At the Games Room Company we have long been fans of Shuffleboard and are proud to offer a wide range of designs across different price points. With so many Britons now discovering the game, we are thrilled to be sharing our knowledge and enthusiasm with a whole new audience.

Olhausen's Pavilion Shuffleboard Table is made from solid tulip wood and boasts a design that looks equally at home in traditional or contemporary surroundings depending on which of the five finishes you select. 

Available in 9ft, 12ft, and 14ft sizes, it has a 16” wide solid maple playfield and comes with Olhausen’s own patented levelling system.

When Donny and Butch Olhausen bought a small company for $1000 in 1973 it was making about 35 tables annually. The first year, their goal was to somehow double the business and sell 70 tables but within two years, they were selling over 300. 

Olhausen Billiard Manufacturing, Inc. is now selling almost 30,000 tables a year in their 250,000-square-foot facility in Portland, Tennessee. Still family-owned and operated, Butch, Donny, and all the people at Olhausen have consistently pursued a tradition of dedication to Quality and Value - attributes that also extend to their extensive shuffleboard range.

Playing shuffleboard

The action takes place on a maple wood top which runs almost the length of the table, with a run-off area of a few inches at either end. It’s surface has a hard wearing high gloss finish and is then sprinkled with tiny silicone balls that resemble grains of sand. The steel pucks, which are typically about 2.5 “ across, glide across this surface with such little resistance that first time players are invariably caught unawares, sending the puck skimming right off the end of the playfield at speed. High scores are achieved by getting your pucks into the zones nearest the end of the board, and the game can be played individually or in teams.

History

Dating from the taverns of 15th Century England, when it was known as ’Shove-Groat’ and played using a large silver coin, Shuffleboard was quickly adopted by the aristocracy and became such a  popular parlour game amongst the noblemen of the home counties that Henry VIII was forced to impose a ban, claiming that it was too much of a distraction from archery and sword-fighting practise!

Distraction or not, its huge appeal ensured that the game quickly migrated throughout the English speaking world, eventually arriving on the East Coast of America with the first settlers in the 1600’s. From there it spread rapidly throughout the bars and larger country houses of mainland USA, shedding its aristocratic associations along the way and ultimately finding favour with the legendary movie stars of Hollywood’s Golden Age.

With Shuffleboard leagues springing up all over the States it became one of the most popular activities in the country, aided in no small part by the technological advances which allowed the pucks to glide smoothly and almost frictionless on a bed of tiny silicone pellets. 

These days the game is still very much a distraction, but in the 21st century instead of diverting citizens from their archery practise it provides an exciting alternative to the omnipresent lure of screens and social media. Physical games requiring skill and judgement are currently enjoying a massive resurgence up and down the country and Shuffleboard is playing a major part in this trend.  

The Games Room Company also sells a broad range of shuffleboard accessories and if you need any help we’d be pleased to advise.