Straight Pool was invented in the 15th Century. It was popular in the United States from the 1960s until it was abandoned by eight-ball or nine-ball. It was also featured prominently in The Hustler (61). Jayshaw established the current straight-pool record of 714 point in 2022.
There are no limits on the number of object balls that can be taken in straight pool games. The shooter can take any ball that is found on the table except for the apex. The shooter has the option to pocket a ball while it is in open position or while it is on a safety. But, the pocketing of a ball does not count for a point. A tie-up ball or dead ball can also be used as a pocket.
The only restriction in straight pool is that the shooter can never run ten balls. The shooter must take out the cueball and then keep the remaining object balls in the rack. He will then take the last object ball from the table when he is done.
Straight Pool is one the few games that can easily be played with two players. It can be played with a standard 15ball rack. Each player has the option to pocket the last ball of a set, and then break the 14 remaining balls. The game goes to the winner if the player scores the most points.
The first shot in straight pool is called the opening break. It is usually a softbreak, and the goal is to get the ball in the corner of the pack. The cue ball should then be rolled across three rails to the corner of where you broke.