balls.

Bridges

For shots you cannot reach, Masters of Games says a pool table should have at least a short rest or a spider, and recommends brass heads over plastic for stability.

Gloves

A billiard glove gives your bridge hand a smooth, low-friction surface so the cue slides consistently. They come for the left or right bridge hand in a range of sizes.

Covers, brushes and cue racks

Monarch Billiards says to cover the table whenever it is not in use (but leave it uncovered while a spill dries) and to use a brush with soft bristle tips. McDermott says to keep cues perfectly straight on a wall rack and to avoid racks on outside walls.

Tip tools

Dime and nickel radii are the de facto standard tip shapes, and a glazed tip should be lightly scuffed so it keeps accepting chalk. McDermott recommends replacing a tip once its side wall is thinner than a dime.

Lighting

WPA tournament standards call for at least 520 lux across the bed and rails, with a movable fixture at least 40 inches above the bed. For homes, retailers suggest 30 to 36 inches (Classic Home Billiards) or 31 to 36 inches (Blatt Billiards) above the playing surface, and Blatt suggests three-shade fixtures for 7 and 8 foot tables and four-shade fixtures for 9 foot tables. See lighting for the full comparison.