100 ball run in Straight Pool on a Bar Table

sjm

Older and Wiser
Silver Member
Must assume we're not talking about the big cue ball here, as running balls is super-tough when the cue ball is bigger than the other balls.

Just once, perhaps about 12 years ago, a straight pool event was held on the bar tables during the Super Billiards Expo. I watched quite a it of it, and I'd have to say that the pros were running roughly the same number of balls on the bar tables as they customarily did on the nine footers. Pocketing was, of course, easier, but the congestion was a bit of an annoyance that was, at times, tricky to negotiate.

The eight footer is different, offering enough room that congestion is a much lesser issue than on a seven footer. When I've been watching, pros run far more balls on the eight footer than on the seven or nine footer.

All that said, there just isn't much to draw on here as pros so rarely play 14.1 on a seven footer.
 

Texas Carom Club

9ball did to billiards what hiphop did to america
Silver Member
Playing it on all table sizes and conditions
, I find for me it's about the same difficulty on them all

Small table allows for more fun hero shots

Last night I was hooked after a break, had to kick to a ball to Carom an object ball off another into the side wasn't a gimme either
Lots of fun to be had
 

mikemosconi

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I would think that you have to get the breaks down to the proper speed on the 7 footer that separates the balls without having them come back together too often. Depends on the particular 7 footer and how it plays. Most bar room 7 footers would never play well enough to allow 100 ball runs - just too slow and beat up to get enough separations over 7+ straight racks. the 7 footer in this video is more ideal for the 100 ball task- just look at the separation.
 

wrldpro

H.RUN 311/Diamond W.R.
Gold Member
Silver Member
Bar table is the hardest for 14.1

No doubt a 7ft table would be the hardest size to run balls on for sure. Ive never heard of any one running 200 on a 7ft. In the long run I think top players can run more racks of 9 ball than racks of straight pool on a 7ft. table.
The next hardest would be a 8ft. table. There is so much congestion in this small area. Only ever heard of 1 run over 300 on a 8ft. table which is Mosconis 526 and dont think he ran over 200 often as he would quit almost everytime he ran 100 and go to the next exhibition in another town.
The 9ft. table is most used and for sure the easiest size to run balls on.Where clusters are broke apart the balls almost never get into tough positions after that because the table has so much more room and almost never have to use a bridge.
The 10ft. table is the hardest as its not only bigger but harder to break apart clusters and a bridge is used more often.
Ive never run 100 on a bar table and tryed a few times where on a 9ft. table ive run over 100 balls about 700 times.
 

mikemosconi

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I would agree that for a pro player the 9 foot table is the most ideal for 14.1. It affords the most ideal ball separation with ball pocketing distance well within a pro's capabilities. Those that claim an 8 footer is easier for 14.1 Hi runs need to consider the greater opportunity for congestion on an 8 foot table and the fact that almost all hi runs with good pattern play very rarely have long cut shots into the two corner pockets furthest from the rack. This negates the extra foot on the table length for the most part. The 10 footer, no doubt, certainly presents a greater ball pocketing challenge to all.
 

evergruven

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I would agree that for a pro player the 9 foot table is the most ideal for 14.1. It affords the most ideal ball separation with ball pocketing distance well within a pro's capabilities. Those that claim an 8 footer is easier for 14.1 Hi runs need to consider the greater opportunity for congestion on an 8 foot table and the fact that almost all hi runs with good pattern play very rarely have long cut shots into the two corner pockets furthest from the rack. This negates the extra foot on the table length for the most part. The 10 footer, no doubt, certainly presents a greater ball pocketing challenge to all.

so a decent player can take advantage of the extra width on the big table
without (typically) having to deal with the disadvantage of extra length- I got that right?

don't mean to continue a big to-do re: schmidt's 626
but given this new (to me) perspective on table size
I wonder how willie's 526 would compare to js's 626
tho willie's smaller table had bigger pockets, or no?
 

mikemosconi

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I guess we can all ask that question- why did John pick a 9 foot and not an 8 foot table? I believe he did go with the bigger pockets like on Moscon's 8 foot table. I think that John knew he had a better chance at the record on a 9 foot table with big pockets/ waxed balls/ fast cloth, etc. etc.
 

mikemosconi

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
So, someone thinks that js is a decent player.

Well, all we are talking about here is what size table is optional for 14.1 Hi Runs. Just using John's choice of a 9 foot as support for my own feelings that, indeed a 9 foot is the ideal 14.1 Hi Run table for a pro. John is a great pool player- no disputes here.

Of the 7 thru 10 foot size tables - I think most pros would choose the 9 foot to attempt any record HI Run. Just my opinion.
 

djoverboard

Registered
so Asked about practicing 14:1 on a 7 ft table on a FB forum because i bought a 7 ft during the quarantine. regardless of the standing of 626 John Schmidt responded with sevreal things. ..
.
1) " U can play 14.1 on a bar box its kinda easy actually"

2) " funny thing is when you play 14.1 on a bar box you actually have to play more correct than even on a 9 ft or if you run into balls unnecessarily you're going to get tortured.

