World Straight Pool Championship

The World Straight Pool Championship is a top-level competition for straight pool, also known as "14.1 continuous".

History In 1910, Jerome Keough invented straight pool as a way to increase the challenge over previous continuous games. Soon after the new rules were adopted for world championship play. The championship was the most prestigious pool tournament until the late 20th century, when the game of Nine-ball surpassed straight pool as the most prominent game for professional players. Other straight pool tournaments which are still held annually such as the American 14.1 Straight Pool Championship and the European Pool Championship 14.1, have gained prominence in recent years.

In 1948, Ruth McGinnis became the first woman to enter the event. On August 6, 1978, Jean Balukas became the first woman to qualify to play in the men's division of the event (she had also qualified in the women's division.) The event was held on August 12 of that year at the Biltmore Hotel located at 43rd Street and Madison Avenue in New York City.The New York Times Company (August 6, 1978). This Week in Sports. Retrieved May 1, 2007.

The event was revived in 2006, in part to restore straight pool's popularity in the United States. The World Straight Pool Championship was sanctioned by the World Pool-Billiard Association (WPA) in 2006, 2007, 2008, and 2010. The tournament continued unsanctioned from 2011 to 2019.

Ralph Greenleaf and Willie Mosconi are the most successful players having both won the tournament on 19 occasions. The oldest player to win the tournament is Irving Crane at 59 years old at the time of his victory. The youngest player to win the tournament is Ralph Greenleaf at 20 years old at the time of his first victory.

Format In the most recent format of the tournament, all 64 players are divided into 8 groups where they play in round-robin format. Each in this round is a to 100 points. The leading 4 players in each group proceed to the next round.

The games of the last-32 round are played in double-elimination format until 16 players remain. Matches are extended to races to 150 points.

The games in the last-16 round are played in single-elimination format, and matches are extended, to races to 200 points. The finals match is further extended to a race to 300 points (with a half-hour break occurring when a player reaches 150).

