- O-2 Barbecue
- Loosing the first 2 matches in a
double elimination tournament.
- "A" Game
- The best level of play possible.
As in Joe had to bring out his A
game to beat that guy.
- Action
- As in, "At the pool room,
there's action around the clock".
Action is another word for gambling.
- Ahead Race
- A match where the number of
games ahead determines the winner. For
example, a 5 ahead race will not end
until one player gets 5 games ahead
of his opponent.
- Air-barrel
- As in "He was firing
air-barrels" - to gamble with out
any money to pay in the event of a
loss.
- Around the world
- A common way to keep track of
games won when playing for small
money is to use a coin that is
placed under the rail next to the
diamonds on the rail. The center
diamond at the head of the table is
designated as zero, and each diamond from
that is considered to be one game.
To go 'around the world' is to beat
your opponent so badly that the coin
gets moved all the way around the
diamonds on the table. A trip around
the world is 18 games.
- Bad hit
- To fail to make a legal shot.
- Ball in hand
- A rule that when one player
commits a foul or scratch, his
opponent can place the cue ball
anywhere on the table, and start
shooting from that point.
- Bangers
- Description of a recreational
player. Also denotes lack of skill.
- Bank Roll
- Total amount of money available for
gambling.
- Barking
- Trying to coerce someone into a
money match by loud and obnoxious
vocal tactics.
- Barrels
- As in, "I have ten barrels at
$20 a game". Number of pay off
units of money.
10 barrels at $20 would be $200 all
together.
- Behind the 8 ball
- Hooked or snookered behind the 8
ball. General term for being in a tough
situation.
- Big Ball/Bowling Ball
- 2 definitions. (1) An oversized bar
box cue ball, typically 2 1/2" in
diameter used for some return systems.
(2) Any ball blocking shot path or a
ball that is easily kickable.
- Blank
- An unsuspecting pool player. A
possible mark, fish, or victim.
- Body English
- Bodily contortions used in the
feeble attempt to change paths or
movements of balls in a pool game.
- Book
- To officially record a transaction
usually relevant to gambling. "Joe
hasn't booked a winner for months."
- Brain Lock
- A situation where a player under
pressure forgets how to play or his
abilities are severely diminished.
- Bridge
- Position of the non shooting hand on the
table as it holds and guides the cue stick.
Two basic examples would be open or
closed bridges. There is also a mechanical bridge that is
used when the shot is too far to
reach conventionally. Mechanical
bridges are composed of a bridge and
a bridge head.
- Burn Mark
- Discoloration or wear on table cloth
caused by friction typically in kitchen
corners where breaks are most commonly
initiated from.
- Bust
- To have no money left. Verb
used: Busting people: to beat
someone out of all there money. As
in "I'm going to bust this fool"
- Calcutta
- Player auction or tournament
gambling arrangement where spectators
bid on the player they think will win
the tournament. Money pool is often paid
off in places in conjunction with how
well their players finish.
- Call
- Used to describe a game rule
where balls must be pocketed in it's
intended pocket. "9 Ball - corner
pocket" would be considered a legal
call. This term can also be used to
designate a handicap ball adjustment
as well. For example, in 9 ball - a
player may decide to give another
player a handicap such as the "call"
7. This just simply means that the 7
is a money ball for the player
receiving the handicap, but he or
she must call it. It does not count
if it slops or is pocketed
unintentionally. Opposite of a
"wild" handicap
- Cannon
- British or Canadian term for a carom
shot
- Carom
- Billiard shot. Shot where cue ball
deflects off an object ball to strike
another object ball with intent to
pocket or contact.
- Carrying
- In a doubles match or team game
situation where one member has to
play above par to stay competitive
as a result of the partner not
performing up to standards. "Ed is
playing really bad, Joe is Carrying
a lot of weight right now."
- Chalk
- Used to maintain proper friction
on the tip of the cue stick
- Cheat The Pocket
- Aiming at different parts of the
pocket to change angles for positioning
purposes.
