Simple question for you experts on 14.1

Nine ... corner

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As many have, I drifted away from straight pool in favor of other games decades ago. Well a buddy of mine and I have started playing straights one day a week and here is a situation we came across.

I lost the lag and also then fouled on the break losing two points. My buddy played a weak safe and I then ran fourteen balls. With just the break ball left on the table do you just end that inning with a score of 12--0 never spotting the balls?

Thanks in advance. BTW, love getting back into straight pool. :thumbup:
 
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Bob Jewett

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As many have, I drifted away from straight pool in favor of other games decades ago. Well a buddy of mine and I have started playing straights one day a week and here is a situation we came across.

I lost the lag and also then fouled on the break losing two points. My buddy played a weak safe and I then ran fourteen balls. With just the break ball left on the table do you just end that inning with a score of 12--0 never spotting the balls?

Thanks in advance. BTW, love getting back into straight pool. :thumbup:
You only spot balls that have been pocketed on a foul or driven off the table.

Edit: You also spot balls that you pocket during a miss, for example if you miss the 3 but make the 10 by accident or you miss the 3 but it goes on one rail to the wrong pocket.
 
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Nine ... corner

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We've been spotting a ball for any scratch ... that's incorrect? So the only time the rack score totals 14 is if there have been no fouls/scratches?
 

Dan White

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We've been spotting a ball for any scratch ... that's incorrect? So the only time the rack score totals 14 is if there have been no fouls/scratches?

You only spot a ball if it has been pocketed during a foul, like if you scratched on the shot. You should be keeping a total score and a rack score, like you might have 47 total and 8 in the current rack. If you scratch without pocketing a ball, then your score is 46 and 8 so there is no need to put a ball out. In the first rack, your total score was -2 to begin with. You need to find a way to show -2. On a table score counter, you would use 98 to show -2, for instance.

Many people keep score by counting the balls on the table and the rack score of their opponent and then subtracting that from 15. So I just ran a few balls and missed. I count 7 balls on the table and see that my opponent's rack score is 3. That's 10 total so it means I have 5 total in this rack so far. Maybe I already had 2 balls, but it doesn't matter. Just add 3 more in that case to make 5.
 

pt109

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Thanks for clearing that up for me. We will start correcting our scoring next match. :smile:

Annotating your score can be very important.
...’cause when your run starts at minus 2....and reaches 524....
...you have actually tied Willie’s famous run.
 

Nine ... corner

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Annotating your score can be very important.
...’cause when your run starts at minus 2....and reaches 524....
...you have actually tied Willie’s famous run.

Thanks for the tip Paul. So far Mr. Mosconi's record is fairly safe from my encroachment.
 

Meucciplayer

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Another question about Straight Pool: Say you call the 1-ball in the corner.

What happens in these two cases?

1) You miss the 1 completely but pocket another ball?

2) You hit the 1-ball, don't pocket it but pocket another ball instead?

Now, I know it's the opponent's turn. But how do you count? And do you spot anything?
 
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Bob Jewett

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Another question about Straight Pool: Say you call the 1-ball in the corner.

What happens in these two cases?

1) You miss the 1 completely but pocket another ball?

2) You hit the 1-ball, don't pocket it but pocket another ball instead?

Now, I know it's the opponent's turn. But how do you count? And do you spot anything?
In either case it is not a foul but your inning ends and the uncalled ball spots because you did not make your called shot.
 

pt109

WO double hemlock
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Another question about Straight Pool: Say you call the 1-ball in the corner.

What happens in these two cases?

1) You miss the 1 completely but pocket another ball?

2) You hit the 1-ball, don't pocket it but pocket another ball instead?

Now, I know it's the opponent's turn. But how do you count? And do you spot anything?

You spot any ball illegally made.
If you make the called ball, you keep any other ball made.
 

Meucciplayer

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Thank you. So we have always played it correctly. I just wasn't quite sure since someone recently did not want to spot those balls.
 

ChrisinNC

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We've been spotting a ball for any scratch ... that's incorrect? So the only time the rack score totals 14 is if there have been no fouls/scratches?
Fouls are always deducted from the total score for each player, so the current rack score will always add up to 14 when there is 1 ball left on the table, unless the last 2 balls are made on the final shot of the rack when there are 2 balls left on the table. The only object balls spotted are object balls made on a foul, object balls made without being called, object balls made when calling a safety, or object balls jumped off the table - which is also a foul.
 

