Best in Billiards Announces Greatest Players, Products and Contributors of America’s First 250 Years
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New national awards program celebrates 14 legendary players, entertainers, instructors, events, companies, publications and industry leaders in honor of America’s 250th anniversary
LOS ANGELES, California, July 4, 2026 — In celebration of the 250th anniversary of the United States, Best in Billiards has announced its inaugural award recipients, recognizing the greatest players, instructors, products, manufacturers, publications, events and contributors in American billiards history.
The complete list of honorees and detailed profiles documenting their accomplishments are available at www.bestinbilliards.org.
Best in Billiards was created to celebrate and preserve the people, performances, products, companies, publications and events that have made a lasting impact on the game. The awards recognize excellence across every major area of billiards, from championship competition and professional instruction to equipment manufacturing, broadcasting, journalism and event promotion.
Best in Billiards Award Recipients
Best All-Around Player — Nick Varner
Eight-time world champion Nick Varner was selected as the Best All-Around Player of America’s first 250 years. Varner captured world championships in five major disciplines—9-ball, 8-ball, straight pool, one-pocket and bank pool—and accumulated more than 80 tournament titles. The Kentucky native was inducted into the Billiard Congress of America Hall of Fame in 1992 and remains one of the most versatile champions in the history of the sport.
Best 9-Ball Player — Earl Strickland
Earl “The Pearl” Strickland was selected as the Best 9-Ball Player. Strickland won the WPA World 9-Ball Championship in 1992, 1993 and 2002, in addition to capturing the U.S. Open 9-Ball Championship five times. With more than 100 tournament titles, five Billiards Digest Player of the Year honors and induction into the BCA Hall of Fame in 2006, Strickland helped define the modern era of professional 9-ball.
Best Straight Pool Player — Willie Mosconi
Willie “Mr. Pocket Billiards” Mosconi was selected as the Best Straight Pool Player. Mosconi won the World Straight Pool Championship 15 times between 1941 and 1957. On March 19, 1954, he pocketed 526 consecutive balls during an exhibition in Springfield, Ohio, establishing a celebrated record that remained the recognized benchmark for more than six decades. Mosconi was among the inaugural inductees into the BCA Hall of Fame in 1966.
Best One-Pocket Player — Efren “Bata” Reyes
Known around the world as “The Magician,” Efren Reyes was selected as the Best One-Pocket Player. Reyes won the Derby City Classic One-Pocket division five times, including four consecutive victories from 2004 through 2007, and captured the 2011 U.S. Open One-Pocket Championship. His creativity, tactical intelligence and extraordinary cue-ball control expanded the strategic possibilities of the game.
Best Bank Pool Player — John Brumback
Kentucky’s John Brumback was selected as the Best Bank Pool Player. Brumback won the Derby City Classic Bank Pool Championship in 2009, 2010 and 2016 and earned the prestigious Master of the Table championship in 2009. His résumé also includes the 2006 BCA National Championships Bank Pool title and consecutive U.S. Open Bank Pool Championships in 2006 and 2007. He was inducted into the Bank Pool Hall of Fame in 2011.
Best Billiards Entertainer — Minnesota Fats
Rudolf “Minnesota Fats” Wanderone was selected as the Best Billiards Entertainer. With his larger-than-life personality, quick wit, colorful stories and unmatched talent for self-promotion, Fats became one of the most recognizable figures in American pool history.
His nationally televised exhibitions and memorable rivalry with Willie Mosconi introduced millions of viewers to the personalities, competition and excitement of billiards. Fats understood that a pool match could be more than a contest—it could be a performance—and his humor, confidence and constant banter transformed every appearance into entertainment.
Although his historical importance extended far beyond tournament results, his influence on the popularity and public image of pool was undeniable. Minnesota Fats was inducted into the Billiard Congress of America Hall of Fame in 1984 in recognition of his extraordinary contribution to the promotion of the sport. His name remains synonymous with American poolroom culture, showmanship, and the larger-than-life spirit of the game.
Best Female Player — Allison Fisher
Allison “The Duchess of Doom” Fisher was selected as the Best Female Player. Fisher won 12 world snooker championships, including four doubles championships, before establishing a second legendary career in American pool. She captured the WPA World 9-Ball Championship in 1996, 2001 and 2002, won more than 50 WPBA Classic Tour events and was inducted into the BCA Hall of Fame in 2009.
Best Pool Instructor — Anthony Beeler
Kentucky instructor, author, and national champion Anthony Beeler was selected as the Best Pool Instructor. Beeler is a PBIA Master Instructor, ACS Level 4 Master Instructor, and a member of the ACS National Instructors Board. Through the Virtual Billiard Academy, he has reached more than 31,000 students in all 50 states and 102 countries.
Beeler's competitive accomplishments include the 2013 BCAPL National 9-Ball Championship, the 1999 Kentucky State 9-Ball Championship, six regional titles, five national Top-25 finishes, and an established Fargo rating above 700. He was named SPM Instructor of the Year in 2017 and SPM Instructor of the Decade for 2010–2020.