- Choke
- To commit an error as a result
of mental
pressure. Same as "dogging it"
- Clean
- As in, "Shots on the eight must
go clean". This means that when
shooting the eight, it has to go
into the pocket without contacting
any other balls. This is a common
house rule.
- Cluster Fuck
- 2 or more balls stuck together or in
close proximity presenting major
problems for a run out.
- Corner 5 System
- A diamond system designed for 3 rail
kick shots.
- Corner Hooked
- Also called tittie hooked. Position
of cue ball on the edge of a pocket
where path to object ball is blocked by
one side of the pocket.
- Cross
- Bank shot where the object ball
crosses the line of the cue ball after
contact. Common usages are cross corner
or cross side.
- Crutch
- Term used for the mechanical
bridge. Also called a rake.
- Cut Up/Chopped Up
- To scam as a team. Relieve an unsuspecting party
in a game out of their money. "Joe
played like crap every time I bet on
him, I think I'm getting cut up."
- Dead (combo/ball)
- Used to describe a shot where
all that is necessary to make the ball is
just to make legal contact. "That 9
ball is dead in the side."
Also known as "wired"
- Dead Punch/Dead Pop
- A state of play where every shot
is executed perfectly. Same as "In a
zone" or "unconscious".
- Deflection
- Also called squirt. Displacement of
the cue ball as a result of english used
pushing the cue ball to either side.
- Diamonds
- Inlays or markings on most billiard
tables used as reference points. There
are 3 diamonds between every pocket.
- Disrespectful
- Description of a very low
percentage shot taken by one player
with the assumption that the
other player is not skilled enough
to take advantage of a miss and win
the game.
- Dog it
- Same as choke. Can apply to
missing any shot, as in "Joe dogged
it".
- Double Hit
- Illegally striking the cue ball
twice in quick succession.
- Double Kiss
- Case where the cue ball strikes
the object ball twice in quick
succession.
- Drag Shot
- Shot where bottom english is used to
slow the cue ball down during path to
object ball or used to minimize reaction
of the cue ball after contact with the
object ball
- Draw
- Causing the cue ball to reverse
direction after hitting the object ball.
Also called "screw" in Europe and
Canada.
- Drill
- To beat badly. As in "Joe got
drilled 13-0"
- Duck
- 3 definitions, (1) an extremely
easy shot or (2) to play a defensive
shot or (3) to physically avoid
playing or finishing a prearranged
match. "Joe hasn't been in for
weeks, I think he's ducking me."
- Dump
- To purposely lose a game as part of
a scam
- Dutch
- Format for doubles play where each
partner shoots until he or she misses.
- English
- Striking the cue ball off-center
(left or right) in order to alter its path
to the object ball, path off the
object ball, and path off the rails
after contact.
- Even up/Head Up
- Game match up situation where no
handicap is given either way.
- Fat
- Undercutting a ball or hitting a big
area of the object ball would be
described as a fat hit.
- Feather
- To thin a ball slightly and or
gently.
- Fifty Yard Line
- Awkward layout where both logical
pockets are equally difficult. Also
called a "tweener".
- Firing/Shooting air barrels
- As in, "That guy can't pay up,
he was shooting air barrels the
whole time". Refers to a person
gambling when he has no money.
- Fish
- As in Joe is an absolute fish.
He hasn't booked a winner in weeks.
Other comparable helpless animals
can used in place of as well.
Pigeon, baby seal (getting clubbed
to death), lobster (claws bound),
etc. etc.
- Flat Spot
- Contact point or where the cue ball
meets the object ball.
- Follow that Car
- A shot where the object ball is
pocketed and the cue ball scratches
after it in the same pocket on the
same shot.
- Foot Rail
- The short rail at the bottom of the
pool table where balls are racked.
- Foot Spot
- Spot on the table where the lead
ball is placed for a rack.
- Foul
- An illegal shot, such as
scratching, jumping a ball off the
table or failure to contact a rail.
- Frame
- Same as an inning or a player's turn
at the table.
