2023 American 14.1 Championship

[mikemosconi]

Looks like they now expect even fewer players than they did a month ago. The website now says the format will be round robin with 5 groups of 6 players, from which the top 16 will then play a double-elimination stage to the end. And only 23 players are shown on the projected players list. Blasted Bull Battle!

The fact that competing events have now pulled down the men's field for this event to a much less stellar field than even a few years ago shows no respect at all for the value of 14.1 to the sport's future. At one time 14.1 ruled the tournament scene, we have an older group still hanging on- barely- we will just have to enjoy it for what it will be this week!

Will this be the end??? That would be sad, so now it seems it is not just the money, it is that most of the pool world really has no problem pushing 14.1 into extinction.

Wow, as a 12 year old watching straight pool on Wide World of Sports in the 60s - on a Saturday afternoon when neither golf, nor tennis, nor football was the primary sports viewing event that day, yet millions were watching pool on national TV- when every section of every city in America had a least one pool room- when I could walk to the room in my neighborhood- just thankful that I have all the memories!

Where have you gone Willie?

 

[DynoDan]

I think they should send invites to those women with capabilities in 14.1. Tkach, Fefilova, Ouschan, Kelly and Allison might be as well (as snooker players are generally good at rack management in straight pool), Corr. Dunno if there are Asian females who play decent 14.1 but I guess it is easy to check.
Get 8 players and let them play one another at round robin stage along with men event. Though this is only possible if there are enough tables at the venue.

I think the most glaring advantage men hold over women may be a more powerful stroke, which might well be more helpful at 9 ball. Women playing the men at 14.1 may at least produce more safety battles, and less emphasis on high runs (?), especially with tight pockets that restrict a more powerful break shot’s odds of success. The best female players are every bit as capable of precision pocketing & CB control at the table’s foot half. It would make sense to mix the entries, especially when the field is smaller.

 

[mikemosconi]

They can add just 2 more players to get to 25 and have the round robin with 5 X 5 or add 1 more player and do 4 X 6

 

[Bob Jewett]

I think they should send invites to those women with capabilities in 14.1. Tkach, Fefilova, Ouschan, Kelly and Allison might be as well (as snooker players are generally good at rack management in straight pool), Corr. Dunno if there are Asian females who play decent 14.1 but I guess it is easy to check.
Get 8 players and let them play one another at round robin stage along with men event. Though this is only possible if there are enough tables at the venue.

There are 14 or 15 tables in the tournament room at Q-Master in Virginia Beach. I think that's plenty.

Peter Burrows, who is the organizer of the event, has done everything one could reasonably expect to include the women, including paying a significant part of the expenses for some who couldn't play otherwise. I think he has tried hard enough. There are not enough women who are both interested in playing and able to play a reasonable level of 14.1 to justify a separate event.

 

[lfigueroa]

There are 14 or 15 tables in the tournament room at Q-Master in Virginia Beach. I think that's plenty.

Peter Burrows, who is the organizer of the event, has done everything one could reasonably expect to include the women, including paying a significant part of the expenses for some who couldn't play otherwise. I think he has tried hard enough. There are not enough women who are both interested in playing and able to play a reasonable level of 14.1 to justify a separate event.

This kinda breaks my heart.

Though I am now a dyed-in-the-wool 1pocket player, 14.1 will always be my first love. And it distresses me the entries have fallen to where they have. The comments about the women's side, excuse me if I'm not so woke, but are on the mark. I was there a few years ago, had a chance to commentate a few matches, and heard a senior women's player making noise to Peter about more streaming time for the women and I was taken aback, given the quality of play they had displayed.

It is a sad state of affairs when this is not one of the premier events on the pool calendar.

Lou Figueroa

 

[TheBasics]

Howdy All;

Shame to see 14.1 slowly fading into the background. I do think
that it will be continued as a game such as the 'small games' of
pocket Billiards. Shame as it is such a wonderful foundation game
that really applies to the rest, even the rotation games where finding
shape is necessary.

hank

 

[sjm]

Will this be the end??? That would be sad, so now it seems it is not just the money, it is that most of the pool world really has no problem pushing 14.1 into extinction.

Like you, I've been around straight pool since the 1960's, but I'm not delusional. The discipline is half dead, and to some extent, the day the focus switched from winning matches to high runs is the day it went onto life support as a competitive discipline in America.

That said, it has always been about the money. In this generation, the top straight poolers could never be had if there wasn't a big purse at the end of the rainbow. Peter Burrows has been a godsend for competitive straight pool, making the American 14.1 an elite event, but like many, he has relied on the practice of "piggybacking a major", meaning scheduling his event to nearly coincide with a major event, thereby helping players to keep their participation costs low.

