Originally conceived in the 15th century, Straight Pool was popular in the United States until the 1980s when it was replaced by eight-ball and nine-ball. It was also featured in the 1961 film The Hustler. The current straight pool record is 714 points, set in 2022 by Jayshaw.
Unlike other games, there are no restrictions on how many object balls can be pocketed in a straight pool game. Any ball that is spotted on a table can be taken by the shooter, except the apex. The shooter is allowed to pocket any ball that is in an open position, or on a safety. However the pocketing ball doesn't count as a points. It is also possible to pocket a ball if it is on a tie-up or a dead ball.
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. When the shooter is done, he will return the cue ball to the rack and take the last remaining object ball to the table.
Straight Pool is one the few games that can easily be played with two players. Straight Pool can be played on a standard 15-ball rack. Each player can keep the last ball in the set and then take out the next 14 balls. The game goes to the winner if the player scores the most points.
The opening break is the shot that you take in straight pool. It is usually a softbreak, and the goal is to get the ball in the corner of the pack. The cueball is then rolled onto three rails, and into the corner of your table where you broke.