Quick answer: A high run in pool is the number of balls a player makes in a row without a miss or a foul. In straight pool, the world record high run is 832 balls. Jayson Shaw set it on January 6, 2025.
Watch the video
Watch the straight pool record video on YouTube
What You Will Learn
- What a high run means
- Why straight pool is the game for high runs
- The three big record numbers
- How the record is checked
What Does High Run Mean?
Each time you make a ball, your run goes up by one. If you miss or foul, your run ends. Your high run is the best run you have ever had.
In a lesson, a high run is a great way to track your progress. It shows how well you can make shots and set up the next one.
Why Straight Pool Is Made for Long Runs
Straight pool is also called 14.1 continuous. You call each ball and pocket, and each ball is worth one point. When only one ball is left, the other 14 balls are racked again. You then try to make the last ball and break open the new rack.
Because play does not have to stop, a great player can keep going for rack after rack. To run 100 balls, you must run more than six racks with no mistakes.
The Record High Runs
Willie Mosconi ran 526 in 1954. That record lasted 65 years. John Schmidt ran 626 in 2019. Jayson Shaw ran 714 in 2022, but it was certified as 669 after a foul was found on the video. Then Shaw ran 832 in 2025, and that is the record today.
You can read the whole story, with videos, in my full write up on the straight pool high run record.
Who Checks a Record?
The Billiard Congress of America (BCA) watches the full, unedited video of a record try. If it finds a foul, the run only counts up to that point. That is how Shaw’s 714 became 669.
If you want help building your own runs, these free billiards instruction videos are a good next step.
The Bottom Line
Your high run is your own record. Write it down after each practice. Mosconi, Schmidt and Shaw all started with small runs too. Every big number in this story was built one ball at a time, with a plan for the next shot. If you keep track and keep practicing, your best run will grow.
FAQ
What is a good high run for a beginner?
Any run that beats your last best is a good one. Track it each time you practice.
What is the world record high run?
It is 832 balls in straight pool, by Jayson Shaw in 2025. The BCA confirmed it.
Has anyone run 1,000 balls?
Not as of October 2026. Shaw has said, “My goal is 1000.”
Does a foul end a run?
Yes. A miss or a foul ends your run.
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