RobMan

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Fouls are always deducted from the total score for each player, so the current rack score will always add up to 14 when there is 1 ball left on the table, unless the last 2 balls are made on the final shot of the rack when there are 2 balls left on the table. The only object balls spotted are object balls made on a foul, object balls made without being called, object balls made when calling a safety, or object balls jumped off the table - which is also a foul.

This right here. f your table has a score counter - use one scoring wheel for the running score; the other for the rack score. Subtract off the running score so that the rack score always add to 14. End of rack - add the rack score to the running score and reset the rack wheels to zero.

If using paper, use tick marks for each ball score. At end of each rack, right the running score in the grid and circle. If you subsequently foul, subtract from the running score.

Or use an app like Straight Pool Deluxe on your Ipad!
 

Dan White

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This right here. f your table has a score counter - use one scoring wheel for the running score; the other for the rack score. Subtract off the running score so that the rack score always add to 14. End of rack - add the rack score to the running score and reset the rack wheels to zero.

If using paper, use tick marks for each ball score. At end of each rack, right the running score in the grid and circle. If you subsequently foul, subtract from the running score.

Or use an app like Straight Pool Deluxe on your Ipad!

Just a comment about score keeping in general... I don't know how everybody else keeps score, but this is what I was taught and what I find easiest. Opponent runs a few balls and misses. He marks his score on the beads or score counter. I run about half a rack and miss. I have no idea how many I made because that's the last thing I should be thinking about during a run. After my miss, I count the balls on the table, say 5. Then I look at my opponent's rack score of 4. That makes 9. It takes 6 balls to total 15 so I know I have 6 balls. As a side note, if I already had 1 ball it wouldn't matter. I still have a total of 6.

Sorry if I'm pointing out the obvious but I didn't want anyone to confuse counting up to 14 for some reason instead of 15.
 

ChrisinNC

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Just a comment about score keeping in general... I don't know how everybody else keeps score, but this is what I was taught and what I find easiest. Opponent runs a few balls and misses. He marks his score on the beads or score counter. I run about half a rack and miss. I have no idea how many I made because that's the last thing I should be thinking about during a run. After my miss, I count the balls on the table, say 5. Then I look at my opponent's rack score of 4. That makes 9. It takes 6 balls to total 15 so I know I have 6 balls. As a side note, if I already had 1 ball it wouldn't matter. I still have a total of 6.

Sorry if I'm pointing out the obvious but I didn't want anyone to confuse counting up to 14 for some reason instead of 15.
We have dial scorers on the wall near the chairs for each table, with four dials (2 on top and 2 on bottom) so you can keep the rack score and the total score for each player. It kind of gets on my nerves when I'm playing a young player who doesn't understand the etiquette of keeping score in straight pool, who keeps his finger on the dial while I'm shooting, adjusting the dial after every ball I make. It takes a little time until they understand the concept of not having to do that, and that all you need to do at the end of any player's inning is to subtract from 15 the number of balls left on the table and the number of balls made in the rack to that point by both players, and whatever is remaining is what the player's run totals, and each rack score when one ball is left on the table always adds up to 14 - very simple once you get the hang of it,
 

tc in l a

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Hey Chris, thanks for your all of your input from a proprietor's view, sounds like you have a great room.

Can you post a picture or two of these counters you're using and where you bought them?

Tony C
 

RobMan

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Sorry if I'm pointing out the obvious but I didn't want anyone to confuse counting up to 14 for some reason instead of 15.

This is exactly the way I was taught many many years ago and the way I do it today. You are right, sometimes what we think is obvious is not.
 

ChrisinNC

AzB Silver Member
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Hey Chris, thanks for your all of your input from a proprietor's view, sounds like you have a great room.

Can you post a picture or two of these counters you're using and where you bought them?

Tony C
Thanks. I'll try to take a photo and get someone to help me figure out how to post it. A simple set of dial scorers have two scorers, so you need two (top and bottom) to make what you'll need for 14.1. I had my handyman who is also my table mechanic to make and stain the wood bases they are attached to. I know Ken at Classic Billiards in Maryland has them available.
 
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