Fifteen-ball pool

Fifteen-ball pool, also known as sixty-one pool, is a nineteenth century American pocket billiards game that developed from pyramid pool. Created by members of the Bassford's Billiard & Chess Rooms in Manhattan during the late 1830s or 1840s, it is the ancestor to most American pool games.[1]^:97–98

Cigarette card of John L. Malone with pool balls. (1887)

Rules

The game is played on a six pocket table with fifteen numbered red object balls racked in triangle and a white cue ball. The 15-ball is the apex ball and is placed at the foot spot. Behind it are the other high numbered balls with the rest in the back rows, most likely in descending order.

The number of the ball pocketed by a player scores the player that number of points. The goal is to get the highest number of points (when there are more than two players) or become the first player to get 61 or more points (being more than half of the total of all the ball numbers combined) to win a frame. Tournament matches consist of winning the best out of 21 frames. It is possible to lose a frame despite sinking twice the number of balls over the winner. Three points are subtracted for each foul; three consecutive fouls will cost the player the frame. In 1880, a new rule to discourage safety shots required the cue ball to make contact with an object ball in each shot. This must cause an object ball to be pocketed or at least one ball to hit the cushion.[1]^:97–98

Legacy

This game was the inspiration behind rotation which shares the point system.[1]^:205

The first tournament was held in 1878 at the Union Square Billiard Rooms in New York City which was won by the Canadian Cyrille Dion who defeated Gotthiel Wahlstrom of Sweden.[2] Alfredo de Oro recalled that in 1887, an English spectator pointed out that Albert M. Frey won despite pocketing less balls than his opponent John L. Malone. He offered 200 dollars for a rematch in which the first person to pot a hundred balls would win; Frey won again.[3] This game became known as continuous pool and its first tournament was held in 1888 which was also won by Frey. Continuous would go on to become 14.1 continuous after Jerome R. Keogh's reforms in 1910.[4]

Notes

1. Shamos, Mike (1999). The New Illustrated Encyclopedia of Billiards. New York: Lyons Press. ISBN 1-55821-797-5.
2. "Cyrille Dion Champion". The New York Times. April 20, 1878. p. 1. Retrieved April 9, 2019.
3. "Philadelphia gets billiard tourney" (PDF). New York Times. Retrieved 17 April 2019.
4. Shamos, Mike (1994). Pool. New York City: Friedman Fairfax. pp. 40-42.

References

• Shamos, Mike (1999). The New Illustrated Encyclopedia of Billiards. New York: Lyons Press. ISBN 1-55821-797-5.