My friends don't seem to share my 14.1 love..

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DeaconBlooze

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I love this game, it's really the only game I focus on anymore. I'm still not good, but I had a couple years without daily access to a table, so I'm trying to get back in a groove, then improve from there.

Anyway, when friends come over (most of which don't share my passion for pool), I try to get them to play 14.1. While we get a game started, during a run they may throw a couple darts into the dartboard, or even sometimes fire on a pinball machine... The game just doesn't seem to hold their attention!

I think part of this may be how I explain the game. I explain "it's very simple", then run through all of the rules I can think of, probably overwhelming them. I think it's a great game to play as a team, but maybe I'm wrong.

Is the time an individual player at the table just too long to keep these types of people interested?
 
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bender_lu

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
people are too much into 9 and 10 ball. they are used to see the opponant at the table, running out, and then they get a new chance (alternate break mostly).

Straight Pool shows you how bad you actually play, one mistake and you might sit in your chair for a long time. +it needs more skills than purely ball pocketing... it needs patterns and pinpoint position... nothing for the 9 ball generation...

i like straight pool and im lucky to have 2 good friends (who are both 10 times better than me :D ) who enjoy it and play regularly.
 
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klone

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
My friends and I try to spread the Straight Pool gospel too... We are seeing more locals play it these days. We both still suck at it though, but it's so much fun.
 
TSW

TSW

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
DeaconBlooze said:
I love this game, it's really the only game I focus on anymore. I'm still not good, but I had a couple years without daily access to a table, so I'm trying to get back in a groove, then improve from there.

Anyway, when friends come over (most of which don't share my passion for pool), I try to get them to play 14.1. While we get a game started, during a run they may throw a couple darts into the dartboard, or even sometimes fire on a pinball machine... The game just doesn't seem to hold their attention!

I think part of this may be how I explain the game. I explain "it's very simple", then run through all of the rules I can think of, probably overwhelming them. I think it's a great game to play as a team, but maybe I'm wrong.

Is the time an individual player at the table just too long to keep these types of people interested?
Click to expand...

If your friends don't share your passion for pool, unfortunately 14.1 is the worst game to play with them. They're probably not going to make more than a couple of balls in a row, and then you have them sitting for a long time while you are running. Not only are you crushing them, but they never get to shoot. That's the worst of all worlds for a casual player.

Think about it from their perspective. How would you feel if you had a friend who was serious about a game you don't play, say, pinball? He invites you over to play pinball, alternating turns. You lose your turn pretty quickly, and then he goes on a 20-minute run and piles up a huge score. You'd get pretty bored too, wouldn't you?

You may have to suck it up and play a different game with them. Maybe try 14.1, but you have to run out in rotation and they can play with the regular rules. That will make sure they shoot and will challenge you to find novel break shots.
 
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Demondrew

Demondrew

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
With my non 14.1 friends I play alternate shots. It gives them a a chance to shoot and get some of the stragety of the game. We play to 25 or 50 then switch games. After a while they want to shoot more than one ball at a time. . .

Andy
 
Pushout

Pushout

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
You may want to try a variation with friends who don't share your enthusiasm. I don't have time to post any right now but if you don't have knowledge of any I'll try to later.
 
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Dave Nelson

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Well, our 14.1 round robin which we have kept going at Boomers in Sturtevant, Wi. for 7 years is kaput as of today. Break and Run bought them out and is closing them down and selling off the tables and such. We will try to get a new round robin going at Break and Run. Wish us luck.

Dave Nelson
 
desertshark

desertshark

Racks on racks on racks
Silver Member
Yeah I share the same issue. I have a friend I play 8&9 ball with on Sundays. He's just getting back into playing again. He's asked about the guys at the pool hall playing 1 pocket and 14.1. I asked if he was interested in playing but he seems apprehensive to do so. I still haven't played 1 pocket and I've found playing 14.1 is a game I play alone. Once I miss on a run out, I'll re-rack and go again.
 
krupa

krupa

The Dream Operator
Silver Member
You could try something like Equal Offense. That might get them more interested.

But if they drift off, I'm guessing they don't really "get" 14.1. In other words, 9-ball is (for the most part) "connect the dots"; you go from the one to the two to the three, etc. In 14.1 there are a lot of ways to run a rack and watching someone else may give you some insight into options or patterns you may not have thought about. I have no problem watching while a buddy of mine (who is much better than me) run balls.
 
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DeaconBlooze

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Thanks for all of the advice. I flat out love 14.1, but I can understand why others may not.

I forgot about '99', similar to Fargo. I used to play that in college and even the beginners liked it since they would get quite a bit of table time.
 
