Table Temperature

A slightly random post if ever there was one, this evening a number of you at home noticed during Neil Robertson’s 6-3 victory over Mark Allen that there is a box at the bottom of the table with a digital display on and subsequently asked what this is. Click below for the answer…

Normally hidden from the view of the TV cameras, I noticed it for the first time at the World Championship this year (see picture above), when I was fortunate enough to be able to sit in the media seats for the first time. I assumed that it had something to do with the temperature of the table, though did not know anything specific.

A number of you eagle-eyed readers noticed this, including Julian who left a comment elsewhere on the blog asking:

“During the match that finished minutes ago (Neil vs. Alan), a display was shown on TV showing what the temperature of the table is. There was a number 50. What does it mean? I mean, 50C is too hot and 50F is too cold (around 10C). I’m confused.”

As ever, the debate spilled over onto Twitter which led @snookeroland from the Snooker Island forum to speculate:

“at a guess I’d say 50C is hot enough to warm through the slate to get 25-30C on the bed of the table #scientist

A logical theory and one subsequently confirmed by World Snooker‘s official feed as follows:

“correct Roland – although the bed of the table is more like 21C”

So there you have it!