You may have heard a lot about eight ball and nine ball, and perhaps not as much about straight pool (also referred to as “14.1,” which is short for 14.1 continuous). Straight pool is a good game to learn because it will allow you to practice your basic skills while giving you a feel for competition. You can play the game with two players or in teams of two paired players. The rules are pretty straightforward, so you shouldn't have too much trouble learning them. Most of your shots will be soft and in close proximity to each other. Your main concern in this game is to get a good run going, pocket as many object balls during your inning, and score the predetermined amount of points before your opponent does.

Straight pool is called “fourteen-point-one” or “fourteen-one” because fourteen balls are pocketed while one ball is left outside the rack. Experienced players will use this ball as a break ball, which means to pocket the ball and break open the rack at the same time so they can continue their run.

Since straight pool is about keeping control of the table, most of the time you will be playing for position. Since the object of the game is to pocket a certain number of balls before your opponent does, the minute you miss or foul, you run the risk of your opponent having a better run on the table than you did, which could put your win in jeopardy. In straight pool you will quickly learn, if you haven't already, how important cue ball control is to position play and ultimately to being competitive.