Help learning 14.1

smokey777

Lock on
Silver Member
Hello everyone I've been playing 8 ball for about 3 years and I have about a year playing 9 ball. I just recently saw a game of straight pool or 14.1 and Im not necessarily sure how to play. Is there anywhere were I could really learn the rules of the game and tips for playing. Before anyone reccommends youtube, the only thing I can find is a guy from expertvillage and thats not really working for me.
Thank you
 

krupa

The Dream Operator
Silver Member
"Play your best straight pool" by Phil Capelle is pretty good; I'm working my way through it now.

Also, Accu-stats player review DVDs are really useful. I particularly like Dick Lane's and Jim Rempe's.
 

gerard soriano

HIGH RUN STILL TO COME !
Silver Member
Oliver Ortmann or Jonh Shmit go to accu stats .com I recommend getting a player review you will learn alot / I did
 

Ben Heintz

New member
14.1

14.1 has a deceiving premise that every ball is worth a point. It seems really easy to run every ball in a 15 ball rack when there are no balls you can't pot to get another turn. This is not as true as it seems.

in 14.1/straight pool, the opening break is a soft break that barely moves the balls and tries to snooker (safety/leave with no shot) the opponent. From there on, it is a safety battle until one of the players can get a shot where they can break out the rest of the previously barely unbroken rack.

Safety play in 14.1 is a lot harder than most other games, especially the more broke up the rack is.

If you are a beginner, 14.1 is not for you unless you're playing alone or against another beginner. 8 Ball is the best beginner game since it has a built in handicap.

14.1 is probably my favorite game but unfortunately no one really plays it much anymore. You are hard pressed to find someone that you don't know to play 14.1 with you.

Good luck
 

kaznj

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Capelle's book is an excellent starting point. Blackjack has posted some excellent stuff here on azbiliards.
There are some excellent matches on youtube.
 

guelphdad

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Some targets to shoot for...

Willie Mosconi holds the high run of 526 balls without a miss.

More recently, John Schmidt has a 403, 400 and 366 IIRC.

I'm just getting in to the game myself. I play in an 8-ball league, fortunately there are four or five guys that play 14-1, though all better than I.

Good luck.
 

Pushout

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Phil Capelle's Play Your Best Straight Pool and the book/DVD combination Break Shot Patterns are great assets. Also, as already mentioned, The Straight Pool Bible by Arthur "Babe" Cranfield is good. Position Play for Hi-Runs by Johnny Holiday deserves mention also, though out of print and somewhat hard to find. Jim Rempe's How to Run a Rack in Straight Pool and How to Run a Hundred Balls are must haves for anyone learning Straight Pool. I believe all these can be purchased through Accu-Stats.
 

14-1StraightMan

High Run 127
Silver Member
Good Tip

"Play your best straight pool" by Phil Capelle is pretty good; I'm working my way through it now.

Also, Accu-stats player review DVDs are really useful. I particularly like Dick Lane's and Jim Rempe's.


Smokey777:
Great tip from Krupa. That Rempe/Lane video is my favorite Accu-stat of all. Plus playing & being friends with Dick for many years AND... learning from him. That is a great way start off learning about 14.1
Also Blackjack's videos were mention. I would say that is another proper way to learn. All these plus practicing as much as you can. Also, set up a fellow player that enjoys 14.1 and play matches, going over points with each other that you pick up from the books that you read & videos. Good Luck.
 

sfleinen

14.1 & One Pocket Addict
Gold Member
Silver Member
Type in 2011 world 14.1. Also http://www.youtube.com/channel/HC1wYHRGE4N9Q?feature=relchannel

This will get you some good stuff. Rules--http://www.wpa-pool.com/web/index.asp?id=119&pagetype=rules

View at your own risk & beware of getting addicted.

Just to fix sparkle84's second link which got mangled:

http://www.wpa-pool.com/web/index.asp?id=119&pagetype=rules

(FYI to sparkle -- when including URLs/links, make sure nothing "connects" or "attaches" to either the beginning "http" part, or to the ending part of the URL. You had double-dashes ["--"] immediately butted-up to the "http" part, so vBulletin couldn't recognize this was a URL.)

-Sean
 

sparkle84

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Just to fix sparkle84's second link which got mangled:

http://www.wpa-pool.com/web/index.asp?id=119&pagetype=rules

(FYI to sparkle -- when including URLs/links, make sure nothing "connects" or "attaches" to either the beginning "http" part, or to the ending part of the URL. You had double-dashes ["--"] immediately butted-up to the "http" part, so vBulletin couldn't recognize this was a URL.)

-Sean

Thx, was wondering what was wrong.
 

topcat1953

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
14.1

14.1 or Straight Pool is the King of the Pocket Billiard games. For many years it was the game to determine the World Champion. Due to Pocket Billiards politics of trying to promote itself into a spectacular media Sport, the game of 9-Ball became the popular choice for TV exposure, because it is quick and easy to understand by the non-poolplayer. Be assured though, that virtually every great player over the last 40-50 years had or has a very strong background in Straight Pool. This is, in my opinion, the primary reason the Europeans now dominate the Americans, because of how much Straight Pool they do play on a regular basis.

So, if you are looking to add a step to your game, taking up 14.1 is an excellent choice. Although, I would like to warn you, it is very intriguing and it may captivate your soul. If you can ever get to the point of being able to run 30 balls, you will be hooked for life.
 

measureman

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Move to Denver and I will help you.
It's not a big game here but there are a few of us that play it. I have gotten a few people to play it because they know I do and I can help them a bit. But what i have learned when introducing the game to a player is not to run a couple racks on them. They tend to lose interest because they are used to shooting more often playing 8 or 9 ball.
Had to do that with Skierlawyer just to keep him interested. :rolleyes:
 

smokey777

Lock on
Silver Member
Thank you guys for all the help so far. I had wanted learn how to play to get better at 8 and 9 ball and to add more games to my knowledge when those too get boring. Then my friend and I saw THE HUSTLER and need I say anymore. I have also recently learned to play golf on the snooker table, I didnt even know games like that existed. I really feel like me and my friends are getting into pool at a dieing time.
 

Good Sam

Registered
Move to Denver and I will help you.
It's not a big game here but there are a few of us that play it. I have gotten a few people to play it because they know I do and I can help them a bit. But what i have learned when introducing the game to a player is not to run a couple racks on them. They tend to lose interest because they are used to shooting more often playing 8 or 9 ball.
Had to do that with Skierlawyer just to keep him interested. :rolleyes:

Measureman, when and where do you play? I might be interested.

Steve
 

3andstop

Focus
Silver Member
Beware that there is a downside to learning and becoming a straight pool player. That is ... every other game will seem dull and totally boring to you. :)


(except perhaps for 1pkt, which is a nice cousin that will help your straight pool in terms of cue ball control)
 
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