Is 14.1 Pool Descriptive Enough?

Ron F

Ron F

Ron F
Silver Member
I was just wondering, the name of the forum is "14.1 Pool". Wouldn't it be better if the name was one of the following?

14.1 Continuous Pool
14.1 Continuous Pool (Straight Pool)
Straight Pool (14.1 Continuous)
Straight Pool

A few years ago I only knew it as straight pool. The term "14.1 Continuous" is never used around here.

Ron F
 
14.1 continuous is never used anywhere, at least I never heard anyone uses it other than being written in an article. The two most common names are either 14.1 or straight pool.
 
Straight pool (14.1 Continuous) is how I know the game since I started playing. I don't think I've ever had anyone ask me if I wanted to play some 14.1, hmm maybe once. It's always been referred to as Straight or Straight pool with the players around here.
 
pooln8r said:
Straight pool (14.1 Continuous) is how I know the game since I started playing. I don't think I've ever had anyone ask me if I wanted to play some 14.1, hmm maybe once. It's always been referred to as Straight or Straight pool with the players around here.
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me too .... but when the term 14.1 is used, I recognize it as the short name for 14.1 continuous, which I believe is it's proper name.

No matter what it is called, I don't think it will ever be "the popular pool" game. It just shows the players speed differences too much. Like one pocket does. Eight ball and Nine ball have an air of luck to them that affords the lesser players some amount of chance to win a short session, where-as one session of straight pool will practically never be won by a lesser player.

So if the concern for naming is in hopes to help the game become more popular, I don't think that would do it anyway. Those of us who enjoy the game would know it no matter what it was called.
 
Yes

3andstop said:
me too .... but when the term 14.1 is used, I recognize it as the short name for 14.1 continuous, which I believe is it's proper name.

No matter what it is called, I don't think it will ever be "the popular pool" game. It just shows the players speed differences too much. Like one pocket does. Eight ball and Nine ball have an air of luck to them that affords the lesser players some amount of chance to win a short session, where-as one session of straight pool will practically never be won by a lesser player.

So if the concern for naming is in hopes to help the game become more popular, I don't think that would do it anyway. Those of us who enjoy the game would know it no matter what it was called.
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Very good points.
Yes, 14.1 is the short name for 14.1 continous (easy way to say it). Growing up in NY, everyone only played Straight Pool. That is what we called it. I did not hear it called 14.1 until I got older living in Texas.
I rather have the Forum called: "Straight Pool"
 
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You don't hear the term used often, but I say "14.1 continuous" all of the time. The only other person I have heard use that term in conversation is Danny Harriman - but he says "14 and 1 continuous".

:shrug:
 
"Call Shot"

3andstop said:
me too .... but when the term 14.1 is used, I recognize it as the short name for 14.1 continuous, which I believe is it's proper name.

No matter what it is called, I don't think it will ever be "the popular pool" game. It just shows the players speed differences too much. Like one pocket does. Eight ball and Nine ball have an air of luck to them that affords the lesser players some amount of chance to win a short session, where-as one session of straight pool will practically never be won by a lesser player.

So if the concern for naming is in hopes to help the game become more popular, I don't think that would do it anyway. Those of us who enjoy the game would know it no matter what it was called.
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Former world champion Bennie Allen's grandson Bill calls it "Call Shot" as did his grandfather. I think that was just to imply that other games involve too much luck and aren't as classy. And that probably was the case back then. I like "Straight Pool," and I was going to argue that no other game has been called that. However, I believe that "Line-Up" has been referred to as "Line-Up Straight Pool." Nevertheless Straight Pool seems to really roll off the tongue and not sound esoteric or haughty or overly technical like 14.1 does. 14.1 continuous is just too much and had to be called that to differentiate it from 15-ball continuous. Straight Pool it is, and if nobody stops me then I am going to make the final decision for all of us right here right now. Of course I will back down at the very first disagreement.... By the way, I was the guy who dug up the fact that: although Jerome Keough has been widely credited as straight pool's inventor, the idea of changing the game to a continuous one using the 15th ball as break ball was first suggested by Thomas Hueston just before Keough's revision caught on. I found an old article from the Indianapolis newspaper about it when I looked over Harry Cooler's scrapbook in his son's Indy home. (Harry Cooler was a famous room owner there and had been known as having an extensive scrapbook. Disappointingly it contained 95%+ local Indianapolis balkline articles.) An article was written in one of the mags recently about this but only after I discussed it with the billiard historians I know. I was not credited of course but Harry Cooler's son will verify this- ask him. So I have enough credentials to declare the name Straight Pool superior to all. So I do.
 
