Greatest straight pool player alive

M

Mr441

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Well, seeing as we've recently covered the best 9 ball and one pocket players lets see who everyone thinks is the best 14.1 player alive, forget the past because we can argue all day about Mosconi and Greenleaf. Who's the best right now?

I pick Thorsten Hohmann.
 
Mr441 said:
Well, seeing as we've recently covered the best 9 ball and one pocket players lets see who everyone thinks is the best 14.1 player alive, forget the past because we can argue all day about Mosconi and Greenleaf. Who's the best right now?

I pick Thorsten Hohmann.
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i agree, now think about this hes only 29 years old imo he has the greatest chance to beat mosconi's run.

1.Thorsten hohmann
2.john schmidt
3.danny harriman
 
Thorsten Hohmann for sure, with Souquet in second.

I'd rate them as follows:

1-Hohmann
2-Souquet
3-Pagulayan
4-Harriman
5-Schmidt
6-Ortmann
7-Feijen
8-Engert
9-Immonen
10-Robles
 
For me Thorsten should rank at Number One.
I saw many Europeans play realy fantastic Straight Pool, but what he does
some years ago in the European Championships i will never forget.

On the EC we play "only" run to 125 and he managed to run it in one inning.
I know that´s nothing, but to tell you after he does it in the Quater Finals,
that he will do it again right now, and then do it again after a 15 minute break,
was awesome to see.

And to top that, he ran it in the Final again - Fantastic and unbelievable ! :thumbup:

Quaters, Semis and Final - each time 125 out !
He has to do the opening shot two times, so it happened to be 5 innings,
but you know, 375 in three playable innings is something i will remember my whole life.
And dont´f forget he told me he will do it again after the Quaters !! :eek:

mair23
 
One more thing to say.
I know there are some guys out there who run the 375 in one inning, not in three.
But i think there should be a big difference if somebody does it in training or in a show match.
Thorsten runs these three 125s in a big tournament, you know.
And for me to do that in the EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIPS, in the last three rounds is unbeatable. WOW ! :thumbup:

mair23
 
Niels Feijen

Folks:

I would have to say Niels is the best straight pool player right now. I watched the World Straight Pool Championships last year, and out of all the players, Niels seemed to be the one player that:

1. Had the most consistency; the most series of long runs back-to-back, match after match.

2. Was the least affected by the environment and playing conditions, playing conditions of which gave other well-known players "fits" with ball skidding, etc.

I certainly like his pattern play, and his inherent ability to solve problems on the table early on, not waiting for those problems to bite him in the petut later on. Although this is Niels first major win in straight pool, and it might be premature to call him the "best straight pool player alive" right now, I have a very optimistic feeling (a premonition?) that we're going to be seeing a lot more of him in the winners circle at straight pool events, and he'll prove just how much of a straight pool monster he is.

(Blackjack, your thoughts on this?)

-Sean
 
I have to say Niels is my Number 2, too.
But only one big title in straight pool is not all.
It seems that for most of you a European Championship is not a big title, but it is !
Niels won the Straight Pool EC in 2002, 2003 and 2004 - that is a "Three Peat" - Great ! :thumbup:
And then he won it again i think in 2007, so no doubt he is one of the best out there, too.
And you are right, i love his pattern in straight pool.

mair23
 
I would love to see a tournament with races to 500 with about 8 in round robin style of the players mentioned above. Maybe two tourmenaments a year like that. I think that might give us some idea who is the best. I believe they are all going to be very close match ups. Johnnyt
 
"You got that wrong mister, I am."


hustler_lg-01.jpg
 
I'm going with Schmidt then Hohmann, Niels, and Harriman. But Sigel did beat Schmidt last year;).

The Sigel win not withstanding, I do believe Schmidt is the best 14.1 player alive today. I can't wait for the next 14.1 event.
 
These are my picks -just off the top of my head prior to my first cup of coffee - if I didn't mention somebody, I mean no offense - but these are the players I love to watch, in no particular order with the exception of the top 5.