Winners

Sanctioned World Championship events

World Straight Pool Championship

Year Winner Runner-up 1912 Edward Ralph James Maturo 1912 Edward Ralph Alfredo De Oro 1912 Alfredo De Oro Edward Ralph 1912 Alfredo De Oro Frank Sherman 1913 Alfredo De Oro James Maturo 1913 Alfredo De Oro Thomas Hueston 1913 Bennie Allen Alfredo De Oro 1913 Bennie Allen Charles Weston 1914 Bennie Allen James Maturo 1914 Bennie Allen Edward Ralph 1914 Bennie Allen Ray Pratt 1914 Bennie Allen James Maturo 1916 Emmett Blankenship Johnny Layton 1916 Johnny Layton Emmett Blankenship 1916 Frank Taberski Johnny Layton 1916 Frank Taberski Ralph Greenleaf 1916 Frank Taberski Edward Ralph 1917 Frank Taberski James Maturo 1917 Frank Taberski Louis Kreuter 1917 Frank Taberski Bennie Allen 1917 Frank Taberski Larry Stoutenberg 1917 Frank Taberski Joseph Concannon 1917 Frank Taberski Louis Kreuter 1918 Frank Taberski Ralph Greenleaf 1919 Ralph Greenleaf Bennie Allen 1920 Ralph Greenleaf Arthur Woods 1921 Ralph Greenleaf Arthur Woods 1922 Ralph Greenleaf Thomas Hueston 1922 Ralph Greenleaf Walter Franklin 1922 Ralph Greenleaf Bennie Allen 1922 Ralph Greenleaf Arthur Church 1923 Ralph Greenleaf Thomas Hueston 1924 Ralph Greenleaf Bennie Allen 1926 Ralph Greenleaf Erwin Rudolph 1927 Erwin Rudolph Ralph Greenleaf 1927 Erwin Rudolph Harry Oswald 1927 Thomas Hueston Erwin Rudolph 1927 Frank Taberski Thomas Hueston 1927 Frank Taberski Pasquale Natalie 1928 Frank Taberski Arthur Woods 1928 Ralph Greenleaf Andrew Jean 1928 Frank Taberski Ralph Greenleaf 1929 Ralph Greenleaf Erwin Rudolph 1930 Erwin Rudolph Ralph Greenleaf 1931 Ralph Greenleaf George Kelly 1932 Ralph Greenleaf Jimmy Caras 1933 Ralph Greenleaf Andrew Ponzi 1933 Erwin Rudolph Andrew Ponzi 1934 Andrew Ponzi Erwin Rudolph 1935 Jimmy Caras Erwin Rudolph 1936 Jimmy Caras Erwin Rudolph 1937 Ralph Greenleaf Andrew Ponzi 1937 Ralph Greenleaf Irving Crane 1938 Jimmy Caras Andrew Ponzi 1940 Andrew Ponzi Jimmy Caras 1941 Willie Mosconi Andrew Ponzi 1941 Erwin Rudolph Irving Crane 1942 Irving Crane Erwin Rudolph 1942 Willie Mosconi Andrew Ponzi 1943 Andrew Ponzi Willie Mosconi 1943 Andrew Ponzi Irving Crane 1944 Willie Mosconi Andrew Ponzi 1945 Willie Mosconi Ralph Greenleaf 1946 Willie Mosconi Jimmy Caras 1946 Willie Mosconi Irving Crane 1946 Irving Crane Willie Mosconi 1947 Willie Mosconi Irving Crane 1947 Willie Mosconi Jimmy Caras 1948 Willie Mosconi Andrew Ponzi 1949 Jimmy Caras Willie Mosconi 1950 Willie Mosconi Irving Crane 1951 Willie Mosconi Irving Crane 1952 Willie Mosconi Irving Crane 1953 Willie Mosconi Joseph Procita 1954 Willie Mosconi Joseph Procita 1955 Irving Crane Willie Mosconi 1955 Willie Mosconi Irving Crane 1956 Willie Mosconi Jimmy Caras 1956 Willie Mosconi Irving Crane 1963 Luther Lassiter Jimmy Moore 1964 Luther Lassiter Arthur Cranfield 1964 Arthur Cranfield Luther Lassiter 1965 Cisero Murphy Luther Lassiter 1965 Joe Balsis Jimmy Moore 1966 Luther Lassiter Cisero Murphy 1966 Joe Balsis Willie Mosconi 1966 Luther Lassiter Cisero Murphy 1967 Luther Lassiter Jack Breit 1968 Irving Crane Luther Lassiter 1969 Ed Kelly Cisero Murphy 1970 Irving Crane Steve Mizerak 1971 Ray Martin Joe Balsis 1972 Irving Crane Lou Butera 1973 Lou Butera Irving Crane 1974 Ray Martin Allen Hopkins 1976 Larry Lisciotti Steve Mizerak 1977 Allen Hopkins Peter Margo 1978 Ray Martin Allen Hopkins 1979 Mike Sigel Joe Balsis 1980 Nick Varner Mike Sigel 1981 Mike Sigel Nick Varner 1982 Steve Mizerak Danny DiLiberto 1983 Steve Mizerak Jimmy Fusco 1986 Nick Varner Allen Hopkins 1988 Mike Sigel Allen Hopkins 1990 Bobby Hunter Ray Martin Not held from 1991 to 2005 2006 Thorsten Hohmann Thomas Engert 2007 Oliver Ortmann Huidji See 2008 Niels Feijen Francisco Bustamante 2010 Oliver Ortmann Mika Immonen

Top performers

Rank Name Nationality Winner1 Ralph Greenleaf19 Willie Mosconi2 Frank Taberski143 Luther Lassiter74 Irving Crane 6 Bennie Allen5 Erwin Rudolph5 Jimmy Caras6 Andrew Ponzi4 Alfredo de Oro7 Mike Sigel 3 Ray Martin Joe Balsis8 Edward Ralph2 Nick Varner Oliver Ortmann Steve Mizerak

In the event of identical records, players are sorted in alphabetical order by first name.

Dragon 14.1 Tournament In 2009, Dragon Promotions created the Dragon 14.1 Tournament, later known as the World 14.1 Tournament.

Year Winner Runner-up 2009 Stephan Cohen Mika Immonen 2011 Thorsten Hohmann Mike Davis 2012 John Schmidt Efren Reyes 2013 Thorsten Hohmann (2) Darren Appleton 2014 Darren Appleton Shane Van Boening 2015 Thorsten Hohmann (3) Darren Appleton 2016 Mika Immonen Earl Strickland 2017 Lee Vann Corteza Thorsten Hohmann 2018 Thorsten Hohmann (4) Tony Robles 2019 Shane Van Boening Corey Deuel

See also

Notes

References