Jail: to be left without a shot. Leaving the cue ball in such a way that the player cannot make a legal shot. The player may miss his intended position and place himself in jail or he may intentionally attempt to place the other player in jail.
Jam up: someone who shoots a very strong game
Jarred: Incapacitated with a mickey finn, or something similar added to the drink.
Jelly: A paid portion of winnings for steering towards winning action.
Juice the Horse: Pay the backer
Kicks like a mule: Player is good at hitting the rail first and then hitting or pocketing the object ball.
Knock: To rat out some one’s true ability or speed known as a knocker.
Lamb Killer: A player who only goes after easy wins.
Large: $1,000. Five large is $5,000.00
Lock (a): A game or match the player can not lose.
Match: The number of games decided by the players or the tournament director that are needed to win an event.
Michigan Roll: A money roll in which the larger bills are on the outside and decreasing face values are towards the inside.
Miscue: when the cue tip unintentionally slides of the side of the cue
Money Ball: the ball needed to win the game. In a game of 9-Ball the nine is the money ball.
Mr Whipple: A lucky person who shits many shots.
Mudball: old heavy cue balls often used on the older bar box or 7 foot table.
Mud rack, Shaq rack: bad rack or balls. Racking in such a way that the balls barely break apart and make a horrible dull clunking noise instead of a loud cracking noise!
New York Roll: placing the larger denomination bills on the inside of a roll of money.
Nickel: $500.00
Nina Ross: The 9 ball , probably east coast NY NJ
Nit: A person who talks but does not step up to gamble. Also used as an adjective – nitty. Alternate definition is a person who gambles at a lower level than the person talking. A $1,000.00 a set gambler thinks a $5.00 a set gambler is a nit.
Nuts (the): An easy win.
On the Hill: The last game before the game that wins the match. In a race to five if the score is 4-4 both players are on the hill or it is often said to be hill-hill or double cheese.
On the lemon or playing on the lemon: Intentionally playing poorly to entice betting.
One Hole: The game of One Pocket
Off the wall: A house cue stick.
On the wire: Originally the wire is the score keeping beads over the table. Now means the number of games or advantage given to one player. Three on the wire is a three game advantage.
Orange Crush: The 5-ball and the break. Player gets to break on every game (the crush). If you make the five on a legal shot you win the game of 9-Ball or 10-ball.
Phd: A Pool Hall Degree.
Pigeon: same as fish but he knows his opponents speed, usually the same player all the time, but will play and lose his money anyway.
Pinky: Significant other female, the player’s wife or girlfriend as in “Pinky is on the phone. Are you here?”
Played in the Middle: Two players take the money of a third person
Player: A person who gambles.
Playing lights out: Player is at the top of their game.
Pool Detective: someone who is always looking for the 411 (information) on the road players to expose the road player to the locals in order to get some kind of approval from them.
Pooching a shot: missing the shot or not getting shape on the next shot. See dog it.
Post (Posting Up) - At the beginning of a money match the amount of money bet is placed with a 3rd party or on top of the light.
Pot: to place or shoot a ball in the pocket.
Professional: A person who enters high level tournaments and has won at least a few professional tournaments. Alternate definition an excellent player who gambles but may not be well known.
Race to X: the first player to win X games wins the match.
Railbird: Person who is watching the game.
Riding the 9: To go for the 9-Ball on an unlikely combination.
Ring Game: A game with several players at one table, usually 9-Ball or 10-Ball.
Road Player or Road Agent: A person who may be a shortstop or a professional level player and travels to gamble. They may or may not be a shark.
Rolling the pineapple: rolling da cheese or rolling da money ball.
Savers: A deal between two (or more) players for a percentage of the winnings if either cash.
Sawbuck: $10.00 a double sawbuck is $20.00
Scotch Doubles: Usually a game of 8-Ball with two teams of two players each. Teammates alternate shooting after each ball is made.
Sell-out: in a ring game this is the player who shot and missed immediately before the person who won the game. At times, if the same player sells-out too often, a demand is made to shake the pills or roll the pills to change the rotation of the shooters.
Set: See match. The number of games included in a competition.
Sewer: to scratch or to place the cue ball in a pocket.
Shaking the tree: Whacking at balls hoping something falls.
Shark: A player who looks for fish with whom to gamble and usually disguises his true ability.
Sharked: to distracted
Shit wagon: A person who leaves bad position for the other player, usually in a ring game.
Shooting Lights out: playing at the top of one’s game.
Shortstop: A player who is nearly as good as a professional player.
Side action: Spectators gambling between themselves. The player may also gamble with a spectator in addition to the bet with his opponent.
Slop: to unintentionally make a ball.
Slot Position: When you need to shoot between two balls.
Snap: the break shot such as on the snap he made two balls.