Best Billiards Event — Derby City Classic
The Derby City Classic was selected as the Best Billiards Event. Founded in 1999 by Diamond Billiard Products founder Greg Sullivan, the event brings together bank pool, one-pocket, 9-ball, and the invitation-only Bigfoot 10-Ball Challenge. Its Master of the Table award recognizes excellence across multiple disciplines, while its distinctive buyback format and after-hours action have helped make the tournament an annual gathering place for the international billiards community.
Best Billiards Cue — McDermott Cues
McDermott Cues was selected as the Best Billiards Cue brand. For more than 50 years, McDermott has combined American craftsmanship, carefully selected woods, detailed inlay work and modern performance technology. Its innovations have included G-Core, i-Shaft, iPro and Defy carbon-fiber shaft technologies, while its warranty and maintenance programs have demonstrated a long-term commitment to players and product quality.
Best Pool Table — Diamond Pro-Am
The Diamond Pro-Am was selected as the Best Pool Table. Manufactured in Indiana and designed for professional tournaments, serious training, commercial poolrooms and home practice, the Pro-Am has become a defining standard of modern American tournament pool. Its demanding pockets, responsive cushions, structural stability and consistent playing characteristics reward accuracy, speed control and precise cue-ball positioning.
Best Billiards Magazine — Billiards Buzz
Billiards Buzz was selected as the Best Billiards Magazine. Created by the team behind AZBilliards, the free monthly digital publication launched in 2016 and has documented professional tournaments, emerging champions, equipment developments, instructional methods and important personalities throughout the game. Its accessible digital format has helped billiards journalism reach readers throughout the United States and around the world.
Best Billiards Instruction and Community Publication — SPM Billiards Magazine
SPM Billiards Magazine was selected as the Best Billiards Instruction and Community Publication. With roots in the Sneaky Pete Mafia community established in 2014, SPM has developed a distinctive editorial focus on instruction, player development, junior competitors, regional tours, instructors, room owners, photographers, promoters and other contributors who support the sport at every level.
SPM has also recognized teaching excellence through its Pool Instructor of the Year and Pool Instructor of the Decade honors while expanding into interactive digital publishing and multimedia programming through SPM TV. Read the full article https://www.bestinbilliards.org
Best Billiards Broadcaster — Bill Incardona
Bill “Billy” Incardona was selected as the Best Billiards Broadcaster. Known as “Pittsburgh Billy” and the “Voice of Accu-Stats,” Incardona has spent decades helping viewers understand the strategic and psychological demands of championship pool.
A respected professional player before entering the broadcast booth, Incardona won the 9-ball division at the historic Johnston City tournament in 1972. He was inducted into the One Pocket Hall of Fame in 2007 in recognition of his playing accomplishments and his work educating generations of players through commentary.
Best Pool Case — Whitten Cases
Whitten Cases was selected as the Best Pool Case manufacturer. Founded by Dan Whitten in 1987, the company has become known for handcrafted leather construction, lightweight protection, refined design and extensive customization. Now led by Joe Whitten, the family company continues to produce cases admired by professional players, instructors, competitors and custom-cue collectors.
A Two-Year Historical Review
The recipients were selected following a two-year independent review by the Best in Billiards board. The process considered historical records, championship results, industry contributions, innovation, product performance, longevity, influence, craftsmanship, professional reputation and overall impact on the sport.
The organization used a structured, research-based judging process combining documented evidence with expert evaluation. The goal was to select each recipient fairly and consistently based on an exceptional and historically important legacy.
“Our purpose is to recognize excellence while preserving the history behind it,” said Dr. William Woodrum, chair of the Best in Billiards board. “These recipients represent generations of championship achievement, innovation, craftsmanship, knowledge and service. Their contributions have shaped the way billiards is played, taught, manufactured, promoted, reported and enjoyed.”
Woodrum is joined on the board by Karen Whitfield, Historical Research Director; James Holloway, Player Achievement Reviewer; Linda Mercer, Industry and Equipment Reviewer; and Robert Hayes, Ethics and Standards Advisor.
Explore the Complete Award Profiles
Each recipient’s complete profile—including championship records, historical milestones, career accomplishments, photographs and explanations of the selection—is available on the official Best in Billiards website.
Visit www.bestinbilliards.org to explore the recipients and learn more about the people, products, companies, publications and events that have defined billiards during America’s first 250 years.
About Best in Billiards
Best in Billiards is an independent awards and historical-recognition organization created in celebration of America’s 250th anniversary. Its mission is to recognize and preserve the people, performances, products, companies, publications and events that have made a lasting contribution to billiards.
The organization honors excellence across professional competition, instruction, manufacturing, craftsmanship, broadcasting, publishing, event promotion and industry leadership through structured research and expert evaluation.
William Woodrum
Best in Billiards Awards
811 West 7th Street
Los Angeles, CA 90017
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