Dragon Promotions virtual 14.1

[sjm]

Optimists see the glass as half full. Pessimists see the glass as half empty.

In 14.1, the glass is about 10% full, and will remain so just as long as the focus remains on high runs rather than success in head to head competition.

Straight pool isn't dying a slow death, but instead a rapid death and that rapid death will continue as long as the focus continues to shift away from head-to-head competition.

I played plenty of straight pool, especially from 1995-2005. I wonder if I spent as much as 5 total hours in those ten years practicing to see how many I could run. A 56 and out was always going to mean more to me than an 85 ball run against an imaginary opponent, and it was very rare that I continued my run if a match was over.

That's why events like the Dragon event, the American 14.1 event, the European Straight Pool Championship, and any other straight pool competitions are such important events on the pool calendar, because they bring the stars of the discipline together to match up.

One can both respect and lament the decision of the WPA in this matter.

 

[MattPoland]

I consider myself a billiards enthusiast and avid local player. I love watching pool. I love participating in this community. I look forward to traveling to sweat more professional events. I admire the things 14.1 can teach me by practicing it. But honestly I have zero interest in it from a competitive perspective (personal or professional). The game could disappear entirely and I wouldn’t bat an eye. I suspect it’s already dead and all the effort put into it today is merely an abominable act of necromancy. My initial opinion was that the Dragon event should stop calling itself a World Championship for integrity sake. I get people being upset at WPA for enforcing its role in the industry. But maybe the real answer is to let 14.1 die. Maybe what all this is really suggesting is that WPA should just stop recognizing 14.1 as a discipline entirely. Thorsten can go ahead and compete in a fake 14.1 “world championship” and get paid and it can mean as much to the industry as him winning a “world championship” in bumper pool or skittle pool.

 

[Dan White]

I consider myself a billiards enthusiast and avid local player. I love watching pool. I love participating in this community. I look forward to traveling to sweat more professional events. I admire the things 14.1 can teach me by practicing it. But honestly I have zero interest in it from a competitive perspective (personal or professional). The game could disappear entirely and I wouldn’t bat an eye. I suspect it’s already dead and all the effort put into it today is merely an abominable act of necromancy. My initial opinion was that the Dragon event should stop calling itself a World Championship for integrity sake. I get people being upset at WPA for enforcing its role in the industry. But maybe the real answer is to let 14.1 die. Maybe what all this is really suggesting is that WPA should just stop recognizing 14.1 as a discipline entirely. Thorsten can go ahead and compete in a fake 14.1 “world championship” and get paid and it can mean as much to the industry as him winning a “world championship” in bumper pool or skittle pool.

If 9 ball and 10 ball are the center of your universe then you are a shallow fan. Pool became a thing when straight pool was THE game. Straight pool is chess and 9 ball is checkers. I understand what you are saying but I don't get someone who claims to be a superfan and at the same time doesn't seem to understand the beauty of straight pool.

 

[BayGene]

Dear MattPoland:

I'm not here to deprecate rotation games. All that I can testify is that after nearly sixty years of playing and watching pool, nothing replicates the thrill provided in attending live week long 14.1 tournaments over the years, the brilliance of individual matches and performances, and even particular plays which are etched on my mind and condemned me to the table for life. I'm not ready to accept a world that won't put the skills of players like Irving Crane, Cicero Murphy, Mike Sigel, Mike Zuglan, Jasmine Ouschan, Oliver Ortmann, Dave Daya, Thorsten Hohmann, Danny Barouty, Mika Immonen..... I would have missed Darren Appleton's 200 against Bustamante in 2013 at Steinway, Mika's "grudge" 150 and out against Single in 2010 at Breaker, Oliver's absolute blitz in the early rounds at Comet in 2009 before Stephan Cohen's surprise win....

You get the picture.

 

[MattPoland]

If 9 ball and 10 ball are the center of your universe then you are a shallow fan. Pool became a thing when straight pool was THE game. Straight pool is chess and 9 ball is checkers. I understand what you are saying but I don't get someone who claims to be a superfan and at the same time doesn't seem to understand the beauty of straight pool.

Personally I love 8, 9, 10, 1p, and banks. And if anything 1p is chess... 8 and 14.1 are checkers... and 9 and 10 are basketball... and banks is a dunk contest.

