World Straight Pool Championship

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The World Straight Pool Championship is a pool competition, that was held up until the game of Nine-ball became popularized in America. It was the most prestigious straight pool tournament up until the early 21st century, tournaments like the American 14.1 Straight Pool Championship and the European Pool Championship 14.1 that are still held annually, have gained prominence in recent years. During the tournament's early years, it was the only global professional title for straight pool (also known as 14.1 continuous). The event was revived in 2006, in part to restore the game's popularity in the United States.[1] The World Straight Pool Championship was sanctioned by the World Pool-Billiard Association (WPA) in 2006, 2007, 2008, and 2010.[2] The tournament continued unsanctioned from 2011 to 2019. Ralph Greenleaf & 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[edit]

In the modern format of the tournament, all 64 players are divided into 8 groups where they play in round-robin format. Each match in this round is a race to 100 points. The leading 4 players in each group proceed to the next round.[3]

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.[3]

The games in the last-16 round are played in single-elimination format, and matches are extended, to races to 200 points.[3] The finals match is further extended to a race to 300 points (with a half-hour break occurring when a player reaches 150).[4]

Winners[edit]

In 1910, Jerome Keough invented the game of Straight pool.[5]

Sanctioned World Championship events
  No sanctioning body (1912 to 1920)
  NBAA- National Billiard Association of America (1921 to 1940)
  BAA- Billiard Association of America (1941 to 1947)
  BCA- Billiard Congress of America (1948 to 1974)
  BRPAA- Billiard Room Proprietors Association of America (1963 to 1969)
  PPPA- Professional Pool Players Association (1976 to 1986)
  PBA- Professional Billiards Association (1988 to 1990)
  WPA- World Pool-Billiards Association (2006 to 2010)

World Straight Pool Championship[edit]

Year Winner Runner-up
1912 United States Edward Ralph United States James Maturo
1912 United States Edward Ralph Cuba Alfredo De Oro
1912 Cuba Alfredo De Oro United States Edward Ralph
1912 Cuba Alfredo De Oro United States Frank Sherman
1913 Cuba Alfredo De Oro United States James Maturo
1913 Cuba Alfredo De Oro United States Thomas Hueston
1913 United States Bennie Allen Cuba Alfredo De Oro
1913 United States Bennie Allen United States Charles Weston
1914 United States Bennie Allen United States James Maturo
1914 United States Bennie Allen United States Edward Ralph
1914 United States Bennie Allen United States Ray Pratt
1914 United States Bennie Allen United States James Maturo
1916 United States Emmett Blankenship United States Johnny Layton
1916 United States Johnny Layton United States Emmett Blankenship
1916 United States Frank Taberski United States Johnny Layton
1916 United States Frank Taberski United States Ralph Greenleaf
1916 United States Frank Taberski United States Edward Ralph
1917 United States Frank Taberski United States James Maturo
1917 United States Frank Taberski United States Louis Kreuter
1917 United States Frank Taberski United States Bennie Allen
1917 United States Frank Taberski United States Larry Stoutenberg
1917 United States Frank Taberski United States Joseph Concannon
1917 United States Frank Taberski United States Louis Kreuter
1918 United States Frank Taberski United States Ralph Greenleaf
1919 United States Ralph Greenleaf United States Bennie Allen
1920 United States Ralph Greenleaf United States Arthur Woods
1921 United States Ralph Greenleaf United States Arthur Woods
1921 United States Ralph Greenleaf United States Arthur Woods
1922 United States Ralph Greenleaf United States Thomas Hueston
1922 United States Ralph Greenleaf United States Walter Franklin
1922 United States Ralph Greenleaf United States Bennie Allen
1922 United States Ralph Greenleaf United States Arthur Church
1923 United States Ralph Greenleaf United States Thomas Hueston
1924 United States Ralph Greenleaf United States Bennie Allen
1926 United States Ralph Greenleaf United States Erwin Rudolph
1927 United States Erwin Rudolph United States Ralph Greenleaf
1927 United States Erwin Rudolph United States Harry Oswald
1927 United States Thomas Hueston United States Erwin Rudolph
1927 United States Frank Taberski United States Thomas Hueston
1927 United States Frank Taberski United States Pasquale Natalie
1928 United States Frank Taberski United States Arthur Woods
1928 United States Ralph Greenleaf United States Andrew Jean
1928 United States Frank Taberski United States Ralph Greenleaf
1929 United States Ralph Greenleaf United States Erwin Rudolph
1930 United States Erwin Rudolph United States Ralph Greenleaf
1931 United States Ralph Greenleaf United States George Kelly
1932 United States Ralph Greenleaf United States Jimmy Caras
1933 United States Ralph Greenleaf United States Andrew Ponzi
1933 United States Erwin Rudolph United States Andrew Ponzi
1934 United States Andrew Ponzi United States Erwin Rudolph
1935 United States Jimmy Caras United States Erwin Rudolph
1936 United States Jimmy Caras United States Erwin Rudolph
1937 United States Ralph Greenleaf United States Andrew Ponzi
1937 United States Ralph Greenleaf United States Irving Crane
1937 United States Ralph Greenleaf United States Irving Crane
1938 United States Jimmy Caras United States Andrew Ponzi
1938 United States Jimmy Caras United States Andrew Ponzi
1940 United States Andrew Ponzi United States Jimmy Caras
1941 United States Willie Mosconi United States Andrew Ponzi
1941 United States Erwin Rudolph United States Irving Crane
1942 United States Irving Crane United States Erwin Rudolph
1942 United States Willie Mosconi United States Andrew Ponzi
1943 United States Andrew Ponzi United States Willie Mosconi
1943 United States Andrew Ponzi United States Irving Crane
1944 United States Willie Mosconi United States Andrew Ponzi
1945 United States Willie Mosconi United States Ralph Greenleaf
1946 United States Willie Mosconi United States Jimmy Caras
1946 United States Willie Mosconi United States Irving Crane
1946 United States Irving Crane United States Willie Mosconi
1947 United States Willie Mosconi United States Irving Crane
1947 United States Willie Mosconi United States Jimmy Caras
1948 United States Willie Mosconi United States Andrew Ponzi
1949 United States Jimmy Caras United States Willie Mosconi
1950 United States Willie Mosconi United States Irving Crane
1951 United States Willie Mosconi United States Irving Crane
1951 United States Willie Mosconi United States Irving Crane
1952 United States Willie Mosconi United States Irving Crane
1953 United States Willie Mosconi United States Joseph Procita
1954 United States Willie Mosconi United States Joseph Procita
1955 United States Irving Crane United States Willie Mosconi
1955 United States Willie Mosconi United States Irving Crane
1956 United States Willie Mosconi United States Jimmy Caras
1956 United States Willie Mosconi United States Jimmy Caras
1956 United States Willie Mosconi United States Irving Crane
1963 United States Luther Lassiter United States Jimmy Moore
1963 United States Luther Lassiter United States Jimmy Moore
1964 United States Luther Lassiter United States Arthur Cranfield
1964 United States Arthur Cranfield United States Luther Lassiter
1965 United States Cisero Murphy United States Luther Lassiter
1965 United States Joe Balsis United States Jimmy Moore
1965 United States Joe Balsis United States Jimmy Moore
1966 United States Luther Lassiter United States Cisero Murphy
1966 United States Joe Balsis United States Willie Mosconi
1966 United States Luther Lassiter United States Cisero Murphy
1967 United States Luther Lassiter United States Jack Breit
1967 United States Luther Lassiter United States Jack Breit
1968 United States Irving Crane United States Luther Lassiter
1969 United States Ed Kelly United States Cisero Murphy
1970 United States Irving Crane United States Steve Mizerak
1971 United States Ray Martin United States Joe Balsis
1972 United States Irving Crane United States Lou Butera
1973 United States Lou Butera United States Irving Crane
1974 United States Ray Martin United States Allen Hopkins
1976 United States Larry Lisciotti United States Steve Mizerak
1977 United States Allen Hopkins United States Peter Margo
1978 United States Ray Martin United States Allen Hopkins
1979 United States Mike Sigel United States Joe Balsis
1980 United States Nick Varner United States Mike Sigel
1981 United States Mike Sigel United States Nick Varner
1982 United States Steve Mizerak United States Danny DiLiberto
1983 United States Steve Mizerak United States Jimmy Fusco
1986 United States Nick Varner United States Allen Hopkins
1988 United States Mike Sigel United States Allen Hopkins
1990 United States Bobby Hunter United States Ray Martin
2006 Germany Thorsten Hohmann Germany Thomas Engert
2007 Germany Oliver Ortmann Netherlands Huidji See
2008 Netherlands Niels Feijen Philippines Francisco Bustamante
2010 Germany Oliver Ortmann Finland Mika Immonen

