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 an amazing American professional pool player. Many people thought he was one of the best nine-ball players ever! The International Pool Tour even called him a "living pool legend."
Buddy Hall was known as "The Rifleman" because he was incredibly accurate when he shot. He was a top player for more than 20 years. He was almost impossible to beat in special "money matches" where players bet on the game. Many experts believed he had the best cue ball control of any player. He even created a special way to hit the cue ball called the "clock system." This system uses the face of a clock to help players aim perfectly.
Contents
Buddy Hall's Early Life and Pool Journey
Buddy Hall started playing pool when he was just 14 years old. He found a table in a soda shop in his hometown. When he tried to go to bigger pool rooms, they wouldn't let him in because he was too young. So, he found a clever way to get a new birth certificate that said he was old enough!
He learned a lot at a pool room called Herbie Lynn's. Soon, he was beating all the regular players there. It wasn't long before he decided to travel and play against more skilled opponents.
First Big Wins
Buddy first became well-known in 1970. He went to a big tournament in Johnston City. He wanted to watch famous players like Wimpy and Jersey Red. But he ended up entering the tournament himself! He was very happy when he beat Wimpy and Jersey Red, and even won back his entry fee.
After a few years, the Johnston City tournament became less popular. The Dayton Open Tournament became the new big event. In 1974, Buddy Hall won first place in the All-Around tournament there. He won $6,800, which was a lot of money back then! He kept playing in the Dayton Open for many years.
Winning the Caesar's Tahoe Championship
In 1982, Buddy won the Caesar's Tahoe Nine-ball Championship. He beat Allen Hopkins with a score of 11–6. This win earned him $35,000, which was the biggest prize money in a tournament at that time! His victory was even announced on ESPN. This was the very first time a pool player was mentioned on that TV channel.
"The Rifleman" won many nine-ball tournaments from the 1970s all the way into the 2000s. A book about his life and career, called 'Rags to Rifleman', was published in 1995. Buddy Hall passed away on May 22, 2025, at the age of 79.
Buddy Hall's Amazing Career Highlights
Buddy Hall won over 100 professional pool tournaments! One of his first big wins was the Dayton Open all-around tournament in 1974. He later won the famous U.S. Open 9-Ball Championship twice, in 1991 and 1998.
Incredible Comeback and Recognition
In the semi-finals of the 1991 U.S. Open, Buddy was losing badly to Johnny Archer, 7-1. But then, Buddy made an amazing 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 nine-ball.
Buddy Hall was honored for his incredible career in 2000. He became the 39th person to be added to the Billiard Congress of America's Hall of Fame. He was also named Player of the Year by different pool magazines and groups in 1982, 1991, 1997, and 1998.
A special story about Buddy appeared in the very first issue of The Snap Magazine. He was a member of the International Pool Tour for a while. Later, he stopped playing professionally, but he still sometimes played in smaller tournaments for fun.
Buddy Hall also appeared in a pool movie called "The Tale of Texas Pool," which was released on December 25, 2024.
