Gambling Terms/Spots "for dummies" guide?

Neil said:
From a consensus on here, very few play it that way. To most, the orange crush is the 5 ball (orange) and the breaks (crush). The 5 ball being wild with that term. (wild meaning don't have to call the pocket, can slop it in on a legal hit)
Click to expand...
So to make sure I'm understanding this...

Say your opponent is on the 2, knocks in a 2-5 combo... your wild ball is now off the table. Then say the opponent dogs the 2 on the follow up shot... Would the person receiving the spot then have to run the rack all the way out to take the game? Or would they run until they got on the 6 or what?
 
Last edited:
Speedypete, No offense but if you don't know what the 7 ball or last 2 mean, there is no way you are a B player. You are probably a D player.

Sometimes local rooms have their own local handicaps for their weekly tournaments. They can be letter or numbers. But they only help define the players in that particular room. They can't be transferred to "national" or "gambler" ratings, which is what we talk about here on AZ Billiards. This type of rating is usually what gamblers talk about that have played in multiple rooms, and multiple states.

This Pro-A-D - Banger scale goes generally like this:
Pro
Shortstop/Open
A
B
C
D
Banger

Pros are the guys on TV

Shortstops are the guys that win regional tournaments that are generally $75 or higher entry fee with 64 players.

A can beat the 9 ball ghost more times than not. If they are a straight pool player, their high run will be over 100.

B can get out most tables that are open, with 6 to 7 balls on the table.

C can get out most tables with about 4 open balls left.

D will not or rarely get out with 3 balls left on the table.

Banger is someone who goes out on dates with their gf and uses a claw bridge.

In lots of APA leagues, the vast majority of people are D and C players. There is occasionally a B in tgere, that will probably go undefeated the whole season, as there is no one even close to him.
 
iusedtoberich said:
Speedypete, No offense but if you don't know what the 7 ball or last 2 mean, there is no way you are a B player. You are probably a D player.

Sometimes local rooms have their own local handicaps for their weekly tournaments. They can be letter or numbers. But they only help define the players in that particular room. They can't be transferred to "national" or "gambler" ratings, which is what we talk about here on AZ Billiards. This type of rating is usually what gamblers talk about that have played in multiple rooms, and multiple states.

This Pro-A-D - Banger scale goes generally like this:
Pro
Shortstop/Open
A
B
C
D
Banger

Pros are the guys on TV

Shortstops are the guys that win regional tournaments that are generally $75 or higher entry fee with 64 players.

A can beat the 9 ball ghost more times than not. If they are a straight pool player, their high run will be over 100.

B can get out most tables that are open, with 6 to 7 balls on the table.

C can get out most tables with about 4 open balls left.

D will not or rarely get out with 3 balls left on the table.

Banger is someone who goes out on dates with their gf and uses a claw bridge.

In lots of APA leagues, the vast majority of people are D and C players. There is occasionally a B in tgere, that will probably go undefeated the whole season, as there is no one even close to him.
Click to expand...
Not offended in the least. You may very well be correct.

I'm not trying to wear a letter as a badge of honor. I was simply trying to help explain. I have to say... not knowing gambling terms shouldn't have much bearing on my skill level. It just means I don't gamble or ask for weight generally.

I typically get out with 6 to 7 on the table (or better if the pattern is simple) and won 85% of my matches last season I played in APA. Most I've B&R is 2 racks consecutively, usually 1 is my max. Maybe that helps explain better than trying to use a letter?

Again, I'm not trying to say I'm hot stuff on the pool table because I know I'm not. I'm just trying to get a feel for gambling terms and things that are common. I wasn't asking for a skill assessment, I was asking about vernacular relating to money games. There isn't a lot of action around here and the action there is, by and large, goes way above my budget, hence my inexperience with that whole process.
 
Last edited:
cant win

Most important thing to know is if a better player knows how you play and offers you a game, you can't win that way. Adjust at least three balls and the break. find out what game you can beat anyone with to know the most you would ever need as well. I like the our of rotation game on a barbox. preferrably with the break and I have a good chance.
 
SpeedyPete84 said:
So to make sure I'm understanding this...

Say your opponent is on the 2, knocks in a 2-5 combo... your wild ball is now off the table. Then say the opponent dogs the 2 on the follow up shot... Would the person receiving the spot then have to run the rack all the way out to take the game? Or would they run until they got on the 6 or what?
Click to expand...

He would have to go all the way through the 9 ball to win. It does come up, but not that often. Same would apply to you, if you made the 2/5 combo, you would win right there. Just like if you made the 2/9 combo.

Now, what we just talked about is all legal hits. If he makes your money ball on a foul, then it gets spotted back up.
 
Neil said:
He would have to go all the way through the 9 ball to win. It does come up, but not that often. Same would apply to you, if you made the 2/5 combo, you would win right there. Just like if you made the 2/9 combo.

Now, what we just talked about is all legal hits. If he makes your money ball on a foul, then it gets spotted back up.
Click to expand...
Thank you. That clears it up perfectly. :)
 
I was a 7 shortly after I started playing in the APA .... .....but I was still a 'c' player in nineball which is my best game .........I think this whole " abc " ranking must vary from state to state...
 
hippiepool2 said:
I was a 7 shortly after I started playing in the APA .... .....but I was still a 'c' player in nineball which is my best game .........I think this whole " abc " ranking must vary from state to state...
Click to expand...

