Playing Straight Pool

[DrCue'sProtege]

ok posters, i need some clarification here.

when you begin a rack of straight pool, how is it done? i mean, how is the opening break setup? now once there is 1 ball left the other 14 balls are racked and the apex point left vacant and you use the last remaining ball as the shot you use to pocket and slam the cue ball into the new rack - right?

but how is a rack started?

DCP

 

[whitey]

Its like a normal 15 ball rack

Usually the opening break is a saftey break where you hit the back corner ball driving it and the other corner ball to the rail and back into the rack. The cue ball travels back around to the kitchen.

Whitey

 

[whitey]

Kind of like this:

START(
%AN7O5%BL8P7%CJ7O4%DL8N2%EM7P1%FK7P1%GK7N8%HM7N8%IL7O4%JK8M6
%KJ7P7%LJ7N2%MK7Q3%NJ7Q9%OJ7M0%Ph2L4%UL0L3%Vg0L5%WD2M1%XI8M1
%YJ3Z4%ZJ5R8%[I7S5%\I7[0%]H7M8%^C6M6
)END

http://endeavor.med.nyu.edu/~wei/pool/9egg/

I ran out of arrows but the cue ball travels to the end rail, side rail and back to the kitchen. I am not positive on the cue ball placement for the best results.

Whitey

 

[Williebetmore]

Tradition is for the 1 ball and 5 ball to be the rear corner balls of the rack. For an opening break to be legal, 2 balls out of the rack must be driven to a rail. Of course number doesn't matter, but these are the 2 balls that go to the rail and it makes it easier to watch and make sure the requirements of the opening break have been met. The standard starting position for the cue ball is along the head string, one diamond away from the long rail. If you are right handed, start one diamond away from the right long rail. Use high right English, aiming for a half ball hit on the right rear ball (usually the 1 ball). Because of curvature you will actually end up with about a 1/3 ball hit, and the cue ball will hit the foot rail, then spin to the right long rail, back up the length of the table into the kitchen, off the left long rail, and end up nestling on the head rail. The end result of the perfect break is that the one ball goes to the foot rail and back into the pack; the 5-ball goes to the left side long rail, and then back into the pack; and your opponent is now frozen to the head rail with nothing to shoot at. If you use lots of spin to bring the cue ball 3 rails, then the hit can be softer, disturbing the pack less.

 

[sjm]

ok posters, i need some clarification here.

when you begin a rack of straight pool, how is it done? i mean, how is the opening break setup? now once there is 1 ball left the other 14 balls are racked and the apex point left vacant and you use the last remaining ball as the shot you use to pocket and slam the cue ball into the new rack - right?

but how is a rack started?

DCP

DCP, others in the thread have already answered your question, but I'd like to add that if you're playing straight pool, good for you! It's a game of high concentration, finesse and creativity, and very refined speed control. It will definitely help your nine ball game.

Three players you'd be very familiar with play huge amounts of straight pool to keep themselves sharp: World Games Champion Jeanette Lee, World Champion Mika Immonen, and regining BCA Open Champion Tony Robles.

 

[lewdo26]

But also...

[/QUOTE]Three players you'd be very familiar with play huge amounts of straight pool to keep themselves sharp: World Games Champion Jeanette Lee, World Champion Mika Immonen, and regining BCA Open Champion Tony Robles.[/QUOTE]
Let's not forget Schmidt!

 

[drivermaker]

now once there is 1 ball left the other 14 balls are racked and the apex point left vacant and you use the last remaining ball as the shot you use to pocket and slam the cue ball into the new rack - right?
DCP

That is correct...as long as you've left the proper angle with the CB to OB to do it correctly. Otherwise, the CB could go zinging around the rack and never touch it, or, the wrong angle or incorrect english could leave you buried right in the middle of the rack with nowhere to go.

Some will disagree and say that 9-ball is the ultimate test of pool and others will say 1 pocket is. IMO, 14.1 is still the top challenge by far. It can be very frustrating at times, but it takes tremendous knowledge, skill, and focus to be able to run 100+ balls. (I've never done it) Most 9-ball players can't stand the game for a couple of reasons. It moves slower and you get addicted to the quick action, and. invariably they royally suck at the game. It's too disheartening for them to be able to run multiple racks of 9-ball and then have runs of 3-5 balls per inning and play like a hack.

You also might want to start out playing Equal Offense or Fargo just so you'll be able to recognize patterns that will allow you to run a table easier and to give you a feel for precise position play.

 

[sjm]

Let's not forget Schmidt!

Lewdo, Schmidt’s brilliance at straight pool is well known, but I’m not in a position to comment on how much of it he plays. In the case of Lee, Immonen, and Robles, however, I can personally verify that they play an enormous amount of straight pool, as I have first hand knowledge of it.