Buddy Hall facts for kids
Buddy at the 2003 US Open
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| Born | May 29, 1945 Metropolis, Illinois, U.S. |
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| Died | May 22, 2025 (aged 79) |
| Sport country |  United States |
| Nickname | "The Rifleman" |
| Professional | 1970 |
| Tournament wins | |
| Other titles | 100 |
| Ranking info | |
Cecil P. "Buddy" Hall (May 29, 1945 – May 22, 2025) was a famous American professional pool player. Many people consider him one of the best nine-ball players of all time. He was known as "The Rifleman" because of his amazing accuracy. Buddy Hall was a top player for over twenty years. He was almost unbeatable in special "money matches."
Many experts say he was one of the most skilled 9-ball players ever. They praised his excellent cue ball control. Buddy Hall also created the "clock system." This is a special way to aim the cue ball, using a clock face as a guide.
Buddy Hall started playing pool at 14 years old. He played in a soda shop in his hometown. When local pool rooms wouldn't let him in because of his age, he found a way to get a new birth certificate. This allowed him to enter and play. He learned a lot at Herbie Lynn's pool room. Soon, he was beating all the regular players. It wasn't long before he traveled to play against more experienced players.
He first became well-known at the Johnston City tournament in 1970. He was excited to watch the best players of the day. But he ended up entering and beating some top players himself. He was very happy to win back his entry fee!
Later, the Dayton Open Tournament became a major event. In 1974, Buddy won first place there. He earned $6,800. He kept playing in the Dayton Open for many years. In 1982, Buddy won the Caesar's Tahoe Nine-ball Championship. He beat Allen Hopkins 11–6 in the final. This win earned him $35,000, which was the biggest prize money at the time. His win was even announced on ESPN. This was the first time a pool player was ever mentioned on that TV channel! "The Rifleman" won many 9-ball tournaments from the 1970s to the 2000s. In 1995, a book about his life was published, called 'Rags to Rifleman'.
Buddy Hall's Amazing Career
Buddy Hall won over 100 professional pool tournaments. In 1974, he won one of his first big events, the Dayton Open all-around tournament. Later, he won the famous U.S. Open 9-Ball Championship twice, in 1991 and 1998.
In the 1991 Championship semi-finals, Buddy Hall was losing badly to Johnny Archer, 7-1. But he made an incredible comeback! He won eight games in a row to win the match. Johnny Archer later said that Buddy Hall was "The best I've ever seen, the best I've ever played" in the game of Nine-ball.
Buddy Hall was honored for his great career in 2000. He became the thirty-ninth person inducted into the Billiard Congress of America's Hall of Fame. Pool media, like Pro Billiards Tour and Billiards Digest Magazine, named him Player of the Year multiple times. He received this award in 1982, 1991, 1997, and 1998. He used to be a member of the International Pool Tour. He later retired from professional play. However, he sometimes still competed in smaller events across the United States.
Buddy Hall also appeared in a billiard movie. It was called "The Tale of Texas Pool" and was released on December 25, 2024.
Major Wins and Achievements
Buddy Hall had a long list of wins and achievements. Here are some of his most notable ones:
- 1974 Dayton Open All-Around
- 1982 Caesars Tahoe Billiard Classic
- 1982 Billiards Digest Players of the Year
- 1991 U.S. Open 9-Ball Championship
- 1991 Billiards Digest Players of the Year
- 1992 International Challenge of Champions
- 1998 Texas Open 9-Ball Championship
- 1998 U.S. Open 9-Ball Championship
- 1998 National Billiard News Player of the Year
- 2000 Billiard Congress of America Hall of Fame
- 2001 Derby City Classic One Pocket
- 2011 One Pocket Hall of Fame
Images for kids
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Buddy at the 2003 US Open