 

[MattPoland]

Dear MattPoland:

I'm not here to deprecate rotation games. All that I can testify is that after nearly sixty years of playing and watching pool, nothing replicates the thrill provided in attending live week long 14.1 tournaments over the years, the brilliance of individual matches and performances, and even particular plays which are etched on my mind and condemned me to the table for life. I'm not ready to accept a world that won't put the skills of players like Irving Crane, Cicero Murphy, Mike Sigel, Mike Zuglan, Jasmine Ouschan, Oliver Ortmann, Dave Daya, Thorsten Hohmann, Danny Barouty, Mika Immonen..... I would have missed Darren Appleton's 200 against Bustamante in 2013 at Steinway, Mika's "grudge" 150 and out against Single in 2010 at Breaker, Oliver's absolute blitz in the early rounds at Comet in 2009 before Stephan Cohen's surprise win....

You get the picture.

I’m sure there’s players and fans that’ll try to keep it alive. But honestly, why does the WPA try to regulate it? Does it honestly have enough support to hold real qualifiers and a real world championship? Will it ever again? Will that be sustainable or will it be singular acts of charity? If it can’t, then WPA is wasting its time trying to enforce rules on it. Perhaps WPA should have tiers for its disciplines. Tier 1 is an active discipline that WPA is promoting, organizing, and enforcing. Tier 2 is a non-prominent discipline that it encourages and occasionally supports. Maybe all it does is manage rule sets, help anyone legitimately promoting tournaments to connect to a worldwide network of like-minded promoters, occasionally help market it, but mostly just leave it to its own devices. Because regardless if it’s rich history, I don’t think 14.1 is in a state worthy of WPA enforcement.

 

[alstl]

I consider myself a billiards enthusiast and avid local player. I love watching pool. I love participating in this community. I look forward to traveling to sweat more professional events. I admire the things 14.1 can teach me by practicing it. But honestly I have zero interest in it from a competitive perspective (personal or professional). The game could disappear entirely and I wouldn’t bat an eye. I suspect it’s already dead and all the effort put into it today is merely an abominable act of necromancy. My initial opinion was that the Dragon event should stop calling itself a World Championship for integrity sake. I get people being upset at WPA for enforcing its role in the industry. But maybe the real answer is to let 14.1 die. Maybe what all this is really suggesting is that WPA should just stop recognizing 14.1 as a discipline entirely. Thorsten can go ahead and compete in a fake 14.1 “world championship” and get paid and it can mean as much to the industry as him winning a “world championship” in bumper pool or skittle pool.

This reminds me of when the Olympic committee a few years ago decided to eliminate wrestling from the Olympic games. The original Olympic games consisted of running and wrestling. Eventually they decided to allow wrestling to continue but with fewer weight classes. Meanwhile they give medals for skateboarding, break dancing and trampoline.

The reason 14.1 isn't as popular is because bangers can't play it well and gamblers can't make money at it.

I have mixed feelings about the WPA. This article details some concerns. That final statement is clearly false. They are threatening people if they play in the 14.1 event. I far from a legal expert but I wonder if a good lawyer might be successful in getting the 14.1 event organizers some money for damages by threatening pool players if they play in the event.

WPA | PoolRoom

www.poolroom.com

A week prior to the start of the U.S. Open 9-Ball Championships, players across the United States were informed that they would be required to complete a World Pool-Billiard Association Player License Agreement if they intended to play in the WPA-sanctioned event, setting off wave of questions, allegations and criticism across social media, and threatening the success of the international tournament.

....

At the core of the backlash were stipulations in the license agreement that seemed to make heavy demands of the players and threatened harsh penalties for non-compliance, like fines for missing player meetings, fines for missing publicity appearances, and restrictions on logos affixed to player clothing.

....
Anderson also attempted to shed light on the two most contested stipulations of the player license: preventing players from participating in other events; and players being held hostage by the WPA.

“This is not about telling players where they can and cannot play,” he said.

 

[Cameron Smith]

I’m sure there’s players and fans that’ll try to keep it alive. But honestly, why does the WPA try to regulate it? Does it honestly have enough support to hold real qualifiers and a real world championship? Will it ever again? Will that be sustainable or will it be singular acts of charity? If it can’t, then WPA is wasting its time trying to enforce rules on it. Perhaps WPA should have tiers for its disciplines. Tier 1 is an active discipline that WPA is promoting, organizing, and enforcing. Tier 2 is a non-prominent discipline that it encourages and occasionally supports. Maybe all it does is manage rule sets, help anyone legitimately promoting tournaments to connect to a worldwide network of like-minded promoters, occasionally help market it, but mostly just leave it to its own devices. Because regardless if it’s rich history, I don’t think 14.1 is in a state worthy of WPA enforcement.

