Could straight pool thrive with a gimmick format?

[Matt_H]

I create this thread knowing full well that die hard straight pool players will think I'm trying to dilute their beautiful game. I live in the UK and am a UK 9 & 10 ball player currently on a self-imposed hiatus, mainly because I can't afford to replace my warped cues (this should change in the fall).

In the UK straight pool is basically a "drill", a way to kill an hour of a practice session or a way to get in stroke. With no tournaments to speak of the only measure of progress is one's highest run. It looks to have a stronger following in mainland Europe.

14.1 is my favourite disclipline, despite only playing a handfull of sets in my 46 years, and I believe it is too good just to serve as a practice tool. I wonder if an Ultimate Pool-style revamp could boost its popularity. Snooker continues to boom worldwide yet quicker tv-friendly formats such as The Shootout and The 900 have proved popular and hold their own (The Shootout now carries tour ranking points).

While straight pool is often considered to be the purest form of pool it is hardly the most spectator friendly. It must be played on 9 footers, and with bigger pockets used than those in the Appleton v Deuel Predator exhibition. A double-elimination style format could be played under the following conditions:
Best-of-three 30 minute sets.
Set winner determined by reaching target score OR whoever has the lead as time expires (whatever comes first).
20 second shot clock for first 20 minutes of each set, 10 second shot clock thereafter.
Three extensions per player per set.

Will something like this please the pursists? Probably not. But flag football is now an Olympic sport, 3x3 basketball has a world tour while cricket introduced T20 AND The Hundred. They are all shortened or simplified versions of very popular sports. My idea might not elevate straight pool to these levels, but it might get a few more people playing.

 

[dquarasr]

It must be played on 9 footers

Interesting idea.

In general I don’t like the idea of time limits but with a progressively shorter shot clock it might work avoiding slow walking if a player is far ahead. But one of the cool things about 14.1 is like baseball: you can be down 124-0 and still win with a 125-ball run. Well, maybe you can but I sure can’t lol.

Our local TAP league is experimenting with straight pool on 7’ tables but with 10 balls to help reduce clusters. Still 14 points per rack. I think it’s one point per ball, 2 points for the 5, and 4 points for the 10 (or sumfin like that.)

I like your idea but I am not sure it can be “sold”. Perhaps if you set up a league or tournaments, you can gauge interest.

 

[Bob Jewett]

Try equal offense instead. There was actually a league system of it around 1990.

 

[Matt_H]

Interesting idea.

In general I don’t like the idea of time limits but with a progressively shorter shot clock it might work avoiding slow walking if a player is far ahead. But one of the cool things about 14.1 is like baseball: you can be down 124-0 and still win with a 125-ball run. Well, maybe you can but I sure can’t lol.

Our local TAP league is experimenting with straight pool on 7’ tables but with 10 balls to help reduce clusters. Still 14 points per rack. I think it’s one point per ball, 2 points for the 5, and 4 points for the 10 (or sumfin like that.)

I like your idea but I am not sure it can be “sold”. Perhaps if you set up a league or tournaments, you can gauge interest.

7' tables are a rare breed in England, maybe limited to SAM coin-ops found in bowling alleys. They cost £1.50 a game so a half decent race to anything isn't cheap. Plus, chavvy kids dressed in black North Face tracksuits and Air Max trainers take 20 minutes to get through a rack of 8 ball.
I 'aint running 125 either, I'd probably offer you a handshake.

 

[Cameron Smith]

I’m not keen on aligning with the 900 concept, but I’ve thought about the English Billiards timed format. It keeps the tournament on schedule and if players are playing poorly it brings matches to a merciful end rather than trying to endure two players attempting to compile 500-1000 points in increments of 10 and 12.

The main downside is that if one player builds a commanding lead, the last 20-30 minutes is a bit of a slog since the losing player can’t catch up. Which has led me to wonder if there should be a mercy rule to keep things moving and interesting.

