BEST IN BILLIARDS
Recognizing the greatest players, instructors, products, manufacturers, publications, and contributors in American billiards over the past 250 years.
QUICK LINKS
BEST ALL AROUND PLAYER - NICK VARNER
BEST 9-BALL PLAYER - EARL STRICKLAND
BEST STRAIGHT POOL PLAYER - WILLIE MOSCONI
BEST ONE-POCKET PLAYER - EFREN REYES
BEST BANK POOL PLAYER - JOHN BRUMBACK
BEST FEMALE PLAYER - ALLISON FISHER
BEST ENTERTAINER - MINNESOTA FATS
BEST POOL INSTRUCTOR - ANTHONY BEELER
BEST BILLIARDS EVENT - DERBY CITY CLASSIC
BEST BILLIARDS CUE - MCDERMOTT CUES
BEST POOL TABLE - DIAMOND PRO-AM
BEST BILLIARDS MAGAZINE - BILLIARDS BUZZ
BEST INSTRUCTION AND COMMUNITY PUBLICATION - SPM BILLIARDS MEDIA
Best All-Around Player
Nick Varner
Nick Varner has been selected as the Best All-Around Billiards Player of America’s first 250 years, honoring one of the most versatile, accomplished, and respected champions in the history of the sport.
Varner is an eight-time world champion, capturing world titles across five major disciplines: 9-ball, 8-ball, straight pool, one-pocket, and bank pool. This extraordinary range of success demonstrates why he is widely regarded as one of the most complete competitors ever to hold a cue. Few players in billiards history have displayed his ability to master both the offensive and strategic demands of so many different games.
Throughout his remarkable career, Varner collected more than 80 tournament championships and became known for his precise shot-making, exceptional cue-ball control, tactical intelligence, determination, and ability to perform under intense pressure. He was inducted into the Billiard Congress of America Hall of Fame in 1992, further confirming his place among the game’s immortals.
Nick Varner’s greatness extends beyond championship trophies. He has represented billiards with humility, professionalism, integrity, and sportsmanship, earning the admiration of players and fans across generations.
As the United States celebrates 250 years since its founding, the Best in Billiards Awards proudly recognize eight-time world champion Nick Varner as the greatest all-around player in American billiards history.
Learn more about Nick at https://www.nickvarner.com
Best 9-Ball Player
Earl Strickland
Earl “The Pearl” Strickland has been selected as the Best 9-Ball Player of America’s first 250 years, honoring a legendary career defined by championship success, offensive brilliance, fearless shot-making, and an unmistakable influence on the modern game.
Strickland captured the WPA World 9-Ball Championship three times, winning in 1992, 1993, and 2002. He is also a five-time U.S. Open 9-Ball Champion, claiming the prestigious title in 1984, 1987, 1993, 1997, and 2000. His five victories remain one of the greatest accomplishments in the history of the event.
Throughout his career, Strickland accumulated more than 100 tournament titles and was named Billiards Digest Player of the Year five times. During his prime, he became one of the most feared competitors in professional pool, combining exceptional cue-ball control with rapid decision-making, powerful break shots, creative position play, and an extraordinary ability to run rack after rack.
Strickland also became known as the “Million-Dollar Man” after completing a historic consecutive-rack challenge in 1996 and earning one of the largest prizes ever associated with professional pool at that time. The accomplishment further demonstrated the remarkable offensive firepower that made him such a dominant force in 9-ball.
Beyond his championships, Strickland helped define the identity of professional 9-ball. His intensity, confidence, spectacular shot-making, and unforgettable personality attracted crowds and brought excitement to every event in which he competed. He represented the United States repeatedly in international competition and became one of the most recognizable players in billiards history.
In recognition of his extraordinary career, Strickland was inducted into the Billiard Congress of America Hall of Fame in 2006.
As the United States celebrates 250 years since its founding, the Best in Billiards Awards proudly recognize Earl “The Pearl” Strickland as the greatest 9-ball player in American billiards history.
Learn more about Earl by visiting https://www.facebook.com/earl.strickland.463623/
Best Straight Pool Player
Willie Mosconi
Willie “Mr. Pocket Billiards” Mosconi has been selected as the Best Straight Pool Player of America’s first 250 years, honoring the player whose championship dominance, record-setting performances, technical mastery, and influence helped define the discipline of 14.1 continuous.
From 1941 through 1957, Mosconi won the World Straight Pool Championship an extraordinary 15 times, dominating the game during an era when straight pool was widely regarded as the premier championship discipline in American pocket billiards. The Billiard Congress of America describes his control of the world title during this period as a near-stranglehold on the championship.
On March 19, 1954, Mosconi produced one of the most celebrated performances in billiards history when he pocketed 526 consecutive balls without a miss during an exhibition in Springfield, Ohio. The run remained the recognized benchmark in straight pool for more than six decades and became one of the most famous records in American sports.
