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

[skogstokig]

Most would call the Buffalo Billiards One Pocket event in New Orleans, which has huge prize money and an even bigger Calcutta, to be a major. Gomez won it in 2024.

for me personally it's probably the best event in the best discipline. but in the eyes of most pool fans do you really think it's considered a major? niche discipline, high buy in, small field, etc..

 

[sjm]

for me personally it's probably the best event in the best discipline. but in the eyes of most pool fans do you really think it's considered a major? niche discipline, high buy in, small field, etc..

Definitely arguable. I consider it a major, and, as it attracts every elite player in the discipline year after year, some have tabbed it to be the de facto world championship of one pocket, even over the Derby city one pocket.

 

[Island Drive]

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.

First time he/I went bar hopping, thirty yrs ago was in TX.
First place....
$100 a game 9 ball on the box, minimum.
Before TX....
In the eighties KS, I ran into the first time he and Lutman showed up, 5K added box event. Country Cowboy??
Allot of roadies in those years would work their ways up to Twin Cities area.
Lots of action, makes me Wonder if CJ ever went to the Rack in Detroit, never heard he did.
Talked with Varner a couple yrs ago about that same time frame 91-91, he didn't want to play their, I had the same response.

 

[garczar]

First time he/I went bar hopping, thirty yrs ago was in TX.
First place....
$100 a game 9 ball on the box, minimum.
Before TX....
In the eighties KS, I ran into the first time he and Lutman showed up, 5K added box event. Country Cowboy??
Allot of roadies in those years would work their ways up to Twin Cities area.
Lots of action, makes me Wonder if CJ ever went to the Rack in Detroit, never heard he did.
Talked with Varner a couple yrs ago about that same time frame 91-91, he didn't want to play their, I had the same response.

It was the Cowboy Casino in Hutchinson,Ks. They had a few events. I went to last one in ('89 or '90) with Matlock and Fat Randy. Dave missed a near straight-in to lose to Swannie. Boy was he HOT. I forget who won.

 

[hang-the-9]

I do know that Jeff won a pretty big 9-Ball tournament in Port Angeles, WA back in the early 70's He also won everything in Wisconsin for years. I'm not sure about the Eight Ball tourney you are referring to. Jeff did play Efren in the finals of the World Eight Ball in 1995 at the Riviera hotel, but I'm pretty sure he lost that match.

It may have been that one, where they using a stripped 8 ball at that 95 event? I have the video on my computer, I think from AccuStats, I could have misremembered who won. Now that I am thinking about the match, it may not even have been Jeff Carter LOL

 

[westcoast]

this question is difficult to answer considering this is no firm definition on what constitutes a major pro pool tournament

 

[PoolBum]

I don't think BCA Hall of Famer Kim Davenport ever won the U.S. Open or a World title.

 

[skogstokig]

Definitely arguable. I consider it a major, and, as it attracts every elite player in the discipline year after year, some have tabbed it to be the de facto world championship of one pocket, even over the Derby city one pocket.

as a feat in pool skills it definitely ranks high. participation wise i don't know, this year was the first time for both filler and SVB to take part. hopefully it will continue that way, and also grow, but i guess we will see.

 

[GideonF]

as a feat in pool skills it definitely ranks high. participation wise i don't know, this year was the first time for both filler and SVB to take part. hopefully it will continue that way, and also grow, but i guess we will see.

Yeah, I think of Buffalo’s as more like the Wolrd Pool Masters - an elite field but a limited field. I know that the WPM is invitational, so it’s not a perfect parallel, but to me the DCC is much more of a major event in that it to win it you have to win lot of matches against great players.

 

[Island Drive]

It was the Cowboy Casino in Hutchinson,Ks. They had a few events. I went to last one in ('89 or '90) with Matlock and Fat Randy. Dave missed a near straight-in to lose to Swannie. Boy was he HOT. I forget who won.

Nice post zar.... While there..... I'm playing a 9-12 losers side match.
But!!!!, we have a ref for our match, no other matches in thee Entire event had refs, he didn't rack for us.
Matters have progressed, I'm taking control of the match.
I think it was a race to 9.
I was on 7 opponent on 6.
Running out, ref calls Foul.
Picks up the CB and hands it to my opponent.
I lost 9-8 the referee was in with my opponent.
His names not important, a typical persona in many rooms where Cash is king, and fair play, nah.
My opponent wasn't Dan Louie.

 

[BlueRaider]

Alex Kazakis is an example of a player that often knocked on the door at the majors but never broke through.

He has won a silver medal at the World 8ball, a silver medal at the World 10ball, a bronze medal at the World 9ball and a silver at the World Pool Masters.

Kazakis won the 2021 World Pool Masters by blanking SVB in the finals 9-0.

 

[garczar]

Nice post zar.... While there..... I'm playing a 9-12 losers side match.
But!!!!, we have a ref for our match, no other matches in thee Entire event had refs, he didn't rack for us.
Matters have progressed, I'm taking control of the match.
I think it was a race to 9.
I was on 7 opponent on 6.
Running out, ref calls Foul.
Picks up the CB and hands it to my opponent.
I lost 9-8 the referee was in with my opponent.
His names not important, a typical persona in many rooms where Cash is king, and fair play, nah.
My opponent wasn't Dan Louie.

That was the first time i ever saw Melvin Sharp play. We counted TWENTY-FIVE practice strokes on one shot. Crazy.

 

[sjm]

Kazakis won the 2021 World Pool Masters by blanking SVB in the finals 9-0.

Oh yeah, that was after he lost a heartbreaking final to Alcaide in the same event, with David converting a long bank of the nine at double hill. Thanks for the correction.

Still, awfully few can say they medaled in each of the World 8ball, World 9ball and World 10ball. I would love to see Alex get over the finish line in one of them.

 

[Island Drive]

That was the first time i ever saw Melvin Sharp play. We counted TWENTY-FIVE practice strokes on one shot. Crazy.

Loved that guy, I renamed em Melvito .
In his youth he was one of our group....
In his prime he came to me because, a cue maker wanted to sponsor em/pay em monthly, but he had to play with their cue.
The cuemaker was not a real cue maker, more a manufacturer/middle man of Cheap stuff overpriced.
We talked.
First thing I asked Melvin ''do you play better with their cue''?
Nope.
I said, here's your choice, instead of winning or finishing in the top 3 or four all the time, now you'll be finishing worse and never winning.
He kept his cue.
Thx for the Melvito reminder zar, one of the neat people you might run into playin' pool.

 

[BlueRaider]

Oh yeah, that was after he lost a heartbreaking final to Alcaide in the same event, with David converting a long bank of the nine at double hill. Thanks for the correction.

Still, awfully few can say they medaled in each of the World 8ball, World 9ball and World 10ball. I would love to see Alex get over the finish line in one of them.

Yep, he had two very interesting Finals in that event. One was agonizing and the other was probably the most stress-free final in recent WNT history.