Pool table

A pool table having a first end and a second end and connecting sides that connect the first end to the second end, the pool table including:

• a bed (14) into which is cut six pockets, with one of said six pockets positioned at each one of at least four corners defined at intersections between connecting sides and one of the first end and the second end;
• a ball collection layer (102) beneath the bed (14), the ball collection layer including:
• at least one downwardly inclined peripheral edge gully (112) interconnecting multiple pockets, the at least one peripheral edge gully located beneath multiple pockets thereby to collect, in use, balls (36) that fall into the pockets;
• a cascading drop (130) at a lowest end of the at least one inclined peripheral edge gully (112), the cascading drop (130) nearest one of said first end and second end;
• and
• a ball separation, collection and dispensing sub-system (150) positioned at one of said first end and said second end, the ball separation, collection and dispensing subsystem (150) having:
• at least one ingress point beneath the cascading drop (130);
• a stacked arrangement of multiple downwardly inclined runners (180, 182, 190, 192) wherein a first one of said runners is beneath the at least one ingress point and wherein stacking of one runner over another runner causes a switchback;
• and
• a ball separation device arranged to differentiate between a cue ball and an object ball, the ball separation device configured to send a cue ball along a first path in the stack of runners (180, 182, 190, 192) towards a free-return box (113) and to send object balls (36) along a second path in the stack of runners (180, 182, 190, 192) towards a ball picking slot (117), wherein the free-return box and the ball picking slot (117) are accessible only at said end where the ball separation, collection and dispensing sub-system (150) is positioned.