pool

Straight pool, also called 14.1 continuous, is a pocket billiards game, and was the common sport of championship competition until overtaken by faster-playing games like nine-ball (and to a lesser extent eight-ball). The game was formerly especially popular in the United States, and immortalized in the 1961 film The Hustler.

In straight pool, the shooter may attempt to pocket any ball on the table. The object is to reach a set number of points determined by agreement before the game. One point is scored for each ball pocketed where no foul is made. A typical game might require a player to score 100 points, meaning at least 100 balls must be pocketed to win. In professional venues, straight pool is usually played to 150 points. Straight pool is a call-pocket game, meaning the player must indicate the intended object ball and pocket on every shot. How the ball reaches the pocket is irrelevant, as long as the called ball enters the called pocket.

Although straight pool is well-known in the United States, Europe and Japan, the game is obscure in other countries that produce world-class players such as the Philippines. (Nevertheless, Filipino players Efren Reyes and Alex Pagulayan have both achieved continuous runs over 100.)