Tired of hearing how straight pool is the best game

[DynoDan]

Rotation was the very first game I learned (and likely why there are separate ball shelves at the end of the table). Like straight pool, it is probably no longer popular because a rudimentary command of basic math is actually required. Younger generations who couldn’t add up the # of their fingers & toes without an electronic calculator, need only count to 9 (or 10). It’s also no surprise that 8 ball is the ‘bar room’ game, since no math at all is involved. Just ask any random younger player today in a poolroom that has older GCs, if they know what the numbered thumbwheels in the foot rail are for? (or how to use them), and you’ll just likely get a blank stare.
BTW: One thing about playing rotation, you WILL learn how to make combos. A helpful skill for winning at 9-ball.

 

[measureman]

We call it Chicago. We played it for days on end for cash, 7 ways no deductions.
1,5,8,10.13,15 are the money balls or 6 ways, 61 points was the 7th way.
We played heads up or 1&8 partners. If you got 7 ways it was a roundhouse, paid double.
$ 20.00 a way was 140.00 a rack,,,,a roundhouse was 280.00
If I get 4 ways and you get 3, I get paid 80.00.
When playing partners if you got a roundhouse by yourself it paid triple 420.00
There are other variations.

I played the game a lot back in Jersey,not at all in Colorado.
Commonly called 1&5 there.
One shot push out.
We played 5 ways 5-8-10-15 and game no deductions.
1 & 5 were partners or if you had the 1&5 then the 8 partnered up and so on.
I once played it 3 days straight with no time outs, the last day was brutal as we had run out of nose candy.
Also played a lot of Keno back in Jersey,never heard it mentioned here in Colorado the big ring game here is golf on snooker tables.

 

[SmoothStroke]

I played the game a lot back in Jersey,not at all in Colorado.
Commonly called 1&5 there.
One shot push out.
We played 5 ways 5-8-10-15 and game no deductions.
1 & 5 were partners or if you had the 1&5 then the 8 partnered up and so on.
I once played it 3 days straight with no time outs, the last day was brutal as we had run out of nose candy.
Also played a lot of Keno back in Jersey,never heard it mentioned here in Colorado the big ring game here is golf on snooker tables.

I think we're cousins.

 

[VIProfessor]

We call it Chicago. We played it for days on end for cash, 7 ways no deductions.
1,5,8,10.13,15 are the money balls or 6 ways, 61 points was the 7th way.
We played heads up or 1&8 partners. If you got 7 ways it was a roundhouse, paid double.
$ 20.00 a way was 140.00 a rack,,,,a roundhouse was 280.00
If I get 4 ways and you get 3, I get paid 80.00.
When playing partners if you got a roundhouse by yourself it paid triple 420.00
There are other variations.

In the Virgin Islands we called it "Juice" and played it 3 or 4-handed with five money balls (5, 8, 11, 13, & 15), and the last money ball was worth double. Depending on the players and the situation, the price per ball went from "half and one (.50 and a $1)" all the way to $100 and $200. The latter was late at night with the "big boys"!

Juice games ran every day from the time the room opened to the time it closed, and a number of local players made a good living from that game in the 70's and 80's. The shotmaking, kicking and banking that the game produced was phenomenal!

 

[MitchAlsup]

It's the worst game for developing your game imo. This goes for one pocket, bank pool whatever. All top 9 ball players have become the top straight pool, banks, and one pocket players where before there were players who specialized in these games...ie frost, schmidt. Now the top players are the top players.

The real game is rotation pool 1 through 15...ask Efren. 9 and 10 ball are baby versions of this. 8 ball if fun on a 7ft table.

If you like a hard game, you play 14.1 continuous rotation. Yes, rotation !! You have to make the last ball (the 15 ball) and hit the 1-ball (at the head of the rack) on the cross over break.

 

[VIProfessor]

I must add something to my previous post. Unfortunately, there was absolutely NO straight pool played in the VI in my youth, so I had ZERO exposure to the game until my mid-20's when I went to UMASS and met Jim Martin and Bob Lisciotti (yes, Larry's cousin), and started locking horns everyday with Poolbum and Cornerman in the University poolroom.

The point is that I really wish I had been exposed to 14.1 in my youth at the same time (or BEFORE) I learned rotation and 8-ball. I believe I would have been a much stronger player. And don't even mention one-pocket!

It's not one or the other. The best is to learn all the games.

 

[GentlemanJames]

If you like a hard game, you play 14.1 continuous rotation. Yes, rotation !! You have to make the last ball (the 15 ball) and hit the 1-ball (at the head of the rack) on the cross over break.

YES!!! Being masochist older teenagers, we used to do this back in the Stone Age; but re-racked with the 15 ball left as the Key-Ball, and, we upped the game to 121 and out. Brutal, but Loved it!!! If I had to put a name on that game today, I guess I would call it: 121 Continuous Rotation - GJ

 

[measureman]

I grew up playing straight pool in the early '60's it was the game of choice in the New Jersey area and we had many great and real good players.
Straight pool teaches everything you need to know to play all games.
Patterns (good for all games)
Close tight position
Combo's
Caroms (when in desperate situations)
Banks
Bumping balls for break shots
Opening up clusters
Safety play (real important)
Strategy
And probably more I cant think of.
And I learned how to keep score on a set of beads in the room I played,we had Anniversary tables that had no built in scorekeepers.