Pro pool has grown in the past two years, and the practice of "piggybacking a major" has become standard fare.
Look how the Scottish Open "piggybacked" the UK Open 9-ball. Look how the RAXX event, the Michigan Open and the Connecticut Open all "piggybacked" the US Open 9-ball. Look how the Peri Open "piggybacked" the Hanoi Open, with both events in Hanoi in consecutive weeks.

Just like the American 14.1, the Battle of the Bull, a Matchroom Points event, is "piggybacking" the International. It has gotten very competitive out there, but it's not time to throw in the towel on 14.1, a beautiful game that may have to fight a little harder for attention.

 

[Cameron Smith]

Thinking outside the box, maybe the best timing for this would be directly after the international open? You are still taking advantage of players being already in the country, but you side step the issue that players may prefer to warm up for a 9 ball tournament with a 9 ball tournament.

 

[justnum]

14.1 is great for what it does.

Its a legacy sport and Pat Fleming and AZB are in control of it.

Sometimes its best to keep some events small. Large tournaments are not always a pleasant experience as an attending fan.

Straight pool has its eternal recognition in films, with great actors, great writing, great photography, great casting, great ....

As a never was in pool, the 14.1 scene was accessible to me. For others it will be different.

14.1 tourism is what happens when it is retired.

The WPA is not recognizing the BCA Hall of Fame Greats in 14.1.

 

[AtLarge]

Yikes, the projected player list right now shows just 18 names.

 

[sjm]

The WPA is not recognizing the BCA Hall of Fame Greats in 14.1.

What does that even mean?

The straight pool era ended in the mid-1980s and the WPA came into existence in 1987. On the four occasions that the prize fund qualified it for WPA sanctioning (2006, 2007, 2008, 2010), the WPA sanctioned the World 14.1 event as a world championship. The longest running straight pool event is surely the European Championships event, which is part of the WPA sanctioned Euro tour.

 

[sjm]

Yikes, the projected player list right now shows just 18 names.

Very disappointing, but it will still be a nice event.

 

[justnum]

What does that even mean?

The straight pool era ended in the mid-1980s and the WPA came into existence in 1987. On the four occasions that the prize fund qualified it for WPA sanctioning (2006, 2007, 2008, 2010), the WPA sanctioned the World 14.1 event as a world championship. The longest running straight pool event is surely the European Championships event, which is part of the WPA sanctioned Euro tour.

WPA has a sanctioned 14.1 event in Europe.
If an WPA official was asked facts about the history of the sport, then would they acknowledge or deny the US history.

Billiards history is not standardized. My question is to ask Euro players if billiard history was part of their system?

There are stories and then there is history. What do Euros do?

 

[mikemosconi]

The reality seems to me to be that the major sponsors of this game have little to no interest in 14.1. The Predator World 8 ball in Austria just had $250,000 in prize money- This 14.1 might get to $42,000-

I'm thankful for the American event, too bad major sponsors will not truly support 14.1 held here in the U.S.- relying on folks to send in pocket change after the stock market got destroyed in 2022 by The FED's late and furious inflation responses and now that price inflation has ravaged people's earlier personal spending patterns, just won't cut it anymore.

 

[mikemosconi]

Five more dropped out according to the site- down to 18? make it Truly exciting--WINNER TAKE ALL!!! JUST LIKE THE OLD CHALLENGE OF CHAMPIONS!!

 

[Positively Ralf]

Anyone have streaming information?

 

[Boseph]

Anyone have streaming information?

American 14.1 Straight Pool Championship

Wed. Oct. 25 - Sun. Oct. 29, 2023 Q- MASTER BILLIARDS 5612 Princess Anne Rd., Virginia Beach, VA 23462 FREE ADMISSION

americanstraightpool.com

 

[garczar]

You can't get a kid off his fone for the time involved for 9ball much less 14.1. Its now super-niche game for purists only. Its never been a thing where i live, we always regarded sp as a 'back east' game for guys with no gamble. Probably not a totally fair take but in the Midwest/South straight-pool was rarely if ever played. I love watching good players play it. Very cool game. Used to watch Dick Lane run 200 like it was nothing.

 

[mikemosconi]

You can't get a kid off his fone for the time involved for 9ball much less 14.1. Its now super-niche game for purists only. Its never been a thing where i live, we always regarded sp as a 'back east' game for guys with no gamble. Probably not a totally fair take but in the Midwest/South straight-pool was rarely if ever played. I love watching good players play it. Very cool game. Used to watch Dick Lane run 200 like it was nothing.

I never thought of 14.1 as much of a gambling game. It truly is a very pure form of pocket billiards. I can watch great 14.1 all day long . I can play it myself, for long stretches - it becomes very calming to your mind and soul once you have it in your blood. Great game for mind exercise and mental challenge - would be lost without it!

 

[mikemosconi]

OK