- Freeze Out
- Setting a specific amount of
money both
players agree must be met before the
session is officially over. "$1,000
a game $10,000 freeze out means that the match
will be played until some one gets
10 games ahead"
- Free-wheeling
- To shoot pool loose and
carefree. "After he built a
comfortable lead, Joe started
free-wheeling on me" Also known as
free-stroking.
- Front runner
- As in, "Joe is a strong front
runner". Refers to a player's
tendency to play well only when he
is comfortably in the lead. This is
generally a sign of weakness as it
suggests that the same player cannot
play under pressure or when the game
is close.
- Frozen
- Game situation where a ball is touching the
rail or another ball.
- Fundamentals
- Basic facts or principles of
playing pool. Stance, grip, stroke,
bridge, follow through are all
considered necessary fundamentals.
- Get in gear
- To play at one's highest level.
Sometimes heard in the form "high
gear".
- Ghost Ball
- Aiming system where an imaginary
ball is superimposed next to the object
ball in line with the pocket. Also
called impact line aiming.
- Go Off
- As in, "Joe could go off at any
time". To start playing for small
money, and after losing at that, to
raise the stakes and keep losing
until one is broke. Also used in the
past tense "He went off like a sky
rocket."
- Goalie
- A player who doesn't try very hard
to win but does whatever they can to
prevent other players from scoring.
- Golf
- Pool game where the object of the
game is to pocket an assigned ball in
each of the 6 pockets in order, usually
starting with the corner and end in the
side.
- Hack
- Description of a recreational
player. Also denotes lack of skill.
- Hanging in the Pocket
- Describes a ball that is right
in front of the pocket. Also known
as a hanger (easy shot, impossible
to miss.)
- Heart
- Refers to strength of a player
or will to win. "Joe came back from
an 8 game deficit to win, he showed
a lot of "heart".
- Hold your man
- Refers to when a player in a
ring game misses and leaves no shot
for the next player. Also used in
doubles format where defense is used
to cancel out a particular player.
- Hooked
- Also described as "snookered".
Game situation where there are no
straight forward shot available. "Joe is known as Captain
Hook". Whenever he misses, he
never leaves his opponent a shot.
Same as "Locked up" or "In Jail"
- House rules
- Many pool halls/bars have their
own twists on the standard rules to
the game. Find out what they might
be before you start to play. The
convention is that when you play in
someone else's pool room, you are
playing by their "house" rules.
- House wins
- When two players break even, and
the only money to change hands is
that given to pay for table time,
drinks, food, or any business
profits.
- Hustle
- To obtain by aggressive or
illicit means. This means misleading
others about your true ability and
taking advantage of it by gambling
with them and others.
- Inside English
- Side English towards the intended
pocket.
- Insurance Ball
- Common in 8 ball, it is easily
makeable ball left on the table in case
the game plan encounters problems. The
Insurance ball can then be used to get
back on track or back in line.
- Jab
- Also called poke. A short punch
stroke usually not carrying or delivery
any English.
- Jack up
- 2 definitions (1) As in, "When
shooting over another ball, you have
to jack up your cue". Refers to
elevating the butt of the cue higher
than one normally does to shoot. (2)
Raising the bet.
- Jawed
- When the object ball bounces
between the two facings of a pocket
and fails to fall into the pocket.
As in "I can't believe that ball
jawed up".
- Jelly Roll
- A kick back usually monetary for
favors in pool such as setting up a
game or lending your cue out. "I got
Joe this easy game, he had better
throw me a Jelly Roll afterwards."
- Jump shot
- Shot in which the cue ball jumps
over other object ball(s).
- Kick shot
- Shot where one shoots the cue ball
into one or more rails before it
contacts the object ball.
- Kiss
- Contact between balls. Common usage
would be balls described as kissing or a
double kiss.
- Kitchen
- Area of the table from the head
string to the up table short rail.
Behind the line would be referred to
as shooting out of the kitchen.
