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#14.1continuous #billiardshistory #blackwidow #cesarmorales #efrenreyes #emmettblankenship #englishbilliards #germanpool #jeanettelee #jeromekeogh #JerseyRed #nineball #one-pocket #onepocket #poolhistory #PoolHustler #straightpool #threecushionhistory #wimpylassiter 14.1 18.2 Alfredo De Oro balkline Billiards Calvin Demarest caroms Cisero Murphy Dieter Müller Don WIllis EarlStrickland Efren Reyes English Billiards Enrique Navarro Erich Hagenlocher Eufaula Kid George Jansco Glenn Womack Harold Worst Hugo Kerkau Jack Breit Jayson Shaw Jean Balukas Jersey Red John Schmidt Johnston City Louis Fox Masako Katsura Michael Phelan nine-ball Ralph Greenleaf Raymond Cuelemans RaymondCuelemans Straight Pool Three-Cusion UJ Puckett Walter Lindrum Willie Mosconi World Pool
On this day in 1985, pool legend Efren Reyes showed up anonymously at Red’s Billiards, in Houston, Texas, to participate in the room’s 9-Ball Open. This was his first known appearance in the United States. The tournament’s 108-man field included many of the nation’s top players, including Earl Strickland. But Reyes (then traveling under the pseudonym Cesar Morales) came out on top.
Although sportswriter John Grissim came across Reyes in Manilla during the 1970s and wrote then about his prowess, and although Reyes was considered the Philippines top player by 1985, when he showed up at Reds he was completely unknown. Reyes beat Wade Crane (then playing under the alias Billy Johnson) in the tournament final.
“I didn’t even know the rules,” Reyes said months after his first U.S. victory. “I figured as long as I keep making balls, I will win.”
February 2 is the birthday of champion caroms layer Dieter Müller. Mr. Müller won his first German championship title in 1967 in Düsseldorf and in total won 32 German championship titles. In 1969, at a tournament in the Netherlands, Mülle won the first of his eight European titles. He also racked up four world championships. Dieter Müller was born on Feb, 2, 1943.
Allison Fisher, one of the winningest competitors in all of pro sports, was born on Feb. 24, 1968 in Cheshunt, England. She won her first world title at the age of 17, and so far has won over 80 national titles and 11 world titles. Ms. Fisher, known colloquially as “The Duchess of Doom,” was inducted into the Billiard Congress Hall of Fame in 2009.
Don Willis (May 1, 1909 – March 2, 1984) was the long-time road partner of the great Wimpy Lassiter. Willis participated in few tournaments, but rather earned his reputation as a gambling road player. You can read more about his partnership with Lassiter and their “Big Hoorah” hustle at the #poolhistory website, here.
Board March March 7, 1913, Masako Katsura was nicknamed “Katsy” and sometimes called the “First Lady of Billiards.” The Japanese carom billiards player who was most active in the 1950s. She died in 1995.
William Emmett Blankenship was born in Olden, Missouri, an unincorporated area north of West Plains, on April 6th, 1892. He won the world pool title on his first attempt in 1916. Blankenship was the first person to run over a hundred balls at Straight Pool and had a personal best high run of 287 balls during an exhibition in Jackson, Michigan.
Utley Puckett, better known to the pool world as hustler U.J. Puckett, was born in 1911 and died 81 years later, on June 22, 1992. In life he knew fame and fortune as a professional nine-ball and one-pocket champion alongside fellow sharks Jersey Red and Ronnie Allen. He was famous for his large brimmed white Stetson and his larger-than-life persona. In death U.J. Puckett is known to some as the ghost who haunts a Texas poolroom.
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