Straight Pool

Hustler08

Hustler08

'' Dallas Kid ''
Silver Member
Hey guys its me Stephen. Well, I been practing my 9-ball game a lot and I been hearing people on TV (ESPN2) and some people at pool halls and movies and EX talking about straight pool. How it helps your game and gets you to know the right angles and such. Well can anyone explain straight pool to me? I know I know people are gonna laugh at me but I have been worked up so much in 9-ball I have paid no attention to any other games. So if you could explain the game and how to play it. Thanks a lot! Oooo P.s. What do you guys think is the best tip? I know the Talisman Pro Medium Tips are very good but whats the best in your guys opinion? Well, thanks Stephen B!
 
check out www.bca-pool.com for full rules on straight pool. I'll try and explain it here in my terrible grammar.

All 15 balls are racked in a triangle just like 8 ball. Basicly after the break, which is usually played like a safety, figure 1, you can shoot at any ball on the table. A run is ended when you miss. You may have heard of the game reffered to as 14.1. It is called this because after you run 14 balls and there is one ball left on the table the remaining 14 are racked in a diamond with the head ball removed, figure 2. You then try to break the balls while sinking the remaining ball on the table. The ideal leave is shown in figure 2. After a successful break you continue to run balls and racks until you miss, then it is your opponents turn. If you are playing a decent player, after missing, you can expect to sit in your sit and watch him run 40+ balls before your next turn. The game is usually played in a race to 125 or 150 points. Each ball sunk is 1 point. If you would like to read a great instructional book see if you can find 'Play Your Best Straight Pool' by Phil B. Capelle at your local bookstore/library. If you are looking for a good fictional book to read on the game 'The Hustler' by Walter Tevis is a classic that you should be able to find in a used bookstore. Or rent the 1961 (?) movie starring Paul Newman and Jackie Gleason. The DVD has some pretty sweet extras.


Figure 1:
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%cC1R3%dI7R2
)END

Figure 2:
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)END

To view each figure, first highlight the text by clicking and dragging across it, starting at START and ending at END, then right clicking on the highlighted text and selecting paste when the menu pops up. Then click HERE. and when the RSB/WEI pool table pops up click on paste and answer yes to both questions.
 
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To all you straight pool junkies out there - On the opening break shot would you play the shot shown in figure 1 with bottom Left hand siding or center ball. I find myself using too much siding lots of the time and i am trying to get back to center ball hits. Is this one of those shots that i shouldnt be using siding on?
 
which cue did you end up with and how do you like it??. learning straight pool is the best thing you can do for your pool game. once you can run about 30-40 balls you should be able to run 100. it is a great game. you'll start using straight pool patterns in other games, sign of a great well rounded player
 
Hey wakuljr well I am happy you remember my post about a month ago asking what cue I should get, lol. Well, I ended up getting the Schon 4 and I love it. I have advanced me game to a higher level. Also Hawleys gave me a great price I could not turn down. I am looking for a really good tip so all I have to do after I get my tip is get a jump/break cue. I know the Talisman Pro Medium Tip is pretty good but I am trying find a great tip. I just joined an adult team, its pretty cool that I can play with them considering I am 13. I just cant drink the alcohol lol. Well, anyway I was wondering. If I can run a couple racks on 9-ball then what would make straight pool so hard? If you can shoot ANY BALL then it would be no challenge. Well, thanks for remembering me and reply if you can. Thx, Stephen B P.S. My E-Mail is Alexb00@aol.com < those are zero's
 
Hey kid!

The hard thing about straight pool is properly separating clusters, getting in shape for a nice shot on the break ball...it's an art to play this game well. Don't underestimate the game just because you can shoot at any ball. It's so easy to get too casual and lose position...

If you play against a really good player and you leave him an open shot, that player will destroy you...possibly even make you sit out the entire match. They beauty of the game is that there are virtually no slop shots which can make you win, unlike in 9ball. You can't get a lucky win... If you play a high score game, the better man always wins...no argument.

Like you I can also run a rack or 2 of 9ball sometimes. I'd be surprised if you can run more than 30 balls at 14.1...please give it a try! Follow the rules, don't cheat yourself!
 
Straight pool is easy if you know a couple of basics about it:

-avoid too much position play. Try to play mostly stun shots and clear the balls in groups
-always have an easy "spare" ball in case you play bad position or you're trying to break a cluster
-clusters can be broken with soft speed
-avoid using too much power on break shots, try to leave a good angle on the break ball instead
-choose the break ball early and think your way "backwards" to your current position, "before the break ball I should pocket this ball and before that..."
-learn to spot combinations and caroms from clusters
-after the break shot, try to clear the balls near the corner pockets to make more paths for other balls
-avoid kissing into and moving other balls with the cueball, you'll probably create a(nother) cluster
-learn how to make a good safety out of the 14-ball-rack in case you miss the rack on your break shot

-always remember, that if straight pool is easy for you, it's easy to your opponent as well! You will pay if you miss easy balls, trust me, I know ! :)
-if you run more that 40 balls, you're definitely above average ! :)

I don't know why, but during my years in practising straight pool, many people have had the mental barrier of having a highest break of more than 40. After you start practising you'll reach the 40 mark quite easily but getting over it is surprisingly difficult. If you can run over 50, IMHO it's only a matter of time when you run 80-100 or even 150. I took me some months to run 28, then a couple of months to run 39 and then 1-2 years to run 56. And that was 10 years ago... But don't worry about your high run, it's the average run that counts !
 
