Derby City Straight Pool Challenge 2019

arcstats

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
The Straight Pool Challenge at Derby City this year will have $20,000 added due to the tireless fund raising of Dennis Walsh. 100% of the entry fees go into the prize fund which is expected to total about $27,000.

We have been promised four tables throughout the qualification runs which are Sunday through Wednesday. I hope the TDs of the nine ball can figure out how to make the eight 14.1 finalists available for the playoffs this year.

I certainly appreciate all the effort that goes into producing this 14.1 competition. But you have to question is the effort really worth it, all the while knowing it might not be completed, as was the case last year? The same problems are still in play.

Has any thought been given to have this competition played at Pat Fleming's International 9-Ball event in October instead of DCC? Everyone showed up for that event. I'm sure it could easily be worked into the schedule.

On a separate note, is the qualifying room being streamed anywhere?

Good luck with this event. Us 14.1 players are rooting for a complete tournament this year.
 

Bob Jewett

AZB Osmium Member
Staff member
Gold Member
Silver Member
I certainly appreciate all the effort that goes into producing this 14.1 competition. But you have to question is the effort really worth it, all the while knowing it might not be completed, as was the case last year? The same problems are still in play.

Has any thought been given to have this competition played at Pat Fleming's International 9-Ball event in October instead of DCC? Everyone showed up for that event. I'm sure it could easily be worked into the schedule.

On a separate note, is the qualifying room being streamed anywhere?

Good luck with this event. Us 14.1 players are rooting for a complete tournament this year.
I think there will be two different streams from the two rooms from TV Mike and Inside Pool.

Most of the actual shooting is during the qualifications. In my view, it is nice to have the playoffs, but they are not the majority of the event.

Moving to be in parallel with a different event has been discussed.
 

Tin Man

AzB Gold Member
Gold Member
Silver Member
I love straight pool and appreciate this opportunity. I am a massive underdog to post a qualifying run but plan on trying anyway. It will be fun at the least and I can support the event.

On a larger level straight pool faces many challenges. For fans it may be a test to hold their attention as so much of the game is routine for top players. For players it is difficult because the worse players are at massive disadvantages so it discourages the dead money from the field. Would you rather play a pro a race to seven 9 ball or a straight pool game to 150? Without the contributions from below the game quickly thins out and dies off.

Now I know in the past 14.1 had a following, and I think if there were a draw and sponsorship capable of adding big money to small fields of world champions then that could work. But it's hard to see straight pool ever being able to compete for attention in today's world. People have failed for decades trying to do that with 9 ball with Matchroom being the closest using races to 5 and everything short of special effects.

Anyway, even if it's relegated to side and one off events, I still like the game and am glad to see it played now and again.
 

pt109

WO double hemlock
Silver Member
I predict that with four tables.....the event's high run will be a new record.

When I was there....I enjoyed watching the qualifying.
 

jay helfert

Shoot Pool, not people
Gold Member
Silver Member
Just as a side note. Straight Pool is probably the best game you can use for practice by yourself. If you can learn to run a few racks (40-50 balls) you will be a good player, and capable of playing any other pool game. This from a guy who NEVER ran 100 balls in my life (high run 72). :rolleyes:
 

Positively Ralf

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Im not so sure this standard thinking is correct-when Efren learned the game 2.5 weeks before his first tournament, he said "any ball any pocket?" He couldnt believe it-Then two weeks later knocked off the Maine Event, as far as i know, the biggest SP tourny to be held in several years. Marlon Manalo did similar winning his first or second event without knowing a thing about the game.

The problem with that reasoning is you are under the assumption that Reyes is a below average player. Like my father said , who I recently showed footage of the 2018 American 14.1 event, the top level players can get by on shot making ability because they play the other games at top levels.

and iirc, guys like sigel have said that the game is a toss up on who wins because in all the matches he played vs mizerak, the majority of the times one ran out vs the other.
 

HawaiianEye

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Im not so sure this standard thinking is correct-when Efren learned the game 2.5 weeks before his first tournament, he said "any ball any pocket?" He couldnt believe it-Then two weeks later knocked off the Maine Event, as far as i know, the biggest SP tourny to be held in several years. Marlon Manalo did similar winning his first or second event without knowing a thing about the game.

I'm no Efren, and the tournaments weren't professional, but I won the first three or four 14.1 tournaments I ever entered and had never "actually" played the game.

Before the first tournament, I practiced by myself, off and on, for a day or so, and was able to run 69.

I won several more tournaments after that, beating so-called "14.1" players who considered rotation games inferior.

I never really got into it, even though I liked it, because hardly anybody played it and there was more money to be won gambling at other pool games.
 

deanoc

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
As a kid Iplayed pool to win money
Therefore i played 9 ball and bar pool

Later i switched to one pocket

The only game I enjoy watching besides one pocket is straight pool

I have found it to be fascinating

On the other hand 9 ball is no fun to watch unless i am betting

I may be wrong but 9 ball doesn't seem to be much of a spectator game
 

Mich

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Zero chance of that, as not that many play straight pool. This is the era of rotation games.

Credit to Greg Sullivan for supporting having a Straight Pool Event during the Derby and anyone is allowed to try to qualify for the knockout stage of that event. Once upon a time, the Derby was just banks, nine ball and one pocket. Now we've also got 10-ball, straight pool, and three midnight mini tournaments. The Derby is now eight tournaments in one, and that doesn't even include the abundance of action matches.

