Billiards Vault

Letter a Vocabulary

This is what is brought to the table if you are playing at your best potential.
All-Africa Pool Association. The AAPA is a member of the WPA.
Used in snooker in reference to the position of the cue ball. It is above the object ball if it is off-straight on the baulk cushion side of the imaginary line for a straight pot (e.g. "he'll want to finish above the blue in order to go into the pink and reds"). It is also common to use the term high instead.
American Cuemakers Association. This organization was formed in 1992 to help bring value to the development and advancement of cues in the United states.
American CueSports Alliance. Their mission statement is "To heighten the interest and awareness of cue sports through the support and sanctioning of organized competition throughout the United States and North America."
This is any game of pool played with money on the line. You can "put some action" on the game.
Used with an amount to signify money added to a tournament prize fund in addition to the amount accumulated from entry fees (e.g. "$500 added").
This is when it is necessary to change a set handicap after play indicates it favors one player more than the other.
This is a match where a player must win so many games more than the other player in order to win the match.
An imaginary line drawn from the desired path an object ball is to be sent (usually the center of a pocket) and the center of the object ball.
A type of nurse used in carom billiards games. With one object ball frozen to a cushion and the second object ball just slightly away from the rail, the cue ball is gently rebounded across the face of both balls, freezing the away ball to the rail and moving the frozen ball away the same distance its partner was previously, resulting in an identical but reversed configuration, in position to be struck again by the cue ball from the opposite side.
A 7 inch (17.8 cm) square box drawn on a balkline table from the termination of a balkline with the rail, thus defining a restricted space in which only 3 points may be scored before one ball must be driven from the area. It developed to curtail the effectiveness of the chuck nurse, which in turn had been invented to thwart the effectiveness of the Parker's box in stopping long, repetitive runs using the anchor nurse.
The angle at which a ball approaches a rail, as measured from the perpendicular to the rail.
The angle from which a ball rebounds from a rail, as measured from the perpendicular to the rail.
When the cue ball is tucked behind the corner of a pocket, therefore not allowing a direct shot at the object ball.
To win an inning that counters a good game your opponent just won.
The inning win that counters a good game your opponent just won.
American Poolplayers Association. This is the largest association of pool players in the world, and includes The Canadian Poolplayers Association. With numerous tournaments, including the U.S. Amateur championship, they are a force on the competition scene.
The APA has established the use of the "Equalizer" which offers handicaps to players and equalizes the playing field like in golf.
Asian Pocket Billiard Union. The APBU is a member of the WPA.
This is the ball that sits in the front, or apex, position in the rack.
When the cue ball contacts three or more cushions in carom games.
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 taken 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 travels all the way around the diamonds on the table.
Artistic pool is a trick shot competition, inspired by the related discipline of artistic billiards.
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3 Random Essential Billiards Terms

Describes the propensity of pockets to more easily accept an imperfectly aimed ball shot at a relatively soft speed, that might not fall if shot with more velocity ("that ball normally wouldn't fall but he hit it at pocket speed"). The less sensitive to shot-speed that a pocket is, the "faster" it is said to be.
Describes the velocity of an object ball shot with just enough speed to reach the intended pocket and drop. "Shoot this with pocket speed only, so you don't send the cue ball too far up-table."
A shooter's body position and posture during a shot.
Used when describing perfect cue ball position play.