In the Twilight Zone episode "A Game of Pool" Jack Klugman's character refers to it as "14 1 rack". That's the only time I ever heard it called by that name. Maybe it was once called that.
 
Twilight Zone

Bobby said:
In the Twilight Zone episode "A Game of Pool" Jack Klugman's character refers to it as "14 1 rack". That's the only time I ever heard it called by that name. Maybe it was once called that.
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That episode is a Classic and I love that one, but they did not have any professional pool player helping them out. There were many mistakes made while shooting that pool scene on the game itself. No wonder they called it "14 1 rack".
 
As, probably, the oldest respondent to this question, 84, I never heard the game referred to as anything other than "straight pool" until after a long hiatus I got back into pool. I can change. I see nothing wrong with the name 14.1 continuous.

Dave Nelson
 
How To Change it?

If we did want to change the name of the forum to Straight Pool or something else, can it be done? How?

I just think the forum has a better chance of attracting new people if it's named the most common term for the game. If I knew the game only as Straight Pool and saw a forum for 14.1 Pool I may or may not make the connection. And if I didn't, I'd have no reason to enter the forum.

Ron F
 
the forum used to be called Straight Pool Forum. but a while back when they moved it to a new server they also changed the name.

who knows why
-Steve
 
stevekur1 said:
the forum used to be called Straight Pool Forum. but a while back when they moved it to a new server they also changed the name.

who knows why
-Steve
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Here is the story behind that...

We were getting a lot of gay porn spam in this forum - probably because it was called "Straight Pool" - so I asked Mike to change the forum name to 14.1 Pool. We haven't got any of that crap since we changed the name.
 
Blackjack said:
Here is the story behind that...

We were getting a lot of gay porn spam in this forum - probably because it was called "Straight Pool" - so I asked Mike to change the forum name to 14.1 Pool. We haven't got any of that crap since we changed the name.
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too funny !!!! you are such a card dave !!!
 
Wow, David, I had no idea that was happening. Too funny!

Oh yeah, I call it 14.1 continuous most of the time now. I got tired of people thinking I was talking about 8B when I would ask if they wanted to play "straight pool".
 
Blackjack said:
Here is the story behind that...

We were getting a lot of gay porn spam in this forum - probably because it was called "Straight Pool" - so I asked Mike to change the forum name to 14.1 Pool. We haven't got any of that crap since we changed the name.
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I remember many years ago at Amsterdamn Billiards, a novice player from the 8 ball league was talking to the league director and the director mentioned the straight pool league which the novice had never heard of and he seriously asked "Is there a gay pool league?"
 
I was approached about joining the gay pool league. At the time, I had a full card, playing and subbing 8-ball 3 nights a week, plus playing team 9-ball on Thursdays and Sundays.

I tried to politely decline and said "If I was available on Mondays, I would be playing in the Straight Pool league". It wasn't until after the words left my mouth, I realized my faux pas. Maybe one day I'll get good enough to play in the 14.1 league at Amsterdam.

Amsterdam and Society are host rooms for the New York Gay Pool league. This particular league is dedicated to raising money for HIV/AIDS charity.

Bobby said:
I remember many years ago at Amsterdamn Billiards, a novice player from the 8 ball league was talking to the league director and the director mentioned the straight pool league which the novice had never heard of and he seriously asked "Is there a gay pool league?"
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