John Schmidt (pool player)
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2019}}
{{short description|American pool player}}
{{Infobox pool player
| name = John Schmidt
| honorific_suffix =
| image = File:John Schmidt.png
| image_size =
| alt = Picture of John Scmidt
| caption = John Schmidt at the 2004 US Open 9-Ball Championship, Chesapeake Conference Center in Chesapeake, Virginia
| birth_date ={{Birth date and age|1973|4|12}}
| birth_place = Keokuk, Iowa, US
| spouse = Felicity Wimperis Schmidt (2017 March 27-present)
| death_date =
| death_place =
| sport country = {{USA}}
| nickname = Mr. 600
| professional = 1999
| game = Straight Pool, 9-ball
| best finish =
| major wins = US Open 9-Ball Championship (2006)
| minor wins =
| other wins =
| world champ =
| website =
| medals =
}}
John Schmidt (born April 12, 1973) is an American pool player, born in Keokuk, Iowa. Nicknamed "Mr. 600", specialising in straight pool, Schmidt held the record for the highest {{cuegloss|run}} made (626), until Jayson Shaw broke that record with a high run of 669 in January 2022. Schmidt won the U.S. Open 9-Ball Championships in 2006 defeating Rodolfo Luat in the final. He was also part of the American team at two Mosconi Cups in 2006 and 2014.
Career
John Schmidt was born April 12, 1973, in Keokuk, Iowa. At a young age, he played as a golfer, winning tournaments at high school and college.{{Cite web |title=John Schmidt {{!}} Predator Pro Player {{!}} Official Predator USA Site |work=predatorcues.com |access-date=6 December 2020 |url= https://www.predatorcues.com/usa/pro-team/john-schmidt.html }} He began playing pool at age 19,{{cite web|url=https://www.vvdailypress.com/news/20190928/local-pool-tournament-attracts-pro|title=Local pool tournament attracts pro|work=vvdailypress.com|access-date=December 6, 2020|archive-date=November 28, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201128085156/https://www.vvdailypress.com/news/20190928/local-pool-tournament-attracts-pro|url-status=dead}} but didn't play his first professional tournament until he was aged 27 in 1999. Schmidt won the 2006 US Open 9-Ball Championship Championship, with a 11–6 victory in the final over Rodolfo Luat. Schmidt would later go on to win the Dragon 14.1 Tournament in 2012, winning 200–169 against Efren Reyes in the final.
On May 27, 2019, at Easy Street Billiards in Monterey, California, Schmidt defeated the longstanding 14.1 pool record {{cuegloss|run}} set by Willie Mosconi in 1954 of 526 with a video-recorded run of 626. Critics have argued that Mosconi's record was made in competition while Schmidt simply set up break shots for himself, and that his video was never released.{{cite web |url=https://www.billiardsdigest.com/new_current_issue/aug_19/bb_index.php |author=Panazzo, Mike |title=For the record... |work=Billiards Digest |access-date=October 29, 2020 |archive-date=September 16, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200916205259/https://billiardsdigest.com/new_current_issue/aug_19/bb_index.php |url-status=live}}{{cite web | url=https://www.billiardsdigest.com/new_current_issue/aug_19/bb_index.php | title=Billiards Digest - Pool's Top Source for News, Views, Tips & More }} Schmidt had made a personal best run of 403 balls in 2007, but in 2018, he began a concerted, dedicated effort to defeat Mosconi's record, shooting six to eight hours a day, filming the sessions for verification. Beginning May 8, 2019, the record was his fourth attempt.
Mike Panozzo, publisher of Billiards Digest, praised Schmidt's "focus and the perseverance to run 380, and then you miss and start over again." Mosconi's record 526 happened under circumstances somewhat different from those that Schmidt faced. Mosconi, then 40, was competing in an exhibition match with a man named Earl Bruney in Springfield, Ohio.{{Cite magazine |title=Billiard Buzz - Mr. 600 |volume=4 |issue=June 2019 |magazine=azbilliards.com |access-date=June 14, 2019 |url=https://www.azbilliards.com/buzz/36/ }}{{Dead link|date=March 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} Having defeating Bruney, he just kept shooting until he reached 526. Schmidt was purely going for the record, with no opponent, starting anew each time he fell short. In similar fashion as Schmidt, the record would be later broken in 2022 by Jayson Shaw of Scotland, who ran 669.{{cite web|url=https://www.azbilliards.com/jayson-shaw-achieves-record-straight-pool-high-run/|publisher=AZ Billiards|title=JAYSON SHAW ACHIEVES RECORD STRAIGHT POOL HIGH RUN|date=|access-date=July 2, 2022}}
Filmed at the Derby City Classic, Schmidt ran 112 in straight pool on video by Accu-Stats, sharing many insights on the DVD version. Filmed at TAR Studio on July 13–15, 2012, Schmidt competed in an all-around challenge match against Corey Deuel in the disciplines of eight-ball, one-pocket, and ten-ball.
Titles and achievements
- 2003 Legends of Straight Pool Championship
- 2003 Emerald Coast 9 Ball Classic
- 2003 Sands Regency 9-Ball Open
- 2004 Seminole Florida Pro Tour
- 2006 U.S. Open 9-Ball Championship
- 2007 Viking Cues Southern Classic 10-Ball Open
- 2009 Derby City Classic One Pocket
- 2009 Super Billiards Expo Players Championship
- 2012 Maryland 14.1 Championship
- 2012 Dragon 14.1 Tournament
- 2019 14.1 Record High Run. 626 Consecutive Balls
References
{{reflist|refs=
{{Cite web |title=After Much Effort, an 'Unbreakable' Record in Straight Pool Is Topped |work=The New York Times |date=May 28, 2019 |access-date=May 29, 2019 |url= https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/28/sports/john-schmidt-straight-pool-record-mosconi.html?register=facebook }}
[https://vimeo.com/ondemand/tar28 'TAR 28'] Retrieved May 29, 2019
}}
External links
{{AZB|http://www.azbilliards.com/people/836-john-schmidt/}}
{{World pool champions}}
{{2006 United States Mosconi Cup team}}
{{2014 United States Mosconi Cup team}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Schmidt, John}}
Category:Sportspeople from Keokuk, Iowa
Category:Sportspeople from Lee County, Iowa
Category:American pool players