Letter v Vocabulary

This is the running score of a player during his inning of play. The sum of the continuously scored points, or where the player stands in the run on the table.

A predetermined number of games, usually played for a specified sum of money. Contrast race (a predetermined number of wins). Informally, sets may refer to gambling more generally, as in "I've been playing sets all day", even when the format is actually races or single games.

Any system for banking or kicking balls multiple rails which uses table diamonds as aiming references.

A sleeve, fitted onto the lathed-down tip end of the cue, made from fiberglass, phenolic resin, brass, ivory, horn or antler, melamine, plastic, or other rigid material, upon which the cue tip is mounted and which protects the shaft wood from splitting from impact with the cue ball.

The angle from which a ball rebounds from a rail, as measured from the perpendicular to the rail.

Same as duck. Derives from an easily shot ball "hanging" in the pocket.

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.

Also string off. Chiefly British; Obsolete: Same as string or lag.

A common aiming method in which a phantom ball is imagined frozen to the object ball at the point where an imaginary line drawn between their centers is aimed at the desired target; the cue ball may then be shot at the center of the "ghost" ball and, ideally, impact the object ball at the proper aiming contact point. The ghost ball method of aiming results in misses where adjustment is not made for collision induced throw.

This is a type of shot that is executed by an object ball caroming off of another object ball in order to gain the pocket.

This is any game of pool played with money on the line. You can "put some action" on the game.

The Billiards World Cup Association. The Billiards World Cup Association (BWA) was a governing body for carom billiards, like its competitor and successor, Union Mondiale de Billard. After staging several three-cushion billiards championships, BWA met its demise in 2004 due to financial problems and failing relations with the UMB, leaving the latter as the only carom governing body.

Australian: Defeated with all seven of one's object balls (in blackball or eight-ball) remaining on the table.

A shot aimed so that the center of the cue ball is in line with the edge of the object ball, eclipsing half of the ball. "Hit it just a little thinner than half-ball." Assuming a cling does not occur, the shot will impart post-contact momentum on the object ball in a direction 30° (which is arcsin(1 - x), where x is the fraction of object ball eclipsed: ½ in this case) off the direction of the cue-ball's pre-contact momentum. Also notable because the carom angle the cue ball takes is more consistent than at other contact points.

(Chiefly British) Said of an object ball that can easily be reached by the cue ball, or of a pocket that can easily be reached by a selected object ball, usually directly (i.e. without intervening kick, bank, carom, kiss or combination shots).

(Jack and Jill) Mixed doubles match (each team has one male and one female).

Also piquet. Either a massé shot with no english, or a shot in which the cue stick is steeply angled, but not held quite as vertical as it is in full massé.

Same as mechanical bridge; so-called because of its typical shape.

Hitting the object ball with not enough of a cut angle; hitting the object ball too full or "fat". It is a well-known maxim that overcutting is preferable to undercutting. See also professional side of the pocket.

Also shake bottle, pea bottle, pill bottle, kelly bottle, tally bottle. The bottle used in various games to hold numbered peas, it is employed to assign random spots to players in a roster (such as in a tournament), or to assign random balls to players of a game.

This term refers to a foul in snooker golf.

A set practice routine.
In British terminology, a bank shot.