JuicyGirl

JuicyGirl

Scroll Lock- Juicy Style
Silver Member
I enjoy playing EO as it gives me the opportunity to work out my break on a full rack. It's also a good way to gather and analyze data on the players performance and improvements. I've played 14.1 and I enjoy it. But it can be frustrating as a novice player. :confused:
 
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bender_lu

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
it also can be frustrating if you play on bad conditions :angry: couldnt get past 16 last night, had to split the first rack 4 times and take a lot of difficult shots to get through. split on 2nd rack, get 1 ball out but off angle for a secondary break. i guess first thing i do on friday is clean the table myself (full of chalk), including the rails and polish the balls...

im looking forward for the 14.1 tournament here, it is played on pretty fast tables with HUGE buckets... i might raise my highrun during a tournament :grin:
 
arsenius

arsenius

Nothing ever registers...
Silver Member
desertshark said:
Yeah I share the same issue. I have a friend I play 8&9 ball with on Sundays. He's just getting back into playing again. He's asked about the guys at the pool hall playing 1 pocket and 14.1. I asked if he was interested in playing but he seems apprehensive to do so. I still haven't played 1 pocket and I've found playing 14.1 is a game I play alone. Once I miss on a run out, I'll re-rack and go again.
Click to expand...

It always amazes me how hard it is to get people to play 14.1. It's a game! Who says no to playing a game?! I probably wouldn't gamble at a game that was totally new to me, but I'm not afraid to try something new for fun.
 
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Piratejethro

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I think for the most part the fading popularity of 14.1 is due in large part to the time it takes to play one game as opposed to playing 20 games of 9-ball or 10-ball or even 8-ball. It is sad, because I truly love 14.1, it is by FAR my favorite game in billiards, but there are only maybe 4 or 5 people around who would rather play it than anything else, and I live near a city of around 250,000. I will always favor 14.1 and if I have the available time, I will always push to play it, but it is nearly equivalent to Sysiphus having to constantly push that boulder uphill for eternity. Love the game, hate that it is a constant battle to get anyone else to play. Be Well 14.1ers

Jim Notestine
 
sfleinen

sfleinen

14.1 & One Pocket Addict
Gold Member
Silver Member
arsenius said:
It always amazes me how hard it is to get people to play 14.1. It's a game! Who says no to playing a game?! I probably wouldn't gamble at a game that was totally new to me, but I'm not afraid to try something new for fun.
Click to expand...

I think the problem is one, or a combination of a couple of, the following things:

  1. Having to "think" -- i.e. the patterns aren't dictated to you by the numbers on the balls. Many are turned off by this -- they just want to shoot, and have the pattern of the balls dictated for them.

  2. There's no "mental reset" in amongst 14.1. That is, with short-rack rotation games (and for 8-ball), there is a "mental reset" after the game ball is pocketed, and the balls are re-racked for the next break. When you break the balls, you are "starting fresh" into the next game.

  3. The break shot in short-rack rotation games (and for 8-ball, for that matter) is a "wildcard." That is, it's a variable shot, and any ball pocketed on the break allows you to stay at the table. It's not like 14.1, where the run-continuing break shot is just another shot, and it's a called pocket shot.

  4. Tied into points #2 and #3 above, is the notion or belief amongst the short-rack rotation and 8-ball players that they just don't have the "long-term thinking" that it takes to play 14.1 at a good level. Us established 14.1 players know this is just a practice issue -- that once you start practicing the game, as long as you're not actively having to consciously think about aiming on every shot, that it's just like any other game. Which brings us to our next point...

  5. Also tied into points #2 and #3 above, is the notion that one should be "thinking" about his or her aim on every shot. That is, he/she doesn't have his/her method of aiming committed to their subconscious, and have to actively "think" about aiming on every shot. Thus, they believe that having to do this for, say, 50 consecutive shots will give them a headache, or wear them out.

  6. This misplaced and completely untrue school of thought amongst the short-rack rotation players that somehow, having to "always shoot at the lowest-numbered ball on the table" is somehow more difficult than 14.1, where "you can shoot at any ball -- how hard can that be?" (And actually, us established 14.1 players know this mode of thinking is merely "consoling" thinking -- that is, if they tell themselves that enough times, they'll actually start to believe it.)

  7. That 14.1 is an outmoded game that has no business in today's competitive environment. Or that it somehow has no practical effect on one's ability to get better at the other games. This is obviously a falsehood, but try and tell that to the die-hard short-rack rotation players.

  8. That 14.1 is a DEAD game. I.e. the notion of "why practice a game that noone else plays, and there's no money or prestige in it?"

Other thoughts?

-Sean
 
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