Straight pool

gulfportdoc

Verified Member
Joined
Jun 25, 2004
Messages
13,063
From
Gulfport, Mississippi
There's no question that one-pocket is the king of pocket billiard games. But IMO 14.1 is a close second. There's a reason that it was the top tournament game for 75+ years; and also a game that most guys played. Even in The Hustler movies, straight pool was the upscale game. 9 ball was for punks.;)

There's two reasons I'm bringing this up. I've lately been re-visiting straight pool in practice. It reminded me how difficult and disciplined a game it is. And you talk about pressure? Every shot becomes a matter of life and death in terms of precise leave. If the last 3 or so balls are left out of pattern, the shooter's run is likely over. To the uninitiated it seems simple to run balls, when all the pockets can be used. But to learn all the shots and routine patterns takes years of practice. The top 14.1 players were like surgeons. They put on their white coats and went to work.

That brings me to the incomparable John Schmidt. That he ran over 400 balls on today's smaller pockets is phenomenal. But even Schmidt is not a favorite to routinely run more than 3 or 4 racks, if that. Mosconi's 526 was an amazing feat, but it was on a 4x8' table with large pockets. The record likely to never be broken is Irving Crane's 309 on a 5x10. I've heard all the heroic stories of so-and-so running high numbers, chief of which was the Eufala Kid running 700; but I just never believed them.

If you've never tried the game, fire it up and see how you do. As Danny D. said, you'll sure learn the stack that way. Unfortunately most equipment no longer includes the 100 point beads or counters to keep score in the proper fashion, but don't let that stop you.

~Doc
 

t-dog

Verified Member
Joined
Jul 11, 2004
Messages
204
There's no question that one-pocket is the king of pocket billiard games. But IMO 14.1 is a close second. There's a reason that it was the top tournament game for 75+ years; and also a game that most guys played. Even in The Hustler movies, straight pool was the upscale game. 9 ball was for punks.;)

There's two reasons I'm bringing this up. I've lately been re-visiting straight pool in practice. It reminded me how difficult and disciplined a game it is. And you talk about pressure? Every shot becomes a matter of life and death in terms of precise leave. If the last 3 or so balls are left out of pattern, the shooter's run is likely over. To the uninitiated it seems simple to run balls, when all the pockets can be used. But to learn all the shots and routine patterns takes years of practice. The top 14.1 players were like surgeons. They put on their white coats and went to work.

That brings me to the incomparable John Schmidt. That he ran over 400 balls on today's smaller pockets is phenomenal. But even Schmidt is not a favorite to routinely run more than 3 or 4 racks, if that. Mosconi's 526 was an amazing feat, but it was on a 4x8' table with large pockets. The record likely to never be broken is Irving Crane's 309 on a 5x10. I've heard all the heroic stories of so-and-so running high numbers, chief of which was the Eufala Kid running 700; but I just never believed them.

If you've never tried the game, fire it up and see how you do. As Danny D. said, you'll sure learn the stack that way. Unfortunately most equipment no longer includes the 100 point beads or counters to keep score in the proper fashion, but don't let that stop you.

~Doc


Just a comment on the beads thing...there are numerous 'free' phone apps for straight pool score sheets. They are awesome. I use 'Straight Pool Sheet'. It keeps track of high run, average run.... Plus, for the die hard numbers folk, you can export the data.
 

youngstown

Verified Member
Joined
Jan 15, 2015
Messages
1,748
Straight pool

I think it's a great game for building mental stamina as well as what was already mentioned...however I love banking balls and the two just don't go together.
 

lll

Verified Member
Joined
Mar 19, 2007
Messages
19,825
From
vero beach fl
if you think straight pool is easy try this drill
take 5 balls and rack them as shown
take a 6th ball and place it wherever you want as your break ball
take cue ball in hand and see how many 6 ball racks you can run
good luck...:)
my house pro ran 33 total balls
a better player in my room had 11 total balls first try
i have trouble getting past the 3rd rack the few times i tried
and sometimes cant even get past one rack.....:frus
break ball and cue ball locations in diagram are only an example
straight pool drill.jpg
 

unoperro

Verified Member
Joined
Feb 25, 2012
Messages
2,875
Scmidt's 404 was on a "straighpool" table;)
I try and play 14.1 on a procut diamond ,it's brutal. Mentally exhausting. Went to Hawaii,got on a old gold crown.Set up a breakshot and ran 2 racks in about 3 minutes! Way more enjoyable.
Good 14.1 players do run 8 and out,so there is something to be said for the game.
 

