Jeanette Lee
Everybody knows who Jeanette Lee is. After all, she is perhaps the most widely recognized pool player ever in the public eye. She has been featured on ESPN, “The David Letterman Show,” HBO’s “Arliss,” “Hard Copy,” People Magazine, Sports Illustrated, and many other shows and publications. She has remained of the WPBA’s top-ranked players since her professional debut in 1993 and has since accomplished many feats both on and off of the pool table. She serves on the Board of Trustees for the Women’s Sports Foundation and is the National Spokesperson for the Scoliosis Association. She also authored The Black Widow’s Guide to Killer Pool.
Jeanette began playing pool at the age of 18 while living in her hometown of Brooklyn, NY. In spite of her scoliosis, she quickly learned to endure her back pain and take it out on her opponents. She finished third place in her first pro event in 1992 and continued to move up in the rankings. By 1994, she became the number-one ranked player in the world and earned the “Player of the Year” award. In addition to may top finishes on the Women’s Professional Billiards Association (WPBA) Tour, she brought home the gold medal for the USA at the 2001 Akita World Games in Japan and won the Ladies’ $25,000 winner-take-all Tournament of Champions in November 2003.
Presently she resides in Indianapolis, IN, with her husband, former pro George Breedlove, and her two step daughters. She and her husband have recently welcomed new daughter Cheyenne Lee Breedlove, “The Baby Widow,” whom Lee feels will not take her away from the billiards circuit, but instead has become “a great source of inspiration” while playing. With such an optimistic statement, it is no doubt that “The Black Widow’s” fans will be seeing plenty of her in the future.
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Allison Fisher
Allison Fisher won her first World Snooker Championship when she was 17 years old, but her love of the game was ignited 10 years prior to that by the matches she watched on TV. By the time she was13 she belonged to a league and at 15 she won her first national championship, which she gives much credit to the coaching of Frank Callen.
After dominating the snooker world for the 10 years she was a pro, she decided to move to the United States from her hometown of Peacehaven, England, in 1995 with hopes of breaking into the Women’s Professional Billiards Association Pro 9-Ball Tour. She currently lives in Charlotte, NC, and has more than realized her hopes of playing on the WPBA tour. The record for the most tournament wins by any person in the sport of pool and billiards is held by Fisher, with more than 80 national titles and 11 world championships to her name, earning her the nickname “The Duchess of Doom.”
In addition to her busy tournament schedule, she also operates an instruction school in Charlotte. Ran in conjunction with fellow WPBA player Gerda “G-Force” Hofstatter, the school is held on weekends to accommodate the work schedules of those who wish to attend.
Fisher’s sponsorships and endorsements with Cuetech Cues and the American Poolplayers’ Association may make her one of the most recognized faces in the sport, but it is her unerring sportsmanship that makes her one of today’s most popular and well-respected players. The WPBA’s number one ranked player’s recent accomplishments include first place at the 2004 Midwest Classic, second place at the BCA Open 9-Ball Championships in Las Vegas, first place at the San Diego Classic, and first place at the Delta Classic.
Johnny “The Scorpion” Archer
Johnny Archer picked up a pool cue 23 years ago destinedto become one of the sport’s most extraordinaryplayers. His domination as a professional isunquestionable; his resume reads like a dream: five-timePlayer of the Year, four World 9-Ball championships, U.S.Open championship, seven-time Mosconi Cup player,Player of the Decade of the ‘90s, and the saga continues.Sponsored by Cuestix International and a player representativefor Scorpion Cues, Archer has entered 2004 fullthrottle, aiming at the same targets he does every year. “I’dlike to win the World Championship again. Every goalevery year is to win the World Championship and the U.S.Open. Those are two of our biggest. So, that, and I figurethe rest will take care of itself.”With the recent birth of his son, Johnny Lee Archer Jr.,he’ll be spending less time on the road this year and moreat home with family. “It’s very hard to leave, because youjust get a little sad, and it’s tough to get away knowing thatyour wife needs you and the baby needs you. But, youknow, that’s my job, so I know I have to do that to takecare of them. But I will say I’m a little more relaxed playingnow … hopefully that doesn’t take away my fight thatI have,which I don’t think it will.”It is doubtful that anything could take away Archer’sfight, for as relaxed as he may be, his determination andplay intensity are just as high as ever. Seen him on thetable lately?When not spending time with his family or playing onthe road,Archer is in a YMCA basketball league on a teamdubbed the Scorpions, which recently went 5-4, and heswings his fair share on the golf course. He and his wife,Melanie, are also very active in the Church of God. “I’d liketo say I’m a good Christian. We go to church every Sundaywhile we’re home. I think that’s something people need.Not so much that they have to believe in God per se, orwhat denomination, but I think a religious thing takes a lotof pressure off of you and gives you something to believein. I think spirituality is a very big thing, and I believe inthat.”The well-rounded Johnny Archer is as much a genuineand approachable individual as he is a dominating poolplayer. Keep your eyes wide for 2004 … the man is on amission
Vivian Villarreal
The “Texas Tornado” began playing pool when she was eight years old, and she dominated local tournaments right away, compiling over 200 trophies before she was a teenager. But Vivian abruptly stopped playing to play other high school sports, where she excelled at basketball and volleyball.