Niels Feijen - Reigning World Champion
Danny Harriman - Reigning DCC Champion
John Schmidt - Mr. 403 running hundreds on a dirt bike
Thorsten Hohmann - The most consistent player I have ever seen
Darren Appleton - 2008 DCC champ, 2009 DCC runner up this man plays an awesome game of straight pool!!!
Ralf Souquet - The epitome of a champion - he plays so smart
Tony Robles - Can pocket balls and leap over tall buildings in a single bound
Mika Immonen - Has more heart in his little finger than most players have in their whole body
Oliver Ortmann - Seems to get better and stronger with age
Huidjie See - Awesome all around player!
Thomas Engert - Quick as lightning - smooth as silk
Allen Hopkins - Still a threat to win a 14.1 World Title IMO
Martin Kempter - Can run balls for hours
Johnny Archer - Plays 14.1 better than he plays 9 ball IMO
Nick Varner - A legend - nuff said
Jasmin Ouschan - Bronze medal finish last year - proved she could win against anybody
Pat Fleming - This man is still one of my favorites to watch go into the balls
Dominic Jentsch - IMO, future world champion
Nick VanDenBerg - Clean, flawless patterns
Mike Sigel - Comes out of retirement on slow nap cloth against JS & wins... Mike is still THE MAN
Efren Reyes - The best there ever will be
Dan Barouty - I could watch this man play for hours - he has such beautiful control and command of the table
Steve Lipsky - Mr. 207 - heart + desire + skill + ability = CHAMPION
Dennis Hatch - Goes through racks like Tazmanian devil
Bob Hunter - The master -1990 World Champion - hits the balls so beautifully
Mike Davis - Doesn't miss, and when he does, he's not likely the same way ever again
Corey Deuel - (Corey is the most creative pool player alive)
Landon Shuffett - Off the chart ability to go as far as he wants in this game

Also -

Jose Garcia, Bob Maidhof, Oscar Dominguez, Dave Daya, Ernesto Dominguez, Ignacio Chavez, Rafael Martinez, Francisco Bustamante, Jonathon Fulcher, Charley Gaeda, Dennis Orcullo, Konstantin Stepanov, Charlie Williams, Gerda Hofstater, Radoslaw Babica, Jeanette Lee, Bill Maropoulis, and my favorite pool player of all time - Big Perm.
 
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I believe that the greatest living straight pool players are Mike Sigel, Nick Varner, Dallas West, and Ray Martin.

However, it seems most are interpreting the question as "who plays the best straight pool today?", and it's a pretty close call between Hohmann and Schmidt. Our bad luck that there aren't many occasions on which they get to compete against each other.
 
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Yes, but boring

I agree it's probably Thorsten, he's the most consistent on all tables, in all conditions, which makes a huge difference.

But he's so boring to watch....makes me go to sleep.

I find Sigel to be the most fun to watch, he's dynamic, he talks, he frets, and he makes great shots when he has to. I also think Sigel approaches the game most like the old timers, which is a lost art now. He spent much time learning from the great Irving Crane and it shows.
 
Thomas McKane said:
I agree it's probably Thorsten, he's the most consistent on all tables, in all conditions, which makes a huge difference.

But he's so boring to watch....makes me go to sleep.

I find Sigel to be the most fun to watch, he's dynamic, he talks, he frets, and he makes great shots when he has to. I also think Sigel approaches the game most like the old timers, which is a lost art now. He spent much time learning from the great Irving Crane and it shows.
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Hmmm... greatest "living" player... that is a tough one. I would go with Ray Martin - with Mike Sigel a close second - jeez... I hate to have to choose, but for IMO, Ray Martin won 3 world championships (71, 74, and 78) amongst the great players such as Murphy, Crane, Balsis, Butera, Sigel, Kelly, Mathews, West, Lane, Carella, Hall, Rempe, Jennings, Hopkins, Varner, and of course... The Miz.

Ray was a champion amongst champions in quite possibly the toughest competition in the history of the game.

Wikipedia lists some other tournaments -

* 1968 New Jersey Masters
* 1970 New York State Tournament
* 1972 New Jersey State Tournament
* 1974 World Pocket Billiard Tournament

I don't know if those were 14.1 events or not, perhaps Ray could chime in here to verify that.

(Also, does anybody have a list of past BCA US Open Champions? I couldn't find it anywhere online.)
 
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Schmidt, Harriman, Hohmann, Engert, Souquet, Ortmann

To say any of these guys is the definitive "BEST" over the other is cheerleading, imo. Any of these guys can run-over the next on any given day. It all depends on what they eat, how much sleep they get, and what kind of bullshit they take from their girlfriends before their match.

And none of them "HAVE" to beat Sigel on any given day either - none of them.
 
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