GC3 with 5" pockets, front to back, parallel miter angles, 5 1/2" sides, huge buckets
The Legendary Pearl to Take On 14.1 Attempts
- Thread starter lfigueroa
- Start date
Yeah, I’ve only been playing 14.1 for about, wow, coming up on two years I guess. I started a month or so after Ruslan won the American 14.1. And when I say playing 14.1, I mean, just running balls on my home table. I’ve never actually played a game against someone, so take my comments with a grain of “he might not know wtf he is talking about”.
It took me 2 or 3 days to make my first 50. It took me a month or so to make my first 70. It took me about 6 months to make my first 80. It took me about 18 months to make my first hundred. I was also of the opinion that 14.1 doesn’t have any “secret knowledge”, and I think I still am of that opinion, but as above, Lou puts it’s quite nicely: “There is a certain logic to the game that takes a while to learn.”
I think this is really accurate phrasing. It’s not knowledge exactly. I mean, yes, there is a certain amount of knowledge that can only be gained by playing, experimenting, or sharing information (break shots for example), but a lot of it just being aware of certain common traps, and unless you’ve experienced those traps, awkward positions, etc, then you don’t know to watch out for them. And because we’re stupid humans, it often takes falling into those traps numerous times before it becomes natural for us to look out for them. The more you play, the more you become a 14.1 player, with the eyes of a 14.1 player. (EDIT: It sounds like I’m saying awareness of situations isn’t knowledge. It is, but it’s not “super secret knowledge”, if you know what I mean
)And like snooker, which was my first game and I think the reason I fell in love with 14.1, inches matter. Half an inch in position on your key ball can be the difference between playing a stop shot for the perfect break shot, or having to play off three rails and take a break shot with the cueball 6 feet away from the break ball. (DOUBLE EDIT: I’ve not thought of this before, but more so than any other US pool variant, I’ve had moments of clarity playing 14.1 that most resemble being in the zone playing snooker, where every choice seems obvious, every position clear, and it all just flows. It can happen a little bit playing rotation games, but not to the extent is does with snooker or 14.1.)
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I can't meat my high run of 8.
Regards, John
maybe the time has passed for efren to really dig into straights, but I have a hard time believing he couldn't, if he'd wanted to.
he's one of, if not the most well-rounded player ever. he's as smart and creative as any player that's ever lived.
he chops racks up in all games- he's a shotmaker, but doesn't need to be, because he usually puts the cb wherever he wants it.
and who's better at nudging and bumping? strategizing/planning ahead? tho as mentioned, he might need to adjust for 14.1
but why hasn't he done it? I'm sure not the best qualified to answer this, but I genuinely wonder why he couldn't be a great 14.1 player
I'm not sure about the grind, the patience and calm (I can only imagine) one needs to run so many balls without missing one
that said, we've seen him play and win long games/races, in rotation and 1p. he also obviously sees cue games on a deep level
when straights was *thee* game, could effie have hung? when there was money in it, could/would he have risen to the occasion?
I would like to think so, but I don't know- I'd liked to have seen him, and others, try tho.
anyway, cool y'all are bigging the game up, here and now- right on.
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The table is a GC3 with 5" pockets.
Lou Figueroa
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Thanks Lou, I grew up playing straight pool in the 60's and I have always believed you need a pocket of 4.75 inches or 5.00 for straight pool. Smaller than that it becomes very difficult to accomplish high runs.. Not impossible but far more difficult.Free stream at:
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The table is a GC3 with 5" pockets.
Lou Figueroa
You have to break up clusters and the full rack of balls all the time in straight pool unlike any other game in pool.
Recently I found a pool hall near me that has ten Diamond Red label tables with league cut rails. The pockets are 4.75 inches and playing straight pool there is fun..
Five inch pockets for Earl combined with his powerful stroke gives him a real chance at high runs.. He will need an Ed McMahon or two in the audience though!
Should be fun to watch!!!
efren pretty much followed the money all through his career which, as you know, never were in the field of straight pool and certainly not in pursuing a high run.
I believe Mosconi's run was on a Brunswick 8 footer with 5 1/4” pockets and Schmidt’s run was on a Rebco 9 footer with 5” pockets.
Lou Figueroa
You're giving it far too much thought.
Efren may have a friendly face we have grown to love, but he came here for cash cash and more cash.
many times.
Our experience with 14.1 really isn't much different.Yeah, I’ve only been playing 14.1 for about, wow, coming up on two years I guess. I started a month or so after Ruslan won the American 14.1. And when I say playing 14.1, I mean, just running balls on my home table. I’ve never actually played a game against someone, so take my comments with a grain of “he might not know wtf he is talking about”.
It took me 2 or 3 days to make my first 50. It took me a month or so to make my first 70. It took me about 6 months to make my first 80. It took me about 18 months to make my first hundred. I was also of the opinion that 14.1 doesn’t have any “secret knowledge”, and I think I still am of that opinion, but as above, Lou puts it’s quite nicely: “There is a certain logic to the game that takes a while to learn.”