- Last
- Descriptor of a handicap
condition where the last
however many balls pocketed legally
wins. "Joe's giving that guy the
last 4 - meaning the last 4 balls
remaining on the table are game
balls for the person receiving the
handicap."
- Leave
- The position or lay of the table
after a player's turn at the table.
- Lemon
- A pool player that thinks too highly
of their own game. Prone to get into bad
match ups.
- Liking it
- As in, "Joe beat him out of
$300, and his opponent was liking it
so much he wants to play Joe some
more!". To believe that one has real
winning chances, even when one is
losing.
- Lock
- As in "this game is a lock for
Joe". This means that he has no
chance of losing. Can be elaborated
such as "lock cinch", or "stone cold
lead pipe lock."
- Lock/Handcuff artist
- Someone that will only gamble
when he is sure he will win. Also
known as a "nut hunter"
- Long Rail
- The side rails of a pool table.
- Masse
- Applying severe English to the
cue ball from above to achieve a
shot where the cue ball initially
starts in one direction but alters
it's course due to rotational spin.
- Misscue
- Miss-hitting the cue ball,
usually caused by lack of chalk or
trying to strike the cue ball too
close to the edge.
- Money ball
- The ball, that when pocketed,
wins the game.
- Mushroom
- Condition of some cue tips where the
sides expand outward so as the diameter
is wider than the barrel of the ferrule.
- Nap
- 2 Definitions. (1)The frizzy
material that lifts off of some table
cloth. (2) Nap cloth also refers to an
old style cloth used in the 70s.
- Natural
- Description of any situation on the
pool table where effects are natural or
unforced. Natural English, natural
lines, natural shape are all examples.
- Nit
- Someone who wants too much
handicap or refuses to wager any
money on relatively fair match-ups.
- Nuts
- As in, "Joe has the stone cold
nuts". The player who has "the nuts"
is heavily favored to win. Sometimes
heard as 'the Brazilian nuts', 'the
Brazilians', or 'the stone cold
nuts'. Basically means a sure thing.
If it is really bad, you might hear
'the stone cold Brazilian nuts', but
that is overdoing it a bit.
- On A String
- Usually used to describe perfect
position play. As in "Joe's shape is
awesome today, he's got that cue
ball on a string"
- One Hole
- Slang name for the game of One
Pocket
- On The Hill
- A player is said to be "on the
hill' when he needs to win just one
more game to win the set. Sometimes
expressed as 'hill-hill' or
"double-hill' if both players need
just one more win to claim the set.
- On The Side
- As in, "I will bet you $50 on
the side". A side bet away from
the main wager.
- On The Snap
- To win on the break shot.
- On Tilt
- Upset and showing bad judgment on
the pool table.
- Open
- Term used to describe a condition of
8 ball where a category of balls has yet
to be established. "The table is still
open."
- Outside English
- Side English away from the intended
pocket.
- Package
- Games won with the opponent
never coming to the table. A 4
pack would be 4 consecutive games
won from the break with no change in
inning. "Joe put a 4 pack together
from the lag!"
- Parking the Cue Ball
- Usually describes a great break
in any rotation game where after the
break, the cue ball stays in the
center of the table. Can also be
used to describe a very controlled
position shot or safety shot.
- Pattern
- Strategic movement of the cue ball
during a run out based on table layouts.
- Phenolic
- Hard synthetic substance primarily
used in the production of break or jump
cue tips or cue parts such as collars or
ferrules.
- Pills
- Small pills with numeric values on
them primarily used for the game of pill
pool or for tournament draws.
- Pit
- Small indentation on the bed of the
pool table caused by a ball being driven
hard into the table. Can also be used to
describe indentations on the balls
surface as well.
- Playing The Ghost
- Practice format where your opponent
"the ghost" never misses. So as soon as
you miss, your opponent earns a game.
This form of practice can be played with
varying number of balls depending on
level of difficulty. For example, 3 ball
ghost, 9 ball ghost, etc.
- Plus 2
- Diamond system for multiple rail
kick shots where the short rail is
contacted first.
