Straight pool challenge

[Sealegs50]

In my experience, straight pool is the game that lends itself to the greatest amount of exaggeration from players. It is pretty common for guys to brag about their 60+ ball runs and claim they often run 30. Since nobody I know plays the game these days, they can say all they want. Spreading out 15 balls on the table and running them is pretty easy. Breaking out balls from a pack and creating enough spread to continue a run is much harder.

 

[Texas Carom Club]

It is hard
, and thats why no one wants to play it but diehards

 

[skip100]

This is what makes Mosconi's accomplishments so well beyond ANY straight pool player ever. As Charlie Ursitti stated in his final interview, the interview is somewhere here on AZ, Mosconi came into unfamiliar billiard rooms for exhibitions several times a week and he played an exhibition MATCH against the best local player and he CONSISTENTLY ran 100 to 150 and out! Many, many of those runs were 150 and out and Mosconi did not even attempt to continue the run- this was WITHOUT trying to do this with numerous "attempts" etc. - he just flat out ran 150s from his opening shot at the table- not comparable to any other 14.1 player alive or gone. So why don't we all stop this "nonsense" of high run attempts with numerous "do- overs" etc. What are we all trying to prove anyhow? The best thing for straight pool would be more true professional competitive events- like old times - round robin events of the best 8 players in the world- we know that is not happening - so why bother with this circus stuff- i just don't get it after 55 years in this game.

You seem like fun at parties.

 

[middleofnowhere]

Pros sometimes make it seem otherwise, but the fact is that straight pool is hard!

Straight pool is both hard and not hard. In concept it seems it should be easy but to play it well it"s not. Too many variables most of all the break shot. While a lot can be controlled with the break shot most can't.

Balls jam up, get on rails, form funny clusters, something can roll up on the cueball leaving no shot with a completely open table through no fault of your own. That is where the real skill of the game becomes obvious. It is a game of constant problem solving while at the same time not creating new problems.

It is a little like one pocket. If you don't know what you are doing it doesn't matter how well you play other games you can look like a fool. You scatter 15 balls on the confines of a pool table and it's not that easy to clear the table without some concept of how to run balls.

You may do it now and then but to do it consistently it takes know how. Which is not magic, it can be easily learned if one has an interest. But few do because the game is not really played anymore.

Actually, by comparison, 9 ball may be a little more forgiving then straight pool as far as making mistakes and getting away with them.

 

[easy-e]

In my experience, straight pool is the game that lends itself to the greatest amount of exaggeration from players. It is pretty common for guys to brag about their 60+ ball runs and claim they often run 30. Since nobody I know plays the game these days, they can say all they want. Spreading out 15 balls on the table and running them is pretty easy. Breaking out balls from a pack and creating enough spread to continue a run is much harder.

You’re 100% right! I practice straight pool whenever I go to a pool room by myself. People talk to me about the game a lot, and always tell me how many balls they’ve ran. I don’t believe most of them, but keep that to myself.

 

[Nine ... corner]

Funniest post in a straight pool discussion some time ago was, "You guys and straight pool, any ball, any pocket … how hard can that be?" :rotflmao1:

Answer: VERY

 

[Texas Carom Club]

People that ask me why am i shooting like that

The side pocket break

I tell them about the game, some just say oohhhhh
Some try and dismiss it as a practice game
seldom do i get someone to attempt it

 

[kevoka]

It is hard
, and thats why no one wants to play it but diehards

Funny experience just happened to me on Sunday. I am at the bar I go to because it has a free 4x8 table . The owner's 11 year daughter is there and bored. I have played 8 ball with her before as that is what everybody does. She always got frustrated with it , as of course she just barely can see over the table and so pocketing balls is rather rare for her and there is not always a clear shot.

I said what the heck let's try Straight Pool. Suddenly, it is a whole new exciting game for her. Why? Every time she walks up to the table, there is a shot she can make! It did not matter that I just ran 7-10 balls off, she has a shot she can make! No worries about the leave.

She has a shot she believes she can make!

 

[Texas Carom Club]

Very kool..

 

[Black-Balled]

Funny experience just happened to me on Sunday. I am at the bar I go to because it has a free 4x8 table . The owner's 11 year daughter is there and bored. I have played 8 ball with her before as that is what everybody does. She always got frustrated with it , as of course she just barely can see over the table and so pocketing balls is rather rare for her and there is not always a clear shot.

I said what the heck let's try Straight Pool. Suddenly, it is a whole new exciting game for her. Why? Every time she walks up to the table, there is a shot she can make! It did not matter that I just ran 7-10 balls off, she has a shot she can make! No worries about the leave.

She has a shot she believes she can make!

You sure you're not getting hustled?

 

[Nine ... corner]

You sure you're not getting hustled?

It does look that way …

 

[kevoka]

You sure you're not getting hustled?

I can never spot the pigeon in my pool matches.