straight pool

I'm working on my straight game these days. I've been playing a guy that's a bit better than me every Sunday, 4 or 5 games to fifty. So far we break even or he beats me 3-2 each week.High run only 27. I've jawed way too many break balls and sat and watched while he cleared the table.I'm getting closer to putting some good racks together, but not there yet. I had a nice table clear out Sunday and saw my break ball, key ball and balls leading up to it, and then missed my position on the break by a few inches and had to play safe. ( I was coming across the angle on my key ball shot, not into it)George Fels has a good book on straight pool that I'm reading and Sigel and Rempe have good instructional tapes. Hopefully, I can improve a little and put together some better runs. Dennis
 
Aright guys thanks alot. I am going to go practice straight pool and tell you my high run and such. Thanks again for all the info. Stephen B
 
Since nobody answered your tip question I'll take a stab at it. You need to try several different tips and decide which is best for you. I like a soft tip but many good players like a harder tip. Elk Master is probably the softest. LePro and Triangle are harder. The Talismans and Mooris are the hardest. Try different ones and you will soon figure out which one is best for you.
 
Hey guys I am at school and I am done with my work so I am reading your guys post. Well I played straight pool and my high run was 34. And that was from my lag and then very first break of straight pool ever. So I dont see whats too hard about it, if you get a decent break and spread the balls out and make 1 ball then its a automatic run out,it involves no skill! So I think I am just going to go back to my 9-ball games. Since that is what I am going to play in tourments and thats the money game I play with my friends. Well thank you wally for finally answering my tip question! Well I finally saved up $10 ( I am shot on money from my Schon ) so I am going to try the Talisman. Then ill see how it goes from there. Well the bell is going to ring. Sorry I did nothave time to do spell check! Ill be on after school. Stephen B
 
Hustler08 said:
Hey guys I am at school and I am done with my work so I am reading your guys post. Well I played straight pool and my high run was 34. And that was from my lag and then very first break of straight pool ever. So I dont see whats too hard about it, if you get a decent break and spread the balls out and make 1 ball then its a automatic run out,it involves no skill! So I think I am just going to go back to my 9-ball games. Since that is what I am going to play in tourments and thats the money game I play with my friends. Well thank you wally for finally answering my tip question! Well I finally saved up $10 ( I am shot on money from my Schon ) so I am going to try the Talisman. Then ill see how it goes from there. Well the bell is going to ring. Sorry I did nothave time to do spell check! Ill be on after school. Stephen B
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Did you call the ball you made on the break? If not, you just broke the rack open for the other guy.
 
I second that; are you playing the opening break shot correctly and leaving the 15th ball standing as your break ball? You know, 14.1.

I think you'll find that straight pool is a highly skillful game. When you play Sigel and run 150 & out then you can call the game whatever you want ;)

Travis McKinney
 
Hustler08 said:
Hey guys I am at school and I am done with my work so I am reading your guys post. Well I played straight pool and my high run was 34. And that was from my lag and then very first break of straight pool ever. So I dont see whats too hard about it, if you get a decent break and spread the balls out and make 1 ball then its a automatic run out,it involves no skill! So I think I am just going to go back to my 9-ball games. Since that is what I am going to play in tourments and thats the money game I play with my friends. Well thank you wally for finally answering my tip question! Well I finally saved up $10 ( I am shot on money from my Schon ) so I am going to try the Talisman. Then ill see how it goes from there. Well the bell is going to ring. Sorry I did nothave time to do spell check! Ill be on after school. Stephen B
Click to expand...

So after your lag(does this mean after you played your first shot safe), you then were able to find a shot from that very safe leave you left yourself, make the shot and break the heck out of the balls making it easy to run the rack!!? You were able to save the last ball of the first rack in such a position that you were then able to make it, breaking the rack again and making every ball and again getting another break shot for the next rack, making six, and calling all of them!!??

You must be quite a player. If you are that good, you probably shouldn't abandon the game, but what do I know. Dennis
 
Ooo you have to call a ball on the break??!! Lol I guess that makes it a little harder! Hmm well I guess I am going to go try that. Well thanks, Ill tell ya how it gows Stephen B
 
Hey guys just got back from pool. Well since you guys told me I have to call the ball-pocket on the break its a lil harder. Well today on straight pool my high run was 21. But you guys will be happy to know I ran 3 racks of 9-ball from break! lol. Well I am going to practice more I just came back to eat. Thanks alot for all your advice and info. I cant wait till I get my new tip on my Schon! Stephen B P.S. If you guys wanna say anything you can E-mail me at Alexb00@aol.com < those are zero's
 
21 ball run

Hustler08 said:
Hey guys just got back from pool. Well since you guys told me I have to call the ball-pocket on the break its a lil harder. Well today on straight pool my high run was 21. But you guys will be happy to know I ran 3 racks of 9-ball from break! lol. Well I am going to practice more I just came back to eat. Thanks alot for all your advice and info. I cant wait till I get my new tip on my Schon! Stephen B P.S. If you guys wanna say anything you can E-mail me at Alexb00@aol.com < those are zero's
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If you ran 21 at straight your first day you tried it, you must be a very good player. I bet if you kept at it, it would help your all around game quite a bit.
You would be learning things other 9 ball bangers don't know. Dennis
 
Hey Dmg, Well I still dont see how it helps my game 1 bit but... I guess since everyone says it improves your game I will stay with it. But 9-ball I SAY is more challenging and funnier. Well Thx Stephen B
 
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