I have to agree with some of this. Personally, I would like to see a world 14.1 championship continue for posterity sake. But the criteria for a world championship with respect to 14.1 reminds me of a phrase “don’t let perfection be the enemy of the good”. I remember the WPA saying they were working on a real world 14.1 championship, but this had to have been a decade ago. The current criteria all but ensures we will never see another world championship in the game.

Personally, I’d love to see a return to the old round robins. Call it what you want but it would be great to just see a yearly round robin of the current greats.

 

[Dan White]

Personally I love 8, 9, 10, 1p, and banks. And if anything 1p is chess... 8 and 14.1 are checkers... and 9 and 10 are basketball... and banks is a dunk contest.

Well I guess we can say there is no right or wrong answer on this. Although as a kid I wasn't into the pool scene, I did grow up in the east at a time when 14.1 was the norm. I always had this idea that the game was invented with 15 object balls and a cue ball plus six pockets. Any game that didn't use all the balls or all the pockets was a bastardization of the real game.

As an aside, if you are not a practitioner of straight pool then 8 ball might seem in the same ballpark as straight pool. The reality is that the requirement of leaving the 15th ball out in order to get into the next rack COMPLETELY changes the difficulty of the game... and makes it much more interesting.

I'm going to amend my earlier comment. 9 ball is checkers, straight pool is chess, and 1p is the old guy in the corner doing the crossword puzzle.

 

[sjm]

If 9 ball and 10 ball are the center of your universe then you are a shallow fan. Pool became a thing when straight pool was THE game. Straight pool is chess and 9 ball is checkers. I understand what you are saying but I don't get someone who claims to be a superfan and at the same time doesn't seem to understand the beauty of straight pool.

Straight pool is, indeed, more beautiful than nine ball or ten ball, but straight pool is very rarely contested. For me, all three games are pretty close to unwatchable against the ghost, and to use your analogy, I think I'd rather watch checkers than watch any of these games played against the ghost.

I grew up in the straight pool era and loved it, but the truth is that 9-ball and 10-ball ARE the center of the pool universe today. For every 14.1 event on the world pool calendar, there are probably over a hundred nine ball and ten ball events, No, it does not make one a shallow fan if they'd rather watch real head-to-head competition, and as straight pool offers almost none these days, it quite logically takes a back seat to rotation games in the eyes of almost every fan, this one included.

With so few straight pool events, why lament the fact that many of this generation of fans aren't very interested in or excited about the discipline? I am as disappointed as anybody that straight pool has fallen so far, but right now, the game has little to no presence in the pro pool scene, and Matt Poland's comments are perfectly reasonable if taken in context.

 

[MattPoland]

To be fair, my comments were intentionally provocative. Not in an internet troll way. More in discussing the state of the discipline in a way that may be at best a debatable position and at worst a tough pill to swallow laced with a reality check.

At the end of the day, I embrace the fact that others embrace 14.1. I can appreciate that there’s beauty in it. I sure get my teeth kicked in trying it out because I realize how much more I need to learn about controlled breakout shots, keeping my focus tight for long stretches, planning for a key ball and break ball, and just getting a good result in the break. Playing solo, I’m willing to play safe against myself and that’s an interesting side of the game not shown in high run videos.

So I don’t want to come off as a detractor. But it’s a harsh proposition to make. Maybe 14.1 is no longer worthy of WPA protection.

 

[sjm]

Dear MattPoland:

I'm not here to deprecate rotation games. All that I can testify is that after nearly sixty years of playing and watching pool, nothing replicates the thrill provided in attending live week long 14.1 tournaments over the years, the brilliance of individual matches and performances, and even particular plays which are etched on my mind and condemned me to the table for life. I'm not ready to accept a world that won't put the skills of players like Irving Crane, Cicero Murphy, Mike Sigel, Mike Zuglan, Jasmine Ouschan, Oliver Ortmann, Dave Daya, Thorsten Hohmann, Danny Barouty, Mika Immonen..... I would have missed Darren Appleton's 200 against Bustamante in 2013 at Steinway, Mika's "grudge" 150 and out against Single in 2010 at Breaker, Oliver's absolute blitz in the early rounds at Comet in 2009 before Stephan Cohen's surprise win..

You get the picture.

Nice post.

