Billiards Games Glossary at gamerisms

Billiards Games Glossary at gamerisms is divided into 2 parts. The first part or introduction is followed by game terms and includes a learning games section that describes rules and defines 4 billiards games.
Billiards Glossary is dedicated to avid players who compete and are keen for billiards gamerisms related to 8-ball, 9-ball, snooker and carom.

Billiards Games Glossary: Rules

The equipment required for a game of billiards is a table that measures 12 feet by 6 feet with 6 pockets. It is played with one red ball and two white cue balls, one of which would have a small black spot whereas the other one will not.
The tapered sticks are used to strike the cue balls with a tip that is called a cue. Other accessories for billiards are rest, a full-butt and a half-butt that is used to rest the cue to extend the playing lengths or to hit long shots.
A singles game of billiards is generally played rather than doubles. Each turn that a player takes is called a break, followed by a series of strikes to the cue ball, eventually resulting in a declared winner.
When the cue ball knocks another ball into a pocket, it is known as potted.

Billiards Games Glossary: 8 and 9 Ball
8-Ball:
The object of the game is that one player should pocket balls numbered 1 through 7=solid colors while the other player pocket balls from 9 through 15=stripes.
The player pocketing his share of balls is allowed to legally pocket the 8-Ball and thus, win the game.

9-Ball:
This billiards version is played with 9 object balls numbered from one to nine along with the cue ball. The first contact made should always be the lowest numbered ball on the table and it won’t matter which ball is potted. After the first player misses, the second player would take over from the position where the first player left off.
The game is won by pocketing the 9-Ball.

Billiards Games Glossary: Snooker
The cue ball is used to strike and pocket the object balls in one of the 6 pockets. There are six different colored balls each assigned points. Played with 1 white cue ball  and maximum 15 red balls worth one point each. Otherwise  Yellow=2 points, Green=3, Brown=4, Blue=5, Pink=6 and Black=7. Each ball should be potted in a sequence and points are awarded accordingly.
The player with the most points wins the frame. The player who has the maximum frame wins out of 19 frames is declared the winner of the match.

Billiards Games Glossary: Carom:
French billiards or Carom is played with two white and one red ball on a table without pockets. The objective of this game is to drive one of the white balls=cue ball into both the other balls and by doing so the player earns one point. The three balls used in this game are white, red and white with a spot.
When one player fails to score any points, the play is then passed to another player, who plays the game as it was left.
The game continues until one player reaches an agreed number of points that is often 50.

Billiards Glossary A – C follows the learning games section.
Billiards Games Glossary:  A

• Angled: when the corner of a pocket hinders a player shooting the cue ball directly at an object ball.
• Apex: positioning of the front ball in the rack or pyramid of object balls.
• Around the Table: in carom, term used when the cue ball contacts 3 or more cushions in order to score.

Billiards Games Glossary:  B

• Balance Point: point at which the cue will balance when lying on one hand.       It is approximately 18 inches when this point is measured from the bottom of  the cue.
• Ball On: snooker term for trying to score with a non-red ball.
• Bank Shot: also referred to as bank. When an object ball is driven to one or more cushions or rails before being pocketed.
• Baulk-line: snooker, term for 29" line along bottom cushion.
• Billiard: carom, winning count.
• Black Ball: in snooker, the black ball is the highest valued colored ball worth 7 points.
  
• Blind Draw: jargon for random selection of tournament players.
• Blue Ball: in snooker, the blue ball is worth 5 points.
• Blood Test: a very tough shot that has to be played under pressure.
• Break: opening shot in pocket games or carom whereas in snooker, it’s the total points scored in one inning.
• Breaking Violation: in pocket billiards, occurs at the opening break.
• Bridge: used to hold the end of the cue to make a shot.
• Brown Ball:  in snooker, brown color ball is worth 4 points.
• Burst: when the total score is more than 41 points.
• Butt of Cue: term for thicker end of the cue or the opposite end of the tip.
  

Billiards Games Glossary:  C

• Called Ball: the ball specified or indicated by the player to be pocketed on a shot.
• Called Pocket: refers to next shot as to specific pocket expected.
• Canon: term used mainly by the Englishmen for carom.
• Carom: jargon for bounce of one ball into another.
• Center Spot: the center point of the table playing area.
• Chalk: dry substance that is applied to the tip of the cue to prevent slippery contact with the cue ball.
• Clean Bank: stroke in which the cue ball does not touch any object ball.
• Clear Ball: lingo for unmarked white ball in carom.
• Combination: pocket shot of a separate ball from the called shot.
• Combination On: term refers to 2 balls placed that allow for the called shot to be completed.
• Contact Point: contact occurs between cue ball and object ball.
• Corner-hooked: occurs when a pocket corner impedes a cue ball shot to the object ball.
• Count: a shot where point/s are scored.
• Cross Corner: jargon for a rebound shot from a cushion into a corner pocket.
• Cross Side: same as above, but into a side pocket.
• Cross Table Shot: occurs when the ball travels across the table between the long cushion.
• Crutch: jargon for a bridge.
• Cue: wooden stick that is used to strike the cue ball.
• Cue Ball: unmarked white ball hit during the game.
• Cue Ball in Hand: occurs when the cue ball is placed and played within the table boundaries.
• Cue Tip: end of the cue shaft that touches the ball before a shot.
• Cushion: rubber, covered by cloth that borders both billiards and carom tables creating the playable area.
  

Billiards Games Glossary and Learning Games is followed by terms D – Z
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