Nobody cares, but...

[Williebetmore]

Last night I played 3 games of straight pool to 100 with a friend. With him ahead 98 to 78 I had left myself a below the rack break shot on the 15 ball. Unfortunately I was straighter in than I like, and had to shoot the 15 at warp speed to get any spread on the pack (contact point dead in the middle of the bottom of the pack). This was probably a bad idea as the 15 ball jawed in the corner pocket, jumped out, bounced onto the bottom rail, rolled a few inches on the rail then back onto the table towards me, hits the long rail, goes back into the pack area, caroms off a stationary ball, caroms off the still spinning cue ball back towards the original corner pocket, where it drops after caroming off a 3rd stationary ball. I have never seen anything like it (I have a witness), I was so fired up to still be shooting I ran another 21 and out. So much for no luck in straight pool.

Three games, scores 100-98, 100-99, 100-97. The last 30 minutes of each game is always intense - even the easiest shots start to look difficult. I don't find the corresponding sensation in 9 ball (at least not for as long a period of time).

 

[Purdman]

Last night I played 3 games of straight pool to 100 with a friend. With him ahead 98 to 78 I had left myself a below the rack break shot on the 15 ball. Unfortunately I was straighter in than I like, and had to shoot the 15 at warp speed to get any spread on the pack (contact point dead in the middle of the bottom of the pack). This was probably a bad idea as the 15 ball jawed in the corner pocket, jumped out, bounced onto the bottom rail, rolled a few inches on the rail then back onto the table towards me, hits the long rail, goes back into the pack area, caroms off a stationary ball, caroms off the still spinning cue ball back towards the original corner pocket, where it drops after caroming off a 3rd stationary ball. I have never seen anything like it (I have a witness), I was so fired up to still be shooting I ran another 21 and out. So much for no luck in straight pool.

Three games, scores 100-98, 100-99, 100-97. The last 30 minutes of each game is always intense - even the easiest shots start to look difficult. I don't find the corresponding sensation in 9 ball (at least not for as long a period of time).

As soon as the CB leaves the playing area, you foul. Sorry about that.
Purdman

 

[Williebetmore]

As soon as the CB leaves the playing area, you foul. Sorry about that.
Purdman

Purdman,
OUCH!! Does this apply even if the object ball was on the covered part of the rail (not on the wood)?? Neither one of us thought it was a foul (never came up before, and we don't play in leagues) - the real question is am I going to tell him he should have won that game (no money changed hands)?

 

[drivermaker]

This makes me want to play straight again and find a good match. What I'm amazed at is how you've found someone that identical to you in playing ability. Who is it...your evil twin brother, Willeebetnada??

 

[Wally in Cincy]

As soon as the CB leaves the playing area, you foul. Sorry about that.
Purdman

I think as long as it does not fall to the floor or does not hit a foreign object (chalk) it is not a foul, but I've been wrong before.

 

[woody_968]

Wow those are some close scores

I had a similar shot happen one day, went around banging on balls and then went into the called pocket. Luck plays a part, but not nearly as much as the other games.

After trying to learn straight pool I am starting to hate Nine ball. I live in Terre Haute and am trying to get more people to start playing 14.1. Its funny because some of them say the game is too easy because you can play any ball in any pocket. They obviously havent played too much straight pool

Do you play over at Airport?

 

[BAZARUS]

I think as long as it does not fall to the floor or does not hit a foreign object (chalk) it is not a foul, but I've been wrong before.

...or lamp

 

[Purdman]

I Stand Corrected

Wally and BAZARUS are correct. As long as the ball comes to rest on the bed of the table under their own power without touching anything not part of the table, it is a clean shot. Thanks guys.
Purdman

 

[Williebetmore]

Thanks to all.

Purdman,
It's a good thing I checked this thread again before I apologized to my friend (I would rather poke myself in the eye with one of Vagabond's Charmin multi-ply shivs than have to admit I should have lost - there was a fair bit of gloating/bragging/crowing/self-admiration involved after the shot). If I had apologized needlessly, well, you and I would have to mix it up.

Woody,
I only play at Airport Thursdays in the winter (14.1 league). Otherwise I play at home or at Chalkies. Airport is kind of a dive with crappy tables. My house has a state-of-the-art pool room - there's just no place like home.

D'maker,
Actually my opponent is not my evil twin (my evil twin's real name is Williebetthekidscollegemoney and he doesn't play pool; he makes a living in the sports investment business, at least that's what they are calling those internet gambling sites now - sounds more respectable).

