Willie Mosconi's High Run
- Thread starter oceanweb
- Start date
> This is the Wikipedia entry for it. "Willie set the world record by running 526 consecutive balls without a miss during a straight pool exhibition on March 19,1954. To this day the record has not been toppled and many speculate it may never be bested. The record was set on a 4 foot x 8 foot Brunswick pool table at the East High Billiard Club in Springfield, Ohio. A handwritten and notarized affidavit with the signatures of more than 35 eye witnesses exists as proof of this feat. There have been some reports of some players who claimed to have made straight pool runs above 600 or even 700. But these were never approved by the Billiard Congress of America to be considered official."
I can drive you directly to the school where this took place,although according to my research the table isn't there any more. It was said to have just huge pockets. It's also been said the only reason it's been accepted as the record high-run was because a local lawyer drew up the document himself,collecting signatures. If not for this run,the official record would still be 309-unfinished by Irving Crane on a 5x10.
I read an article I think was written by Charlie Ursitti,that said Mosconi told him that someone told Willie the 526 had been eclipsed,so he ran a 589,missed,and ran a 609-unfinished right behind it.
Who really cares about the looseness of the equipment? The 526 is still an absolute MONSTER.
I wish quality video of Mosconi in his prime existed. Tommy D.
I can drive you directly to the school where this took place,although according to my research the table isn't there any more. It was said to have just huge pockets. It's also been said the only reason it's been accepted as the record high-run was because a local lawyer drew up the document himself,collecting signatures. If not for this run,the official record would still be 309-unfinished by Irving Crane on a 5x10.
I read an article I think was written by Charlie Ursitti,that said Mosconi told him that someone told Willie the 526 had been eclipsed,so he ran a 589,missed,and ran a 609-unfinished right behind it.
Who really cares about the looseness of the equipment? The 526 is still an absolute MONSTER.
I wish quality video of Mosconi in his prime existed. Tommy D.
Tommy-D said:
I sincerely appreciate your kind and thoughtful response to my post. It has always puzzled me why this record has yet to be broken. I can think of at least a 3 players today who have the potential of besting Willies' score if played on the same equipment.
They are:
Efren Reyes
John Schmidt
Stevie Moore
Last edited:
Secaucus Fats
Banned
Mosconi ran 526 on March 19, 1954 at the East High Billiard Club in Springfield Ohio. The table he used was a 4'x8'. Here is a picture of the affidavit:
Last edited:
oceanweb said:
A few decades ago the straight pool was the main game, lots of tournaments, lots of exhibitions and lots of gambling. The reason that the record hasn't been broken officially is that there hasn't been many opportunities for a top player to break this record. There has been a few runs over this but no witnesses. And while the 14.1 is rarely a tournament game nowadays, there aren't many who are actually playing straight pool. Go to a major pool hall and see for yourself, no one is playing straight pool. Records cannot be broken if no one is playing the game
Last edited:
oceanweb said:
Half right.
It was a 4 x 8, it had standard sized pockets.
Do a search, much has been explained about
"The Run" in previous discussions.
FWIW I was told by some one who came into the room shortly
after the event was over, the room had a 9 footer.
Willie couldn't play on it because it wasn't a Brunswick
Dale Pierce
oceanweb said:
I'm not trying to sound like a jerk here. If some one or a group offered $1,000,000 to any one who beat it, and made the requirements fair (like the table that John Schmidt did his 400 on), there would be a new millianare within a couple of months. This is just my opinion...
Oh, by the way, I would pay a hundred towards the tape
.Billiardpete out
billiardpete said:I'm not trying to sound like a jerk here. If some one or a group offered $1,000,000 to any one who beat it, and made the requirements fair (like the table that John Schmidt did his 400 on), there would be a new millianare within a couple of months. This is just my opinion...
Oh, by the way, I would pay a hundred towards the tape
Billiardpete out
Agreed 100%.
billiardpete said:I'm not trying to sound like a jerk here. If some one or a group offered $1,000,000 to any one who beat it, and made the requirements fair (like the table that John Schmidt did his 400 on), there would be a new millianare within a couple of months. This is just my opinion...
Oh, by the way, I would pay a hundred towards the tape
Billiardpete out
So you have John's DVD too huh?
I think Mosconi's record has held because it's a hell of a lot harder to sustain a long run than people think. For a great player, getting to 100 is not so uncommon. A late friend of mine, George Mikula, did it nearly everyday in NYC. Getting to 200 is a lot less common. George would do that every week or so. Reaching 300 is phenominal. I never saw George get past about 275. And George was a superb straight pool technician, as well as a world class 3c player. 9-ball was child's play for George.
As for Mosconi, I saw him give two live exhibitions. In the first, he ran 57 and scratched when a ball kicked the cueball in. At his next turn to the table, he ran 93 and out. He turned to the audience and asked if we wished to see him run 150. Of course we all said, yes. So he did. Then he stopped and did trick shots.
The second exhibition, he ran 150 and out from the opening break. Then he asked if we wanted to see him run to 200. We did, and he did it. Then he ended his run, unfinished, and did trick shots. The table was a standard 4.5x9 Brunswich GC. I don't recall the pocket size, but I played on it a lot when I was in college and it was neither tight nor loose playing.
Anyone who questions Mosconi's genius never saw him play, and damn sure never played against him. I've heard many who knew him say he was tempermental, a prima donna and an irascible *****. I don't know if those claims are true or not, but I don't know anyone who saw him anywhere close to his prime who would challenge his greatness. And I never even heard of another player who could claim to beat him head to head ... excluding "Minnesota Fats" for obvious reasons.
