Jean Balukas

Who is the best female nine-ball player?

  • Allison Fisher

    Votes: 20 29.9%
  • Karen Corr

    Votes: 7 10.4%
  • Jean Balukas

    Votes: 40 59.7%

  • Total voters
    67

jayz

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I have heard stories from knowledgeable pool players who watched Jean Balukas play back in the 70’s, one of whom stated, “She played like a man.” He explained that she broke the balls well, could draw the cue ball back the length of the table on a long shot and could execute the shots that required strength and power (jacked up, extreme follow, etc.). On slower equipment, he said there would be an even wider gap between her ability and the rest of the women of today. Jean didn't have any weaknesses because of her powerful stroke. He went on to say, “If Jean Balukas was allowed to play on the men’s tour back then, she would have beaten a lot of the guys.” Any comments?

I have posted a poll on who I think would be the top 3 female nine-ball players if they were all in stroke.
 
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She never beat me!

I've heard the same about Jean's game. Would have to see it to believe it though...

-pign
 
i wish i could vote because that would mean i've seen balukas play..............i haven't. at this point, korr seems to have passed fisher. she has the flame, and continues to better herself,,,,,,against the men.

while we're at it,,,snooker player kelly fisher(not related to allison), and still holding out as women's snooker is in trouble overseas, is said to be the best ever, and i am told she handilly beat korr at every turn. so maybe your list is one player shy:):):)

gremlin,,,,,what say you.
 
I watched a 70 some year old Minnesota Fats
destroy Jean Balukas in her prime on tv
once. He talked, she got rattled, & couldn't
hit a bull in the ass. I swear. Stick, Hermicudas,
any of you old farts like me remember that?
 
Id like to see jean play the top women of today like fisher and corr. I dont care how good she was those two women would give her all she could handle after all i read that corr beat jim rempe in a race to 11 i think! I think she should come out of retirement or practice for a year and challenge one or both of them that would be great to see!!!
 
King Cueball is obviously a youngster and as much as I hate agreeing with the younger generation about anything, I have to agree with him. I have seen Jean play many times. My vote is for her being the greatest woman player ever BUT, like King Cueball said, both Allison and Karen would give Jean all she could handle. Allison and Karen are FAR, FAR above the competition Jean use to have when she played back in the 70s.

Hondo, sorry, I didn't see the Fatty-Jean TV match.
 
I've seen her play but it was so long ago that I can't really say. Also, back in those days, the women weren't as competitive as they are today. I remember Jean was wanting to get into the men's competition and I saw Steve Mizerak talking about it on TV and he was dead set against it.

I would say that right now, Karen is pretty tough. She's been working on her game and it really shows. There was another thread and they were talking about Jim Rempe and Karen shooting it out and how close of a match they are. That's pretty impressive if you ask me. I'd really like to see Jean play though. I just hope she can get back to her top form.
 
Hem, Im not that young im in my 20s,but thanks for seeing whats is the truth, karen would not only give her a good game she could no doubt beat her,
 
My vote goes to Jean Balukas.

What an interesting thought, a cameo appearance by Jean Balukas versus Karen Corr. Could it be possible?

Anybody who has never had the pleasure of seeing Jean Balukas in person has missed a golden opportunity. Just watching her break balls better than most male players, like no other female I have ever seen or heard of, and actually hit balls with authority is a spectator's dream and her opponent's worst nightmare. Buddy Hall and many other great pool players experienced Jean's "killer instinct."

IMO, I think some of the male players may have been afraid of her game, as she was shooting down the best of the best, and pushed her out or maybe she just threw the towel in and moved on with her life, hopefully to bigger and better things.

Answering this question is as difficult as the thread about the best 9-ball player (dead or alive). All three of these pool players are champions, but I've never seen anything close to Jean Balukas.

ManlyShot
 
It's like if Tyson could beat Joe lewis........never know! All 3 women are and were good for pool. Maybe we could see a match between Balukas and one of the top women!
 
My vote

From what I have seen, I could not imagine anyone playing much better than what Karen and Allison play, man or woman. I feel that they could win professional men tournaments. The competetion was much weaker when Jean played. That is something I had never thought about until a fellow CCB'er mentioned it in a earlier post. I feel Jean could play even with Allison and Karen, but I do not think Jean playing at her best, could just run over them. In my opinion, you can not play at any higher level than what Allison Fisher does. Where is there room for improvement besides in the break department?
 
