Buddy Hall, the famous Rifleman, was inducted into the Billiard Congress Hall of Fame in 2000. A two-time U.S. Open winner, Mr. Hall was a phenomenon during the 1980s and 1990s, having one scores of titles, and is considered as one of the all time great nine-ball players. He was born on May 29, 1945 and died on May 22, 2025 in Metropolis, Illinois.
Legendary pool promoter George Jansco was born on Aug. 8, 1915 and died on June 4, 1969. Along with his brother Paulie, he launched the famous Johnston City all-around tournaments of the 1960s. Jansco died of a massive cerebral hemorrhage.
June 8, 1961 is the birthdate of five-time U.S. Open 9-Ball champion Earl Strickland. Born in Roseboro, North Carolina, Strickland is considered one of the finest nine-ball players of all time. He has won over 100 championships, three world titles, and in 1996 the largest single cash price to date. In 2006 he was inducted into the Billiard Congress of America‘s Hall of Fame.
Calvin Demarest was born on June 20, 1888 and died on June 12, 1925. He took the 18.2 billiard championship in December 1909, and his final match to win it (against George Sutton), may have been the fastest 18.2 match ever played: it took Demarest just over an hour to score the requisite 500 points. Demarest suffered a mental breakdown in 1915, attacking both his wife and his mother with a knife. He died while still institutionalized.
Calvin Demarest was born on June 20, 1888 and died on June 12, 1925. He took the 18.2 billiard championship in December 1909, and his final match to win it (against George Sutton), may have been the fastest 18.2 match ever played: it took Demarest just over an hour to score the requisite 500 points. Demarest suffered a mental breakdown in 1915, attacking both his wife and his mother with a knife. He died while still institutionalized.
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.
Willie Mosconi born in Philadelphia in June 27, 1913.
June 28 is the birthday of Brooklyn native Jean Balukas, who some consider as the greatest ever American-born female player. She won her first BCA crown when she was 12 and is a five-time Billiards Digest player of the year. She was inducted into the Billiard Congress Hall of Fame in 1985.
July 25 is the birth anniversary of multiple world champion caroms player Erich Hagenlocher. Mr. Hagenlocher was said to have received his first billiards instruction at age 15 from expert players in his home town of Stuttgart, Germany, and after just one year progressed to such an extent that he was scoring an average of between 4 and 5 on large-sized tables. At age 18 Hagenlocher settled in Berlin and there he began managing series of 100 points or more. He then went on to win the world championship on multiple occasions and, according to Minnesota Fats, helped instruct him become a formidable caroms player in his own right. Hagenlocher was born on July 25, 1895, in Stuttgart, Germany; and died on Dec. 12, 1958, also in Stuttgart.
Jacob Jerome Breitkopf Jr. was born on this day at 4:39 a.m. He later shortened his name to Jack Breit, but everyone knew him as Jersey Red. He is remembered as one of the nation’s finest and most colorful one-pocket players.
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