Sold the farm: Left and easy run out for one’s opponent. Also known as sell out.
Speed: A player’s ability.
Split Pot: Two players divide the winnings for 1st and 2nd place evenly.
Spot: One player gives another player an advantage such as the 7-Ball in a 9-ball game. The 7-Ball is the winning ball or money ball for that player. There may be other conditions
Squadoosh: Received nothing of value after a game or match.
Squat the rock: Stopping the cue ball immediately upon hitting the rack or object ball.
Squirt: $25.00. A buck and a squirt is $125.00
Stake Horse: see Backer
Steer: Sending a player to a place where they can make money.
Sweating a game or match: (noun) To watch the game or match.
Sweating: (verb) to gamble on the side during a match.
Tap City: to be out of gambling money.
Throwing Off: Losing on propose.
Thrown in the river: When a gambler is backing a player, or betting on a player, and the player intentionally loses to profit from the loss.
Tipping the Hat: Blowing your cover when hustling.
Tooth Fairy: In a ring game the person who leaves shots that make it easy for the next player to run out.
Tom: It’s bad or the opposite of its George.
Top: running, high English or striking the cue ball on the upper half so it moves forward after hitting the object ball
Triple Hang Down Hungarian Nuts: stealing (winning) beyond measure.
Tushhog: Something like a bodyguard, the guy who has the player’s back. Alternate meaning is a big guy who might cause trouble and keep the player from getting out of the establishment with the money.
Tweener: when the cue ball position obtained is between two potential object balls
Undercover: see road player.
Walked: Not paid
Walking Stick: Giving your losing opponent some money after you have busted them. As in “I gave the guy a walking stick.”
Well: the pocket.
Weight: A handicap given to another player
Whale: somebody with lots of money.
Whistle Blower: Someone who alerts locals that a good player is in town.
Wild X: The x ball is wild or treated like the 9-Ball is a 9-ball game. If you make it on the break, a combination, kiss or with slop it is a win.
Wire: News to other pool rooms that a player is in town. But see also on the wire.
Woofing: barking at or challenging another player.
Work: A secret agreement between competitors, generally to defraud backers or rail birds
Yard: A $100.00
Zone: a semi trance like state in which the player loses awareness of everything but the table and making the balls. Referred to as “in the zone.”
For more general terms used throughout the cue sports
See also http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glossary_of_cue_sports_terms
Dr Dave has a 29 page glossary of terms at: http://billiards.colostate.edu/resources/glossary.pdf
Jam up: someone who shoots a very strong game
Jarred: Incapacitated with a mickey finn, or something similar added to the drink.
Jelly: A paid portion of winnings for steering towards winning action.
Juice the Horse: Pay the backer
Kicks like a mule: Player is good at hitting the rail first and then hitting or pocketing the object ball.
Knock: To rat out some one’s true ability or speed known as a knocker.
Lamb Killer: A player who only goes after easy wins.
Large: $1,000. Five large is $5,000.00
Lock (a): A game or match the player can not lose.
Match: The number of games decided by the players or the tournament director that are needed to win an event.
Michigan Roll: A money roll in which the larger bills are on the outside and decreasing face values are towards the inside.
Miscue: when the cue tip unintentionally slides of the side of the cue
Money Ball: the ball needed to win the game. In a game of 9-Ball the nine is the money ball.
Mr Whipple: A lucky person who shits many shots.
Mudball: old heavy cue balls often used on the older bar box or 7 foot table.
Mud rack, Shaq rack: bad rack or balls. Racking in such a way that the balls barely break apart and make a horrible dull clunking noise instead of a loud cracking noise!
New York Roll: placing the larger denomination bills on the inside of a roll of money.
Nickel: $500.00
Nina Ross: The 9 ball , probably east coast NY NJ
Nit: A person who talks but does not step up to gamble. Also used as an adjective – nitty. Alternate definition is a person who gambles at a lower level than the person talking. A $1,000.00 a set gambler thinks a $5.00 a set gambler is a nit.
Nuts (the): An easy win.
On the Hill: The last game before the game that wins the match. In a race to five if the score is 4-4 both players are on the hill or it is often said to be hill-hill or double cheese.
On the lemon or playing on the lemon: Intentionally playing poorly to entice betting.
One Hole: The game of One Pocket
Off the wall: A house cue stick.
On the wire: Originally the wire is the score keeping beads over the table. Now means the number of games or advantage given to one player. Three on the wire is a three game advantage.
Orange Crush: The 5-ball and the break. Player gets to break on every game (the crush). If you make the five on a legal shot you win the game of 9-Ball or 10-ball.
Phd: A Pool Hall Degree.
Pigeon: same as fish but he knows his opponents speed, usually the same player all the time, but will play and lose his money anyway.