Although I've been around live pro straight pool competition for only 45 years, I have similar passion for the game and look just as fondly on those good times. Like you, I have financially supported numerous straight pool events over the years. The memories are for keeps, and I'm proud to have been there so often to watch straight pool at its best. That said, to speak of those days as if they are still around is delusional. The focus in straight pool is no longer on match ups, and one need look no further than this very forum for strong evidence. In the main forum, there's a lot of "here's a situation I faced in my 8/9/10 ball match last night," and it often leads to good discussions on the forum. On the 14.1 forum, however, such discussions are few and far between, because winning matches is no longer the focus. High runs, to straight pool's great detriment, are more important to most than competitive excellence.

Did you hear about the pro basketball player that hit 100 straight foul shots in practice yesterday? Neither did I, because what players accomplish when they are practicing is of little importance and few care about practice time accomplishments --- except, that is, in straight pool, where it seems that practice time accomplishments dominate the narrative these days.

Exhibition, challenge and action matches were abundant back in the day, so top straight pool was available for viewing very often. Today, not even the straight pool superstars seem to ever want to match up against each other outside of the extremely few straight pool competitions, and even when they do, they typically play something other than straight pool.

Finally, I'm sorry that rotation games haven't captured your imagination, for there is as much beauty and imagination in a well-designed two way shot or a great kick at nine ball as there is in any shot I've ever witnessed at straight pool.

 

[Cameron Smith]

Nice post.

Although I've been around live pro straight pool competition for only 45 years, I have similar passion for the game and look just as fondly on those good times. Like you, I have financially supported numerous straight pool events over the years. The memories are for keeps, and I'm proud to have been there so often to watch straight pool at its best. That said, to speak of those days as if they are still around is delusional. The focus in straight pool is no longer on match ups, and one need look no further than this very forum for strong evidence. In the main forum, there's a lot of "here's a situation I faced in my 8/9/10 ball match last night," and it often leads to good discussions on the forum. On the 14.1 forum, however, such discussions are few and far between, because winning matches is no longer the focus. High runs, to straight pool's great detriment, are more important to most than competitive excellence.

Did you hear about the pro basketball player that hit 100 straight foul shots in practice yesterday? Neither did I, because what players accomplish when they are practicing is of little importance and few care about practice time accomplishments --- except, that is, in straight pool, where it seems that practice time accomplishments dominate the narrative these days.

Exhibition, challenge and action matches were abundant back in the day, so top straight pool was available for viewing very often. Today, not even the straight pool superstars seem to ever want to match up against each other outside of the extremely few straight pool competitions, and even when they do, they typically play something other than straight pool.

Finally, I'm sorry that rotation games haven't captured your imagination, for there is as much beauty and imagination in a well-designed two way shot or a great kick at nine ball as there is in any shot I've ever witnessed at straight pool.

I too have noticed that practice high runs take quite a bit of precedence. I've spent the last several years focusing on snooker and when someone asks your high break, they almost always clarify what your competitive high break is. It doesn't seem common in 14.1 discussions to make that distinction unless your high run happens to have come about in competition. Because of this, I don't think Niels Fiejen's 300 ball run in match play gets nearly as much credit as it deserves.

That said, I do think the nature of 14.1 does lend itself to a focus on high runs. And there are similar discussions in snooker with high run boards that also include practice breaks despite the game having solid competitive scenes in certain parts of the world. English Billiards seems to be another similar example (though it's a game in a similar state to 14.1). It's just as amateurs, we tend to want to emulate the pros as much as we can by striving for those big runs. Further, I also think that the pursuit of high runs is partly what has saved the game from obscurity. It has at least allowed it to transition to a practice game. That is, of course, not where we want it to be but at least it brings new players to it in some form or another.

 

[sjm]

I also think that the pursuit of high runs is partly what has saved the game from obscurity. It has at least allowed it to transition to a practice game. That is, of course, not where we want it to be but at least it brings new players to it in some form or another.

Very well said, Cameron.

I guess the suggestion that the game of straight pool has transitioned to a practice game is not at all unreasonable. I must admit that it's not something I'd ever considered, and if you're right, as a competitive discipline, straight pool is as dead as a doornail. Guess I'm still clinging to the possibly irrational hope that you are wrong, and that a renaissance of competitive straight pool is possible, but yours is a wise and well considered observation.

 

[AtLarge]

... Did you hear about the pro basketball player that hit 100 straight foul shots in practice yesterday? Neither did I, because what players accomplish when they are practicing is of little importance and few care about practice time accomplishments ...

