Glossary of Cue Sports Terms - O

O

object ball

Depending on context:

1. Any ball that may be legally struck by the cue ball (i.e., any ball-on);

2. Any ball other than the cue ball.

Usage notes: When speaking very generally, e.g. about the proper way to make a kind of shot, any ball other than the cue ball is an object ball. In narrower contexts, this may not be the case. For example when playing eight-ball one might not think of the 8 ball as an object ball unless shooting for the 8.

on a string

Used when describing perfect play; a metaphoric reference to puppetry:

1. Pool: See Having the cue ball on a string.

2. Carom billiards: Order may be inverted: "as if the balls had strings on them".

on the hill

Describes a player who needs only one more game win to be victorious in the match. See also hill, hill.

on the lemonade

Also on the lemon, laying down the lemon. Disguising the level of one's ability to play; also known as sandbagging or hustling (though the latter has a broader meaning). Compare lemonade stroke.

on the snap

As a result of the opening break shot (the "snap"), usually said of winning by pocketing the money ball ("won on the snap", "got it on the snap", etc.) Employed most commonly in the game of nine-ball where pocketing the 9 ball at any time in the game on a legal stroke, including the break shot, is a win. Sometimes used alone as an exclamation or exhortation, "On the snap!" See also golden break.

on the wire

See games on the wire.

one-on-one

Also 1-on-1, one on one, etc.

1. Competition between an individual player and an individual opponent, as opposed to team play, scotch doubles and other multi-player variants.

2. A team play format in which an individual player from the home team plays a race against an individual player from the visiting team, and then is finished for that match. (Same as match play, definition 2.) Several large leagues use this format, including APA/CPA and USAPL. (Contrast round robin.)

one-stroke

To shoot without taking enough warm-up strokes to properly aim and feel out the stroke and speed to be applied. One-stroking is a common symptom of nervousness and a source of missed shots and failed position. See also choke, dog.

open

1. In eight-ball, when all object balls are balls-on for either player. See open table.

2. A description of a break shot in which the rack (pack) is spread apart well. See also the open break requirement in some games' rules, including eight-ball and nine-ball

3. In carom billiards, descriptive of play in which the balls are not gathered. See open play.

4. A description of a layout of balls in a pocket billiards game (of almost any kind) that, because it is so spread out, makes its easy for a good player to run out and win, due to lack of problematic clustered and frozen balls.

open break

A requirement under some pocket billiards rulesets that either an object ball be pocketed, or at least four object balls be driven to contact the cushions, on the opening break shot. Contrast soft break.

open bridge

A bridge formed by the hand where no finger loops over the shaft of the cue. Typically, the cue stick is channeled by a "v"-shaped groove formed by the thumb and the base of the index finger.

open play

A description of play in carom billiards games in which the balls remain widely separated rather than gathered, requiring much more skill to score points and making nurse shots effectively impossible, and making for a more interesting game for onlookers. Most skilled players try to gather the balls as quickly as possible to increase their chances of continuing to score in a long run.

open table

In eight-ball and related games, describes the situation in which neither player has yet claimed a suit (group) of balls. Often shortened to simply open: "Is it still an open table?" "Yes, it's open."

orange crush, the

The 5 out (meaning the player getting the handicap can win by making the 5, 6, 7, 8 or 9 balls).

out

1. A specific ball number followed by "out" refers to a handicap in nine-ball or other rotation games where the "spot" is all balls from that designated number to the money ball. To illustrate, the 6-out in a nine-ball game would allow the player getting weight to win by legally pocketing the 6, 7, 8 or 9 balls.

2. Short for run out, especially as a noun: "That was a nice out."

outside english

Side spin on a cue ball on the opposite side of the direction of the cut angle to be played (right-hand english when cutting an object ball to the left, and vice versa). In addition to affecting cue ball position, outside english can be used to decrease throw.

overcut

Hitting the object ball with too large of a cut angle; hitting the object ball too thin. It is a well-known maxim that overcutting is preferable to undercutting in many situations, as is more often leaves the table in a disadvantageous position on the miss than does an undercut. See also professional side of the pocket.

overs

Same as stripes, in New Zealand. Compare yellows, high, big ones; contrast unders.