24 Random Essential Billiards Terms
Also nurse shot, nursery shot. In carom games such as straight rail, balkline and cushion caroms, where all the balls are kept near each other and a cushion, and with very soft shots, can be "nursed" down a rail on multiple successful shots that effectively replicate the same ball setup so that the nurse shot can be repeated again (and again, etc.). Excessive use of nurse shots by players skilled enough to set them up and pull them off repeatedly at will is what led to the development of the balkline carom billiards game variations, and repetitive shot limitation rules in English billiards. A clear example of why: In 1907, Tom Reece scored a record break of 499,135 consecutive points over a period of five weeks, without a miss, using the cradle cannon nurse shot.
This is a very easy and safe shot to execute in the game of one pocket.
In snooker, a situation during a frame in which the first line of the remaining reds grouped together, where the original pack was, are in a straight horizontal line. This has implications when opening the pack, as a full-ball contact off the top cushion will usually cause the cue-ball to stick to the red and fail to develop a potting opportunity.
A ball hanging over the edge of a pocket.
In snooker, the second-highest value colour ball, being worth six points.
Australian: Defeated with all seven of one's object balls (in blackball or eight-ball) remaining on the table.
Four-ball is a carom billiards game. The game is played on a pocketless table with four balls, usually one light red, one dark red, and two whites (or just two reds and two whites). Each player is assigned one of the white balls as his own cue ball. A point is scored when a shooter caroms on any two other balls. Two points are scored when the player caroms on each of the three other balls.
Same as angle of reflection.
Chiefly American: The half of the table from which the break shot is taken. This usage is conceptually opposite that in British English, where this end of the table is called the bottom. Contrast foot. See also kitchen.
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.
To "give someone weight" is to give them a handicap so the game is more even in skill level. If one player is significantly better than the other in a game, then you can add some weight, more or less balls for someone, to even the difficulty load between each player.
A pool room employee who plays with a good degree of skill.
This describes a shot in carom games where the cue ball is driven all the way across the long rail, crossing the table, to score a point.
In the carom games, any shot where the end result is all the balls near each other; ideally, in position for the start of a nurse on the next stroke.
This refers to the distance of deflection that the ball comes off of the cue stick after a hit is applied with side spin on it.
A material, usually leather, placed on the end of a cue stick that comes in contact with the cue ball.
A cluster of balls. In snooker, the bunch of reds that are typically left below the pink spot in the early stages of a frame, not including those reds that have been released into pottable positions.
Also smalls, small ones, small balls. In eight-ball, to be shooting the solid suit (group) of balls (1 through 7); "you're the small one" or "I've got the smalls". Compare little, solids, reds, low, spots, dots, unders; contrast big.
This is the portion of the cue you would be holding if there was no wrap or grip present. This is the position where the best gripping power can be generated, and is situated below the forearm and above the butt. This portion is often covered with a wrap, but other times left bare to create a simple seamless style.
Used when describing perfect play. "as if the balls had strings on them"
This describes a shot in snooker where the cue contacts more than one object ball.
This is to lay down the money on the table in a betting game before play begins to ensure pay up at the end.
In the game 9 Ball, making the nine ball early with a legal shot, but not on the break.
In snooker and British pool, the successful potting of all object balls-on in a single frame.