- Put/Turn on the Heat/Torch
- When a player begins to beat his
opponent very badly. Also known as
"Bringing the pain."
- Position
- Controlling the cue ball with
speed and english in order to set up
the next shot. Also called shape.
- Post-Up (putting money in the rack)
- Same as "money in the rack" or
posting up. This is a show of good
faith that both players have the
physical money that they are
wagering. Post money is customarily
placed on the pool table light or
given to a neutral party to hold
until a winner is designated.
- Professional Side
- The side of the pocket to miss where
your opponent will have a difficult shot
as a result. As in "you always miss on
the professional side."
- Push
- Also called push-out or roll
out. On the first shot after the
break in 9 ball, the player can elect to roll the
cue ball to a different position
without foul penalties applying. The
incoming player may then shoot from
where the player pushed out to, or
give the shot back to the player
that pushed out.
- Race To
- As in, "A race to seven games",
or just "A race to seven". The first
player to win seven games wins the
match.
- Rail First
- A shot in pool where the cue ball
contacts the rail prior to the object
ball. This shot is most commonly used
when an object ball is hanging in the
pocket and a rail first shot is
necessary for position.
- Rain Table
- Humid conditions were rails are
springy, the cloth is slow, and balls
pick-up a lot of dirt. Horrible
conditions.
- Rat In
- As in, "Joe rat in the
nine-ball". To make a ball by luck.
Typically said of shooting a ball
for a given pocket, and having it
fall in some other pocket. To "shit
in" or "slop" a ball.
- Rattle
- Situation where a ball contacts both
sides of a pocket opening multiple
times. "These pockets play weird, balls
seem to rattle a lot in them."
- Ring Game
- A rotation game played by two or
more players. The players shoot
in some designated order. Ring games
are most often played for money.
Variations determine which are the
money balls. Also called "pay ball".
- Road Map
- Description for a table layout that
is very simple to clear or run out.
- Road Player/Agent
- As in, "Buddy Hall is the best
road player ever". A pool player
that travels around and makes his
living gambling at the game.
- Rob
- Refers the act of playing an
opponent who has lesser skills and
has no real chance of winning. Can
also be used by the victim. "I got
robbed!'. Any similar terms may also
be used. "Stick Up, Heist, Mugged,
etc."
- Rock
- Another name for the cue ball. Also
called "stone" or "whitey".
- Roll
- As in, "Joe got a bad roll".
Good or bad breaks in a game.
- Rolling the cheese
- Most common in rotation games
such as 9 ball. Attempts to shorten
up the game by making a combination
on the money ball is considered
rolling the cheese.
- Rotation
- General game format where balls must
be pocketed in order of numeric value.
- Round Robin
- Tournament format where every player
plays each other.
- Run
- A series of consecutive balls
made, or games won, in one inning at
the table.
- Run out
- To shoot in all the balls
without giving your opponent a
chance to shoot.
- Running English
- Side English where cue ball will
accelerate off a rail with the spin.
- Safety
- Sandbag
- To disguise one's true ability with
the purpose of improving one's handicap
generally used in a scam.
- Scoop
- An illegal jump shot common with
beginners where the cue ball is lifted
off the cloth by sliding the cue tip
underneath it.
- Scotch
- Double format where a player shoots
then his or her partner shoots with the
order switch after every shot.
- Scratch
- Pocketing the cue ball or
committing a table foul.
- Sell Out
- Also known as selling the farm. It
is simply a bad shot resulting in the
loss of the game.
- Session
- A session is simply a match
timed by it's start to finish. "Joe
had a 8 hour session yesterday."
- Set
- As in, "They are playing a set
for $300". A set consists of a
predetermined number of games played for a fixed
amount of money.
- Shark
- As in, "He sharked me!". To
shark someone is to distract them
while they are in the act of
shooting. 2nd definition is a "Pool
Shark" - basically, a pool
hustler.
- Shimmed
- Facings added to the sides of a
pocket to reduce the opening and thus
creating smaller or tighter pockets.
Some tables are double and triple
shimmed.