My opponent is actually not a great player, but we play with the Frank Glenn handicap system. I spot him 50 balls, if he wins we subtract 5, if I win we add 5. Winner picks the music, loser gets laughed at. Close scores are not always the case, a lot of games are blow outs - but man, the close games are exciting. It's every bit as competitive as playing for a $100 a game (the standard straight pool game around here). Of those 3 close games, I only won 2.

 

[sjm]

You know, Willie, though there's less of a luck factor in straight pool than in nine ball, freaky things happen in straight, too. Most often, the break shot is involved.

In a race to 100 in a league match, I led 98 - 82 and my opponent had just run a rack but gotten wrong on the standard side-of-the-rack break shot and left it very difficult to make. I reckoned he might play a safe, but instead, he tried to cut it in. He took a pretty big swing at the cue ball and miscued, and actually hit the wrong half of the object ball. Wouldn't you know it, though, the ball caromed off the pack and into the called pocket, and he ran the rest of the game out from there.

In a word, ouch!

 

[mjantti]

Quite "regular" fluke is shooting the normal 14.1 break shot too thick and the object ball travelling 4 rails to the nominated pocket. One Finnish guy put European Champion Niclas Bergendorff out of European Championships with making a 69-out and including one of the break shots described in his run Niclas was needing only less than 10 balls... and was quite disgusted after the match...

Btw, have you ever had an urge to shoot the pack wide open if you have the break ball hanging in the jaws of either foot corner pocket and hoping to see some ball make a contact on the hanger ? Or have you caromed the cueball of the rack to make the hanger with at least 100 mph ? Quite tempting but I'd say straight pool experts don't appreciate these kind of shots...

 

[Williebetmore]

You know, Willie, though there's less of a luck factor in straight pool than in nine ball, freaky things happen in straight, too.
[/, QUOTE]

SJM,
Yes straight pool DEFINITELY has some luck involved (I try to ignore this fact when ranting about the vagaries of 9-ball). Twice last session in the same rack, my opponent missed a shot and left me frozen to an object ball. Balls wide open, no shot except an unlikely masse'/throw shot (probably illegal, but we play them anyway).

Having said that, 9-ball and rotation games are still a stupid way to try to determine the most skillful player. JMO

 

[sjm]

... 9-ball and rotation games are still a stupid way to try to determine the most skillful player. JMO

While I certainly agree that straight pool is a greater test than nine ball and, in that respect, might seem a better game with which to decide the world championship, it isn't.

This is all about the fact that what serves the fans well is far more important than anything else.

Straight pool is not easy to follow. Yes, a runout with a break shot left is very good, but the critical shots are not that easily identified along the way. Bumping that three ball off the rail to create a key ball may be exciting to you and me and other straight pool geeks, but it's far too transparent to get the causal fan excited.

Nine ball is easily followed by any onlooker. If you make the three and get on the four, that's a good shot. if you make the nine, you win. Nice and simple, easy enough to follow even if you don't play pool.

I love straight pool, and like many others, feel it's a more comprehensive test of skills than nine ball, but I also feel that the casual fans would never get excited it, and they matter the most.

 

[JustPlay]

Even through One Pocket is being played alot at tournaments, it will never be enjoyed by the general public because all of those defensive moves would put them to sleep, who would want to watch a 1+ hour 1-game match in a race to 3 ??? Even worse, 7-ball on espn has been a flop (though I do like the rules of the game, which should be implemented to 9-ball). 9-ball is challenging when money matches and tournament competition due to the luck of the game and how fast someone can string games together real fast. I know so is every other game, but 9-ball is really the only game (with todays rules) which luck plays a bigger part then skill...

 

[Williebetmore]

While I certainly agree that straight pool is a greater test than nine ball and, in that respect, might seem a better game with which to decide the world championship, it isn't.

This is all about the fact that what serves the fans well is far more important than anything else.
I love straight pool, and like many others, feel it's a more comprehensive test of skills than nine ball, but I also feel that the casual fans would never get excited it, and they matter the most.

SJM,
Actually I didn't say anything about doing away with 9-ball, maybe just one championship tournament a year in 14.1 to decide "the champ" (I like watching all types of pool except one-pocket). I'm also not convinced that 20 years of 9-ball has advanced the popularity of pool very far. At the tournament's I go to I'm not seeing very many casual fans (and do we really want them anyway?). Is the purpose of pool to popularize it for the masses so every one can get rich, or is it just for the enjoyment of the fanatics and league players? I could not care less if anyone gets rich playing pool, and I could not care less if Joe Blow down the street tunes in to watch pool instead of ping pong. If there is a world championship 14.1 tournament I will play in it even if first prize is just a tin cup (though I'm thinking perhaps you should not wager much on me to win).