As for a modern player besting Mosconi's run, I think John Schmit, Thorsten Holman or Danny Edwards might have a chance. Possibly Sigel in his prime, had he concentrated on straight pool. Reyes, as great as he is, would be a very unlikely choice. He has too many lapses and doesn't know straight pool well enough.
As for Mosconi, I saw him give two live exhibitions. In the first, he ran 57 and scratched when a ball kicked the cueball in. At his next turn to the table, he ran 93 and out. He turned to the audience and asked if we wished to see him run 150. Of course we all said, yes. So he did. Then he stopped and did trick shots.
The second exhibition, he ran 150 and out from the opening break. Then he asked if we wanted to see him run to 200. We did, and he did it. Then he ended his run, unfinished, and did trick shots. The table was a standard 4.5x9 Brunswich GC. I don't recall the pocket size, but I played on it a lot when I was in college and it was neither tight nor loose playing.
Anyone who questions Mosconi's genius never saw him play, and damn sure never played against him. I've heard many who knew him say he was tempermental, a prima donna and an irascible *****. I don't know if those claims are true or not, but I don't know anyone who saw him anywhere close to his prime who would challenge his greatness. And I never even heard of another player who could claim to beat him head to head ... excluding "Minnesota Fats" for obvious reasons.
As for a modern player besting Mosconi's run, I think John Schmit, Thorsten Holman or Danny Edwards might have a chance. Possibly Sigel in his prime, had he concentrated on straight pool. Reyes, as great as he is, would be a very unlikely choice. He has too many lapses and doesn't know straight pool well enough.
Last edited:
Can anyone help me out here, how many players have broken the following barriers?
100 = ? (Thousands?)
200 = ? (Maybe 50-100?)
300 = ? (Maybe 20?)
400 = ? (Maybe 5-10?)
500 = ? (Maybe 3?)
600 = ? (Maybe 2?)
700 = ? (I'm guessing only 1 unconfirmed?)
Obviously I'm only looking for ball park figures, I'm especially keen to know the 300 and 400 figures, still amazes me that so few players have broken these numbers. Just goes to show how difficult it can be past 100-200.
100 = ? (Thousands?)
200 = ? (Maybe 50-100?)
300 = ? (Maybe 20?)
400 = ? (Maybe 5-10?)
500 = ? (Maybe 3?)
600 = ? (Maybe 2?)
700 = ? (I'm guessing only 1 unconfirmed?)
Obviously I'm only looking for ball park figures, I'm especially keen to know the 300 and 400 figures, still amazes me that so few players have broken these numbers. Just goes to show how difficult it can be past 100-200.
It's probably been mentioned before that Mike Euphemia ran 625 balls on a 4.5X9. He was said to be a true practice player who would be by himself playing straight pool all the time. Folks who knew him would see him set up a 14.1 rack with a break ball to start his practice. Then the onlookers would bet on how far he could go. 200 balls would be considered an even up bet!
I'm just curious since I don't play any pocket games.
Isn't it true that even though a smaller table gives you shorter shots it also requires you to be more precise due to the table being more crowded, making big runs even more difficult?
Isn't it true that a World Class 9 ball, 8 ball or One Pocket player doesn't make someone a World Class 14.1 player?
Isn't true that to be great at 14.1 you need much more knowledge and skill than the other pocket games?
I find it simply amazing that anyone could stand before a rack and call a 200 run. I don't follow any of the pool players so I don't honestly know any of their abilities, but just believe there aint many if any that can call 200 and do it.
Isn't it true that even though a smaller table gives you shorter shots it also requires you to be more precise due to the table being more crowded, making big runs even more difficult?
Isn't it true that a World Class 9 ball, 8 ball or One Pocket player doesn't make someone a World Class 14.1 player?
Isn't true that to be great at 14.1 you need much more knowledge and skill than the other pocket games?
I find it simply amazing that anyone could stand before a rack and call a 200 run. I don't follow any of the pool players so I don't honestly know any of their abilities, but just believe there aint many if any that can call 200 and do it.
hi
i would like to mention something.lets not be so quick to say mosconis run would be broken,because thats a hell of a run.i mentioned that if someone put up huge money and let everyone try to break it it would be in jeopardy,well maybe so but can you imagine how tough those break balls would start looking at around 525 knowing if you keep going you can retire and if you miss you have to start over.sounds like fun and a nightmare at the sametime.also something to remember running 200 is not twice as hard as running 100 its 100 times harder and more unlikely.also running 400 is not twice as hard as 200 its 100 times harder and more unlikely etc etc.breaking his run in practice would take amazing skill ,luck,fortitude,etc,but doing it for a million would really be tough .having huge money on it though is the only way it would be broke because thats the only way me and the other players would put in the 2-5 years trying it to pull it off .thats still not saying we would pull it off but we would try like hell.well thats imho.talk to you guys later john schmidt
i would like to mention something.lets not be so quick to say mosconis run would be broken,because thats a hell of a run.i mentioned that if someone put up huge money and let everyone try to break it it would be in jeopardy,well maybe so but can you imagine how tough those break balls would start looking at around 525 knowing if you keep going you can retire and if you miss you have to start over.sounds like fun and a nightmare at the sametime.also something to remember running 200 is not twice as hard as running 100 its 100 times harder and more unlikely.also running 400 is not twice as hard as 200 its 100 times harder and more unlikely etc etc.breaking his run in practice would take amazing skill ,luck,fortitude,etc,but doing it for a million would really be tough .having huge money on it though is the only way it would be broke because thats the only way me and the other players would put in the 2-5 years trying it to pull it off .thats still not saying we would pull it off but we would try like hell.well thats imho.talk to you guys later john schmidt