baby huey

Verified Member
Joined
Oct 29, 2008
Messages
2,082
Doc, I agree 14.1 is a great game to play. One problem that comes up is that you can run a bunch of balls playing 14.1 then get to the one pocket game and can't make a ball? Ever wonder why? In 14.1 you get a rhythm and in one pocket hitting that ball into a rail over and over can and does get you out of stroke. That's what makes the great one pocket players so tough to beat in that they can come with the shot and we can't then they decimate you with their tremendous ball runs ala Alex, Dennis and Shane.
 

keoneyo

Verified Member
Joined
Mar 31, 2014
Messages
2,883
Doc I started playing in the 60's so 14.1 was the game. In playing todays younger player one pocket I see they miss a lot of opportunities by not understanding the rack. Wether they miss seeing how balls will go towards a hole if hit a certain way or wether they totally miss a dead ball to an opponents hole and leave it playing an uptable safe.

A 14.1 player always reads the stack. That is his salvation in many cases wether shooting an aggressive shot or playing a solid safe.

One pocket players are limiting themselves in this area. Particularly in the early part of the game where the rack is still intact.
 

keoneyo

Verified Member
Joined
Mar 31, 2014
Messages
2,883
Doc, I agree 14.1 is a great game to play. One problem that comes up is that you can run a bunch of balls playing 14.1 then get to the one pocket game and can't make a ball? Ever wonder why? In 14.1 you get a rhythm and in one pocket hitting that ball into a rail over and over can and does get you out of stroke. That's what makes the great one pocket players so tough to beat in that they can come with the shot and we can't then they decimate you with their tremendous ball runs ala Alex, Dennis and Shane.

One thing I learned from watching Nick Varner, a great straight pool player, is that every shot, no matter how small, ALWAYS use a good stroke. Follow through properly with a good stance. His technique never left him.

Often time in one pocket in the bunting game people will let up on their stroke. They get sloppy. Eventually it gets to them and puts them out of stroke. Every shot no matter how small should be taken with care. What happens is some one pocket players lose discipline where as the disciplined 14.1 player is aware of every stoke on a shot. Maybe its the Mosconi influence.
 

Frank Almanza

Verified Member
Joined
Aug 31, 2005
Messages
2,580
From
Upland, California
Here is something on topic that I wrote a good number of years back for the American Cueist.

Who's your Daddy?
By Frank Almanza
Once upon a time, a long long time ago, born to the green felt was a little game. During his toddler years, he was known as "little line up", and in his adolescent years, people came to know him as "14.1 continuous". When he matured to an adult, he became known as Mr. Straight Pool. As he grew up, having prospered from his fans admiration, he found himself living on the better side of the tracks, opposite from his cousin, old Mr. One Hole.

Mr. Straight Pool's reputation grew in stature, as he became the game of choice for all the big tournaments around the country. He developed all the pride and prestige of nobility. Thus, he acquired a reputation everyone wanted to be associated with. His rules of play had all bases covered, and defined all the situations that could arise. He had all the rules that were needed for a match to continue without creating arguments. Penalties were assessed to the naughty for not following his rules.

He was a game born to show off all the polish a master cueist had to offer, along with their tuxedos and all that stuff. The legends of that time got so familiar with Mr. Straight Pool and were so good at pocketing balls in succession, that it looked like they were just out for a Sunday stroll. They would be at the table pocketing balls until they got tired of walking around the table, ended their run by choice, or when all the spectators, their opponent, and referee fell asleep. Sometimes they themselves looked like they were asleep.

The abilities of the Mosconies, the Mizeraks, and the Segals made this game look like child's play. After all the balls were opened up to a certain degree, everything was basically just mop up till they got to the last three or four balls, than they would pause to select a key ball or break ball or something like that. Who knows what, but I'm sure they did.

It would be a rare occasion that we would see maybe a bank shot, a deep cut shot, or anything that might resemble some excitement. When they got tired, they just went and sat down while inviting their opponents up to the table to see how may balls they could run before they also tired themselves out. And so it went for many years until one day a new kid came to town.

This gutsy new comer came to town like a cowboy busting down that swinging door at the saloon and just using nine balls. Imagine that! This upstart hit the country like a house on fire. This guy was just as exciting to watch, as it was to play. Move over Mr. Mosconi and make room for Mr. Strickland.