[6]

Top performers[edit]

Rank Name Nationality Winner
1 Ralph Greenleaf  United States 19
Willie Mosconi  United States
2 Frank Taberski  United States 14
3 Luther Lassiter  United States 7
4 Irving Crane  United States 6
Bennie Allen  United States
5 Erwin Rudolph  United States 5
Jimmy Caras  United States
6 Andrew Ponzi  United States 4
Alfredo de Oro  Cuba
7 Mike Sigel  United States 3
Ray Martin  United States
Joe Balsis  United States
8 Edward Ralph  United States 2
Nick Varner  United States
Oliver Ortmann  Germany
Steve Mizerak  United States
  • In the event of identical records, players are sorted in alphabetical order by first name.

Dragon 14.1 Tournament[edit]

In 2009, Dragon Promotions created the Dragon 14.1 Tournament.

  No sanctioning body (2009 to 2019)
Year Winner Runner-up
2009 France Stephan Cohen Finland Mika Immonen
2011 Germany Thorsten Hohmann United States Mike Davis
2012 United States John Schmidt Philippines Efren Reyes
2013 Germany Thorsten Hohmann (2) United Kingdom Darren Appleton
2014 United Kingdom Darren Appleton United States Shane Van Boening
2015 Germany Thorsten Hohmann (3) United Kingdom Darren Appleton
2016 Finland Mika Immonen United States Earl Strickland
2017 Philippines Lee Vann Corteza Germany Thorsten Hohmann
2018 Germany Thorsten Hohmann (4) United States Tony Robles
2019 United States Shane Van Boening United States Corey Deuel

[7]

See also[edit]

Notes[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "The World Straight Pool Championship". AZ Billiards. September 29, 2005. Archived from the original on 2011-06-13. Retrieved August 25, 2008.
  2. ^ "Players: World Champions". WPA-Pool.com. Sydney, Australia: World Pool-Billiard Association. November 2011. Archived from the original on February 15, 2012. Retrieved November 5, 2011.
  3. ^ a b c "2008 Predator World 14.1 Championship Group Pairings". AZ Billiards. August 24, 2008. Retrieved August 25, 2008.
  4. ^ "Billiards: Corteza becomes 1st Asian to win World 14.1 Straight Pool title". ABS-CBN News. October 11, 2017. Retrieved October 11, 2017.
  5. ^ "The World Tournament – Hall of Fame". TheWorldTournament.com. Dragon Promotions.
  6. ^ "2018 78th World 14.1 - News". Forums.AZBilliards.com.
  7. ^ "2018 78th World 14.1 - News". Forums.AZBilliards.com.