1967 World Straight Pool Championship

Results

Place	Player	Prize
1	Luther Lassiter
2	Jack Breit

Recap

Published April 13, 2026

Luther "Wimpy" Lassiter won the World Straight Pool Championship in 1967, defeating Jack Breit in the finals to claim his seventh world title. The North Carolina native's victory was his second world championship that year, adding to previous wins in 1963, 1964, and 1966.

Lassiter was a dominant straight pool player during the mid-1960s. The game requires players to call their shots and continue running balls until missing. Billiards Digest ranked Lassiter as the 9th greatest player of the century. His early background as a standout baseball pitcher in Elizabeth City contributed to his hand-eye coordination at the table.

Breit's appearance in the finals represented a significant achievement for the veteran player. The 1967 tournament took place during the golden age of straight pool, when the World Straight Pool Championship was the most prestigious title in professional pocket billiards. This was before nine-ball gained popularity and became the standard for championship play. The straight pool format, invented by Jerome Keough in 1910, had remained the championship standard for decades.

Lassiter's 1967 victory over Breit solidified his legacy as a straight pool champion. His consistent performance throughout the 1960s established him as one of the greatest players in billiards history. He was inducted into the Billiard Congress of America's Hall of Fame and the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame in 1983.

Sources: Luther Lassiter – Wikipedia, World Straight Pool Championship – Wikipedia, Category:Straight pool world champions – Wikipedia

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