what are the all-time greatest pool matches?

sjm

Older and Wiser
Silver Member
I'll nominate a match played in 2022. World 10-ball semifinals, Szewczyk vs Kaci. It was one of the best matches I've ever seen. In one rack, Kaci had a kick-in, a jump in and a long bank on the way to a runout. Both players did some amazing things on the way to double hill before Szewczyk prevailed, and he rode that victory to the title.
 

bb9ball

Registered
I'll nominate a match played in 2022. World 10-ball semifinals, Szewczyk vs Kaci. It was one of the best matches I've ever seen. In one rack, Kaci had a kick-in, a jump in and a long bank on the way to a runout. Both players did some amazing things on the way to double hill before Szewczyk prevailed, and he rode that victory to the title.

Here is that match.
 

LHP5

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
A newer classic match might be the recent Dennis - SVB 9 ball match up. Insane ending on day 3.
 

sjm

Older and Wiser
Silver Member
Another match for the ages was Ko Pin Yi's 11-10 win over Wu Jiaqing in the semifinal of the 2015 World Championships. Ko would eke out the win and go on to beat SVB in the final to become world champion.

I've not read the entire thread, but I'm sure that someone has mentioned Earl Strickland 17 Francisco Bustamante 15 in the final of the 2002 World Championships. Two of the legends in their top form.
 

sjm

Older and Wiser
Silver Member
Anyone know where I can find good footage of Buddy Hall in his prime? Specifically when he would be demonstrating the elegant and simple cueball control and patterns that earned him his legacy? I’d pay for footage if needed. It’s just all the free stuff I’ve found so far were fairly unimpressive matches relative to my expectations.
Yeah, while there is lots of footage of Buddy, there's that not much footage of him in his very top form, meaning 1975-85. If you're trying to study pattern play, watching Souquet is nearly as good as watching Buddy. Appleton is also a pattern player extraordinaire whose play is worth studying.
 

MattPoland

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Yeah, while there is lots of footage of Buddy, there's that not much footage of him in his very top form, meaning 1975-85. If you're trying to study pattern play, watching Souquet is nearly as good as watching Buddy. Appleton is also a pattern player extraordinaire whose play is worth studying.
It was more that I’d love to get a taste of his prime play to see that magic cueball he’s famous for. Not so much to study pattern play but to feel connected to Buddy’s legacy in a more firsthand way. For example I rewatched this match last night and really him and Varner were playing quite poorly compared to the standard of professional play I’m used to seeing.

 

Non Smoker

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
The Turning Stone classic of Shaw vs. Mika. Race to 9 in just under 20 min. Greatest display of shot making. All Mika could do was the left hand wave.

 

Minnesota Phat

Active member
Minnesota Fats vs. Willie Mosconi

It drew 11 million viewers on Valentine's Day, which I think is the most ever on ABC's Wide World of Sports. I also think it was the 2nd-most watched sporting event in 1978. The first was the Ali-Spinks fight.

I'm sure that billiards purists will disagree, since it wasn't the highest-quality pool by any stretch of the imagination, and Fats didn't even bother to read the rules for the games, but for pure entertainment value it checked a lot of boxes, and I believe it remains the most watched pool match of all time.

Does anyone know if there was another match between Fats and Mosconi? I've read all over the internet that there were two exhibition matches between these players, and that Fats won one of them, but I've found no actual evidence that this is true.
 

MattPoland

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Minnesota Fats vs. Willie Mosconi

It drew 11 million viewers on Valentine's Day, which I think is the most ever on ABC's Wide World of Sports. I also think it was the 2nd-most watched sporting event in 1978. The first was the Ali-Spinks fight.

I'm sure that billiards purists will disagree, since it wasn't the highest-quality pool by any stretch of the imagination, and Fats didn't even bother to read the rules for the games, but for pure entertainment value it checked a lot of boxes, and I believe it remains the most watched pool match of all time.

Does anyone know if there was another match between Fats and Mosconi? I've read all over the internet that there were two exhibition matches between these players, and that Fats won one of them, but I've found no actual evidence that this is true.
I’m reading this right now. All about that match, their lives, their careers, their contrast, and their trajectory towards each other.

279DEA68-18DA-41BA-8929-F8020E570CFF.jpeg


So far I’ve read about their first encounter of Fats coming to a pool hall where Mosconi was the house pro. Fats wanted to hustle Willie into playing 1P with a plan to talk and shark him into losing. Could backfire knowing Mosconi liked to play angry and those tactics could just stoke his engine. Mosconi wasn’t a gambler but if the room owner put him in action he played.

