When Jeannie hit the pool world by storm, she was known as a straight-pool player, running 125 balls as a teenager. As she learned 9-ball, she got better and better, more agressive with her shots, hitting balls with authority and moved the cue-ball exactly where she wanted. She could break balls better than most men.
There was a tournament, I believe it was, in 1984 in Binghamton. I was the defending champion from the year before. Jeannie drew me, Buddy Hall, and Mizerak, and beat all three of us in our matches. I was 3 and 0 in the pool tournament and was fixing to play her. Racing to 9, the lines were that Jeannie wouldn't 6, and I bet 4 dimes on myself. She won the lag, and then she opened up and ran five racks on me, ended up beating me 9 to 5. Winning the match in the tournament was worth $3,000 for that round.
When I was walking down the hall and Buddy had to play her next, I made a couple of wise cracks to Buddy and he didn't want to hear it because he could not take Jeannie lightly either. Buddy and I both recognized that it was serious business. Jeannie got up there and left Buddy in the chair from the start of the game, had Buddy Hall 7 to 2 going to 9, ended up beating Buddy 9 to 2. That same night, she drilled Mizerak.
Big crowd, screaming and yelling after every shot she made. A real crowd-pleaser if there ever was one, and it was the greatest exhibition of pool by a woman I have ever seen, bar none.
Yeah, you have to sign on the dotted line and all, but for the most part, you have to do that with all of the pro tours. Am I wrong when I say this?