It varies SO much from region to region that it's useless as a way to communicate speed except for locally.
 
hippiepool2 said:
I was a 7 shortly after I started playing in the APA .... .....but I was still a 'c' player in nineball which is my best game .........I think this whole " abc " ranking must vary from state to state...
Click to expand...

Just to give you an idea how much it varies, this past week someone posted that in Wisconsin, an A player would be a B player in Michigan. And, those two states aren't that far apart from each other.
 
Somebody posted 9 ball spots previously - ranked from smallest to largest spot. Some may argue the order, but not a bad guide.

Last 2
Call 8
Wild 8
Last 3
Call 7
Wild 7
Last 4
Call 7&8
Wild 7&8
Call 6
Wild 6



Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk 2
 
RobMan said:
Somebody posted 9 ball spots previously - ranked from smallest to largest spot. Some may argue the order, but not a bad guide.

Last 2
Call 8
Wild 8
Last 3
Call 7
Wild 7
Last 4
Call 7&8
Wild 7&8
Call 6
Wild 6



Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
There is one spot even smaller than the last two. It's the safe eight.
If you're getting the safe eight and make it you can not lose but you still need to make the nine to win the game. If he makes the nine it's a push.
 
the term Orange Crush is from the soda that were in the old time pool rooms

RobMan said:
Somebody posted 9 ball spots previously - ranked from smallest to largest spot. Some may argue the order, but not a bad guide.

Last 2
Call 8
Wild 8
Last 3
Call 7
Wild 7
Last 4
Call 7&8
Wild 7&8
Call 6
Wild 6



Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...


That's pretty good for a model although it does depend on what size table you're playing on. On a bar table the wild and call 8 (for example) is more than the "last three".....and not necessarely on a 4.5/9' table, especially with tight pockets.

Sometimes there's a stipulation of "wild on the break, call after," or the other way around if you're giving the weight (you would prefer them to call the "money ball").

The slang term "Orange Crush" is just the 5 Ball, with no break....( break included would be the "5 and the crush").....the term Orange Crush is from the sodas that were in the gambling pool rooms, and {of course} "non gambling" ones as well.

The Slang Term for the "7 Ball" is "The Robinson Crusoe," because it's been "marooned". ;) 'The Inner Game is the Teacher'

th
 
What is the difference between last 2 and wild 8?

When playing Last whatever, are the last balls wild?
 
CJ Wiley said:
That's pretty good for a model although it does depend on what size table you're playing on. On a bar table the wild and call 8 (for example) is more than the "last three".....and not necessarely on a 4.5/9' table, especially with tight pockets.

Sometimes there's a stipulation of "wild on the break, call after," or the other way around if you're giving the weight (you would prefer them to call the "money ball").

The slang term "Orange Crush" is just the 5 Ball, with no break....( break included would be the "5 and the crush").....the term Orange Crush is from the sodas that were in the gambling pool rooms, and {of course} "non gambling" ones as well.

The Slang Term for the "7 Ball" is "The Robinson Crusoe," because it's been "marooned". ;) 'The Inner Game is the Teacher'

th
Click to expand...

That might be the line someone told you at some point, but in all my years of gambling, which is more than yours, all I've ever heard it to mean, except on here, is the 5 and the breaks. And, to your retort that I'm sure is coming, I've been around some too.

Bottom line is, if someone is offering you the orange crush, you better make sure what they mean by it before you jump into the game. It does have different meanings to different people.
 
jeffj2h said:
What is the difference between last 2 and wild 8?

When playing Last whatever, are the last balls wild?
Click to expand...

Say the 8 got made early. Then the 7 would be one of the last two, the other being the 9. In essence, the guy getting the last two never has to worry about getting shape on and making the 9.

edit: Yes, the last two are "wild", meaning you don't have to call the pocket. Unless, which is rarely seen, the spot is "call last two".
 
Bob Dixon said:
I'd rather have last two than call or wild 8.
Click to expand...

Why is that? If the balls go down in order, the last two are the 8 and 9. If you are getting the call or wild 8, you have two money balls in play the whole game that can be combo'ed or caromed in.
 
Player rating

I think Iusedtoberich has the ratings as I have learned them, Its funny because I hear people refer to a player as a shortstop in a negative manner, which is far from the truth. Have also played in tourneys where as an unknown your an A or AA rating. This is a good subject for all, as pool players dont always share info and some won't ask lest they be outed as not in the loop. Great thread on 9 ball spots, be sure to share with your fellow players. Spot games or balls and adjust likewise and hopefully you'll never have trouble finding a game.
 
Ball weight is better than games on the wire. You always have multiple "money" (game-winning balls) balls on the table every game.

Neil said:
Why is that? If the balls go down in order, the last two are the 8 and 9. If you are getting the call or wild 8, you have two money balls in play the whole game that can be combo'ed or caromed in.
Click to expand...

Exactly. Last two is not really a great spot for the lesser player.
 
SMG said:
Ball weight is better than games on the wire. You always have multiple "money" (game-winning balls) balls on the table every game.[...].
Click to expand...

Games on the wire is a uniform spot across skill levels.

That is, the following are all similar:
D giving a D- one game spot in a race to 5
A giving an A- a one game spot in a race to 5
Pro giving a Pro- one game spot in a race to 5

Ball spots are not like this.

D giving a D- the 8-ball in a game of 9-ball is a HUGE spot
Pro giving a Pro- the 8-ball in a game of 9-ball is a SMALL spot
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top