Career Titles and Achievements
- 1974 Dayton Open 9-Ball
- 1974 Dayton Open All-Around
- 1975 Bakers 9-Ball Open
- 1975 Citrus 9-Ball Open
- 1975 Greenway 9-Ball Open
- 1976 Citrus 9-Ball Open
- 1978 Austin 9-Ball Open
- 1978 Virginia Beach 9-Ball
- 1978 Virginia Beach All-Around
- 1978 Southeastern 9-Ball Open
- 1978 Houston 9-Ball Open
- 1979 Corpus Christi 9-Ball Open
- 1979 Austin 9-Ball Open
- 1979 Memphis 9-Ball Open
- 1979 Houston 9-Ball Open
- 1979 Houston 8-Ball Open
- 1979 Jackson Mississippi 9-Ball Open
- 1979 Norfolk One-Pocket Open
- 1979 Gibbs Invitational 9-Ball
- 1979 Gibbs Invitational All-Around
- 1980 Sacramento 9-Ball Open
- 1981 Illinois 9-Ball Open
- 1982 St. Louie 9-Ball Open
- 1982 Jackson Mississippi 9-Ball Open
- 1982 Bowling Green 9-Ball Open
- 1982 Clyde Childress Memorial 9-Ball Open
- 1982 Caesars Tahoe Billiard Classic
- 1982 Billiards Digest Players of the Year
- 1983 Dayton 9-Ball Open
- 1983 Clinton 9-Ball Shootout
- 1983 Iowa State 9-Ball Open
- 1984 Tampa 9-Ball Shootout
- 1984 Dayton 9-Ball Open
- 1984 Caesars Tahoe Billiard Classic
- 1985 Cowboy Casino 9-Ball Open
- 1985 East Coast 9-Ball Open
- 1985 Charlotte 9-Ball Open
- 1985 Gibbs 9-Ball Shootout
- 1986 Florida State 9-Ball
- 1986 Cue Club 9-Ball Open
- 1986 Florida 9-Ball Open
- 1986 Fall Classic 9-Ball
- 1986 Florida Memorial Day 9-Ball Open
- 1986 Charlotte 9-Ball Open
- 1987 Lexington All-Star 9-Ball
- 1987 Carolina's Cup
- 1987 Colorado 9-Ball Open
- 1987 Glass City 9-Ball Open
- 1987 Super Bowl 9-Ball Open
- 1987 Denver 9-Ball Open
- 1987 Bruces 9-Ball Open
- 1988 Florida Master's 9-Ball Open
- 1988 Shane's Bar Table 9-Ball Open
- 1988 Grand Stand 9-Ball Open
- 1989 Citrus 9-Ball Open
- 1989 Florida Master's 9-Ball Open
- 1989 Willard's Classic 9-Ball
- 1989 Memphis 9-Ball Open
- 1990 U.J. Puckett 9-Ball Open
- 1990 Southern California 9-Ball Open
- 1991 Capital City 9-Ball Open
- 1991 U.S. Open 9-Ball Championship
- 1991 International 9-Ball Classic
- 1991 Bicycle Club 9-Ball Invitational
- 1991 Billiards Digest Players of the Year
- 1992 Rak'M Up Classic 9-Ball
- 1992 International Challenge of Champions
- 1992 Champs Billiards 9-Ball Open
- 1992 Southern California 9-Ball Open
- 1993 Challenge Match Race to 45 vs. (Johnny Archer)
- 1993 Hard Times 9-Ball Open
- 1993 Nashville 9-Ball Open
- 1994 Bowling Green 8-Ball Open
- 1995 PBT Commonwealth Cup 9-Ball
- 1996 Florida State 9-Ball Championship
- 1997 Senior Tour Tulsa
- 1997 Florida State 9-Ball Championship
- 1998 Florida Senior Tour 9-Ball
- 1998 Pine Needles Seniors Open
- 1998 Viking Cue Pro Warm Up
- 1998 Florida Tour 9-Ball
- 1998 Texas Open 9-Ball Championship
- 1998 Camel Shooters Nine-ball Open
- 1998 U.S. Open 9-Ball Championship
- 1998 Legends of One-Pocket Championship
- 1998 National Billiard News Player of the Year
- 2000 Florida State 9-Ball Championship
- 2000 Florida Tour 9-Ball
- 2000 Billiard Congress of America Hall of Fame
- 2001 Florida Tour 9-Ball
- 2001 Gibbs 14.1 Tournament
- 2001 Florida Open 9-Ball
- 2001 Lucasi Central Florida 9-Ball Open
- 2001 Derby City Classic One Pocket
- 2002 Midwest Tour 9-Ball
- 2004 Gulf Coast Classic Bank Pool
- 2005 Senior Masters 9-ball Championship
- 2005 Hard Times One Pocket
- 2006 Shooter's Billiards One Pocket
- 2008 Shooter's Billiards One Pocket
- 2011 One Pocket Hall of Fame
