Jean Balukas - why did she stop?

[sjm]

I recall that in her first ever PPPA Straight Pool Championship playing in the men's division (1981, I think), she lost to a fellow name Dave "The Face" Lipner, but I don't think it was her first match.

In that same tournament, she had to play a good player named Earl Herring. Prior to the match, he said that if a girl beats him he will quit pool. She did and he did, for about twenty years.

Wow, great name from the past. I remember Earl Herring hit them pretty straight and recall that he came 4th when Lisciotti won the PPPA World Open Straight Pool event at Asbury Park, NJ, during the summer of 1976. It was one of the first tournaments I ever attended.

 

[Craig Fales]

Personally I think you get a person, or two, that excel well above other players...in women's pool there seems to be an extreme domination, first with Jean Balukas, then in between her and Allison Fisher you really didn't have anybody that stood out...in men's pool there is no one person that I can think that has ever strongly dominated pool....
________

 

[racefornine]

Originally Posted by jay helfert
In that same tournament, she had to play a good player named Earl Herring. Prior to the match, he said that if a girl beats him he will quit pool. She did and he did, for about twenty years.


Jay, While I wasn't at the tournament Jean beat Earl H. I can assure you that is not why or when Earl quit playing.

 

[racefornine]

Wow, great name from the past. I remember Earl Herring hit them pretty straight and recall that he came 4th when Lisciotti won the PPPA World Open Straight Pool event at Asbury Park, NJ, during the summer of 1976. It was one of the first tournaments I ever attended.




SJM, Earl has a champion's heart and mind. At age 62 he still hits em pretty straight. He loves straight pool and is still capable of running 100+.He is one of the finest gentlemen I know. It is a shame the game didn't have more to offer him in his prime.

 

[Tommy-D]

> Make NO mistake,Allison can play 14.1. Jean would kill her at first,but if they played 2 150 point games every day for a month,Allison would be winning games regularly in that time. Back when Mizerak was doing the once-a-year exhibition against the reigning snooker champion,this particular year it was Stephen Hendry. That year also had Allison against Ewa. Allison had Steve Davis who was also a decent 14.1 player show the the basics,later that day she played Ewa 2 out of 3 games to 75. Allison ran 75-out twice,but Ewa beat her soundly at 8 and 9 ball. I imagine Karen plays it pretty well too. From what I saw of Jean back in the late 80's,her break and sheer concentration,along with the competitive nature that comes with being an all-around athlete would make the difference between her and and the top players now. Tommy D.

 

[bud green]

Jean would of been seeded in the 30,000 dollars guaranteed bracket of the KOH IPT event and still chose not to go?

Wow, that really puzzles me. To turn down that much money, it seems to me she doesn't want to be a public figure at all if she's still playing a little bit but doesn't want to take her shot at the big $$

 

[rackmsuckr]

So why doesn't ESPN show some of her matches? WPBA politics?

Realistically, although it would be fascinating to us sports fans, I doubt many others would find an old event interesting enough to draw an ESPN-size audience.

Secondly, I don't think ESPN was very old when this happened. The live event might have been on a major network instead, like ABC, CBS or NBC and they would own the rights.

 

[rackmsuckr]

What it seems like to me is that this was an opportunity to lynch a dominant player and get her out of the picture....just like now with Allison the current crop of top pro women can't play at her level....I watch Dawn Hopkins and Ewa Mataya-Laurance play...there's a reason they are commentating instead of playing....I'd gamble even up with them any day of the week...

I have a DVD of Ewa playing Jean and Ewa beat her. Ewa can play great.

Another thing of note about comparing Jean to Karen and Allison is that Jean stroked the balls like a man on slow cloth. She has been playing the right patterns and playing aggressive pool all her life. I'd say she played more like Ga Young Kim than either Karen or Allison with their methodical potting. Not that either style is at a disadvantage on today's fast cloth, but it really did require a great stroke to get around the table then, plus it is a bigger factor in the break, especially on slower cloth.

 

[Fast Lenny]

Originally Posted by jay helfert
In that same tournament, she had to play a good player named Earl Herring. Prior to the match, he said that if a girl beats him he will quit pool. She did and he did, for about twenty years.


Jay, While I wasn't at the tournament Jean beat Earl H. I can assure you that is not why or when Earl quit playing.

I agree Dave,many people (oldtimers) seem to think thats why he quits but from what i gather from the people that know him personally that wasnt the truth,there were other reasons outside of pool.

 

[bruin70]

according to her close girlhood friend, who helped stabilize amsterdam billiard club in it's first year, balukas was a gifted athlete with many talents to display, and pool wasn't necessarily always her game of choice.

now,,,,by the time1989(amsterdam's opening) rolled around, this may have become so for balukas, and she may have said to herself "i don't need this sh*t". she may have felt she had other things to do.

quite frankly, i'm surprised at how many gifted players, both upper and lower level, simply give it all up. lack of income aside, there's a love/hate dynamic at work in pool. i know quite a few players who will play for hours, play well, yet will leave the room feeling they're wasting their time.

 

[poolmouse]

And if Jean had decided to come back, I suspect she would still be a tough match for anyone.

jean won't come back. she has nothing to prove. neither does lance armstrong - why would he want to race again?

i remember playing jean in her weekly tournament at hall of fame billiards in bay ridge brooklyn. the final set was hill hill, i broke and didn't make anything. i left her a very, very tough shot. as i walked to my chair i thought to myself...well, that's the end of this tournament. jean whipped through the rack as i it were nothing.

at the end i told her "i knew when i broke and didn't make anything the set was over". she smiled...she probably knew too.

poolmouse

 

[jay helfert]

Jean finished second in the Women's Superstars competition on televsion in the 1980's. She had to play several sports against the most gifted women athletes of her day.
I can't remember who won, but Jean was outstanding. By the way, Jean has done well for herself, and money is not an issue for her. She is probably more well off than most women players, with the exception of Jeanette.

 

[Chris]

Jean would of been seeded in the 30,000 dollars guaranteed bracket of the KOH IPT event and still chose not to go?

Wow, that really puzzles me. To turn down that much money, it seems to me she doesn't want to be a public figure at all if she's still playing a little bit but doesn't want to take her shot at the big $$

For some people $30,000 a year would be a pay cut, and not worth gambling on the IPT's success or failure. While it may be more than people typically make playing pool, it is not exactly "the big $$."

 

[Rich R.]

For some people $30,000 a year would be a pay cut, and not worth gambling on the IPT's success or failure. While it may be more than people typically make playing pool, it is not exactly "the big $$."

That $30,000 would not be for the entire year. It was for one tournament, which ran for a few days, and would only be a portion of her yearly income. Like others, Jean would have taken home a minimum of $30,000, regardless of IPT's success or failure.