Definition of Spot shot

Jargon for a tournament chart, showing which players are playing against whom and what the results are. Often shortened to card.

Be in a game where either because of disparity in skill level, or because of a handicap given, it would be very difficult to lose.

Also goose neck rest. Same as swan.

In certain carom billiards games, any shot in which the cue ball is sucessfully caromed off an object ball to strike another object ball (with or without contacting cushions in the interim) is a considered a billiards shot.

Describing a shot which requires one or more balls to be played off several cushions, such as an elaborate escape or a positional shot; "he'll have to send the cue ball round the angles to get good position."

This is to execute a shot where the cue ball is controlled perfectly and stops where you want it to exactly.

A unit of scoring, in games such as snooker and straight pool with numerical scoring.
A unit of scoring, in team matches in leagues that use numerical scoring instead of simple game/frame win vs. loss ratios.
Another term for knuckle / tittie.

Chiefly British: Same as duck, and stemming from the same obvious etymology.

A reference to the amount of English applied to the object ball from the cue ball.

A British term for a pot that requires very fine contact between cue ball and object ball. See also feather.

The Valley National 8-Ball League Association. Founded in 1979, VENA is a non-profit organization established to promote the game of pool on coin-operated equipment. The membership is comprised of men, women and junior players, coin machine operators and manufacturers.

To allow an opponent to stop playing a set for money in exchange for something. If a player is winning a set by a wide margin, with $100 on the line, the player could say, "I'll let you out now for $75." This is usually meant to save pride.

This is a shot in snooker where the cue ball follows a struck object into the pocket.

The imaginary line drawn perpendicular to the impact line between the cue ball and an object ball. The cue ball will travel along this line after impact with an object ball if it has no vertical spin on it (is sliding) at the moment of impact on a non-center-to-center collision. See also stun shot.

A form of doubles play in which the two team members take turns, playing alternating shots during an inning (i.e. each team's inning consists of two players' alternating visits, each of one shot only, until that team's inning ends, and the next team begins their alternating-shot turn.) Effective scotch doubles play requires close communication between team partners, especially as to desired cue ball position for the incoming player. Like "english", "scotch" is usually not capitalized in this context. The term is also used in bowling, and may have originated there.

With draw, as in "I shot that low left", meaning "I shot that with draw and with left english". Derives from the fact that one must hit the cue ball below it's equator, i.e. "low" on the ball, to impart draw. Contrast high.

This is to watch a match with such intensity that there is worry, usually because of a wager on the game.

A situation in which a ball strikes another ball which is close to a rail and the struck ball rebounds back into the ball it was hit by; usually but not always unintended.

Same as foul

This is when it is necessary to change a set handicap after play indicates it favors one player more than the other.

Also known as a "power draw", means applying very powerful draw on the cue ball thereby causing the maximum amount of draw.

This is a handicapping method where one player gets the break, and is allowed to choose any ball afterwards to put in their pocket.

A pool cue designed for breaking. Along with sometimes having unusual weight or balance to build maximum speed for the cue ball, some break cues have stiffer shafts and special breaking cue tips to transfer energy more efficiently to the cue ball.

Also straight eight-ball. Same as bar pool. Not to be confused with the games of straight pool or straight rail.