straight pool

Straight Pool is a very serious and competitive pool game. This is the pool game that is portrayed in many movies. It is generally played as a called shot game. It is scored in points, each player scores one point per ball pocketed; games run to 150 points. When all but one object ball on the table is pocketed, the balls are racked, without the foremost ball, and play continues.

The game begins with the object balls racked in a pyramid with the number one ball on the right corner, the number five ball on the left corner (view from the foot of the table), placed on the table so that the foremost ball is on the foot spot. Players may lag for the right to break.

A legal break must either drive at least two object balls to the cushions, or pocket a called shot. The failure to meet either of these conditions results in a 2 point penalty, and the opponent has the option of accepting the position or requiring another break.

A legally pocketed ball scores 1 point for the player and allows him/her to continue play. Each additionally pocketed ball on a legal shot scores an additional point.

When the penultimate ball of a rack is pocketed, the 14 pocketed balls are racked (with a space at the apex of the triangle on the foot spot), and play continues. If the last object ball would lie in the rack, it is placed at the apex of the triangle

If, on any shot, the cue ball or any object ball does not contact a rail, a foul is incurred, and a 1 point penalty assessed to the player who shot. If a player commits three sucessive fouls, he/she incurs an additional 15 point penalty.

Want more information? Please see billiards.

---

WickerNipple says: hey... according to the Standardized World Rules, 14 continuous is actually supposed to be called 14.1 Continuous

This is going to be nit-picky, but hell, it's a nit-picky game.

There were a few rules ommissions from the previous writeup:

Any ball that is pocketed on a non-legal stroke or on a shot where the called ball is not pocketed is immediately spotted. There is neither penalty nor point for this action.

When a player has the cue ball in the kitchen (behind the head string - in the two back dots - whatever you call it) and all numbered balls are also in the kitchen (making them illegal targets) the player may elect to spot the numbered ball nearest to the head string.

Any player may choose to make a safety shot as a defensive measure. That player's turn will end immediately at the end of the safety shot, any balls pocketed are not scored and are then spotted.

One correction or rather clarification... According to the Standardized World Rules of 1997:

On all shots, a player must cause the cue ball to contact an object ball and then (1) pocket a numbered ball, or (2) cause the cue ball or any numbered ball to contact a cushion. Failure to meet these requirements is a foul.

This is a frequently misinterpreted rule, and an important one. In order for the cue ball to count as contacting the cushion for the purpose of a shot not being declared foul, it must first contact an object ball. You can't simply hit the cue ball into a rail in order to avoid penalty and damage your opponent's position.

---

Ouroboros: Well... in terms of finding it, I first looked under Straight Pool, since that's what I've always referred to it as... the game gets called at least a dozen different things but professionally at least they call it 14-1... I suppose it's spelled 14.1 but I never knew that until I went to look it up this afternoon...

...and sure, you can bounce the cue off the rail when you're breaking to nestle it into the pile - as long as at least 2 of the numbered balls hit a rail afterwards... it's the same Ball-Rail rule that exists for table scratches in 8-Ball