Jean Balukas - IPT Invitation?

[vader93490]

Trips down the memory lane of pro pool are always a treat.

Good memory trips are always fun. Recently I ran across my first cue still in its cheap case. It was nothing to speak of, just some cheap generic wood-to-wood sneaky pete that I had gotten as a Christmas gift. Even so, it did bring back some pleasant memories.

Today I was doing some house cleaning & throwing out some old junk. The first thing I found were some old P&B magazines & beginner instructional books. Then I ran across some old plaques & trophies from when I had first started taking up the game. It made for a nice respite until I saw the dates on one of the plaques.

 

[sjm]

In the late '70s, I think it was, I was on the road and ended up in NYC with a friend. I remember the drive through the Big Apple for me was like taking a ride on the Rebel Yell rollercoaster, cars zooming by me 100 MPH, and if you didn't know where you were going, it was quite intimidating. We managed to find the joint in Queens we were referred to.

When we got there, a patron told us not to park our car across the street or it would be stripped within 5 minutes. I had a brand-new 7-ball red Chrysler Fifth Avenue and didn't like that one bit. There was a gas station right next to the pool room, and the locals told me to ask the gas station attendant if he'd let me park my car there for a small fee. So I paid him 20 bucks to let me park my car there for safety.

Way in the back of the pool room, there were two isolated tables which were the challenge and/or action tables. We ended up playing guy named "Steve the Whale." Somebody said Jean Balukas was in the house, and I was straining my neck to see the famous Queen Jean. She had a whole crowd around her table, too.

That was a pretty cool pool room, though I can't remember the name. It was open 24 hours, and the place was PACKED even during the wee hours of the morning. If you ordered coffee and wanted cream and sugar, it was known as "a regular."

It sure would be cool to see Jean Balukas play pool. One of these days, I'm going to get me to the Big Apple on the last Thursday of the month, so that I can watch her play. I would like nothing better than to get the opportunity to see her up front and close, and maybe, if timing is right, enjoy a little back-and-forth colloquy with one of the great ones.

JAM

JAM, the setup you describe is certainly that of the Golden Q in Queens, NY, and I played on the two exhibition tables many times. You're right about having to watch your car there, too. Steve the Whale, also known as Big Steve, was there often. He was a magnificent straight pool player and also played very strong three cushion billiards. He weighed well over 300 pounds, perhaps even 400. Sad to say it, but my best guess is that he's been dead for fifteen years.

As for going to watch Jean, I highly recommend it. She is everything she's cracked up to be and more. Her poolroom is also something to behold. Each table light in the basement is dedicated to a different BCA Hall of Famer. There is also a sectioned area in which framed Billiard Digest covers from the last twenty five years are on display. On the ground level, there are dozens of amazing photos of Jean with celebrities inside and outside of pool. For example, there's a picture of Jean competing in the Superstars, the memorable NBC Sports test of all around athleticism. There are pictures of Jean as a child prodigy, and there are even some of the tournament brackets from Jean's earliest US Open Straight Pool Championships.

And, finally, there's the wonderful Gerda Hofstatter, a great player and a great lady, who you'll enjoy meeting (if you haven't had the pleasure already).

Well worth a trip, JAM. Before you go out there, I'd suggest calling Hall of Fame Billiards in the morning to make sure that Jean will be playing. There's always the odd chance that she's out of town.

 

[sjm]

Good memory trips are always fun. Recently I ran across my first cue still in its cheap case. It was nothing to speak of, just some cheap generic wood-to-wood sneaky pete that I had gotten as a Christmas gift. Even so, it did bring back some pleasant memories.

Today I was doing some house cleaning & throwing out some old junk. The first thing I found were some old P&B magazines & beginner instructional books. Then I ran across some old plaques & trophies from when I had first started taking up the game. It made for a nice respite until I saw the dates on one of the plaques.

Yeah, that kind of exercise can be fun. Rummaging through my father's basement last time I visted him, I came across a cue I used to play with in the very early 1970's. My father had 600-ball runner Mike Eufemia, with whom he was friendly, cut one of Mike's signature cues down to size for me. The cue still has Mike Eufemia's signature on it. It's perfect for someone who stands just under five feet tall, but not for me, as I've grown a few inches since then, when I was about thirteen.

 

[JLW]

Good memory trips are always fun. Recently I ran across my first cue still in its cheap case. It was nothing to speak of, just some cheap generic wood-to-wood sneaky pete that I had gotten as a Christmas gift. Even so, it did bring back some pleasant memories.

Just today I ordered a Players cue for my niece for Christmas. I remember how much pride I took in my first cue when I was a kid. I hope she feels the same way.