Mosconi was renowned for his nearly flawless fundamentals, precise cue-ball control, disciplined pattern play, break-shot knowledge, and ability to simplify even the most difficult layouts. His style became the model for generations of straight pool players and instructors.
His influence extended far beyond tournament competition. Mosconi helped introduce pocket billiards to a national audience through exhibitions, instructional appearances, books, television, and his technical work connected with the film The Hustler. He became one of the game’s most recognizable ambassadors and helped elevate billiards from a poolroom pastime into a respected professional sport.
Mosconi was among the inaugural members inducted into the Billiard Congress of America Hall of Fame in 1966, permanently establishing his position among the foundational legends of American billiards.
Although later players have surpassed his celebrated high-run total, no player combined championship dominance, historical importance, technical excellence, and influence on straight pool as completely as Willie Mosconi.
As the United States celebrates 250 years since its founding, the Best in Billiards Awards proudly recognize 15-time world champion Willie Mosconi as the greatest straight pool player in American billiards history.
Learn more about Willie at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Willie_Mosconi
Best One-Pocket Player
Efren “Bata” Reyes
Efren “Bata” Reyes has been selected as the Best One-Pocket Player of America’s first 250 years, honoring the player whose creativity, tactical intelligence, cue-ball control, and championship record transformed the way the game is understood and played.
Known throughout the billiards world as “The Magician,” Reyes became legendary for seeing shots, escapes, banks, combinations, and positional routes that other elite players often failed to recognize. His ability to combine offensive imagination with patient defense made him uniquely suited for one-pocket, a discipline that demands far more than shot-making alone.
Reyes won the prestigious Derby City Classic One-Pocket division five times, including the inaugural event in 1999 and four consecutive appearances from 2004 through 2007. His sustained dominance against the deepest international fields of the era established one of the most impressive records in modern one-pocket competition.
He also captured the 2011 U.S. Open One-Pocket Championship, defeating an elite field and adding another major title to his remarkable record in the discipline.
Reyes was inducted into the Billiard Congress of America Hall of Fame in 2003 and was among the inaugural class honored by the One Pocket Hall of Fame in 2004, further confirming his standing as one of the game’s most historically important figures.
What separated Reyes from other great one-pocket champions was not simply the number of tournaments he won. It was the way he expanded the strategic possibilities of the game. His kicking systems, imaginative banks, delicate speed control, extraordinary recoveries, and ability to turn seemingly hopeless positions into winning opportunities influenced an entire generation of professional players.
Reyes also brought a rare combination of brilliance and humility to competition. Although feared by the greatest players in the world, he became equally admired for his sportsmanship, calm temperament, and deep respect for the game.
As the United States celebrates 250 years since its founding, the Best in Billiards Awards proudly recognize Efren “Bata” Reyes as the greatest one-pocket player in billiards history.
Learn more about Efren at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Efren_Reyes
Best Bank Pool Player
John Brumback
John Brumback has been selected as the Best Bank Pool Player of America’s first 250 years, honoring a career defined by championship achievement, precision banking, exceptional cue-ball control, and sustained excellence against the strongest players of the modern era.
A native of Owenton, Kentucky—an area deeply connected to America’s bank-pool tradition—Brumback developed into one of the most feared and accomplished specialists the discipline has ever produced. His understanding of banking angles, speed, spin, position play, and pocket geometry established him as the standard by which modern bank-pool excellence is measured.
Brumback won the prestigious Derby City Classic Bank Pool Championship three times, capturing consecutive titles in 2009 and 2010 before winning again in 2016. The Derby City Classic attracts hundreds of elite competitors and is widely regarded as one of the most demanding and important bank-pool tournaments in the world.
His 2009 performance was especially historic. In addition to winning the Bank Pool division, Brumback accumulated enough points across the tournament’s major disciplines to earn the coveted Derby City Classic Master of the Table championship, demonstrating that his abilities extended beyond banking alone.
Brumback also won the BCA National Championships Bank Pool division in 2006 and captured the U.S. Open Bank Pool Championship in both 2006 and 2007, further establishing his dominance during one of the strongest periods in modern professional pool.
In recognition of his accomplishments and lasting influence, Brumback was inducted into the Bank Pool Hall of Fame in 2011. At the time of his induction, he was the reigning two-time Derby City Classic Bank Pool champion, reflecting the extraordinary competitive level he had reached.
Learn more about John at https://www.onepocket.org/JohnBrumbackHOF.htm
Best Female Player
Allison Fisher
Allison “The Duchess of Doom” Fisher has been selected as the Best Female Billiards Player of America’s first 250 years, honoring one of the most successful, versatile, and dominant competitors in cue-sports history.