Pinky: Significant other female, the player’s wife or girlfriend as in “Pinky is on the phone. Are you here?”
Played in the Middle: Two players take the money of a third person
Player: A person who gambles.
Playing lights out: Player is at the top of their game.
Pool Detective: someone who is always looking for the 411 (information) on the road players to expose the road player to the locals in order to get some kind of approval from them.
Pooching a shot: missing the shot or not getting shape on the next shot. See dog it.
Post (Posting Up) - At the beginning of a money match the amount of money bet is placed with a 3rd party or on top of the light.
Pot: to place or shoot a ball in the pocket.
Professional: A person who enters high level tournaments and has won at least a few professional tournaments. Alternate definition an excellent player who gambles but may not be well known.
Race to X: the first player to win X games wins the match.
Railbird: Person who is watching the game.
Riding the 9: To go for the 9-Ball on an unlikely combination.
Ring Game: A game with several players at one table, usually 9-Ball or 10-Ball.
Road Player or Road Agent: A person who may be a shortstop or a professional level player and travels to gamble. They may or may not be a shark.
Rolling the pineapple: rolling da cheese or rolling da money ball.
Savers: A deal between two (or more) players for a percentage of the winnings if either cash.
Sawbuck: $10.00 a double sawbuck is $20.00
Scotch Doubles: Usually a game of 8-Ball with two teams of two players each. Teammates alternate shooting after each ball is made.
Sell-out: in a ring game this is the player who shot and missed immediately before the person who won the game. At times, if the same player sells-out too often, a demand is made to shake the pills or roll the pills to change the rotation of the shooters.
Set: See match. The number of games included in a competition.
Sewer: to scratch or to place the cue ball in a pocket.
Shaking the tree: Whacking at balls hoping something falls.
Shark: A player who looks for fish with whom to gamble and usually disguises his true ability.
Sharked: to distracted
Shit wagon: A person who leaves bad position for the other player, usually in a ring game.
Shooting Lights out: playing at the top of one’s game.
Shortstop: A player who is nearly as good as a professional player.
Side action: Spectators gambling between themselves. The player may also gamble with a spectator in addition to the bet with his opponent.
Slop: to unintentionally make a ball.
Slot Position: When you need to shoot between two balls.
Snap: the break shot such as on the snap he made two balls.
Sold the farm: Left and easy run out for one’s opponent. Also known as sell out.
Speed: A player’s ability.
Split Pot: Two players divide the winnings for 1st and 2nd place evenly.
Spot: One player gives another player an advantage such as the 7-Ball in a 9-ball game. The 7-Ball is the winning ball or money ball for that player. There may be other conditions
Squadoosh: Received nothing of value after a game or match.
Squat the rock: Stopping the cue ball immediately upon hitting the rack or object ball.
Squirt: $25.00. A buck and a squirt is $125.00
Stake Horse: see Backer
Steer: Sending a player to a place where they can make money.
Sweating a game or match: (noun) To watch the game or match.
Sweating: (verb) to gamble on the side during a match.
Tap City: to be out of gambling money.
Throwing Off: Losing on propose.
Thrown in the river: When a gambler is backing a player, or betting on a player, and the player intentionally loses to profit from the loss.
Tipping the Hat: Blowing your cover when hustling.
Tooth Fairy: In a ring game the person who leaves shots that make it easy for the next player to run out.
Tom: It’s bad or the opposite of its George.
Top: running, high English or striking the cue ball on the upper half so it moves forward after hitting the object ball
Triple Hang Down Hungarian Nuts: stealing (winning) beyond measure.
Tushhog: Something like a bodyguard, the guy who has the player’s back. Alternate meaning is a big guy who might cause trouble and keep the player from getting out of the establishment with the money.
Tweener: when the cue ball position obtained is between two potential object balls
Undercover: see road player.
Walked: Not paid
Walking Stick: Giving your losing opponent some money after you have busted them. As in “I gave the guy a walking stick.”
Well: the pocket.
Weight: A handicap given to another player
Whale: somebody with lots of money.
Whistle Blower: Someone who alerts locals that a good player is in town.
Wild X: The x ball is wild or treated like the 9-Ball is a 9-ball game. If you make it on the break, a combination, kiss or with slop it is a win.
Wire: News to other pool rooms that a player is in town. But see also on the wire.
Woofing: barking at or challenging another player.
Work: A secret agreement between competitors, generally to defraud backers or rail birds
Yard: A $100.00
Zone: a semi trance like state in which the player loses awareness of everything but the table and making the balls. Referred to as “in the zone.”
For more general terms used throughout the cue sports
See also http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glossary_of_cue_sports_terms
Dr Dave has a 29 page glossary of terms at: http://billiards.colostate.edu/resources/glossary.pdf