Luckily, she returned to pool while in college. “I took my basic classes and thought about accounting, but I got back into pool and wound up being a professional billiards player.”
In the past 13 years, she has amassed 16 titles, including the 1992 National Championship and the 1996 ESPN World Championship. But the win she remembers most is the 1992 Kasson Classic, which propelled her to number one, where she remained for nearly two years. Since then, Vivian hasn’t fallen out of the top ten.
In 2003, Vivian gained a sponsorship from the Seminole Tribe of Florida, and since then, they have also helped her establish the Vivian Villarreal Missing Children’s foundation. Her adopted daughter, Nathalie, was kidnapped by her biological mother on July 27, 1997, prompting her to start the foundation. “I will never stop looking for her. Someday, I will find her, or I hope that she tries looking for me.”
Villarreal has taken the hardship she has endured and used it as motivation to continually enjoy her career. “I just love the game, and I have a lot of fans. That’s always motivated me, and I’m one of the most exciting players to watch.”
In fact, she has been voted the most exciting player, male or female, in the sport for the past four years. “Hey, when the fans are having fun, it makes me happy.”
Belinda Campos Calhoun
Belinda Calhoun is two years from celebrating her thirtieth year on the pro tour. The 1977 U.S. Open champion started her journey in 1973 after picking up a national billiards newsletter. “It prompted me to pursue a career in pool. I realized that this is what I want to do.”
She was the leading money winner in 1983, followed by a player-of-the-year award in ‘85. Since then, Belinda has put in six years as a member of the World Pool and Billiard Association, which was during the time when the International Olympic Committee officially recognized pool. She is also a 14-year member of the WPBA board and former BCA board member. She has also captured seven Texas State Opens, which might be the thing she’s most proud of. “It’s the oldest tournament in the country.” Her successes have also garnered her with numerous endorsement deals and sponsorships from Limbsaver X-1 Cue Stabilizer, the Guylassey Sledgehammer, Integrity Group Financial, and Colliding Spheres - “The Absolute in Training Excellence.”
“The Texas Belle” soon took her success to the classroom, teaching an introduction to pool class at Texas State University. After eight years of teaching, she has plenty of stories to tell, especially about seniors who have tried to get into the course for four years.
The first lesson that she teaches them is that it is futile to challenge her on the tables because you have a slim to none chance of winning. But she does take the class very seriously, just as she has her career.
The Texas native still lives in Austin with her husband, Jay, and their two children, who, coincidentally, have no interest in pool. That may just be why she is so adamant about spreading her knowledge of the game to the students in the classroom.
Bobby Pickle
“Play pool. Have fun. Enjoy your life.” This is the credo of Bobby Pickle, a constant in the Nashville pool scene and a never-ending source of entertainment for true fans of the game.
Born in the early sixties, Pickle first picked up a cue at the age of five and was making money with it two years later. “My father was a pool player-I’m a natural at it,” he relays in his pleasantly accented voice. “Right now my eyes are going a little bad, which at this age is ordinary, so I’ve really got to get Lasik Surgery or glasses or contacts. I probably should have had this done a little while ago.”
Explaining how he got drawn more into the game, Pickle relates, “The only mentor really I ever had was Charlie James, and he died in seventy-six. He sort of looked out for me after my father died-he died of cancer when I was seven-he [James] owned about four or five poolrooms in the Nashville area. He looked out for me.”
