Bank

What it means

A bank shot sends the object ball into one or more cushions on its way to the pocket. It is distinct from a kick, which is the cue ball hitting a cushion first.

Where the word comes from

The cushion has been called the bank since the earliest table games.

How it sounds at a table

"Bank it cross-corner." "That's a kick, not a bank."

What it means in a three-strikes night

A bank is often the only shot available when you inherit a bad table, which in a one-shot game happens constantly. Players who can bank reliably last much longer in a three-strikes night than players who can only pot what is sitting in front of them, because the format keeps handing them awkward leaves and gives them exactly one attempt at each.

The mistake people make

Using "bank" and "kick" interchangeably, then arguing about whether a banks-only rule was satisfied.

Terms that come up alongside it

Written out rather than linked only, because looking up one term usually means you are standing at a table and do not want four more taps.

Kick

The cue ball off a cushion first. A kick shot sends the cue ball into a cushion before it contacts the object ball.

Call shot

Naming the ball and the pocket before you shoot. In a call-shot game you must state which ball is going into which pocket.

Safety

A shot played to leave your opponent with nothing. A safety is a deliberate defensive stroke: rather than trying to pocket a ball, you aim to leave the cue ball somewhere your opponent cannot do anything useful from.

Where it comes up

Bank matters most in three-strikes pool, where a single turn is one shot and the cost of getting something wrong is a life rather than a visit to the table. If you are learning the game, the guide to running a night puts most of this vocabulary in context, and the format pages show which games the term applies to and which it does not.