I saw her play once

when Jean quit the ladies tour she did play in some mens tour events. The problem was she was beating some men and they definately did not like it. I believe to this day that they made life unbearable for her to continue. So what else did she have, She quit.
But they also played a different type of 9 ball back then. 2 push i believe. If jean was in dead stroke. and i mean dead stroke. i do not believe either Karen or any other top woman player could beat her on a consistent basis. But I will tell you this. That is definately a match i would pay to go see. Just imagine the crowd that would be there and the PPV it would generate....mike
 
I did not see the match, but I am sure fats intematied her. he could talk a lot of good players out games.meet him in atlanta play in the 50es. fun to watch play and listen to.
 
This is an excerpt from this transcript:
http://www.billiardsdigest.com/mainevent/wpa97/reyes.txt
Transcript from the the Live Chat Session at the 1997 WPA World 9-Ball Championships.
Date: Friday, October 3, 1997, 10:15pm CDT - 10:50pm CDT
Feature: Efren Reyes.
<Efren Reyes> No, I don't play much Snooker, because there are not many snooker tables in the Phillipines.
<david> Do you use outside english on cut shots to reduce the effect of throw ?
<Kevin> efren, are you good friends with jose parica?
<Efren Reyes> When you hit the cue ball in the middle, you more ball on the left and right to contact.
<Efren Reyes> Sometimes you have to use inside english to reduce throw.
<r9ball> Efren, who are your favorite players to watch, male and female?
<Efren Reyes> Not really...In the Phillipines Jose Parica was my chief rival.
<Kevin> i see <Efren Reyes> My best friends are Luat and Fransico Bustamante
<Efren Reyes> I enjoy watching Allison Fisher.
<Howard> Who doesn't!!!!
<Efren Reyes> Because she shoots so straight. She never misses...I think she shoots better than me.
<Kevin> do you know danny harriman?
<r9ball> IS she better than Jean Balukas was/is?
<Efren Reyes> I know Danny Harriman.
<Efren Reyes> I saw Jean Balukas in 1985 and 1986.
<Kevin> he came through my town and i played him about 2 or 3 years ago
<david> On kick shots, do you use a system ?
<Efren Reyes> She was probably the best woman player because her break is better than Allison Fishers.
http://www.billiardsdigest.com/mainevent/wpa97/reyes.txt
 
Cueball1950 wrote: "when Jean quit the ladies tour she did play in some mens tour events. The problem was she was beating some men and they definately did not like it. I believe to this day that they made life unbearable for her to continue. So what else did she have, She quit. "

What else did she have??? When I think of Jean I can't help but think that all she had to do was bury her pride, pay the little fine the new fledging women tour put on her and 'go on with her life' as you say. I think the big glossed over question about Jeans career will always be "why did she take her pool career and turn it into a hobby?" By never returning to the womens tour she could have set them back a decade. I can't help but think she abandoned them when they needed her most and all for miss placed pride.......Of course, I could be wrong but it has never been explained away to my satisfaction. If anyone here can add light to this nagging question I would love to hear it...
 
I watched Jean, Alison, & Karen play a lot over
the years. Maybe I'm getting senile but I
just don't remember Jean having the competition
or shooting as straight as the other two.
Yes, she had a heck of a break but still......
 
I believe it was the late eighties when Jean quit the tour due to
an argument during a match on T.V. With Robin Bell (Dodson now). I may not remember correctly and don't remember what the argument was over but I know there was a big stink over it. The WPBA wanted Jean to apologize and she refused. Why would she just up and quit, she was beating every body , men included. I used to have a lot of taped matches of her and I believe she could definitely drill any woman out there today. I think Jean is definitely the best woman player ever, she was quite an athelete back then from what I've heard. B
 
I believe that Jean Balukas would have
definitely beaten the woman players of
today. I have a tape of her playing in
the '86 or'87 mens US Open, and she drills
Larry Liscotti 11-1. She never hesitated
on any shot, she just broke and ran out
with total confidence. I just don't see
the WPBA players playing with that kind
of demeanor at the table. In that same
tournament I think she beat Buddy Hall
by a similiar score.
 
b-jammin said:
I believe it was the late eighties when Jean quit the tour due to
an argument during a match on T.V. With Robin Bell (Dodson now). I may not remember correctly and don't remember what the argument was over but I know there was a big stink over it. The WPBA wanted Jean to apologize and she refused.

They fined her $200 which, for whatever reason, she refused to pay.
 
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