But what about rules for this new little guy? Could they use the same ones as straight pool? Heck no! Something else was needed. How about maybe a heavy-duty penalty after a foul that would give the incoming player the ability to put the cueball anywhere on the table? Yea! That's it. That ought to perk things up a bit. We'll call it "ball in hand". Coincidentally, this rule change just happened to agree with television. How about that? Now we have this new game called "nine ball" that would keep everyone wide eyed with its bank shots, jump shots, kick shots, combos, masses, and some giant opening game break shots too. In this game you get to see all of what pool has to offer, including luck shots.

It wasn't too long before he became the game for most tournaments. Along with the approval of all the spectators, estimated time of matches could now be predicted, thus giving more flexibility in scheduling tournaments. Albeit nine ball surely is an exiting game to play, as well as it is to be a spectator of, and to play it well it requires a good deal of skill.

Sure sounds like goodbye to Mr. Straight Pool, doesn't it? Well let's see. Now the Barber speaks…

Contrary to what you just read, Mr. Straight Pool is not dead. He is alive and as healthy as he ever was. He has only been moved to the back seat because nine-ball can be fitted into tournament formats much easier. Our up and coming players of the future, having been saturated primary with nine-ball, need to expose themselves to some of the finer aspects of pool, if they have aspirations of becoming top notch.

Seems like a formal introduction to Mr. Straight Pool is in order. Let's see what the daddy has to offer.

Straight pool only looks easy, because a skilled player has developed the ability to make it look that way. Take it from me, if you want to elevate your nine ball game, then what you need is a regular dose of straight pool to help you gain the discipline, knowledge, and concentration that is needed for all other games and not just nine ball. Your game will benefit in position play because it will insist that you place the cue ball to a more precise location as opposed to most shots that you would accept in nine ball. Correct angles on position play are what will enable you to stretch out higher runs.

Breaking up clusters and getting a feel for where the cue ball will come to rest is a huge benefit you can get from straight pool. This may enable you to secure position on a stationary ball that could be used as an escape valve if needed. If these stationary balls don't get moved, they could turn into lifesavers and help you stay up at the table longer. This is very important unless you know for certain where the clustered balls will come to rest at after the break up.

Other important benefits we can derive from this game, because of it's nature, would be to identify kiss shots, combinations and how much a ball will throw one way or another. Having the knowledge to see a cluster of balls and to pretty much know the flight of each ball during a break up is quite an advantage.

Playing safe in straight pool with and open table could be quite a challenge and may require quite a bit of ingenuity, but these are the things that make us stronger. There are so many things to be learned from this game, These are just a few, but you will have to get into it and see for yourself.

Translating the knowledge that you gain from straight pool into your game of nine ball will make you a much more effective player. There are some things that you can't hide from your opponents and that's knowledge and cue ball control. Elements that are passed down from the big guy "Mr. Straight Pool".

In my opinion, this is the best game to play if you want to possess all the skills and knowledge needed for all other games. It also is a good way to gage your progress. As your skills develop, your runs get higher. In order to reach higher levels of play, what is needed is a well-rounded game.

Now go ahead and ask "little nine-ball" who's your daddy? He'll tell you.
 

GoldCrown

Verified Member
Joined
Dec 9, 2013
Messages
1,062
i have trouble getting past the 3rd rack the few times i tried
and sometimes cant even get past one rack.....:frus

View attachment 15493

14:1............your 45 to my 50 for a case of Miller :D

The guys in my community clubhouse play 9 ball and play lousy 9ball. I got bored with it and looked to 1pocket(years ago).Did get a few people interested in playing 1p. For a change some will play 14:1 and I must say it is a very intense game. I prefer not to play with someone way over my head...sitting and watching someone run balls does nothing for me other than appreciate their skill level. For me....To play someone a level or 2 better is a great afternoon.
 
Last edited:

youngstown

Verified Member
Joined
Jan 15, 2015
Messages
1,748
Straight pool

Here is something on topic that I wrote a good number of years back for the American Cueist.



Who's your Daddy?

By Frank Almanza

Once upon a time, a long long time ago, born to the green felt was a little game. During his toddler years, he was known as "little line up", and in his adolescent years, people came to know him as "14.1 continuous". When he matured to an adult, he became known as Mr. Straight Pool. As he grew up, having prospered from his fans admiration, he found himself living on the better side of the tracks, opposite from his cousin, old Mr. One Hole.



Mr. Straight Pool's reputation grew in stature, as he became the game of choice for all the big tournaments around the country. He developed all the pride and prestige of nobility. Thus, he acquired a reputation everyone wanted to be associated with. His rules of play had all bases covered, and defined all the situations that could arise. He had all the rules that were needed for a match to continue without creating arguments. Penalties were assessed to the naughty for not following his rules.



