Who is the Greatest Female Pocket Billiard Player in History?

CJ Wiley

CJ Wiley

ESPN WORLD OPEN CHAMPION
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I've played several of the top Ladies Players in practice and played the Battle of the Sexes on ESPN. One strength that pool has is male and female's can compete on a level playing field.

There has been many great Female Players, but WHO WAS THE BEST? And do you think they could beat the top Male players of today?

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cjssecrets4u2 said:
I've played several of the top Ladies Players in practice and played the Battle of the Sexes on ESPN. One strength that pool has is male and female's can compete on a level playing field.

There has been many great Female Players, but WHO WAS THE BEST? And do you think they could beat the top Male players of today?
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In no particular order, my top three are:
Allison Fisher
Jean Balukas
Karen Corr

.....don't make me pick just one because I can't!

On any given day, in their prime, any of those three could beat any male on any given day playing 9 ball.
 
Balukas, Jeanette, Fisher all come to mind. I think Jeanette has put herself in action playing men, women whoever. Of these 3 all are very capable of beating perhaps any man on the planet in a short race say 11 or less. They would all be beat by a good number of men in long ahead sets of rotation type pool. Jeanette plays great 14.1 and also other games as well. There is a difference between tourney play and cash games and I am giving the nod to perhaps the greatest all around female player. So if I had to pick one name only to beat all other women in an all around at their prime I think I would go for Jeanette.
 
This is a close one, and it's hard to consider anyone but Allison Fisher and Jean Balukas, both of whom I've played.

Allison's huge title count in an era where winning WPBA titles was far more difficult than in Jean's era, to me, makes her the best female nine baller ever. I think her case is strengthened greatly by her international credentials, too, with many wins in the Amway Cup and other elite events in Asia.

Still, Jean's nine ball speed in her prime was quite similar to that of Fisher in hers, and given that Jean was also a great straight pooler, I've got to give the nod to Jean as the best ever woman's pool player.

Still, it's tough not to be intrigued by the "what night have beens?"

1) If Jean stuck around, would Allison have pushed her to an even higher level at nine ball? My guess is yes.

2) If Allison had played more straight pool, would she have played it at a level comparable to Jean? Based on what I saw at the BCA US Open 14.1 event in 2000, I'd guess yes. Allison beat elite straight pooler and former World 14.1 champion Loree Jon Jones in the final, not missing a single ball in the final.

In short, things might have been different, but as they stand, I'm picking Jean Balukas as the best ever.
 
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Who was the best over the span of a couple of decades is interesting but it leads to the question of who will be the best? I'm thinking of the woman who:

In 2008, she reached the Men's World Straight Pool Championship semifinal by beating Mika Immonen and defending champion Oliver Ortmann, but then lost against Francisco Bustamante. However, her third place finish resulted in the first medal won by any woman in an open world pool championship.​

As I recall, she had to beat John Schmidt in her group to advance to the elimination rounds.
 
Bob Jewett said:
Who was the best over the span of a couple of decades is interesting but it leads to the question of who will be the best? I'm thinking of the woman who:

In 2008, she reached the Men's World Straight Pool Championship semifinal by beating Mika Immonen and defending champion Oliver Ortmann, but then lost against Francisco Bustamante. However, her third place finish resulted in the first medal won by any woman in an open world pool championship.​

As I recall, she had to beat John Schmidt in her group to advance to the elimination rounds.
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Jasmin I am guessing?
 
It is always difficult to compare two players in any sport who played in different eras. The women's game is more competative today than it was 30 or 40 years ago. Just look at the number of great players coming out of asia today.
As sjm pointed out, Jean played straight pool which makes her a more versatile player than Alison who only plays 9 ball.
Two great champions. Hard to pick just one.
 
kaznj said:
It is always difficult to compare two players in any sport who played in different eras. The women's game is more competative today than it was 30 or 40 years ago. Just look at the number of great players coming out of asia today.
As sjm pointed out, Jean played straight pool which makes her a more versatile player than Alison who only plays 9 ball.
Two great champions. Hard to pick just one.
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Allison used to play a little Snooker too :)
 
I'm a huge Jasmin fan. She's about the most exciting woman player out there right now. Great focus and lots of heart. But by a real close squeak by it's Allison Fisher. A wonderful ambassador for pool and women in general. A real classy lady IMO.
 
Very debatable stuff here.

Allison would have to get the nod for sure in tourney play. Then probably Karen and Jean I guess.

However, in a royal rumble for the cash I would give Jeanette the nod just from what I've seen personally. She is a friend of mine and I have several experiences with her. From what I've seen, (granted you don't see a lot of women gambling) she has more heart when it comes down to putting up her cheese in a close game. I've seen her climb up some unbelievable hills and mountains in long gambling sessions, and it is impressive.

I heard once that Allison gambled a couple of times in Charlotte back in the late 90s. I believe she played Cliff with a big spot. Not sure of the outcome. I would love to watch more woman match up! :cool:
 
In my estimation that would have to be Mary Jane Patterson.
Mary Jane spent most of her early years in West Memphis, Arkansas. Unfortunately for Mary Jane, however, at the tender age of thirteen was unceremoniously abandoned by her parents. Her maternal aunt, Sally Bemstien, also known as "Two Tooth" Sally, who was the owner of a popular hot pillow joint down on Canal street in Galveston, Texas, took the child in and raised her as her own.
Life was not easy for the young girl. There were sheets to wash, floors to scrub, spittoons to empty, and the occasional blood spatters to clean from the walls.
It was during this time that Mary Jane, when time allowed, learned to play pool on the old Gandy five by ten, located in the back room. She became proficient in all the rotation games, but her forte was One Pocket. Men would come from as far away as Houston, and Corpus Christi, just to lose a weeks pay playing her. By the time Mary Jane was eighteen years old she had put back enough money from her winnings at the pool table to enroll in the University of Texas.
Sadly, her desire to become a Longhorn was not fulfilled. On the night before she was to leave for Austin, Mary Jane was sitting with some friends, having a drink and talking about better days to come, when a gunshot rang out. Mary Jane was struck in the right temple and died immediately.
Witnesses reported that at the time of Mary Jane's death her aunt Sally was in an adjacent room giving a lap dance to an inebriated customer, when half way through the dance she shit all over the guy. Incensed, and sickened at the same time, the man drew a pistol from his vest pocket and shot Sally through the heart. The bullet exited her backside, penetrated the paper thin wall, striking Mary Jane.
Sally, as it turns out, suffered from CED, or chronic explosive diarrhea. A condition known only to herself and the family Doctor.
Many have said that Mary Jane Patterson possessed all the tools necessary to become a world champion pool player if only her luck hadn't turned to shit. :smile:
 
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I think the greatest women players are currently playing today! Most of them are from China. Whether anyone will ever surpass Allison's records is questionable, even improbable. Allison is the Annika Sorenstam of pool.
 
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