 

[JustPlay]

SJM,
Actually I didn't say anything about doing away with 9-ball, maybe just one championship tournament a year in 14.1 to decide "the champ" (I like watching all types of pool except one-pocket). I'm also not convinced that 20 years of 9-ball has advanced the popularity of pool very far. At the tournament's I go to I'm not seeing very many casual fans (and do we really want them anyway?). Is the purpose of pool to popularize it for the masses so every one can get rich, or is it just for the enjoyment of the fanatics and league players? I could not care less if anyone gets rich playing pool, and I could not care less if Joe Blow down the street tunes in to watch pool instead of ping pong. If there is a world championship 14.1 tournament I will play in it even if first prize is just a tin cup (though I'm thinking perhaps you should not wager much on me to win).

WBM,

You really touched on something- Pool will never be big to the public in America. Only a few will make money and the rest of us will enjoy it for what it is. 14.1 is a excellent game. 9-ball is good for short tournaments with alot of players it only takes 2-3 days for a field of 128 players racing to 11 games to be done in a short period of time, a field of 64 straight pool players takes 3-5 days to complete. One-pocket race to 3 takes with 64 players takes forever! Like posted earlier 9-ball is like Mcdonalds-fast play like fast food. When there was a professional pool tour, the tour wanted to be popular so the players could make a regular living at it like sports players make a living (football, baseball etc.) getting sponsorship and prize money worth playing for, but never materialized and when it did (think camel tour) the billiard industry (players included) ruined it, never to see that kind of interest in pocket billiards again. However, the players that played on that tour and did well got individual sponsorship from table and cue manufactures and some with their own line of cues. I might have strayed from the original thread, but this is the only reason 9-ball was the game of choice, fast and easy. At the DCC, they had 300+ one pocket players and over 200+ bank pool players and 300+ (could have been more) 9-ball players, so it just goes to show how the games other then 9-ball will attact alot of players, just not the big dollars that bowling or golf bring in from the public as well as sponsors.

Primarily 9-ball players do not play straight pool because an average pool player who plays straight pool, but who is a 30-40 ball runner will most of the time beat a top 9-ball player, just because of all of the moves and strategies of the game.

 

[vagabond]

executive billiards

Hi willibetmore,
what do u think about Executive Billiards on Keystone and 52nd? That was my favorite place.cheers
Vagabond

 

[catscradle]

I think as long as it does not fall to the floor or does not hit a foreign object (chalk) it is not a foul, but I've been wrong before.

That was the impression I was under too, it can go anywhere on the standard part of the table and is still good to go. Also the CB never left the table only the object ball did based upon the description if that makes a difference.

 

[Williebetmore]

Hi willibetmore,
what do u think about Executive Billiards on Keystone and 52nd? That was my favorite place.cheers
Vagabond

Vagabond,
I'm embarrassed to say I haven't been there. I play mostly at home or Chalkies, gamble and league play at Airport. I've heard that there is always someone to play for a little change at Executive, but that I should not go without a friend that knows how to handle himself (I can usually fend for myself, but evidently that's not enough nowadays). That's just what I've heard, it may not be true, but certainly the neighborhood has taken a turn for the worse. I have all the action I can handle, I haven't had to go looking yet.

 

[sjm]

SJM,
Actually I didn't say anything about doing away with 9-ball, maybe just one championship tournament a year in 14.1 to decide "the champ" (I like watching all types of pool except one-pocket). I'm also not convinced that 20 years of 9-ball has advanced the popularity of pool very far. At the tournament's I go to I'm not seeing very many casual fans (and do we really want them anyway?). Is the purpose of pool to popularize it for the masses so every one can get rich, or is it just for the enjoyment of the fanatics and league players? I could not care less if anyone gets rich playing pool, and I could not care less if Joe Blow down the street tunes in to watch pool instead of ping pong. If there is a world championship 14.1 tournament I will play in it even if first prize is just a tin cup (though I'm thinking perhaps you should not wager much on me to win).

Good post, Willie, and I agree that crowning a world straight pool champion would be great. In my youth, I attended nine different world 14.1 championships, and loved every bit of it. Still, having attended the 1999 National Straight Pool Championships and the 2000 US Open Straight Pool event, I'd have to say that at world class level, straight pool without tight pockets is far less fascinating. If a world straight pool champion is to be crowned, it should be on tight pocket equipment.

I only compared straight pool to nine ball because those were the games mentioned in the thread. I have argued a few times on this forum that the pros should play eight ball, the only game the casual pool fan plays and knows. But that's another subject for another thread.