So for 14.1 you could do either 1 or 1.5 hour matches in the group stage, 2 hours in the knock out, and 2.5 or 3 hours or more in the final. It would also theoretically allow for runs greater than 200 depending on how quick they play.

 

[14oneman]

Being an old school, life long 14.1 player, and the only game I really play, the one thing that absolutely drives me into orbit when watching matches, is the damned shot clock...especially when that obnoxious warning beeper starts sounding...Straight Pool, is a true game of focus, concentration and strategy, that in my opinion should never have ANY time constraints between shots...it's just counter-intuitive to the very nature of 14.1...

 

[Bob Jewett]

Being an old school, life long 14.1 player, and the only game I really play, the one thing that absolutely drives me into orbit when watching matches, is the damned shot clock...especially when that obnoxious warning beeper starts sounding...Straight Pool, is a true game of focus, concentration and strategy, that in my opinion should never have ANY time constraints between shots...it's just counter-intuitive to the very nature of 14.1...

On the other hand.....

I didn't see it -- and I certainly wouldn't have watched the whole thing -- but I believe in one of Charlie Williams' World events, there was a five and a half hour match. I think it was to 150. Worse than one pocket.

If you're going to have a competition, you need to stay on schedule, attract a paying audience, and not drive viewers and players away by boring them to death. Mosconi, Butera, Orcullo, and Shaw have shown us that you don't need 50 seconds per shot.

A game clock like in chess -- not a shot clock -- can solve the snail problem. I think a 20/10 shot clock could still be playable, but it would eliminate maybe a quarter of all players. A problem is that it requires staff to run it.

 

[sparkle84]

On the other hand.....

I didn't see it -- and I certainly wouldn't have watched the whole thing -- but I believe in one of Charlie Williams' World events, there was a five and a half hour match. I think it was to 150. Worse than one pocket.

If you're going to have a competition, you need to stay on schedule, attract a paying audience, and not drive viewers and players away by boring them to death. Mosconi, Butera, Orcullo, and Shaw have shown us that you don't need 50 seconds per shot.

A game clock like in chess -- not a shot clock -- can solve the snail problem. I think a 20/10 shot clock could still be playable, but it would eliminate maybe a quarter of all players. A problem is that it requires staff to run it.

Yeah, unfortunately I was there. It was SVB vs Max Eberle. Thankfully Max scratched on a side pocket breakshot needing less than a rack (5 balls I think) or we'd have had to endure an 8 hour final match. It was painful.

 

[CageyCraigey]

OK how does this format sound.

30 minutes duration with 15 minutes per man. (Use a chess style clock) and if you run out of time, your opponent then gets ten shots without interruption.

9 Ball plus 1 colored ball. Balls set up in a 9 ball diamond with the colored ball on the center spot of the table.

Sink nominated ball is one point.

Any shot you use the cue ball - colored ball - and sink the nominated ball counts as three points.

As soon as a ball in potted, it is respotted. There are always ten balls plus the cue ball on the table.

Sink the cue ball the points made on that break go to your opponent.

Sink the colored ball and you lose all your points in that game.

 

[sparkle84]

OK how does this format sound.

30 minutes duration with 15 minutes per man. (Use a chess style clock) and if you run out of time, your opponent then gets ten shots without interruption.

9 Ball plus 1 colored ball. Balls set up in a 9 ball diamond with the colored ball on the center spot of the table.

Sink nominated ball is one point.

Any shot you use the cue ball - colored ball - and sink the nominated ball counts as three points.

As soon as a ball in potted, it is respotted. There are always ten balls plus the cue ball on the table.

Sink the cue ball the points made on that break go to your opponent.

Sink the colored ball and you lose all your points in that game.

As well as your explanation being very confusing, it also bears no resemblance to straight pool that I can see.

What exactly does (what I highlighted above) mean? If you both get 15 min. then when time is up you stop. How can you run out of time?