All around best american player??

Who is the best all around american player? Here's my list in no particular order.first tier- lassiter worst taylor varner daulton. 2nd tier hall sigel hopkins mizerack
did i leave anyone out?
 

Flash

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Bump for my Friend Nick Varner

Nick is a class ACT!
He has always been the best and he has shown his versatility every year he has played. Not many GREATS of the game has accomplished what he has done during his long standing career. Proud to know the man! LEGEND..
 

jay helfert

Shoot Pool, not people
Gold Member
Silver Member
For the best All Around player, we used to always consider Straight Pool as one of the games. In the 60's and 70's, Ed Kelly was considered the best All Around player by his peers. After him, it was either Mizerak or Sigel, with Hopkins, Rempe and Varner close behind.

Today, it might be John Schmidt or Danny Harriman for excellence in all three games (14.1, One Pocket and 9-Ball). Danny also excels in Bank Pool, so on that basis he may be #1. I'd like to see a true All Around World Championship playing these three games. Hasn't been one since the Stardust and Johnston City. Bank Pool has replaced Straight Pool in all similar events.

If you now make the best All Around player the one who excels at Banks, 9-Ball and One Pocket, the list could change. Shannon Daulton would have to be high on that list, if not on top. Danny Harriman might be the second choice now, with Sylver Ochoa moving up the list fast.
 
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Johnnyt

Burn all jump cues
Silver Member
For the best All Around player, we used to always consider Straight Pool as one of the games. In the 60's and 70's, Ed Kelly was considered the best All Around player by his peers. After him, it was either Mizerak or Sigel, with Hopkins, Rempe and Varner close behind.

Today, it might be John Schmidt or Danny Harriman for excellence in all three games (14.1, One Pocket and 9-Ball). Danny also excels in Bank Pool, so on that basis he may be #1. I'd like to see a true All Around World Championship playing these three games. Hasn't been one since the Stardust and Johnston City. Bank Pool has replaced Straight Pool in all similar events.

If you now make the best All Around player the one who excels at Banks, 9-Ball and One Pocket, the list could change. Shannon Daulton would have to be high on that list, if not on top. Danny Harriman might be the second choice now, with Sylver Ochoa moving up the list fast.

I too would like to see a tournament with all 3 games. Banks, 9-ball and 1-hole I think Mr. Frost might do well. Johnnyt
 

sjm

Older and Wiser
Silver Member
All time, I'd go with Nick Varner, who won world championships in virtually every discipline within our game, and who excelled over a very long period of time. I never saw Harold Worst, but I've been told by more than a few that Harold was an even better all-around talent than Nick.

Today, I'll go with John Schmidt, whose incomparable skill at 14.1 is what he is best known for, but who also owns a US Open 9-ball title, a major 10-ball title at Valley Forge and the One Pocket title at Derby City.

You name the game, John Schmidt is great at it and has the titles to prove it.
 

peteypooldude

I see Edges
Silver Member
modern day, my list would look something like this...Archer,Svb,Strickland
Hall and Varner are by no means second string and this is a very short list
 

ShootingRazbone

He got all the rolls
Silver Member
Modern day, I agree with Jay here.

Banks, 1pocket, 9ball, Shannon is right up there. He doesn't play as much anymore running his tour but if he did there would be no question.

14.1, 1pocket, 9ball, JS would be number 1.
 

Ken_4fun

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
modern day, my list would look something like this...Archer,Svb,Strickland
Hall and Varner are by no means second string and this is a very short list

Never even heard of Strickland playing one pocket, or banks.

Hall and Varner would be top picks IMO.

Harriman and Schmdt if the 3 would be 14.1, one-pocket and 9 ball.

Schmidt has the US Open title, and a DCC One Pocket title. While I am not a fan of Schmidt, his accomplishments are beyond repute.

Ken
 
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suprnva

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I've actually wondered this for a long time. I had come up with a concept for a true all-around tournament. It would pretty much be a basic round-robin format. Everyone would play everyone the same games (10-ball, 8-ball, banks, one-pocket and 14.1) in decent length races. It would be an open event but it would have to be limited to, at most, 64 players due to how long each match would take since you'd have to play 5 different games. I ran it past a couple people (top players, not just local peeps) that agreed it was a great idea. Sadly I'm not a promoter and I don't know where to start to get something going with sponsors and such.

Jay, you should get to work on this. :thumbup:

PS - Insert my default answer here for who the best all-around American player is. :p
 

Scott Lee

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Ken...Earl WON the Carolina Classic, a 1 pkt event that hosted the best players in the country, just 2 or 3 years ago (this was a sort of "comeback" tournament for him, as he hadn't won anything in quite a while). Trust me, he can play 1-hole with the best of 'em! :D

Scott Lee
www.poolknowledge.com

Never even heard of Strickland playing one pocket, or banks.

Ken
 

Ken_4fun

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Ken...Earl WON the Carolina Classic, a 1 pkt event that hosted the best players in the country, just 2 or 3 years ago (this was a sort of "comeback" tournament for him, as he hadn't won anything in quite a while). Trust me, he can play 1-hole with the best of 'em! :D

Scott Lee
www.poolknowledge.com

Wow, I wish that was on youtube (my favorite internet site).

Speaking of youtube, WE NEED SOME NEW ONE POCKET VIDEOS!

Thanks Scott good information!

Ken
 

dirtypool40

I love this freakin' game
Silver Member
Since no one has mentioned him, I will throw out DENNIS HATCH as another great all around.

Back in the late 80's when he was coming up, he was talked about in the mold of the other Nor'Easters. He plays monster 9 / 10-ball, and I remember reading how he'd run 200+ before he was 18 in 14.1.

I have no idea if he plays one pocket.
 

Johnnyt

Burn all jump cues
Silver Member
Ken...Earl WON the Carolina Classic, a 1 pkt event that hosted the best players in the country, just 2 or 3 years ago (this was a sort of "comeback" tournament for him, as he hadn't won anything in quite a while). Trust me, he can play 1-hole with the best of 'em! :D

Scott Lee
www.poolknowledge.com

I saw him win it, but I don't remember the best players in the country being there. But Earl can play any game top tier when he's got it together. Johnnyt
 

mikeyfrost

Socially Aware
Silver Member
Shannon Daulton has to be the best all around player in the country followed extremely closely by Schmidt...the variable is straight pool and banks.
 
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