Whether it was James or his own sense of fair play that molded him, Pickle exudes a strong conviction of good sportsmanship. He is the first to compliment an opponent on a good shot, the first to shake a victorious adversary’s hand, and the first to ask the question, “if you’re not having fun, why keep doing it?” It’s this attitude that makes
Bobby one of the circuit’s most well-liked players. His infectious laugh and gentlemanly ways win him fans and friends wherever he goes. But his game is never one that should be taken lightly under any circumstances.
“I’ve won many, many tournaments, mainly out of the losers’ bracket,” recountedPickle with a deep laugh, “but I won the two thousand and two BCA Amateur Championship in Las Vegas, Nevada. There were seventeen hundred and ninety-five players in it, and I went undefeated. I’ve won the Tennessee State Championship three times in the past, I’ve won the Florida State Championship in the past, I’ve won the Southeast Regional Division in eight-ball, I’ve won eighth place in the world in eight-ball in nineteen eighty-six.
“I’ve enjoyed it. It’s a game that I enjoy, and it’s a game that when I stop enjoying it, I will quit. I have a good time when I play pool. I enjoy the company, the people that I meet are great. I travel everywhere-it’s a beautiful country, the United States of America.”
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Jennifer Barretta
Jennifer Barretta rounds out the Chesapeake Area Tour’s (CAT) inaugural season as point leader and is assured of a spot to play in all of the WPBA’s 2003 Classic Tour stops. Jennifer is CAT’s Player of the Year not only because she obtained the tour’s point leader status but also because she supported CAT by attending every single tournament. A polished and remarkable young woman, she carries herself with exemplary professionalism and is a role model for pool players everywhere.Crazy about snowboarding, Jennifer began playing pool just over four years ago. Of her passion for pool, she quips, “I don’t have to break any bones, and I can be good at it.” She hopes one day to marr y her two passions by opening a billiard club near her vacation home in the Killington area of Vermont. Originally from King of Prussia, PA, Jennifer now divides her time between her billiard aspirations and her duties as co-owner of Duomo Gym in Manhattan. Under the mentorship of Stu Mattana, she hopes to earn enough points this year to qualify as a touring pro.
Alex “The Lion” Pagulayan
Alex Pagulayan picked up his first pool cue when he was 10, barely taller than the stick itself. After winning the World Championship in August, though, “The Lion” is larger than life.
The pint-sized Filipino Canadian, who turned 26 in 2004, captured the championship having finished runner-up last year, and now, he says, the weight is lifted off his shoulders. “It feels really good to be number one.” Although he’s on top of the world in the sport, his mind is with his family. His daughter, now five months old, is staying with her mother, Phoebe Choy, while Pagulayan competes on the road.
The road for Pagulayan began in the Philippines where he was born and raised until age 15, when his family moved to Canada. His father ran a pool hall, so his exposure to the game was early and often. He also liked other sports, but he says his stature just wasn’t right. “I like a lot of sports, but with pool, you don’t have to be physically tough.”
As he got older he worked with Paul Thornly, a man he says helped him with areas inside and outside the pool hall. To this day, he remains his favorite player. “He even taught me how to fence,” added Pagulayan.
Pagulayan still officially has a mailing address in Canada, but he says that isn’t entirely true right now. When asked where he lives, he paused, and then jokingly said, “My suitcase. Yes, that’s where I live right now-out of my suitcase!”
The traveling may be tough on him right now, but he isn’t showing any signs of letting up on the competition. Pagulayan is continuing his climb toward greatness, and it is doubtful much of anything can stop him.
Corey Deuel
Corey Deuel is the 2004 Derby City Classic Ring Game Champion, the 2002 Atlanta Pro Open Champion, the 2004 Predator Central Florida Ring Game Champion, the 2001 U.S. Open 9-Ball Champion. Known as “The Prince of Pool,” he currently resides in West Jefferson, Ohio.
Karen Corr
“The Irish Invader” struck out for new horizons in 1998 when she left the world of snooker behind to see how she could do on a tour she had just heard of that was happening in the United States-the Women’s Professional Billiard Association 9-Ball Tour. It wasn’t long before Corr won 10 qualifying events in a row and became eligible to play in WPBA events, ultimately going on to be the first person to win all six Classic events on the WPBA tour only four years later in 2002.
