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
This from Robin's ex-sponsor.
He told me Robin slopped the 9-ball in.
Jean started talking to Robin suggesting she should earn the victory or something to that affect. Robin reported the incident.
Jean was fined and she retired.
I heard Jean beat Keith in one tournament too.
The story of Jean beating Mosconi in straight-pool is a little doubtful to me. I spoke to the ref of that match. His name is Wayne ( he claims he was the ref, and I can't verify this). He said Mosconi won that exhibition.
Too bad Jean doesn't want to play anymore.
I just don't get it.
 
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).
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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.
 
Joseph Cues said:
This from Robin's ex-sponsor.
He told me Robin slopped the 9-ball in.
Jean started talking to Robin suggesting she should earn the victory or something to that affect. Robin reported the incident.
Jean was fined and she retired.
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that's the story i've heard. i also heard that lines were drawn and that there were a few ladies who had a problem with balukas anyway,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, so it was an opportunity to stick it to her.
 
Well well, if it isn't the annual Jean "The older I get the better I was" Balukas love fest. No person in their right mind would dare say she could even carry Corr or Fisher's case, let alone try and compete with them. Fisher and Corr both are in at least the top 20 overall in the world; a spot Balukas could have never dreamt of being.
 
Adanac67 said:
No person in their right mind would dare say she could even carry Corr or Fisher's case, let alone try and compete with them. Fisher and Corr both are in at least the top 20 overall in the world
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Uhh, yeah. You're good. Most people limit their posts to one asinine statement per paragraph. You threw in back-to-back'ers! :D
 
Amen Jim.

These kids think Jean is older than she is. I am still in hope of seeing her compete again. Then you might never hear from such imbeciles again.
 
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According to what Keith said, I'd have to say that Jean was better in her prime than the top women today. None of the women today have dominated three champion men players in any tournament the way Keith said Jean did.

The big question is, can Jean still play that way after such a long hiatus from the sport? Has she kept up her skills at all? I'm sure looking forward to see her in action!!
 
ME, too, Rick. Keith's comments are making
me have 2nd thoughts about my vote( which
was for Alison).
 
hemicudas said:
Amen Jim.

These kids think Jean is older than she is. I am still in hope of seeing her compete again. Then you might never hear from such imbeciles again.
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I hope she does come back. Then when she gets her ass handed to her, she will go away and we will never have to put up with these "fans" any more. Like I said, The older she gets, the better she was. Those of us who think objectively know that Balukas should just stay retired and keep her "legend". I'm sure she will stay retired. She knows better...
 
Adanac67 said:
I hope she does come back. Then when she gets her ass handed to her, she will go away and we will never have to put up with these "fans" any more. Like I said, The older she gets, the better she was. Those of us who think objectively know that Balukas should just stay retired and keep her "legend". I'm sure she will stay retired. She knows better...
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Proof positive classless children should not have access to computers. Especially ones who have never seen them all play.
 
Adanac67 said:
I hope she does come back. Then when she gets her ass handed to her, she will go away and we will never have to put up with these "fans" any more. Like I said, The older she gets, the better she was. Those of us who think objectively know that Balukas should just stay retired and keep her "legend". I'm sure she will stay retired. She knows better...
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Keith is a bona fide big-time player. He played her and said she kicked his, Buddy Hall's and Steve Mizerak's butts. So who are you, the King of the World?
 
"I have posted a poll on who I think would be the top 3 female nine-ball players if they were all in stroke ."

Adanac67 said:
I hope she does come back. Then when she gets her ass handed to her, she will go away and we will never have to put up with these "fans" any more. Like I said, The older she gets, the better she was. Those of us who think objectively know that Balukas should just stay retired and keep her "legend". I'm sure she will stay retired. She knows better...
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Definition of objective:
expressing or dealing with facts or conditions as perceived without distortion by personal feelings, prejudices, or interpretations

Definition of subjective:
arising out of or identified by means of one's own perception; lacking in reality or substance


Did you mean "think objectively" or "think subjectively"?
 
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Adanac67 said:
Fisher and Corr both are in at least the top 20 overall in the world; a spot Balukas could have never dreamt of being.
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I totally agree with your statement. Balukas could never have dreamt that because she would have had higher aspirations rather than the top 20.

There are probably hundreds of players cross-country who don’t play on tour who, in their home poolroom, would beat both Allison and Karen on a regular basis. Priorities other than tournament play take precedent in their lives. In the game of 9-ball, the more accomplished player isn’t necessarily the favorite to win. Playing in a player’s hometown, slower equipment, humidity, and going up against a powerful break have a lot to do with who the favorite is in 9-ball.

The women play in ideal conditions for them. Put them on a slower table with older felt and see the difference it makes in their ability to draw the ball or get around the table. On a table where you need a 20mph+ break to even make a ball on the break, there would be a still larger gap. Balukas had a 20mph+ break.
 
Rickw said:
According to what Keith said, I'd have to say that Jean was better in her prime than the top women today. None of the women today have dominated three champion men players in any tournament the way Keith said Jean did.

The big question is, can Jean still play that way after such a long hiatus from the sport? Has she kept up her skills at all? I'm sure looking forward to see her in action!!
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Jean doesn't compete anymore although she does play in some of the Thursday tournaments at her home room in Bay Ridge (Hall Of Fame Billiards).

She hasn't competed in years but I would have to say Jean was better than Allison or Karen are today.

PoolMouse
 
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jean and allison has played against each other in jeans tournaments. i think they both beat each other a few times. but its only a race to 5.
 
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