Fats knew the moves of 1P better and Willie had a better cueball. It could have been like Filler vs Chohan at the time. It was likely the 1930s during the Great Depression before Mosconi was thought of as the title collecting GOAT. So they were likely closer in skill at that time than you might assume. Mosconi says they played 5 games at $50 per game and he won all 5 (giving Fats bus fare home). Fats says they played 100 times and he won them all. Willie was whacked out and couldn’t beat a drum. Fats version of events in his autobiography led Willie to sue Fats for half a million. That went nowhere. Willie wanted to play to settle it and Fats ducked every invitation.

It’s very likely they never had a notable match-up again until that Wild World of Sports event. Even that was a lucky accident. Fats was meant to play the imposter Bruce “Superstroke” Christopher with Howard Cosell and Willie commentating. But the cameras broke and the promoters looked to Fats to entertain the audience. They kept asking who Fats had beat. Someone called out Mosconi and he said he beat them all. That had the hot head Willie out of his chair ready to kill Fats. They screamed at each other back and forth. From that even producer Charlie Ursutti knew what event really needed to be produced. And the rest is history.
 

Minnesota Phat

Active member
I’m reading this right now. All about that match, their lives, their careers, their contrast, and their trajectory towards each other.

View attachment 644882

So far I’ve read about their first encounter of Fats coming to a pool hall where Mosconi was the house pro. Fats wanted to hustle Willie into playing 1P with a plan to talk and shark him into losing. Could backfire knowing Mosconi liked to play angry and those tactics could just stoke his engine. Mosconi wasn’t a gambler but if the room owner put him in action he played.

Fats knew the moves of 1P better and Willie had a better cueball. It could have been like Filler vs Chohan at the time. It was likely the 1930s during the Great Depression before Mosconi was thought of as the title collecting GOAT. So they were likely closer in skill at that time than you might assume. Mosconi says they played 5 games at $50 per game and he won all 5 (giving Fats bus fare home). Fats says they played 100 times and he won them all. Willie was whacked out and couldn’t beat a drum. Fats version of events in his autobiography led Willie to sue Fats for half a million. That went nowhere. Willie wanted to play to settle it and Fats ducked every invitation.

It’s very likely they never had a notable match-up again until that Wild World of Sports event. Even that was a lucky accident. Fats was meant to play the imposter Bruce “Superstroke” Christopher with Howard Cosell and Willie commentating. But the cameras broke and the promoters looked to Fats to entertain the audience. They kept asking who Fats had beat. Someone called out Mosconi and he said he beat them all. That had the hot head Willie out of his chair ready to kill Fats. They screamed at each other back and forth. From that even producer Charlie Ursutti knew what event really needed to be produced. And the rest is history.
Cool!

I love that rivalry - I'm Team Fats, because I think pool is about more than just the balls on the table, and Fats' opinion of pool resonates with me. I think I would die of boredom watching Mosconi pocket seven million balls in straight pool. I also like that Fats was an animal-lover.

Thanks for your comment - I have to read that book, although I think the next book I read will probably be "The Bank Shot and Other Great Robberies," because it sounds like a lot of fun.
 

benjaminwah

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
There’s one Earl vs Johnny match that is super intense. They are playing with a sense of urgency that you don’t see anymore. So great.
Keith McCready vs a young Efren, also a great one. What does he say to Efren? “Sit down little man.” 😂😂
That recent Mika VS SVB was insane. What a comeback for SVB.
 

hang-the-9

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
It was more that I’d love to get a taste of his prime play to see that magic cueball he’s famous for. Not so much to study pattern play but to feel connected to Buddy’s legacy in a more firsthand way. For example I rewatched this match last night and really him and Varner were playing quite poorly compared to the standard of professional play I’m used to seeing.


There is a Masters match of Buddy vs Rempe that is good, both players shot over .850 and one of the commentators was Nick Varner. I was just watching it over the past few days.
 

Kilroy

Registered
The 2008 race to 21 ten-ball match between SVB and The Lion at the DCC was a hill-hill classic. The last rack is insane. I saw it live and couldn't wait to get it on DVD when it came out. You can stream it on demand from the TAR on demand catalogue still. What a precursor to the insane race to 100 they'd play later on.
 
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