Today’s main post is about the rules of straight pool, also referred to as 14.1 or continuous pool. This is a game that on the surface appears very easy. No ball groups are assigned, which means you may shoot at any ball on the table. Then, the tricky parts begin. Straight pool is also a game of call shot, which means you must call the pocket and the ball you intend to put in it. Also keep in mind that your opponent can also shoot at any ball they desire, which means monumental pressure comes with every miss. I highly recommend if you want to see more of straight pool to watch the movie The Hustler, with Paul Newman and Jackie Gleason. So, how do we proceed to play a game of straight pool?
Each ball legally pocketed by a player counts as one point (the numbers on the balls have nothing to do with points) Every scratch is a one point penalty. Every time an object ball or the cue ball does not contact a rail after a hit, it is a one point penalty. If a player fails to pocket a ball on the opening break or to have the cue ball and two object balls contact a cushion, it is a two point penalty. The incoming player then has ball in hand behind the headstring, or may force the player who broke to rerack and break again. When not intending to make a ball, a player must call safety.
Prior to the game, both players determine a points total to race to. For beginners, the point total is usually 50-60 points. For intermediate players, 80-100, and professionals 120-150. After the point total is determined, players either lag or flip for the break. When racking the balls for the opening break, the one ball is placed at the lower right point of the rack, the five is placed on the left point, and a stripe is placed at the apex of the triangle on the foot spot.
During game play, all that is required by a player is to call the ball they intend to pocket, and where. Kisses, caroms, banks, and so forth do not need to be called. After fourteen balls are pocketed, they are reracked in the triangle area. If the 15th ball and the cue ball are outside the racking area, they remain in position to be used as a “breakout ball”. If the cue ball rests in the triangle area, it is spotted behind the head string. If the 15th ball is within the triangle area, it is racked at the apex of the triangle with the other balls. The number of balls pocketed by a player in succession is known as a run, and the period of play between a player’s first shot and their miss is known as an inning. The game is won when a player reaches the agreed upon point total.
Some basic beginner strategies of straight pool:
- Deal with clusters early. If you cannot play breakouts, play safe until you have a better chance to break them out.
- If you have the opening break, it is very difficult to pocket a ball from a full triangle, so it is best to call safe on the break. One of the best tactics is to hit the corner ball of your choice to knock it to the foot rail and back into the stack, which pushes the other corner ball out of the stack to the side rail and then back in again.
- When balls are down table toward the head rail, get to them as early as possible. You do not want to be stuck with a difficult shot that could endanger your run ending prematurely.
- You will often hear upper echalone players talk about the triangle formation for the last three balls in a straight pool rack. These balls form an obvious triangle, with the ball laying closet to the stack serving as the breakout ball. Typically, you would play position around the other two to set up for a break out.
For many decades, straight pool has been considered one of the ultimate tests of skill for pool players. It requires supreme position play in order to keep a run going, a continuous focus and concentration on each shot, and is a true test of nerves. At the professional level of straight pool, it is very likely that one miss could cost a player the match. If you want to become an even better 8 ball and 9 ball player, this is one of the games to practice most.