Straight pool, which is also called 14.1 continuous and 14.1 rack, is a cue sport in which two competing players attempt to as many billiard balls as possible without playing a . The game was the primary version of pool played in professional competition until it was superseded by faster-playing games like nine-ball and eight-ball in the 1980s.
In straight pool, the player may and attempt to pocket any object ball on the table regardless of its number or color until only one object ball and the remain, at which point the other fourteen balls are re-racked. At this point, play resumes with the objective of pocketing the remaining ball in a manner that causes the cue ball to carom into the rack, spreading out the balls and allowing the player to continue the run. The goal is to reach a set number of points that is determined by agreement before the game begins; traditionally 100 points is needed for a win, though professional matches may be higher. One point is scored by pocketing an object ball without a foul, while a point is deducted on a foul.
The game was most popular in the United States and is notably played in the 1961 film The Hustler. The World Straight Pool Championship was held from 1912 until 1990. The modern incarnation was held from 2006 until ending in 2010. The game is currently represented at a continental level in events such as the American 14.1 Straight Pool Championship and the European Pool Championship's straight pool event.
History
Straight pool is derived from an earlier game called continuous pool, in which points are earned for every ball that is . When all of the balls are potted, a new begins and the player who potted the final ball plays the . As players became skilled in scoring dozens of points in a single turn, they would often use defensive shots on the break to avoid their opponent potting the 15 balls on the table.
In 1910, Jerome Keogh, who won numerous continuous pool tournaments, wanted to increase the attacking nature from the break-off shot. He introduced the modern rule that the are re-racked not when all have been pocketed but after 14 have been sunk and one remains on the table. This new game became known as "14.1 continuous" and "14.1 rack", and in 1912 it became known as straight pool. The game quickly overtook continuous pool in popularity and was the most-played version of pool until Nine-ball and Eight-ball became popular.
Gameplay
In straight pool's first , the fifteen are racked with the center of the apex ball placed over the . Traditionally the is placed at the rack's right corner and the is placed at the rack's left corner for visibility, though there is no such rule requirement. Other balls are placed at random and must touch adjacent balls.
Unlike most pool games, the object of straight pool's standard initial break shot is to leave the opponent without the chance to pot a ball. This is known as a . All shots—including the break shot—in straight pool require , in which both the ball and pocket are called before the shot is taken. Some shots, such as and , do not have to be called. On the break, either the cue ball and two other balls must touch a rail, or a ball must be pocketed. The failure to accomplish either of these conditions results in a foul. Fouling on the initial break incurs a penalty loss of two points. In addition, the opponent has the choice of either accepting the table in position or of having the balls and requiring the offending player to repeat the opening break. All other fouls made during the game incur a one-point deduction, and a player incurs an additional 15-point penalty for committing three consecutive fouls.
The unique feature of straight pool is the racking that is played when one ball remains. These intra-game racks have a specific set of rules; when the rack is supposed to be replaced, if neither the cue ball nor the object ball remain in the rack area, the balls are replaced with no ball at the apex. At this point, the aim is to pot the remaining ball and carom into the pack of balls, allowing a shot on the next ball to continue the . Additional rules apply when either ball is in the position where the balls would usually be racked.