This is THE event on the American pool calendar. Appreciate it for what it is.
If it's the era of Rotation Games, why aren't they playing 15 Ball Rotation?
:)
 

Mich

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I think there will be two different streams from the two rooms from TV Mike and Inside Pool.

Most of the actual shooting is during the qualifications. In my view, it is nice to have the playoffs, but they are not the majority of the event.

Moving to be in parallel with a different event has been discussed.
Is there link to PPV for the 2 Streams so we can watch the qualifying? I didn't even know Inside Pool was on site and streaming!
 

sjm

Older and Wiser
Silver Member
If it's the era of Rotation Games, why aren't they playing 15 Ball Rotation?
:)

I'm not a big fan of 15-ball rotation, although the American game "Chicago" is a variant. Joe Tucker tried it in his American Rotation events but it didn't catch on as well as he had hoped.

Still, it is in the eye of the beholder. For me, I'd rather watch nine ball or ten ball, but to each his own.
 

jrctherake

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Im not so sure this standard thinking is correct-when Efren learned the game 2.5 weeks before his first tournament, he said "any ball any pocket?" He couldnt believe it-Then two weeks later knocked off the Maine Event, as far as i know, the biggest SP tourny to be held in several years. Marlon Manalo did similar winning his first or second event without knowing a thing about the game.

Funny you mention Efren. I've heard him say that SP, AR (called 61 or some chit in the Philippines) and 1hole are the best games for the ADVANCED players to play.

He said, along with DO that 9 ball and 10 ball are WAY to easy.

I happen to agree with him and DO. Not because of who they are but because they are correct.

Believe what you want but there is a reason why the 14.1 record is still standing decades later.

Rake
 

Nostroke

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Funny you mention Efren. I've heard him say that SP, AR (called 61 or some chit in the Philippines) and 1hole are the best games for the ADVANCED players to play.

He said, along with DO that 9 ball and 10 ball are WAY to easy.

I happen to agree with him and DO. Not because of who they are but because they are correct.

Believe what you want but there is a reason why the 14.1 record is still standing decades later.

Rake
The reason the record stands (not to mention many think it has already been broken) is that no one plays the game-there are ZERO straight pool exhibitions where someone would have a chance to break it and even in the 2-3 tournament events a year, players are not permitted to continue their runs past a certain number with the exception of perhaps the last match of the day.

PS-I am a SP fan -It is what i was brought up on, coming from the NYC metro area.
 

sjm

Older and Wiser
Silver Member
The reason the record stands (not to mention many think it has already been broken) is that no one plays the game-there are ZERO straight pool exhibitions where someone would have a chance to break it and even in the 2-3 tournament events a year, players are not permitted to continue their runs past a certain number with the exception of perhaps the last match of the day.

PS-I am a SP fan -It is what i was brought up on, coming from the NYC metro area.

I agree with this. There are way more guys capable of a very long run today than back in Mosconi's day. If straight pool were the primary competitive discipline today and Mosconi-type exhibition tours were common, the record would fall for sure,and it might well reach 1,000.

That said, though, the record was not, per Charlie Ursitti, very important to Mosconi, and Willie didn't "see how many I can run" very often. If Willie was as obsessed with a high run as Babe Cranfield, there's little doubt in my mind he'd have run well over 1,000 even though they played on slow cloth with poor quality composition balls back then.

There is every reason to feel that today's best, if they switched their focus to straight pool, would play the game on a level comparable to Greenleaf, Mosconi, and Sigel, but this is the nine ball era.
 

garczar

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I agree with this. There are way more guys capable of a very long run today than back in Mosconi's day. If straight pool were the primary competitive discipline today and Mosconi-type exhibition tours were common, the record would fall for sure,and it might well reach 1,000.

That said, though, the record was not, per Charlie Ursitti, very important to Mosconi, and Willie didn't "see how many I can run" very often. If Willie was as obsessed with a high run as Babe Cranfield, there's little doubt in my mind he'd have run well over 1,000 even though they played on slow cloth with poor quality composition balls back then.

There is every reason to feel that today's best, if they switched their focus to straight pool, would play the game on a level comparable to Greenleaf, Mosconi, and Sigel, but this is the nine ball era.
I agree 100%. Today's top players would run a zillion balls if 14.1 was all they played. Problem with SP is that unless you're a diehard pool nut its not really "watchable". Same goes for 1p, great to play but not a game your average sports fan is gonna watch.
 

lfigueroa

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I agree with this. There are way more guys capable of a very long run today than back in Mosconi's day. If straight pool were the primary competitive discipline today and Mosconi-type exhibition tours were common, the record would fall for sure,and it might well reach 1,000.

That said, though, the record was not, per Charlie Ursitti, very important to Mosconi, and Willie didn't "see how many I can run" very often. If Willie was as obsessed with a high run as Babe Cranfield, there's little doubt in my mind he'd have run well over 1,000 even though they played on slow cloth with poor quality composition balls back then.

There is every reason to feel that today's best, if they switched their focus to straight pool, would play the game on a level comparable to Greenleaf, Mosconi, and Sigel, but this is the nine ball era.


Well, gee whiz, as long as we're all day dreaming: if Mosconi were alive today and he knew people were making such a big deal about high runs he'd set up a table and after a few tries he'd have a video tape of a run of over 1,000 just shut everyone up, lol.

Lou Figueroa
 
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