Check if table exists in SQL Server

Question

I would like this to be the ultimate discussion on how to check if a table exists in SQL Server 2000/2005 using SQL Statements.

When you Google for the answer, you g

Answer 1

If anyone is trying to do this same thing in linq to sql (or especially linqpad) turn on option to include system tables and views and do this code:

let oSchema = sys.Schemas.FirstOrDefault(s=>s.Name==a.schema )
where oSchema !=null
let o=oSchema!=null?sys.Objects.FirstOrDefault (o => o.Name==a.item && o.Schema_id==oSchema.Schema_id):null
where o!=null

given that you have an object with the name in a property called item, and the schema in a property called schema where the source variable name is a