Who is the best player of the last 40 years not to win a major event?

Jose Garcia immediately comes to mind. Some top finishes but could never snap it off. He took over his home pool room because he realized there was more money in that than tournament pool.

Konstantin Stepanov was a player I thought was going to be winning major after major but it never happened.
 
Positively Ralf said:
Jose Garcia immediately comes to mind. Some top finishes but could never snap it off. He took over his home pool room because he realized there was more money in that than tournament pool.

Konstantin Stepanov was a player I thought was going to be winning major after major but it never happened.
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i guess players from other cuesports shouldn't count as much in this discussion, but evgeny stalev.. not really a dedicated pool player, but he played all games he tried very well. at his first 14.1 tournament, in new york, he ran 226 in a mesmerizing way. i ran across this 8-ball match by chance, and holy smokes, watch it to the end because it's a real treat:

 
garczar said:
People need to remember that in those days more players gambled than played tournament pool. They'd go to tournaments but the 'real' money was made by matching up. How times have changed, so little action now its a joke.
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Yep zar the usa world of pool in the joints. New events had new players and new scores. Getting to an event always a day before gave me allot of info on who's coming and such.
 
Well coming in late to class. I did cruise through all 4 pages and didn't find Dan Louie. 🤔
Any that followed pool in the Northwet would concur that he went toe to toe with the best. In 84 At the Tahoe event, I watched him beat Parica twice. Hill/hill both times. It was Parica's initial visit to the USA . Danny's visit to Reno for dialysis mid tournament made it even more impressive. Well I drove patients home after dialysis and they could barely walk. 🤷‍♂️
 
skogstokig said:
i guess players from other cuesports shouldn't count as much in this discussion, but evgeny stalev.. not really a dedicated pool player, but he played all games he tried very well. at his first 14.1 tournament, in new york, he ran 226 in a mesmerizing way. i ran across this 8-ball match by chance, and holy smokes, watch it to the end because it's a real treat:

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I saw him at Derby in '07. This cat has the most fluid, effortless yet uber-powerful stroke i've ever seen. He grew up pounding those giant Pyramid balls and it shows. He moved back home and has a nice room, maybe a couple of them.
 
sjm said:
Not listed on his Wikipedia list of titles.
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He might me talking about the '96 Camel Open.I don't think he won anything bigger. UPDATE: In his bio its just listed as Camel Open but this is the actual event he won. Not the WPA WC but a big event on the Camel Tour.
 
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I was there at the tourney that CJ won. I live 10 miles away.

Felt much more like a tv event, invitational than any kind of world championship.

Winning any of the Sands events in Reno back in the heyday would be a lot more impressive to me than that tournament. I do think that guys like CJ and Tadd had a period where they could play as well as anyone in the world though, they had a top gear that was amazing. Just never had the consistency and longevity of many other players.
 
gregcantrall said:
Well coming in late to class. I did cruise through all 4 pages and didn't find Dan Louie. 🤔
Any that followed pool in the Northwet would concur that he went toe to toe with the best. In 84 At the Tahoe event, I watched him beat Parica twice. Hill/hill both times. It was Parica's initial visit to the USA . Danny's visit to Reno for dialysis mid tournament made it even more impressive. Well I drove patients home after dialysis and they could barely walk. 🤷‍♂️
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Dan and I played almost even in the early seventies, he wouldn't give me weight but I wanted to play him because, he was such a nice person to do business with in a pool room.... he was not the norm.
I knew I probably wouldn't make any money/and he wasn't stealing, so I played by the game, after about 1 1/2 I think I was stuck two games and quit. Great person, not many Dan Louies in pool rooms.
 
bud green said:
I was there at the tourney that CJ won. I live 10 miles away.

Felt much more like a tv event, invitational than any kind of world championship.

Winning any of the Sands events in Reno back in the heyday would be a lot more impressive to me than that tournament. I do think that guys like CJ and Tadd had a period where they could play as well as anyone in the world though, they had a top gear that was amazing. Just never had the consistency and longevity of many other players.
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As for CJ you have to take into consideration that he had played/won TONS of high stakes/high stress money matches well before he entered the public pool arena. He made WAAAAAAAAAAAAY more money than just about all of his contemporaries.
 
Island Drive said:
he was such a nice person
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Absolutely! A true Ambassador to the game.
I drew him in a 9 ball tournament on 9 footers. I was dead money and donating, for sure. My highlight of the match was making A shot. 🤷‍♂️ I had rolled out after the break and he gave it back. I drilled the bank and drew perfect shape. Well the full table run was beyond my ability. 🤷‍♂️ Playing him on center stage uh made me nervous.
I was seated behind Dan's chair when he missed a simple 6 ball playing Earl at hill/hill. Earl had done the same earlier in the rack. 🤷‍♂️ As he cased his cue he looked at me and said, " I just got nervous ." I replied, "Dan , I can certainly identify with that."
 
garczar said:
Took him til age 47 to snap it off. Still plays sooo good. I watched him at the 1998 Tulsa stop on the PBA tour. He played like Houdini, took down a STOUT field to win.
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I like the results of his shooting, but I don't like watching him play.

There is something about his pumping bicycle stroke that bothers me.

It works damn good for him, though.
 
skogstokig said:
think both are pushing 40. but seeing bergman match up with tony in one pocket earlier this year, i have no doubt he's still the best player in the US after the break, along with fedor of course. but forget rotation for a while, and say bergman enters buffalo 1p. also forget tournament rustyness. would he not be a top 5 buy? i think he should be.
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Fedor would run Bergman....I'd bet my house on that. Too bad it will never happen.

Imagine being able to play at that level, with a backer for free money? Makes no sense.
 
jay helfert said:
Warren Kiamco is another one of the great Filipino players who just never got to the top. Meanwhile little Santos Sambajon Jr. won the big Skins game tourney in New York. He won something like 70K and took the money home to his family. He hadn't been home in over ten years!
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Warren Kiamco won the DCC 9 ball. I don’t remember the year right off the top of my head.
 
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