Hey Zee - Pool Stories Needed

[HDPM]

Internet sites are reporting Johnny Ervolino passed away a couple days ago. He is from your neck of the woods and some stories are circulating about him. You ever match up, etc...? Apparently he still hit some at the Cue Club in Las Vegas until recently. Some say he could still run balls in 14.1 and play good one pocket until the end. I never saw him play tho.

[Daliman]

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Some say he could still run balls in 14.1

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What does this mean? He could run the table in 14.1 seconds?

[Leo99]

14.1 is straight pool. You start with 15 balls and shoot until 1 is left. The 1 stays on the table and other 14 get racked and you keep . I prefer 9-ball or 8-ball.

[HDPM]

14.1 is straight pool. Make the first 14, leave a break ball, make the break ball, bust the rack, keep going. East coast guys were masters at it. The game isn't very popular anymore and doesn't work on small tables that require quarters to get the balls out. Some modern guys can still play it well, but they don't get a chance to show their straght pool games. Have you seen The Hustler? Straight pool is the game in that.

[Leo99]

I've been hustled more than once by east coast guys at straight pool. "Yeah, we'll play to 50 and I'll spot you 35. You only need to make 15 and I have to make 50." Sounds fair, huh?

[HDPM]

It depends. /images/graemlins/smirk.gif

I can run 15 sometimes, but those guys who can constantly run 100's are sick. And when they are that good you don't get to run 15 very often of course.

BTW, if you don't have it, you need the tape where Sigel runs 150 and out on Zuglan in the US Open. Ervolino comes into the booth to announce and is great. He has that unbelievable voice and calls like 10 balls ahead. "Nah, Sigel will make the 13 and if he gets on the 9 it will be 9,7, 10, 14, 3, and 12 for the break ball. I like that because you can just shoot stop, stop, stop, stop, stop, stop, and out here...." Then Sigel would do it. Sigel had like 2 problems in 150 balls.

[scrub]

[ QUOTE ]
Internet sites are reporting Johnny Ervolino passed away a couple days ago. He is from your neck of the woods and some stories are circulating about him. You ever match up, etc...? Apparently he still hit some at the Cue Club in Las Vegas until recently. Some say he could still run balls in 14.1 and play good one pocket until the end. I never saw him play tho.

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Sort of a hijack, but I've played poker with Alan Hopkins a few times in AC. Pretty interesting guy...

scrub

[Evan]

My over/under on you posting that comment was ~11:00, looks like I was a little too ambitous.

[Ray Zee]

yea i knew him a little. i stayed far away as i could. not because he was good. but he was. he left the east coast in the late 60's maybe 1970, and got a job dealing bj at ceasers in vegas. he stayed at that for many years. pool and losing backers was what he was best at. he was one of those pool types that anything you did with him wouldnt work out to your benefit. everything aside. most good east coast players never lost much if you could beat them or trap them in a game. thats why most went out west. the players there lost all they had everytime you found a way to get them down.

[HDPM]

Thanks. The discussions on him haven't included your insight. /images/graemlins/smirk.gif

[TMFS9]

I'm still trying to understand all of the rules of the 14.1. I googled for the rules but it reads like a Law school text book. So the rules as I understand them are you just have to pocket a ball (into a called pocket) until you miss but you don't have to go in order like 9 ball, correct? Now after you make all but one ball, you rerack the pocketed balls and then you must make the last ball and on the same stroke break up the rack and then continue? Is that all there is?

[HDPM]

Yes basically. The only time things get confusing is when the cue ball and 15th object ball are left in the rack after the 14 balls are made. There is that chart for what to do. General rules of pool apply, i.e. driving a ball to a cushion, etc... You don't have to go in order - it isn't a rotation game. It is a great game.

[mcb]

Sounds right but I dont think you have to pocket the last ball before breaking the reracked balls. This form of play is also called "Straight Pool".

[TMFS9]

so if you don't have to make the last ball, do you have to make one on the break to continue?

[HDPM]

All balls must be called. So if you can pick one out of the rack and call it, fine. But you don't just get to smash into the rack and take whatever ball falls and keep going like in open break games such as 9 ball. If you make the ball you call, any others on the stroke count. So let's say you leave a break ball, make it and get into the rack, any balls that go count since you made your called ball. Often if you get out of line on the break shot you will call a safety, make the 15th ball, and have it spot. So the opponent has a shot at the rack. He will then try to play safe by just glancing off the rack usually. You don't want to bust the balls open for the opponent. You can always play any ball at any time. So you can hit the rack instead of the 15th ball. And maybe you have to if you leave yourself in a horrible position. But you still don't want to smash the rack apart unless you are the one who gets to shoot at the loose balls.

Also whe I say call the ball, it isn't like how people in bars sometimes say you have to do it. All you have to do is call the ball and pocket. You don't specify how it gets there. Combos, caroms, etc... are all fair game.