3)" that being said its still easier. in 10 innings on a diamond bar box i had three runs of 180 plus. If you play 14.1 correctly its easier on a bar box if you play incorrectly then maybe as hard as a 9 ft"

Now he my not be the end all authority but he is a world class player and serious student of 14.1

I have found i play a little stronger on my 7tf so far but then i'm playing more regularly.

I am consistent in running a rack or so and struggle with my end of rack patterns /position which i am focusing on and have yet to put 3 racks together
 

Bob Jewett

AZB Osmium Member
Staff member
Gold Member
Silver Member
s... John Schmidt responded with sevreal things. ...
3)" that being said its still easier. in 10 innings on a diamond bar box i had three runs of 180 plus. If you play 14.1 correctly its easier on a bar box if you play incorrectly then maybe as hard as a 9 ft" ...
I saw two of those 180-ball runs in person at BCA trade shows. One of them was on cloth that was camo or an eagle printed pattern or something like that. Both of the ones I saw were within the third try.
 
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ChrisinNC

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Your 14.1 runs will generally come to an end on a 9-footer due to missed positioning leading to a missed harder than necessary shot, failing to set up a high percentage break shot, or leaving yourself an extremely tough shot following the break shot.

By contrast, your runs are more likely to end on a 7-footer due to slightly missed more exacting positioning requirements on the considerably smaller table surface, leaving you no shot or an extremely tough shot.
 

alstl

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member

Please expound/elucidate: Playing 14.1 correctly on a bar table versus any other regulation table; Playing 14.1 incorrectly on a bar table; Very Interesting?[/QUOTE]

I've never played 14.1 on a barbox but my guess would be break open some balls and run them before you re-break the stack. On a 9 ft table that is a good rule of thumb to keep from tying up loose balls and on a barbox with more crowded conditions the odds of tying up loose balls would increase.

Another rule of thumb is not to disturb the balls if they all have a pocket unless you need to develop a break shot. More crowded conditions on a barbox make it more critical to do that.

That's my guess as to what he was referring to.
 

sparkle84

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Let's get serious. I know what ends of runs are and how they happen.

I would like to know why even the best players out there have never figured out how come Greenleaf, Mosconi, Lassiter, Crane, and others from the twenties through the sixties, dominated the game of 14.1 Straight Pool Continuous that they all played so well. None of them ever documented how they played the game or from whom they learned the game. They all, also played carom billiards.

It seems you're implying that you have figured out the reason. If so, could you enlighten the rest of us dummies. Thanx.
 

alstl

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Let's get serious. I know what ends of runs are and how they happen.

I would like to know why even the best players out there have never figured out how come Greenleaf, Mosconi, Lassiter, Crane, and others from the twenties through the sixties, dominated the game of 14.1 Straight Pool Continuous that they all played so well. None of them ever documented how they played the game or from whom they learned the game. They all, also played carom billiards.

Those guy started playing 14.1 when they were kids and focused on it. Pool was to them what video games are to today's kids. I'll add Efren to that list. He lived in a pool hall.
 

sjm

Older and Wiser
Silver Member
The game has moved on along. No one struts around espousing, look at me, I beat ol'e so-and-so at 14.1 Straight Pool Continuous anymore. It's now a question of how high do you run? People only want to practice 14.1, so they can pony up a favorite break-shot and see how high can they run. Competition, also produces players, not practice. Practice makes rote players of the game. Rack'em/Lay'em on the table, shoot'em in the hole, save one, rack'em, rote.

Agreed. The hard-to-fathom emphasis on the high run has been a significant step backward for straight pool, a game in which winning was the only thing that mattered for a hundred years.

Great respect is due to those that have set and achieved their high run goals, but greatness has, is, and always will be measured in titles. Comparing practice runs to runs made in competition is the same as comparing what happens on the pistol range to what happens in real combat. Though one can shine on the pistol range, medals and other accolades are won solely on the field of battle.

As they say in the military, it's an entirely different matter when someone is firing back.
 

Tall-Bob

Registered
Easier on a bar table. Like other games, congestion on a 7-footer is the difficulty. Another is likelyhood of scratching on break shots. On the easier side of the ledger is easier/shorter shots, upper pockets used way more often, more break ball locations, combos/caroms easier.

On his recent trip to Denver, John Schmidt ran 226 on a Diamond 7ft on the first try.
 

Tin Man

AzB Gold Member
Gold Member
Silver Member
I just saw this thread. I cannot believe this is a real debate. Bar table is WAY easier.

I have run over 100 balls on a 9 foot a number of times, but never cleared 150.

I can run 100 balls on a bar table almost at will.

In fact, when Jesse Engel and I were at a bar table tournament we decided to warm up with scotch doubles straight pool. We put our cues together and ran 216 on our first inning. I made a secondary breakshot and scratched. No missed balls. We put our cues away and decided we were warmed up.

To be fair, Jesse and I have really good cue ball control. For me most runs end due to a miss, I don't lose my cue ball. Maybe if someone is a total gun slinger and doesn't play shape it might be different, but anyone capable of running 100+ should prefer bar table!
 
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