The accomplishments she had on the snooker circuit cannot be overlooked, though, despite her meteoric rise on the 9-ball scene. She got her first taste of being a champion at age 15 when she won her first Ladies Snooker Championship in England. Her first World Snooker Championship came on October 10, 1990, coinciding with her twenty-first birthday. She was the World Snooker Champ again in 1991, 1995, and 1997.
By the end of her first year in the U.S., Corr was ranked number 24 on the WPBA tour. A year later she was ranked number 4, and moved up to number 1 the following year. She remained the number-one-ranked player for two years, reminding everyone what a formidable opponent she is.
Corr is serious when she plays, but does have a lighter side, which was seen by all those who were in attendance when she won her sixth straight Classic event at the Nationals. Surprising the crowd, Corr kicked off her shoes, jumped onto the table, and did an Irish jig to celebrate her astounding accomplishment. This was one of many for Corr, who also took first place at the BCA Open in 2003, first place at Valley Forge in 2003, first place at the U.S. Open in 2003, and first place at the Canadian Classic 2003.
Corey Harper
Corey Harper grew up in Los Angeles poolrooms amidst the likes of Keith McCready, Efren Reyes, and Jose Parica. “I didn’t give myself enough credit when I was a kid. I didn’t think I was playing good, but I was surrounded by all those amazing players. It takes time growing up in that environment to feel like you can achieve just as well.” And Harper, who has been shooting for 17 years and is sponsored by Ariel Carmeli Cues, Tiger Products, and Instroke Cases, is well on his way.
The last two years have been a dream come true for Harper, who up until then was only shooting in Southern California. “Traveling was something I didn’t think I’d be able to do until last year. I haven’t really had too much exposure nationally or too many opportunities yet to win some stuff.”
But Harper’s performance as a new touring pro is impressive. “My goal for this year is to get a top-sixteen ranking. Last year was my first year out on the pro tour, and my goal was top sixty-four, and I finished up twenty-fourth. That was beyond my wildest dreams to do that. Of course, the ultimate goal with playing is to win a world championship. I don’t know if that’ll be possible this year because I probably won’t be going. I’m also very close with my family. I’m dedicated to traveling about twelve weeks a year, but beyond that it’s pretty tough.”
Harper got married to his longtime girlfriend a year and a half ago. “She is an awesome, incredibly understanding woman. For so many years she would listen to me talk about wanting to go out and travel and go play in the big tournaments … that ‘I knew I would do well’ … and she said, ‘Stop your whining and go do it.’ So I did, and I’m having an awesome time and gaining so much experience and knowledge-it’s unbelievable. Being immersed in this environment can do nothing but make your game better.”
Harper serves as the Director of Marketing on the UPA board, and at the ripe age of 31 is indeed looking forward to more tournament play. “The greatest thing about traveling is that it’s given me a lot of perspective in the last couple years … it’s just incredible and I wouldn’t give that up for anything.”
Tony Crosby
After playing professional snooker for five years, at one point reigning as the Northern England Champion, Tony Crosby left his homeland in 2001 with one thing in mind: shooting professional pool in the United States. After arriving, he began hitting balls with a cue he bought for ten dollars. “It probably wasn’t even worth ten dollars, actually, and I played with that for a year and a half. I didn’t really know how to play nine-ball. I didn’t know the rules of the game or anything, and it’s a totally different game from snooker, shape-wise, in positional play. So I learned the hard way, really-by playing in tough matches and playing in tournaments.”
And he has learned. He was the 2002 Rookie of the Year on the UPA tour, and having been touring for two years now and getting fully adjusted to life in America, his game is growing stronger, and he’s climbing through the ranks. “Nine-ball is my favorite … It’s a great game, and coming from snooker, it’s a lot more relaxed. Snooker is very serious all the time. I’m also just starting to play some straight pool, which I think is a real good game to practice. I just enjoy playing pool. That’s what it’s about.”
Crosby, who just turned 30 in July [2004], is based in Clearwater, FL, where he lives with his wife and daughter. He is the house pro at Strokers in Palm Harbor. “They help me out a lot. They’re also holding some big events this year in the Florida Pro Tour. The weather is good in Florida as well, a lot better than where I’m from in England. I try to get in the sun as much as possible. It keeps me happy.”
