The Official Website of the World Tournament of 14.1 is now up and running!

New Brunswick, New Jersey-  Two of the biggest brands in America and Asia will be used together for the first time ever. Olhausen Tables and Andy Cloth have been named the Official Table and Cloth of the 71st World Tournament of 14.1. Their products will premiere on the big stage of the biggest straight pool tournament in the world at the Dragon Promotions & Dr.Michael Fedak produced event. It all takes place on August 28- September 2, 2011 at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in New Brunswick, New Jersey. The tables and cloth will be played on by the most recognised and artistic 14.1 masters alive with the likes of Oliver Ortmann, Johnny Archer, Thorsten Hohmann, Niels Feijen, Allen Hopkins, Stefan Cohen and many more straight pool stars.

“We at Olhausen are extremely pleased at being the official table of the 71st World Tournament. Straight pool has a long tradition in the United States and while extremely popular in other countries; its roots are still here with the American fans. We pride ourselves at Olhausen for making our tables in the USA, and that the greatest players in the world will be coming here to play straight pool, the father of all pool games”, said Donny Olhausen, Founder and owner of Olhausen Tables.

For the sixth straight year, Dragon Promotions will produce the 71st Annual World Tournament of Straight Pool .  In partnership with the support of Dr.Michael Fedak, this year’s event will have the biggest payout in straight pool history with $20,000 going to the champion. The event is $35,000 added , boasting a total $70,000 in the prize fund. Predator Cues will also be sponsoring the event for the sixth straight year at the luxurious Hyatt Regency in New Brunswick, NJ.  Once again the greatest straight pool players from around the world will arrive on USA’s east coast again to attend this prestigious event. Their common goal will be to play for the coveted World Tournament of 14.1 title and be recognized as the #1 Straight Pool Player on Earth. The World Tournament is the oldest tournament in history that still exists today. Invented by Jerome Keough and shortly after recognized as the official game of billiards. The first World 14.1 Tournament was held in 1911 and won by Alfredo DeOro. In its history due to war and economics, the World Championships had 29 tournaments that did not take place including a 15 year gap between 1990-2005 until Dragon Promotions revived the game and the World Tournament in 2006.

“The World Tournament of 14.1 is one of the most important billiard events of the year, and we are happy to be a part of it. We understand the importance of inspiring new generations of players and keeping alive the traditions of this great game. Dragon Promotions is a leader in the sporting side of the industry, and Olhausen hopes to continue supporting professional pool along with them”, says Larry Olhausen, Vice President of Sales for Olhausen Tables.

And complementing with the importance of the table, the cloth is vital to its playability. Those who follow pool knows the massive and explosive growth of billiards in Asia and the rise of champions from China. And that’s why this year’s Andy Cloth will debut in the United States with Dragon Promotions. Andy is already the top cloth in China that has been exclusively used in all the major China championships.

“We at Andy Cloth are really thrilled at the opportunity to be the Official Cloth of the World Tournament of 14.1. We work very hard to create a high quality cloth and are excited to showcase it in the western world.  This is the debut of Andy Cloth in the United States, and we truly hope the players enjoy playing on it”, says Andy Lin, President of Andy Cloth.
Andy Cloth was founded in 1973 and has become one of the premier professional playing cloths in the world today. Manufactured in Taiwan, Andy Cloth has been exclusively used in major international events such as The Women’s World 9-Ball Championship, The China Open,The Beijing Open, and The World Tournament of 14.1 in the USA. Andy Cloth also sponsors top Asian stars such as Su Han Chang and Wang Ming.

“We enjoy expanding our horizons and doing new things never done before. Bringing together two powerhouse names from the East and West for the first time is really exciting. We like bringing The World Tournament and straight pool into this modern era of pool”, explains Cindy Lee, CEO of Dragon Promotions.

Pool fans are also invited to join dinner with the world’s greatest players at the 1st Annual 14.1 Straight Pool Hall of Fame.. This year’s nominees on the ballot include Ray Martin,  Dallas West,Nick Varner, Jerome Keough, Alfredo DeOro, and Willie Mosconi. One of the goals of the event is to honor the champions of 14.1 that have passed and honor those who are still living. The Straight Pool Hall of Fame goals are also to cover all the expenses of the living inductee to the event and the Hall of Famer’s costs in playing in the event.