Straight Pool (AKA-14:1, 14.1 Continuous)

Straight Pool is played with one cue ball and a full set of pool balls. Players may shoot at any ball on the table using the cue ball with the goal to reach a set number of points determined before play begins.

Each ball pocketed is typically worth one point with games usually played to 100 or 125 points. To rack all balls must be touching in the triangle rack with the 1 and 5 balls on the bottom two corners.

Here’s where it gets tricky: you have to call your first shot on the break! That’s right, you need to call where the first ball you’re going to pocket is going to go in. (The cue ball can also go into the pocket you call and counts.) It doesn’t stop there either, you must also get at least two additional balls to touch a rail.

If the player breaking fails to pocket a ball and leave two touching a rail it is a foul. The player is penalized -2 points and the opposing player has the option to accept the break or request a re-rack and break by the offending player. This continues until there are no violations on the break. If the breaking player scratches on their break, they are assessed -1 point penalty. The opposing player is awarded the cue ball in hand behind the head string. (Cue Ball In Hand means that the player gets to put the ball wherever they choose, as long as it’s behind the head string.)

A legally pocketed ball entitles the shooter to continue to shoot until they fail to pocket a called shot. Each ball and pool table pocket must be called on every shot. Any additional balls pocketed on a legal shot is scored as one point for the shooter.

When all the balls have been legally pocketed, play is suspended and the balls are re-racked on the pool table.

A safety shot may be called by the shooter. In this case the play passes to the opponent at the end of the shot and any ball pocketed on the safety is spotted.

If a player commits three consecutive fouls in a row, without making a called shot, it falls into the Successive Foul Penalty Rule, where a point is subtracted for each foul, plus (after 3 consecutive fouls) the player is docked 15 points. The 3rd foul clears the previous fouls on the player’s record. The opposing player has the choice of accepting the balls in position or requesting a re-rack and having the offending player break, with opening break rules applying.

The first player to reach the pre-determined winning score wins the game and a new game is started.