Steph Curry apparently hit 105 3-point jumpers in a row recently in practice; it got quite a bit of play.

[The shots were all from essentially the same spot -- even with the basket a few feet off the baseline.]

 

[sjm]

Steph Curry apparently hit 105 3-point jumpers in a row recently in practice; it got quite a bit of play.

[The shots were all from essentially the same spot -- even with the basket a few feet off the baseline.]

Never heard about it, but that's very impressive. I always enjoy the three point competition during NBA All-Star Weekend. Nonetheless, hitting three pointers when no one is guarding you is more like playing HORSE than playing real basketball. If Curry hits ten straight three pointers in a playoff game to deliver his team to victory, it's a far greater accomplishment.

 

[Cameron Smith]

Very well said, Cameron.

I guess the suggestion that the game of straight pool has transitioned to a practice game is not at all unreasonable. I must admit that it's not something I'd ever considered, and if you're right, as a competitive discipline, straight pool is as dead as a doornail. Guess I'm still clinging to the possibly irrational hope that you are wrong, and that a renaissance of competitive straight pool is possible, but yours is a wise and well considered observation.

Thanks for the kind words. I also cling that hope. I disagree with those that suggest 14.1 is boring to watch. If you are invested in the outcome of a match, there are few games more nerve racking and gripping. It seems like your favourite could miss any shot, get stuck on any break shot and their opponent seems like they may never miss. The real issue with competitive pool is that the complete lack of structure means that the outcome of tournaments don’t really matter. When rankings, titles and stats are involved, it gives tournaments more context and therefore more exciting.

 

[sjm]

When rankings, titles and stats are involved, it gives tournaments more context and therefore more exciting.

Honestly, this makes no difference at all to me.

Pool today, other than WPA and Eurotour events, consists chiefly of independent events. These events are no less exciting than events of yesteryear that were part of a tour. As an event, the US Open 9-ball is far better now than when it was part of the pro tour back in the 1990s, the title more prestigious than back when there was just a smattering of international participation. The events on the world pool calendar, to me, are more exciting than ever.

Although a world class tour in America would be nice, at least as far as nine ball is concerned, we've probably never had it so good in the areas of rankings and stats. Fargo now allows ranking of players across the entire world, which was not possible back in the days of pro tours in America. Similarly, for all publicly shown nine ball matches, Accustats performance statistics are available for review. Finally, AZB poster at Large offers stats on such matches that are more comprehensive than any I've ever seen in my 45 years around pro pool.

Yes, straight pool doesn't have this, but until the 1980's, each player's Balls per Inning could be reviewed at the end of major straight pool events. You might have had to dig to see who won the relatively modest high run prize, too, and runs did not ever continue when matches were over, because neither the players nor the fans wanted it that way. I must admit that I rarely even looked at the stats, because all I cared about was who won the matches and the title. Perhaps, in straight pool, the scarcity of events and far too frequent absence of truly elite fields explains why you feel it has become a practice game, but I don't think the lack of stats makes much difference.

 

[Cameron Smith]

Honestly, this makes no difference at all to me.

Pool today, other than WPA and Eurotour events, consists chiefly of independent events. These events are no less exciting than events of yesteryear that were part of a tour. As an event, the US Open 9-ball is far better now than when it was part of the pro tour back in the 1990s, the title more prestigious than back when there was just a smattering of international participation. The events on the world pool calendar, to me, are more exciting than ever.

Although a world class tour in America would be nice, at least as far as nine ball is concerned, we've probably never had it so good in the areas of rankings and stats. Fargo now allows ranking of players across the entire world, which was not possible back in the days of pro tours in America. Similarly, for all publicly shown nine ball matches, Accustats performance statistics are available for review. Finally, AZB poster at Large offers stats on such matches that are more comprehensive than any I've ever seen in my 45 years around pro pool.

Yes, straight pool doesn't have this, but until the 1980's, each player's Balls per Inning could be reviewed at the end of major straight pool events. You might have had to dig to see who won the relatively modest high run prize, too, and runs did not ever continue when matches were over, because neither the players nor the fans wanted it that way. I must admit that I rarely even looked at the stats, because all I cared about was who won the matches and the title. Perhaps, in straight pool, the scarcity of events and far too frequent absence of truly elite fields explains why you feel it has become a practice game, but I don't think the lack of stats makes much difference.