- Short Rail
- The top and bottom rail of a pool
table.
- Short Stop
- A very good local player who can
compete with those at the low professional
level.
- Shot Clock
- Predetermined amount of time
given between shots in a game. This
is used to speed up matches at some
tournaments where the pace of the
game is unacceptably slow.
- Slug
- Most commonly used to describe a
loose rack. As in "I can't believe you
slugged me."
- Sneaky Pete
- A quality cue often custom made to
resemble a house cue.
- Speed
- As in, "Joe and Fred play the
same speed". Refers to how well a
person plays the game.
- Spot
- A shot where the object ball is
placed on the spot down table and
the cue ball is place somewhere in
the kitchen. This shot occurs a lot
with one pocket and 8 ball usually
after a foul. Also used to describe
placing the ball on the foot spot.
As in "Hey Joe, while you're over
there, can you spot the 6."
- Staking/Backing
- To finance a match for a player
to gamble.
- Stake Horse
- The money man who finances a player into games. "What is Fred
doing nowadays, Is he stake
horsing?"
- Stall/Slow play
- As in "Joe, get off the stall,
this guy is bad action. Playing below
his ability in order to obtain a
more favorable match at a later
time. Hiding your true skill.
- Steer
- 2 Definitions. (1)A crooked follow
through with the cue. (2)To give advice
on who and where the potential money
games are.
- Stiff/Skip out
- As in "I got stiffed". Not
paying after a loss.
- Stop Cue
- Also called stop shot. Pool shot
where the cue ball remains stationary
immediately after contact with the
object ball.
- Straight up/Head up
- As in, "Let's play straight up."
To play a match where there is no
handicap.
- Straight back
- Used to describe a long rail
back one rail to a corner pocket in
bank pool. As in "Straight back
six!" - a long rail bank on the
6 ball.
- Stuck
- Loosing as in "Joe is stuck $500
already and going dead off!"
- Sweating the action
- As in, "People were sweating the
action all over the room". Sweaters
are people watching the match with
great interest.
- The Tit
- As in, "the ball ran straight
into the tit". The 'tit' is used to
refer to the facings of the side
pocket. Many shots meant for the
side and even rail shots that have
to pass by the side end up hitting
the side "tit" or "titties".
- Thousand Years
- Refers to a double kiss usually
in a cross bank. "The
double has been there for a thousand
years."
- Throw
- Object ball motion away from the
contact point as a result of friction
from the cue ball. Side English can be
used to force more or less throw.
- Tournament tough
- A player who during the course
of a tournament does not lose focus.
Typically said of those players that
regularly make it to the finals of a
tournament.
- Toy
- As in "He's one of Joe's Toys"
Very similar to a "Fish", but a more
regular basis. Someone who is made
to believe over and over again that
they can win when they can't. A
steady source of gambling income for
a shark.
- Twice
- Used to call a shot that will be
banked 2 rails. As in
"Twice in the side two"
- Two Way Shot
- A shot where an attempt to pocket
the ball is made but position the cue
ball for a safety in case of a miss.
- Weight
- As in, "You're a champion. To
play you, I need some weight".
Same as some form of handicap in the
interest of fairness. One can either give
weight or get weight.
- Wild
- Description for a handicap in
rotation games like nine ball where
one player may give a lesser player
a handicap such as the wild 8. This
means that the 8 ball may go in at
any time, even by accident to win a
match. This is the opposite of for
example the call 8 (where the ball
needs to be pocketed in the intended
pocket).
- Wing
- The two balls to the sides of the 9
ball in a 9 ball rack are called wing
balls.
- (On the) Wire
- As in, "Joe got two games on the
wire in a race to 9". A form of
handicapping where the player
getting games "on the wire" has to
win fewer games than his opponent.
In the example cited, Joe only needs
to win 7 games, while his
opponent needs to win 9.
Sometimes referred to as "across the
strings", from the markers on a
string that are used to keep score.
Wired can also be used to describe a
combination where it's impossible to
miss.
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