Listings here use the words players actually use. If one of them is new to you, it’s explained below — nobody should have to fake it to find a game.
- Bar box
- The smaller coin-operated table you find in bars, usually seven foot. Shorter than the nine-foot tables in a dedicated pool room, which changes how the game plays.
- Race
- How many games you need to win to take the match. "Race to 5" means first to five. A shorter race means a faster night and more room for an upset.
- Handicapped
- The tournament evens out players of different skill levels, usually by giving the weaker player a shorter race. Every tournament does it a bit differently, so each listing explains its own system.
- Open
- No handicap. Everyone races to the same number, whoever they are.
- Scotch doubles
- Two players to a team, alternating shots. Your partner leaves you whatever they leave you.
- One pocket
- Each player is assigned one corner pocket and may only score there. Slow, tactical, and unforgiving.