I’m thinking more for the fan that claims 14.1 or even 9 ball is boring. But in terms of stats and rankings, I’m also thinking more along the lines of cumulative statistics and competitive rankings. For example, how many competitive 100 ball runs does Thorsten have? I doubt even he knows. By comparison, Ronnie O’Sullivan’s 1000th century was one of the most electric moments I’ve watched in cue sports and that moment was only possible because we knew how many centuries he had run and how many centuries his competition had. Here is the last few points fir you haven’t seen it.

The US Open and World Championship in pool are indeed exciting for me because they are the undisputed majors of the game. But beyond that we don’t know how many pro tournaments any given player has won because there aren’t ranking tournaments like you see in snooker which are events for professionals only that contribute to their ranking (which itself has significant weight).

All of these things are important because it creates talking points and contextualizes each tournament and match. Without it, it’s like watching NFL games but without playoff spots or a Super Bowl to work towards. The super fans would still just love watching football, but you’d lose a large part of the audience. Playoff spots, season records and other statistics are big part of most sports.

I also want to say that I appreciate the efforts of Atlarge. His tournament reviews are posts that I always open and review. I also think Fargo is great for what it is, but it doesn’t replace a structured tour and competitive rankings based on tournament finishes.

 

[sjm]

I’m thinking more for the fan that claims 14.1 or even 9 ball is boring. But in terms of stats and rankings, I’m also thinking more along the lines of cumulative statistics and competitive rankings. For example, how many competitive 100 ball runs does Thorsten have? I doubt even he knows. By comparison, Ronnie O’Sullivan’s 1000th century was one of the most electric moments I’ve watched in cue sports and that moment was only possible because we knew how many centuries he had run and how many centuries his competition had. Here is the last few points fir you haven’t seen it.

The US Open and World Championship in pool are indeed exciting for me because they are the undisputed majors of the game. But beyond that we don’t know how many pro tournaments any given player has won because there aren’t ranking tournaments like you see in snooker which are events for professionals only that contribute to their ranking (which itself has significant weight).

All of these things are important because it creates talking points and contextualizes each tournament and match. Without it, it’s like watching NFL games but without playoff spots or a Super Bowl to work towards. The super fans would still just love watching football, but you’d lose a large part of the audience. Playoff spots, season records and other statistics are big part of most sports.

I also want to say that I appreciate the efforts of Atlarge. His tournament reviews are posts that I always open and review. I also think Fargo is great for what it is, but it doesn’t replace a structured tour and competitive rankings based on tournament finishes.

Pool has never kept stats, which have always been on the game's periphery, and that was true even when there were tours, The real value of a tour with a ranking system is continuity, and few, if any, knew the rankings back in the days of the PPPA (the last significant tour that played straight pool, gone since 1986) or the PBT/Camel Tour or UPA Tours (the last two major nine ball tours in America) both gone for many years.
The primary value of rankings in our sport was always for seeding, which some feel is inappropriate and unfair. The primary function of a tour is continuity, chiefly for the players, and to a lesser extent for those who are affiliated with the tour as a proprietor, sponsor, or fan. In this sense, a good pool tour is like a concert tour. If you play this venue this year, there's a good chance you'll play it again next year.

Ronnie's stats are interesting because they are in snooker, the game at which he earns a living, and he plays a sport with an audience that is sufficiently large that detailed record keeping fits within the budget of the governing bodies. Ronnie also played nine ball at the Mosconi and eight ball when the IPT was around, His stats in pool, where records aren't kept, are largely unknown, but that's OK, because neither 8-ball nor 9-ball ever made up more than a small portion of his income from cuesports.

Similarly, Thorsten Hohmann, far and away the best straight pool of the last fifteen years, does not earn his cuesports living at 14.1. Straight pool has not been a significant source of income for pro pool players in over 30 years. How many 100 ball runs he, or any other player, has is of little import. What difference does it make? All that matters is what he has won. Runs only matter to the extent that they produce victories. Other than in the one year in which the IPT was around, Thorsten has earned most of his cuesports living at nine ball. How many five packs has he run in his career? In my observation, the five pack in pro competition is rarer than the 100 ball run. How many 5-packs has Van Boening run? Nobody knows that, either, despite the fact that Shane is the best American 9-ball player of the last fifteen years. All that matters to his fans is how many victories and titles those 5-packs have produced, and his competitive record is well documented and known.

Over the past 50 years, stats have not had a very significant place in pool, and I don't think either is tied to the popularity, or lack thereof, of either straight pool or nine ball.