Until this year, Crosby had been paying for everything entirely on his own. He doesn’t make a wage, but he has picked up some good sponsors that offer him product and cover his expenses. Predator, Slayer Player Technologies, A Plus Restorations, and Tiger Products are all helping Crosby get it done.
“I’m hoping that with the events going on in Florida and the big tournaments, I might start making a living out here.”
Bet your dollars he does.
Danny “Kid Delicious” Basavich
Danny “Kid Delicious” Basavich has been playing professionally only for a few years. In that short time he has made a name for himself by winning tournaments and heads-up matches. His nickname came from one of these heads-up matches when he played a player nicknamed “Kid Viscious”, where after defeating his opponent one spectator commented, “If his name is Kid Viscious, your name should be Kid Delicious.” Well the name stuck and Danny became the player with the cool nickname that had the game to back it up. He won the Reno Open in December of 2004 and has his eyes on more tournaments. He has released a DVD lesson set and a traing cue ball to help others play the game. Danny has recently acquired Pittsburgh Steel as one of his major sponsors. Danny also has a soft side. He donates a portion of his winnings to charity.
Steve Davis
Steve Davis – England
Age - 47
Based - Brentwood, Essex, England
Nickname - Romford Slim
Hobbies - Poker and Record Collecting
Cue Used - John Parris
Achievements - Six World Snooker Championships as well as over 70 major titles. In pool, a quarter-finalist at the 2000 World Championship. Ten Mosconi Cup appearances and the man who sunk the winning ball in 2002. Runner-up in 2001 World Pool League.
A legend in the world of cue sports, Davis dominated snooker for a ten year period in the 1980’s, making himself a multi-millionaire in the process. Whilst he still plays top level snooker, reaching the final of the Welsh Open earlier this year, Davis runs a tandem career in 9-ball pool where he has had some good successes. Career highlights include a famous come-from-behind victory against Efren Reyes en route to a quarter final spot in the 2000 World Pool Championship and beating Earl Strickland to clinch the 2002 Mosconi Cup for Europe. Davis had a lack lustre showing at last July’s World Championship where he meekly surrendered to Rodolfo Luat in the round of 64. He will be looking for a strong showing in Warsaw to get his season back on track.
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Ralf Souquet
In 1974, at the age of six, Ralf started playing billards in the pub owned by his parents. From this time on, he practiced for about 8 years - up to five hours a day. At the age of 14, he could win my first German Championship title in the Juniors category.In 1985, he won his first European Championships title with the National Team and one year later, he won his first individual title at the European Juniors Championships.In 1989, the readers of the European Pocket Billiard News voted him “European Player of the Year” for the first time. Since 1981, he could win more than 200 tournament titles, including 41 German Championships titles and 32 European Championships titles.
1996, he had an excellent year with 4 international titles and 2002 was the most successful year in his career to date. In 1997, he received the ‘Silberne Lorbeerblatt’ (the “Silver Laurel Leave”), the highest distinction for sportsmen in Germany, presented by the German President Roman Herzog, represented by the Minister of Domestic Affairs Manfred Kanther, in Bonn - Bad Godesberg.
Born: November 29, 1968, Eschweiler, county Aachen, Germany
Marital Status: divorced Children: Daughter Celine, born on February 1st, 1997
Education and professional training: High school, studies of small and medium size trade organizations in the automotive segment
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Luc Salvas
From - Canada
Age - 41
Based - Quebec, Canada
Hobbies -Poker, Tennis, Swimming, Baseball
Years Playing - 20 years a pro
Cue Used -Schon
Achievements - Ranked 6th UPA Tour rankings. 3rd Place ESPN Baltimore, 4th Place Philadelphia, 5th Place Valley Forge (All UPA Tour stops) 9th Place 2003 World Pool Championship. Canadian 9-Ball Champion. 2 Times Canadian Player of the Year.
One of the most popular players on the world circuit, the happy-go-lucky Salvas gets by with a frenetic playing style that would give speed merchant Tony Drago a run for his money. Although he has never won a major international tournament, Salvas is a consistent performer in the highest company and is currently ranked No.6 on the highly competitive UPA Tour in the States. Over the years, Salvas has won over 100 titles in his North America Canada including the national championship and is still playing as well as ever at 41. The question is whether Salvas has what it takes to triumph in Egmond? The shorter race will undoubtedly favour him and he is certainly a player the others will want to avoid. A good outside bet.
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