Tired of hearing how straight pool is the best game

[thenaturalpoolplayer]

It's the worst game for developing your game imo. This goes for one pocket, bank pool whatever. All top 9 ball players have become the top straight pool, banks, and one pocket players where before there were players who specialized in these games...ie frost, schmidt. Now the top players are the top players.

The real game is rotation pool 1 through 15...ask Efren. 9 and 10 ball are baby versions of this. 8 ball if fun on a 7ft table.

 

[YukonCornelius]

I'd personally love to see some 15 ball rotation tournaments with 10 ball rules.

 

[Cue Alchemist]

It's the worst game for developing your game imo. This goes for one pocket, bank pool whatever. All top 9 ball players have become the top straight pool, banks, and one pocket players where before there were players who specialized in these games...ie frost, schmidt. Now the top players are the top players.

The real game is rotation pool 1 through 15...ask Efren. 9 and 10 ball are baby versions of this. 8 ball if fun on a 7ft table.

Agree with you. Its definitely one of the toughest. Most people have no clue what your talking about,When thay ask you what game do you play. All the rotation games, started with 61. Which is another name for it. Its a great game.

It's the only one, I play. I play 9 or 10 ball when I have too, at tournaments.

 

[CocoboloCowboy]

Straight Pool is hardest game.

Race to 150 is tought.

 

[Cue Alchemist]

I'd personally love to see some 15 ball rotation tournaments with 10 ball rules.

That is basically the rules. Unless it's a legal shot. Everything gets spotted. And the white goes behind the head string.
niels feijen plays it a bit,on his YouTube channel. He describes it well.

 

[SmoothStroke]

We call it Chicago. We played it for days on end for cash, 7 ways no deductions.
1,5,8,10.13,15 are the money balls or 6 ways, 61 points was the 7th way.
We played heads up or 1&8 partners. If you got 7 ways it was a roundhouse, paid double.
$ 20.00 a way was 140.00 a rack,,,,a roundhouse was 280.00
If I get 4 ways and you get 3, I get paid 80.00.
When playing partners if you got a roundhouse by yourself it paid triple 420.00
There are other variations.

 

[YukonCornelius]

Those rules sound interesting with alot of variables SmoothStroke. Thanks for the info Cue Alchemist, I'll check out Niel's videos.

 

[GentlemanJames]

As much as I love Straight Pool, I have to admit it, imho Rotation or "61" is THE game.

The biggest problem is that in a typical room, for the most part no one plays the game any longer. Ever since the "9 Ball Boom" that occurred after The Color of Money came out it seemed that in rooms it all went 9-Ball for the masses and 1P for the hardcore Gamblers; and as usual, 8 Ball in the bars.

I would love to see Rotation make a resurgence again. I also think Rotation solves many of the pacing problems for TV which kills Straight and 1P for the non-pool enthusiast, while removing the 'luck' factors from 9 Ball.

If I could bring 2 things back to Pool on TV it would be the show (1) "Celebrity Billiards", but, where they are playing (2) Rotation with people who can make at least three in a row; and, with a roll-over winner, ala' Jeopardy format for the non-celebrity contestant. - GJ

 

[The_JV]

If and when I decide to hit balls to keep in stroke. I either play 14.1 or 15 rotation.

14.1 is far and away the best game for developing one's table IQ, combinations, and 'short shape'. Banks are nearly non-existent, but if you're relying on those then you're playing all the games that isn't specifically 'banks' wrong....lol.

I do enjoy 15b because it does keep you honest. However it's more a warm up game for me than something I bother practicing.

 

[pt109]

I‘ve played a lot of all the rotation games….started with 61.
…..but the patterns are obvious….14.1, one pocket, and 8-ball are a little more demanding.

 

[CaptainBly]

I have been saying this for years, even on here, and always get shouted down. In my "opinion" this is what the pro's should be competing in. We would get to see more safeties, kicking, strategy and more great shotmaking. Plus all the position play around more balls. Really a win win. However no one wants to talk about it. We did have American Rotation here in New England for awhile but no one plays that anymore either.

