Billiard table ivory balls from warping. The first use of electric heating was for an 18.2 balkline tournament held in December 1927 between Welker Cochran and Jacob Schaefer, Jr. The New York Times announced it with fanfare: "For the first time in the history of world's championship balkline billiards a heated table will be used..." A pool table, or pocket billiards table, has six – one at each corner of the table () and one at the midpoint of each of the longer sides ( or ). Pool tables come in different sizes, typically referred to as , , , or tables.
Billiard table leather or plastic, may have drop pockets, which are small nets, bags or cups to catch the balls. Ball returns, instead have a series of troughs or gutters inside the table, which channel the balls into a collection chamber on one side of the table. On a coin-operated table, the balls are deposited inside an inaccessible compartment window until the table is paid again, allowing the balls to be released into the collection chamber. A disadvantage to drop pockets is that if too many balls go into the same pocket, it will fill up the receptacle and prevent any more