Agree on the spin, I was assuming a perfectly vertical break.

Abou the burn marks, see here http://www.pooldawg.com/article/pooldawg-library/table-maint...

http://www.cuesight.com/types-of-pool-table-felt.html

Yeah, I hate it when the ball pops up, but my opponent looks cool catching it, heh. I also play pool. Best game for lounging I feel.