 

[Mich]

I thought the Top players were always the Top Players? Sigel, Rempe, Varner, Hopkins, etc all played 14.1, 9Ball and 1 Pocket. Did I miss something? And didn't the old timers play all games at Johnson City?

 

[Texas Carom Club]

I thought the Top players were always the Top Players? Sigel, Rempe, Varner, Hopkins, etc all played 14.1, 9Ball and 1 Pocket. Did I miss something? And didn't the old timers play all games at Johnson City?

Mike sigel said it was the best game to learn first.

 

[ChrisinNC]

That’s because I am guessing you are too young to have a grown-up playing 14.1. For those of us that did, there is a special place in our hearts and in our memories for the game, which is much like the other games - impossible to master even though it may seem easy.

It’s also the best and most addicting game to play / practice by yourself, as you can always attempt to shoot for your higher run!

 

[Texas Carom Club]

It's the worst game for developing your game imo. This goes for one pocket, bank pool whatever. All top 9 ball players have become the top straight pool, banks, and one pocket players where before there were players who specialized in these games...ie frost, schmidt. Now the top players are the top players.

The real game is rotation pool 1 through 15...ask Efren. 9 and 10 ball are baby versions of this. 8 ball if fun on a 7ft table.

We know, it's hard when you don't have the next number up telling you what you have to do next,
You gotta think and improvise ,be creative in those games you don't like, which you obviously can't do

 

[SmoothStroke]

We call it Chicago. We played it for days on end for cash, 7 ways no deductions.
1,5,8,10.13,15 are the money balls or 6 ways, 61 points was the 7th way.
We played heads up or 1&8 partners. If you got 7 ways it was a roundhouse, paid double.
$ 20.00 a way was 140.00 a rack,,,,a roundhouse was 280.00
If I get 4 ways and you get 3, I get paid 80.00.
When playing partners if you got a roundhouse by yourself it paid triple 420.00
There are other variations.

Let me add we played pushout rules, spot shots, Texas Express wasn't a thought.
And we played all games, straight pool was big, 3 cushion, chicago, 3,6,8,9, ball, one pocket, baseball, pill pool.
Straight Pool was the game, I use to rack for Sailor Bill Barge and sit in the chair with a dunce cap on.
Never played fun fun, always cash after every hand.

 

[L.S. Dennis]

It's the worst game for developing your game imo. This goes for one pocket, bank pool whatever. All top 9 ball players have become the top straight pool, banks, and one pocket players where before there were players who specialized in these games...ie frost, schmidt. Now the top players are the top players.

The real game is rotation pool 1 through 15...ask Efren. 9 and 10 ball are baby versions of this. 8 ball if fun on a 7ft table.

Like most of the other posters, I agree that straight pool is the tougher game, and a much better game to developer analytical skills and position play. I remember Nick Varner being asked the difference between position play in nine ball and straight pool his answer was; “in nine ball you play area position, in straight pool you need to play spot position.”

 

[King T]

I have been saying this for years, even on here, and always get shouted down. In my "opinion" this is what the pro's should be competing in. We would get to see more safeties, kicking, strategy and more great shotmaking. Plus all the position play around more balls. Really a win win. However no one wants to talk about it. We did have American Rotation here in New England for awhile but no one plays that anymore either.

You shouldn't be shouted down, just challenged. I would ask that if the Pro's want to play that way why dont they? They are always matching up in Bank ring games, One Pocket or rotation, there must be a reason?

 

[King T]

We call it Chicago. We played it for days on end for cash, 7 ways no deductions.
1,5,8,10.13,15 are the money balls or 6 ways, 61 points was the 7th way.
We played heads up or 1&8 partners. If you got 7 ways it was a roundhouse, paid double.
$ 20.00 a way was 140.00 a rack,,,,a roundhouse was 280.00
If I get 4 ways and you get 3, I get paid 80.00.
When playing partners if you got a roundhouse by yourself it paid triple 420.00
There are other variations.

61!!! The first game I learned!

 

[Black-Balled]

I'd personally love to see some 15 ball rotation tournaments with 10 ball rules.

I'd like to see it played with ball in hand for incoming player after any miss...All offense.