Fisher began playing snooker at seven years old and won her first major title as a teenager. During her professional snooker career, she captured 18 titles, including 12 world championships, four of which came in doubles competition. Her success established her as one of the premier women’s snooker players of her generation before she began a second remarkable career in American pool.
In September 1995, Fisher moved to the United States and joined the Women’s Professional Billiard Association Classic Tour. She adapted to 9-ball almost immediately, winning two professional titles during her first three months and an extraordinary 20 Classic Tour events within her first four years.
Fisher won the WPA World 9-Ball Championship in 1996, 2001, and 2002 and dominated women’s professional pool for more than a decade. During one remarkable 12-year period, she received Player of the Year recognition from Billiards Digest and Pool & Billiard Magazine 11 times.
Her career résumé also includes more than 50 WPBA Classic Tour victories, eight U.S. national championships, numerous international titles, a World Games gold medal, and one of the longest sustained periods of dominance in women’s professional pool. Fisher also holds the WPBA record for seven consecutive Classic Tour victories.
Fisher’s greatness was built on exceptional fundamentals, precise cue-ball control, disciplined pattern play, emotional composure, and relentless consistency. Her technical excellence allowed her to dominate two different cue-sports disciplines and remain competitive across multiple generations.
In 2009, Fisher was inducted into the Billiard Congress of America Hall of Fame, recognizing her extraordinary competitive record and lasting contribution to the sport. She was later inducted into the WPBA Hall of Fame and received additional international recognition for her accomplishments.
Her influence extends beyond trophies and rankings. Fisher helped elevate the visibility and professionalism of women’s billiards, inspired generations of female competitors, and demonstrated that elite cue-sports excellence could transcend nationality, discipline, and era.
As the United States celebrates 250 years since its founding, the Best in Billiards Awards proudly recognize Allison “The Duchess of Doom” Fisher as the greatest female billiards player in history.
Learn more about Allison at https://allisonfisher.com
Best Entertainer
Minnesota Fats
Minnesota Fats has been selected as the Best Billiards Entertainer of America’s first 250 years, honoring the most colorful, charismatic, and recognizable showman in the history of American pool.
Born Rudolf Walter Wanderone Jr. in 1913, Minnesota Fats became larger than the game itself. With his quick wit, outrageous stories, relentless self-promotion, and unforgettable personality, he transformed an ordinary pool match into live theater. Whether he was matching up in a poolroom, entertaining an audience, sparring verbally with an opponent, or appearing before television cameras, Fats understood how to command attention.
His nationally televised challenge matches against legendary champion Willie Mosconi introduced millions of Americans to the personalities, rivalries, and excitement surrounding professional pool. Their famous 1978 appearance on ABC’s Wide World of Sports, promoted as “The Great Pool Shootout,” featured the contrasting styles of the disciplined Mosconi and the flamboyant, talkative Fats. The event remains one of the most recognizable televised exhibitions in billiards history.
Minnesota Fats also possessed a rare ability to promote himself and the sport simultaneously. His nickname became inseparable from American pool culture, and he was regarded as one of the most publicly recognizable pool players in the United States. Even people who had never entered a poolroom knew the name Minnesota Fats.
Although his tournament record did not equal that of champions such as Mosconi, his historical importance was measured in influence, visibility, and entertainment value. In 1984, Minnesota Fats was inducted into the Billiard Congress of America Hall of Fame in recognition of his decades of public promotion and his extraordinary contribution to the popularity of pool.
Fats helped establish the image of the American pool hustler as a master storyteller, negotiator, comedian, gambler, and performer. His exaggerations were part of the act, his confidence was unmatched, and his ability to keep an audience entertained was every bit as important as the shots being played.
Minnesota Fats did more than entertain people around a pool table. He gave billiards a personality the American public could recognize and remember. His name, humor, bravado, television appearances, and larger-than-life presence created a legacy that remains unmatched.
For making pool exciting to millions and becoming the greatest showman the sport has ever known, Minnesota Fats is the Best Billiards Entertainer of America’s first 250 years.
Learn more about Minnesota at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rudolf_Wanderone
Best Pool Instructor
Anthony Beeler
Anthony Beeler has been selected as the Best Pool Instructor of America’s first 250 years, honoring a career defined by instructional innovation, international reach, competitive credibility, published scholarship, and a lifelong commitment to helping players understand and perform the game at a higher level.
Beeler is one of the most highly credentialed instructors in American billiards. He is a PBIA Master Instructor, an ACS Level 4 Master Instructor, and a member of the ACS National Instructors Board. He also helped co-author the ACS instructor manual, contributing directly to the education and development of other billiards instructors.
His influence extends far beyond the classroom. Beeler started pool's first online school back in 2011 and is commonly known as the father of online billiards instruction. Through the Virtual Billiard Academy, Beeler has reached more than 31,000 students in all 50 states and 102 countries, creating one of the broadest instructional footprints in the history of the sport. His academy combines structured lesson plans, detailed video analysis, personalized feedback, technical training aids, and long-term student support.