He was a game born to show off all the polish a master cueist had to offer, along with their tuxedos and all that stuff. The legends of that time got so familiar with Mr. Straight Pool and were so good at pocketing balls in succession, that it looked like they were just out for a Sunday stroll. They would be at the table pocketing balls until they got tired of walking around the table, ended their run by choice, or when all the spectators, their opponent, and referee fell asleep. Sometimes they themselves looked like they were asleep.



The abilities of the Mosconies, the Mizeraks, and the Segals made this game look like child's play. After all the balls were opened up to a certain degree, everything was basically just mop up till they got to the last three or four balls, than they would pause to select a key ball or break ball or something like that. Who knows what, but I'm sure they did.



It would be a rare occasion that we would see maybe a bank shot, a deep cut shot, or anything that might resemble some excitement. When they got tired, they just went and sat down while inviting their opponents up to the table to see how may balls they could run before they also tired themselves out. And so it went for many years until one day a new kid came to town.



This gutsy new comer came to town like a cowboy busting down that swinging door at the saloon and just using nine balls. Imagine that! This upstart hit the country like a house on fire. This guy was just as exciting to watch, as it was to play. Move over Mr. Mosconi and make room for Mr. Strickland.



But what about rules for this new little guy? Could they use the same ones as straight pool? Heck no! Something else was needed. How about maybe a heavy-duty penalty after a foul that would give the incoming player the ability to put the cueball anywhere on the table? Yea! That's it. That ought to perk things up a bit. We'll call it "ball in hand". Coincidentally, this rule change just happened to agree with television. How about that? Now we have this new game called "nine ball" that would keep everyone wide eyed with its bank shots, jump shots, kick shots, combos, masses, and some giant opening game break shots too. In this game you get to see all of what pool has to offer, including luck shots.



It wasn't too long before he became the game for most tournaments. Along with the approval of all the spectators, estimated time of matches could now be predicted, thus giving more flexibility in scheduling tournaments. Albeit nine ball surely is an exiting game to play, as well as it is to be a spectator of, and to play it well it requires a good deal of skill.



Sure sounds like goodbye to Mr. Straight Pool, doesn't it? Well let's see. Now the Barber speaks…



Contrary to what you just read, Mr. Straight Pool is not dead. He is alive and as healthy as he ever was. He has only been moved to the back seat because nine-ball can be fitted into tournament formats much easier. Our up and coming players of the future, having been saturated primary with nine-ball, need to expose themselves to some of the finer aspects of pool, if they have aspirations of becoming top notch.



Seems like a formal introduction to Mr. Straight Pool is in order. Let's see what the daddy has to offer.



Straight pool only looks easy, because a skilled player has developed the ability to make it look that way. Take it from me, if you want to elevate your nine ball game, then what you need is a regular dose of straight pool to help you gain the discipline, knowledge, and concentration that is needed for all other games and not just nine ball. Your game will benefit in position play because it will insist that you place the cue ball to a more precise location as opposed to most shots that you would accept in nine ball. Correct angles on position play are what will enable you to stretch out higher runs.



Breaking up clusters and getting a feel for where the cue ball will come to rest is a huge benefit you can get from straight pool. This may enable you to secure position on a stationary ball that could be used as an escape valve if needed. If these stationary balls don't get moved, they could turn into lifesavers and help you stay up at the table longer. This is very important unless you know for certain where the clustered balls will come to rest at after the break up.



Other important benefits we can derive from this game, because of it's nature, would be to identify kiss shots, combinations and how much a ball will throw one way or another. Having the knowledge to see a cluster of balls and to pretty much know the flight of each ball during a break up is quite an advantage.



Playing safe in straight pool with and open table could be quite a challenge and may require quite a bit of ingenuity, but these are the things that make us stronger. There are so many things to be learned from this game, These are just a few, but you will have to get into it and see for yourself.



Translating the knowledge that you gain from straight pool into your game of nine ball will make you a much more effective player. There are some things that you can't hide from your opponents and that's knowledge and cue ball control. Elements that are passed down from the big guy "Mr. Straight Pool".



In my opinion, this is the best game to play if you want to possess all the skills and knowledge needed for all other games. It also is a good way to gage your progress. As your skills develop, your runs get higher. In order to reach higher levels of play, what is needed is a well-rounded game.



Now go ahead and ask "little nine-ball" who's your daddy? He'll tell you.