 

[Cameron Smith]

I too struggle to make all 14 balls

 

[DynoDan]

I grew up playing straight pool in the early '60's it was the game of choice in the New Jersey area and we had many great and real good players.
Straight pool teaches everything you need to know to play all games.
Patterns (good for all games)
Close tight position
Combo's
Caroms (when in desperate situations)
Banks
Bumping balls for break shots
Opening up clusters
Safety play (real important)
Strategy
And probably more I cant think of.
And I learned how to keep score on a set of beads in the room I played,we had Anniversary tables that had no built in scorekeepers.

That’s exactly MY story (just substitute Illinois for N.J.). I really miss flipping those beads (high ceiling required though). Also, thumping the butt of your cue on a wooden poolroom floor when your opponent makes a terrific shot (futile now, since everywhere has carpet).

 

[SmoothStroke]

In the Virgin Islands we called it "Juice" and played it 3 or 4-handed with five money balls (5, 8, 11, 13, & 15), and the last money ball was worth double. Depending on the players and the situation, the price per ball went from "half and one (.50 and a $1)" all the way to $100 and $200. The latter was late at night with the "big boys"!

Juice games ran every day from the time the room opened to the time it closed, and a number of local players made a good living from that game in the 70's and 80's. The shotmaking, kicking and banking that the game produced was phenomenal!

We also bet it up pretty good. We called 3 handed ace alone.
I agree, the shotmaking, banks, kicks, navigating around the balls was phenomenal.
There was more thinking and strategy involved with pushout. Today 9 and 10 ball are very linear, easier to play.

We played on rag cloths with cigarette burns, everyone had a big stroke, and finesse. You had to really load
it up for a full table draw, practically get a running start. Today you can draw table length with 1/2 a stroke.
Even when they cleaned the balls they were still filthy, sticky.
If you missed a spot shot you choked, and the other players let you know it.

When the equipment changed I had to learn to back off on my stroke.
Chicago was a fun action game, win or lose it was fun, and challenging. Rod Stewart was stealing his daddys
cue on the radio and players were standing next to you waiting for you to dog it.

I still love straight pool and 3 cushion.

 

[tomatoshooter]

It's not one or the other. The best is to learn all the games.

Yes. Eight ball is my favorite but I enjoy the different games because each one demands different skills and has different shots that come up a lot. In 9 ball you may have to run up and down the table. in straight pool you do a lot of maneuvering in tight spaces. One pocket has a lot of banks.

 

[tomatoshooter]

I too struggle to make all 14 balls

I can never get those last 4 balls without flubbing position and being unable to get on the break ball.

 

[measureman]

That’s exactly MY story (just substitute Illinois for N.J.). I really miss flipping those beads (high ceiling required though). Also, thumping the butt of your cue on a wooden poolroom floor when your opponent makes a terrific shot (futile now, since everywhere has carpet).

Felt billiards in Englewood,Co is huge and has hard wood floors.

 

[14.1'er]

We know, it's hard when you don't have the next number up telling you what you have to do next,
You gotta think and improvise ,be creative in those games you don't like, which you obviously can't do

My thoughts exactly. People don't like it cause they don't know how to play it. It's a game you really need to think about. Just one mistake, and the match can be over. You need to choose the correct balls to shoot, you need to constantly go into other balls, choose a brake ball, or manufacturer one. It's a longer game, and you may not shoot for several racks, then get up and miss. People today want fast action games for fast cash.

 

[thenaturalpoolplayer]

We know, it's hard when you don't have the next number up telling you what you have to do next,
You gotta think and improvise ,be creative in those games you don't like, which you obviously can't do

Other way around. We know its hard for you to get position on a specific ball, so let's create a game where you can shoot any ball you want. You have players running into the hundreds regularly...there is no creativity, its just recognizing problems and patterns...its autopilot. Probably 99% of the time there is one ball to shoot anyway...not like you are deciding "hmmmm which of these 15 balls am I going to shoot next?" lol

 

[axejunkie]

Other way around. We know its hard for you to get position on a specific ball, so let's create a game where you can shoot any ball you want. You have players running into the hundreds regularly...there is no creativity, its just recognizing problems and patterns...its autopilot.

If you shoot any ball you want, you probably won't run into the hundreds. No creativity? Perhaps relative to one pocket but not rotation games.

 

[thenaturalpoolplayer]

If you shoot any ball you want, you probably won't run into the hundreds. No creativity? Perhaps relative to one pocket but not rotation games.

Don't you just smash them on the break?

 

[CESSNA10]

It's the worst game for developing your game imo. This goes for one pocket, bank pool whatever. All top 9 ball players have become the top straight pool, banks, and one pocket players where before there were players who specialized in these games...ie frost, schmidt. Now the top players are the top players.

The real game is rotation pool 1 through 15...ask Efren. 9 and 10 ball are baby versions of this. 8 ball if fun on a 7ft table.

Sorry, it is the best game, requires the most mental capacity and teaches all aspects of the game.
This is all we played in New York. After moving to Georgia in 2005 hard to find
anyone who has ever p;ayed the game. Most that criticize it don't have the patience to get to
understand it.

 

[Texas Carom Club]

Other way around. We know its hard for you to get position on a specific ball, so let's create a game where you can shoot any ball you want. You have players running into the hundreds regularly...there is no creativity, its just recognizing problems and patterns...its autopilot. Probably 99% of the time there is one ball to shoot anyway...not like you are deciding "hmmmm which of these 15 balls am I going to shoot next?" lol

you couldn't run 5 on an open 9 ball rack and you think everyone's running 100s like snapping your fingers , think about that for a second, wait that's not your strong point