The term comes from pool, specifically from snooker, where the pockets are narrower than on a standard pool table. When a "
choke artist" shoots the
ball, aiming for a particular pocket, the
ball chokes out of the pocket and goes back onto the table because the shot was improperly aimed. Choke artists repeatedly fail in situations when a crucial shot has to be made and the pressure forces a bad shot where the
ball "chokes" in the pocket, wobbling back and forth until it is spit back onto the table.