1949 World Straight Pool Championship

Results

Place	Player	Prize
1	Jimmy Caras
2	Willie Mosconi

Recap

Published April 13, 2026

Jimmy Caras won his fifth and final world title at the 1949 World Straight Pool Championship. The Scranton, Pennsylvania native defeated Willie Mosconi in the championship match.

At 40 years old, Caras added to his previous world titles from 1935, 1936, and twice in 1938. His victory came against Mosconi, who was establishing himself as a dominant force in the sport and would later become one of the most famous pool players in history.

The 1949 tournament marked the transition from NBAA (National Billiard Association of America) to BCA (Billiard Congress of America) sanctioning. Caras's victory helped establish the BCA's role in governing championship competition during this period in professional pool's development.

After this 1949 victory, Caras stepped away from competitive pool for over a decade. He returned to competition later and won the BCA U.S. Open Straight Pool Championship in 1967 at age 58, demonstrating his continued skill at the highest level.

Straight pool during this era was the pinnacle of professional pool competition. The game required tactical play, safety execution, and the ability to run long sequences of balls. Caras's championship victory and later achievements, including his BCA Hall of Fame induction in 1977, recognized his contributions to the sport through both competition and trick shot artistry.

Sources: Jimmy Caras – Wikipedia World Straight Pool Championship – Wikipedia

This recap was compiled from public tournament records and tournament organizer communications. ForceFollow is not affiliated with the tournament organizer.