That was pretty cute. Well done. I would love to see you write another about one pocket :)
 

gulfportdoc

Verified Member
Joined
Jun 25, 2004
Messages
13,063
From
Gulfport, Mississippi
Doc I started playing in the 60's so 14.1 was the game. In playing todays younger player one pocket I see they miss a lot of opportunities by not understanding the rack. Wether they miss seeing how balls will go towards a hole if hit a certain way or wether they totally miss a dead ball to an opponents hole and leave it playing an uptable safe.

A 14.1 player always reads the stack. That is his salvation in many cases wether shooting an aggressive shot or playing a solid safe.

One pocket players are limiting themselves in this area. Particularly in the early part of the game where the rack is still intact.
Very good points. I've noticed that the better players have started studying the stack much more than they did even a few years ago. And these guys may never have played much 14.1. But they realize what an advantage a good stack shot can be.

Another thing that the good 14.1 players did was to just lightly kick a few balls out of the stack, or nudge a few into better shape, rather than trying to slam the whole rack wide open. Then when a better angle presented itself, they'd have the ideal layout.

Have you ever noticed in 1P that, while a shot to your hole might also allow breaking the stack, that the shot is on the wrong side, meaning that the balls would all break towards your opponent's hole!:rolleyes:

~Doc
 

keoneyo

Verified Member
Joined
Mar 31, 2014
Messages
2,883
Very good points. I've noticed that the better players have started studying the stack much more than they did even a few years ago. And these guys may never have played much 14.1. But they realize what an advantage a good stack shot can be.

Another thing that the good 14.1 players did was to just lightly kick a few balls out of the stack, or nudge a few into better shape, rather than trying to slam the whole rack wide open. Then when a better angle presented itself, they'd have the ideal layout.

Have you ever noticed in 1P that, while a shot to your hole might also allow breaking the stack, that the shot is on the wrong side, meaning that the balls would all break towards your opponent's hole!:rolleyes:

~Doc

Sometimes I will stick my opponent to the bottom of the rack. Its telling when for convenience sake they will come off the balls away from his hole and open balls on my side. They never think of the opportunity to open balls on their side. They are just trying to get safe without thinking about the stack and its properties.
Reading the stack off a frozen cue ball to the rack is natural for a 14.1 man.
 

youngstown

Verified Member
Joined
Jan 15, 2015
Messages
1,748
Straight pool

if you think straight pool is easy try this drill

take 5 balls and rack them as shown

take a 6th ball and place it wherever you want as your break ball

take cue ball in hand and see how many 6 ball racks you can run

good luck...:)

my house pro ran 33 total balls

a better player in my room had 11 total balls first try

i have trouble getting past the 3rd rack the few times i tried

and sometimes cant even get past one rack.....:frus

break ball and cue ball locations in diagram are only an example

View attachment 15493



That drill is way tougher than full rack! Great drill thanks.
 

JoeyM

Verified Member
Joined
Jun 16, 2016
Messages
85
From
Cartersville, GA
I play a casual game of 14.1 with an older fellow on Saturday mornings. We usually play a race to 100. I find it helps me later when the 1 pocket matches get going. I am already thinking, making balls, and getting a good warm up. The days I don't get to play 14.1 first seem to be my off days in 1 pocket.

JoeyM
 

usblues

Verified Member
Joined
Oct 1, 2007
Messages
1,328
From
St Paul,Mn
Rhythm.....

Rhythm.....

.....is a great feeling.The best in all games,1P,3-cushion...all games.....and 14.1 is by far the game for it.....nuff said,cheers,James
 

sausage

Suspended
Joined
Jan 1, 2015
Messages
280
One thing I learned from watching Nick Varner, a great straight pool player, is that every shot, no matter how small, ALWAYS use a good stroke. Follow through properly with a good stance. His technique never left him.

this is important because any shot can be missed and this is especially true in 14.1 when one can easily get ahead of himself and stop concentrating on the shot at hand and think about the next shot.... i used to play with a guy in Dallas who had a good natural ability for pool. he missed a gimmie 14.1 shot and started jumping up and down saying: "WHY CAN'T I PLAY THIS GAME?!".
 

sausage

Suspended
Joined
Jan 1, 2015
Messages
280
if you think straight pool is easy try this drill
take 5 balls and rack them as shown
take a 6th ball and place it wherever you want as your break ball
take cue ball in hand and see how many 6 ball racks you can run
good luck...:)
my house pro ran 33 total balls

do you have to set up a break-ball? if not i just ran 8 racks and stopped because it's too easy. the secret is hitting the break-ball soft and catch the top ball. i got the exact same layout over and over and over.

ok, doing it WRONG. will try again later...
 
Last edited:
Top