I think this is really accurate phrasing. It’s not knowledge exactly. I mean, yes, there is a certain amount of knowledge that can only be gained by playing, experimenting, or sharing information (break shots for example), but a lot of it just being aware of certain common traps, and unless you’ve experienced those traps, awkward positions, etc, then you don’t know to watch out for them. And because we’re stupid humans, it often takes falling into those traps numerous times before it becomes natural for us to look out for them. The more you play, the more you become a 14.1 player, with the eyes of a 14.1 player. (EDIT: It sounds like I’m saying awareness of situations isn’t knowledge. It is, but it’s not “super secret knowledge”, if you know what I mean
And like snooker, which was my first game and I think the reason I fell in love with 14.1, inches matter. Half an inch in position on your key ball can be the difference between playing a stop shot for the perfect break shot, or having to play off three rails and take a break shot with the cueball 6 feet away from the break ball. (DOUBLE EDIT: I’ve not thought of this before, but more so than any other US pool variant, I’ve had moments of clarity playing 14.1 that most resemble being in the zone playing snooker, where every choice seems obvious, every position clear, and it all just flows. It can happen a little bit playing rotation games, but not to the extent is does with snooker or 14.1.)
As a strong potter with little 14.1 "knowledge" the runs come in spurts. ...18, 14, 22, 50, 23, 10, 62, 31, 14, 112.... etc. The notable runs are gapped by a decent number of meh efforts.
Now after you spend a bunch of time playing the game, the average score will grow because you've learnt to avoid the traps that create the short runs. However the random high runs don't necessarily grow with that same knowledge. Can the spikes grow..?..., of course. I mean an unforseen trap can be tripped over at a count of 22 just as easily when at 150. However that 'trap' is a situational circumstance that may never happen to appear.
Ill take the over for 10k.
It took me 2 or 3 days to make my first 50. It took me a month or so to make my first 70. It took me about 6 months to make my first 80. It took me about 18 months to make my first hundred.Yeah, I’ve only been playing 14.1 for about, wow, coming up on two years I guess. I started a month or so after Ruslan won the American 14.1. And when I say playing 14.1, I mean, just running balls on my home table. I’ve never actually played a game against someone, so take my comments with a grain of “he might not know wtf he is talking about”.
It took me 2 or 3 days to make my first 50. It took me a month or so to make my first 70. It took me about 6 months to make my first 80. It took me about 18 months to make my first hundred. I was also of the opinion that 14.1 doesn’t have any “secret knowledge”, and I think I still am of that opinion, but as above, Lou puts it’s quite nicely: “There is a certain logic to the game that takes a while to learn.”
I think this is really accurate phrasing. It’s not knowledge exactly. I mean, yes, there is a certain amount of knowledge that can only be gained by playing, experimenting, or sharing information (break shots for example), but a lot of it just being aware of certain common traps, and unless you’ve experienced those traps, awkward positions, etc, then you don’t know to watch out for them. And because we’re stupid humans, it often takes falling into those traps numerous times before it becomes natural for us to look out for them. The more you play, the more you become a 14.1 player, with the eyes of a 14.1 player. (EDIT: It sounds like I’m saying awareness of situations isn’t knowledge. It is, but it’s not “super secret knowledge”, if you know what I mean
And like snooker, which was my first game and I think the reason I fell in love with 14.1, inches matter. Half an inch in position on your key ball can be the difference between playing a stop shot for the perfect break shot, or having to play off three rails and take a break shot with the cueball 6 feet away from the break ball. (DOUBLE EDIT: I’ve not thought of this before, but more so than any other US pool variant, I’ve had moments of clarity playing 14.1 that most resemble being in the zone playing snooker, where every choice seems obvious, every position clear, and it all just flows. It can happen a little bit playing rotation games, but not to the extent is does with snooker or 14.1.)
I copied this from your post.
I've played straight pool for 60 years and have a lot of experience playing it in competition and what you have done in just 18 months is really good.
You should direct that to the person who started the over/under.
Objectively, much of Efren's well-deserved worldwide renown stems from his dazzlingly inventive and creative ability to extricate himself from difficulties his opponents leave him with, or difficulties (problems) which he has inadvertently imposed on himself.
The useful term heard in 14.1 discussions:"sustained excellence", perfectly describes a prime ingredient (beyond resilience and fitness) for ultra-high runs insofar as it pertains to "staying out of (self-imposed) trouble".
Having been fortunate enough to personally witness more than thirty of Willie Mosconi's Straight Pool exhibition and competition sessions during the 1950s and mid-1960s, I would informedly tell anyone that he got himself into trouble less often than any player the world has ever seen or heard of in the history of pool.
What for better or worse was behind the purity of play he displayed in his prime years -- his "sustained excellence" at 14.1 -- was his near-clinical - but beneficial -- total obsession with Perfection in every element that the game demanded. He was a virtual automaton swiftly but measuredly circling the table like the gifted dancer he actually was. Mistakes of judgment or positional execution were emotionally intolerable to him.
It's seemingly simplistic but actually inarguable that the limits on any world-class champion achieving multiple-century runs, always involve a characteristically sustained ability to stay out of trouble. By that measure even prime Efren would predictably falter under innocent, but statistically inevitable layout dilemmas. Endurance and excellence in long One Pocket back and forth exchanges with an opponent are not a useful or relevant metric to compare or predict a result for hyper-long sessions of any player alone at the table during a 14.1 challenge performance.
Arnaldo.
Ah Mosconi those that have never seen him play just don't know how great he was.
I played him an exhibition game in 1964 well past his prime but oh my he cut through racks like a hot knife thru butter.
I once heard a quote from him after his 100 game tour playing Greenleaf it went something like this "I studied all his mistakes and learned what not to do"
There have been and still are players that were and are capable of posting very high runs but none ever did it as pretty and smooth as Willie.
Right before he passed away he didn't know what day it was but ran a 100+ every day.