 

[jviss]

Straight Pool

My view is that straight pool, 14.1, is one of the only "pure" billiard games. By the Is mean, that in it's most basic state that it works as a game without having to resort to special rules to keep it interesting and competitive.

For example, straight rail billiards was ruined by nursing; hence balklines. I think billiards evolved to three-cushion, which is a pure game, but it's so difficult to score points that it has become uninteresting to many. Nine ball was ruined y the soft break to pocket wing balls; hence, nine on the spot, break boxes, etc.

Straight allows almost anybody to score points and have fun, and also allows for displays of virtuosity while remaining an interesting game. Maybe not so much if your opponent runs the game, but virtually all of the time you will have an inning and a chance to rack up points, no matter your skill level. And, the outcome of the game is decided almost entirely on skill, there's little luck involved in the long run.

It would be interesting to have stats on players' runs - maybe there is, I don't know - average points per inning. This is more meaningful than the highest number one's ever run, and a good commentary on the quality of the game.

 

[Texas Carom Club]

My view is that straight pool, 14.1, is one of the only "pure" billiard games. By the Is mean, that in it's most basic state that it works as a game without having to resort to special rules to keep it interesting and competitive.

For example, straight rail billiards was ruined by nursing; hence balklines. I think billiards evolved to three-cushion, which is a pure game, but it's so difficult to score points that it has become uninteresting to many. Nine ball was ruined y the soft break to pocket wing balls; hence, nine on the spot, break boxes, etc.

Straight allows almost anybody to score points and have fun, and also allows for displays of virtuosity while remaining an interesting game. Maybe not so much if your opponent runs the game, but virtually all of the time you will have an inning and a chance to rack up points, no matter your skill level. And, the outcome of the game is decided almost entirely on skill, there's little luck involved in the long run.

It would be interesting to have stats on players' runs - maybe there is, I don't know - average points per inning. This is more meaningful than the highest number one's ever run, and a good commentary on the quality of the game.

Youll find 1 cushion and balkline 71.2 and 47.2 are quite pure a billiard game as any

 

[jviss]

Youll find 1 cushion and balkline 71.2 and 47.2 are quite pure a billiard game as any

I disagree.

By my definition of "pure," 1 cushion, balkline, and 9-ball are categorically excluded; not "pure," by definition, that definition being that they require rules changes or other modifications or exceptions to keep them interesting and competitive.

Perhaps you have a different definition of "pure."

 

[Texas Carom Club]

I disagree.

By my definition of "pure," 1 cushion, balkline, and 9-ball are categorically excluded; not "pure," by definition, that definition being that they require rules changes or other modifications or exceptions to keep them interesting and competitive.

Perhaps you have a different definition of "pure."

By your own definition then 3c is not pure
Since it required rules to be changed from straight rail
To make it more interesting or challenging

 

[jviss]

By your own definition then 3c is not pure
Since it required rules to be changed from straight rail
To make it more interesting or challenging

Maybe so. I think of 3 cushion as having evolved from straight rail, but being an entirely different game.

 

[kevoka]

Maybe so. I think of 3 cushion as having evolved from straight rail, but being an entirely different game.

I definitely see 3C as evolving from 1 cushion.

Opinion - 2 cushion was skipped because it is a common shot in 1 cushion.

 

[mikemosconi]

Are you somehow related to Willie Mosconi? Is your username here simply a tribute to Willie, or is your name really Mike Mosconi?

I ask because your post really has little, if anything, to do with the OP's apparent intention for this thread, and frankly, come across in an antagonistic, mean-spirited way.

I get the OP's point: that it's something of a consolation to those with less than stellar skills to see those at the top of their game apparently struggling to get past 30. It makes them more human.

Yes, I understood the point of the poster exactly. and my comment, along those lines was NOT to demean anyone's skills at the game, or degrade those who had higher runs in their attempts. It was simply to express an opinion that I would rather see more efforts put into 14.1 quality competitive events than these silly "practice table" type high run attempts. As a player and long time fan of 14.1 I hate seeing the game , in my opinion, "degraded " or maybe rather just not appreciated for the game it really is and once was; and just relegated mostly to "run attempts". I think there may be a lot of 14.1 people that would agree with me.

 

[jasonlaus]

Yes, I understood the point of the poster exactly. and my comment, along those lines was NOT to demean anyone's skills at the game, or degrade those who had higher runs in their attempts. It was simply to express an opinion that I would rather see more efforts put into 14.1 quality competitive events than these silly "practice table" type high run attempts. As a player and long time fan of 14.1 I hate seeing the game , in my opinion, "degraded " or maybe rather just not appreciated for the game it really is and once was; and just relegated mostly to "run attempts". I think there may be a lot of 14.1 people that would agree with me.

The great thing about living in America is - YOU can put YOUR $$$$ up and create whatever event you want. Stop complaining and do it Mosconi
Jason