# 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.
In 1948, Ruth McGinnis became the first woman to enter the World Straight Pool Championship.
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.
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 match in this round is a race 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
### 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 | Winner |
| 1 | Ralph Greenleaf | United States | 19 |
| 1 | Willie Mosconi | United States | 19 |
| 2 | Frank Taberski | United States | 14 |
| 3 | Luther Lassiter | United States | 7 |
| 4 | Irving Crane | United States | 6 |
| 4 | Bennie Allen | United States | 6 |
| 5 | Erwin Rudolph | United States | 5 |
| 5 | Jimmy Caras | United States | 5 |
| 6 | Andrew Ponzi | United States | 4 |
| 6 | Alfredo de Oro | Cuba | 4 |
| 7 | Mike Sigel | United States | 3 |
| 7 | Ray Martin | United States | 3 |
| 7 | Joe Balsis | United States | 3 |
| 8 | Edward Ralph | United States | 2 |
| 8 | Nick Varner | United States | 2 |
| 8 | Oliver Ortmann | Germany | 2 |
| 8 | Steve Mizerak | United States | 2 |
* 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 |