Straight pool

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Straight pool, also called 14.1 continuous, is a cue sport in which two competing players attempt to pocket as many object balls as possible without playing a foul. The game was the primary version of pool played in professional competition until it was superseded by faster-playing games like nine-ball and eight-ball in the 1980s.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 call and attempt to pocket any object ball on the table regardless of its number or color until only one object ball and the cue ball 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 go 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 was notably played in the 1961 film The Hustler. The World Straight Pool Championship was held from 1911 until 1990, and again from 2006 until 2019. The game is currently represented at a continental level in events such as the International Straight Pool Open and the European Pool Championships' straight pool event.