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Posts Tagged ‘billiard hall of famer’

Ray Martin has been known in the world of billiards being called as the Cool Cat. He has been the only 1 out of 7 players who have won at least three 14.1 titles, gathering up straight world pool titles for 1971, 1974, and 1978. He started earning the name the Cool Cat when he won a certain competition in the midst of an earthquake. Not to mention that he was able to win numerous 9 ball tournaments.

It was in 1994 when Ray Martin was inducted to the Billiard Hall of Famers. His nine ball instruments include the 1980 Caesar’s Tahoe Invitational, the 1981 ESPN King of the Hill and the Music City Open in 1983. He was the co-author of Rosser Reeves for the book The 99 Critical Shots in Pool published in 1977. He currently spends his time teaching fresh pool players on how to master the sport.

Photo via internationalpooltour.com

Rudolph Wanderone Jr. is also known as Minnesota Fats. He is considered to be the most popular pool player in the entire world for not being able to win any serious pool competition.

He started pool hustling during his early years. It was with the help of Willie Mosconi, another billiard hall of famer inductee, that Minnesota Fats turned out to be the lead star of a tv show aired weekly where two pool players show competing against each other. Minnesota Fats may have always lost the battles to Mosconi during these tv matches but it surely did not stop him from becoming a legend in his own right in the world of pool. He became a billiard hall of famer inductee himself in 1984.

Fats was able to make lots of money out of his pool skills during that time. He is known for being capable of shooting pool with just one hand and became popular for wearing hundred dollar bills in his suit’s handkerchief pocket.

Photos via pool.meetup.com and davidicke.com