Beeler has also trained and mentored other nationally recognized instructors, reinforcing his reputation as a true teacher of teachers. His methods have helped shape not only individual players, but also the way modern billiards instruction is delivered and evaluated.
His instructional work has appeared in respected billiards publications, including Billiards Buzz, SPM Magazine, and Billiards Digest. He has authored numerous instructional articles and the 284-page book Do You Want to Play Like a Pro?, further expanding his contribution to billiards education.
Beeler’s competitive background strengthens the credibility of his instruction. His accomplishments include winning the 2013 BCAPL National 9-Ball MOT Championship, the 1999 Kentucky State 9-Ball Championship, six regional titles, five national Top-25 finishes, and reaching an established Fargo rating above 700—currently the highest among active master-level instructors.
He has also received major instructional recognition, including being named SPM Instructor of the Year in 2017 and SPM Instructor of the Decade for 2010–2020. His academy was additionally recognized by Pool & Billiard Magazine as one of the Top 25 Places to Learn. He was also formally recognized by the American CueSports Alliance as one of the first two recipients of its Doctor of Online Billiards Instruction designation, acknowledging his pioneering role in the development of online pool instruction. What separates Anthony Beeler from other great instructors is the combination of formal education, competitive achievement, instructional research, global reach, and sustained innovation. His training systems, books, articles, online programs, and proprietary teaching tools have made high-level instruction available to players who might otherwise never have access to it.
As the United States celebrates 250 years since its founding, the Best in Billiards Awards proudly recognize Anthony Beeler as the greatest pool instructor in American billiards history.
Learn more about Anthony at https://www.poolteacher.com
Best Billiards Event
Derby City Classic
The Derby City Classic has been selected as the Best Billiards Event of America’s first 250 years, honoring an event that has preserved the traditions of American pool while bringing together elite championship competition, multiple disciplines, historic rivalries, and one of the most distinctive atmospheres in the sport.
Founded in 1999 by Diamond Billiard Products founder Greg Sullivan, the Derby City Classic was conceived as a modern continuation of the legendary Johnston City Hustlers Jamborees held during the 1960s and early 1970s. The inaugural tournament was held in Louisville, Kentucky, before the event later moved across the Ohio River to southern Indiana.
Unlike events centered on a single game, the Derby City Classic tests competitors across three historic American pool disciplines: bank pool, one-pocket, and 9-ball. Players who perform consistently across all three divisions compete for the prestigious Master of the Table all-around championship, one of the most demanding honors in professional pool. The event also features the invitation-only Bigfoot 10-Ball Challenge and other special competitions.
The tournament’s distinctive buyback format adds another layer of strategy and drama. Competitors may purchase an additional opportunity after an early loss, allowing established champions and unknown challengers alike to remain in contention while creating long, unpredictable tournament runs.
The Derby City Classic has historically attracted exceptionally large fields. In 2008, approximately 456 players entered the bank-pool division, 390 entered one-pocket, and 439 competed in 9-ball—numbers that demonstrate both the event’s accessibility and its extraordinary popularity within the billiards community.
The inaugural Derby City Classic immediately established its championship credentials. Nick Varner won the 1999 bank-pool division, Troy Frank captured 9-ball, and Efren Reyes won one-pocket and became the first Master of the Table champion.
Over the years, the event’s champions have included many of the greatest players in billiards history, including Efren Reyes, Nick Varner, Shannon Daulton, Shane Van Boening, Dennis Orcollo, Joshua Filler, John Brumback, Francisco Bustamante, and numerous other Hall of Fame and world-championship competitors.
In 2026, the Derby City Classic continued that tradition, crowning Justin Hall in bank pool, Shane Van Boening in one-pocket, Joshua Filler in 9-ball, Fedor Gorst in the Bigfoot 10-Ball Challenge, and Van Boening as the all-around champion.
What distinguishes the Derby City Classic is that its importance extends beyond the official tournament brackets. For more than a week, the host venue becomes the center of the billiards world, with championship matches, after-hours action, challenge contests, instruction, equipment displays, reunions, and informal encounters between legends, professionals, amateurs, and fans.
The event celebrates nearly every important part of American pool culture. It honors bank pool’s Kentucky heritage, showcases the strategy of one-pocket, features the offensive demands of 9-ball and 10-ball, and preserves the tradition of players testing themselves against anyone willing to step to the table.
Few events have matched its combination of field size, competitive diversity, longevity, accessibility, historical connection, and atmosphere. The Derby City Classic is not simply a tournament—it is an annual gathering of the entire billiards community and a living celebration of the sport’s history.
As the United States celebrates 250 years since its founding, the Best in Billiards Awards proudly recognize the Derby City Classic as the greatest billiards event in American history.
Learn more about the Derby City Classic at https://www.derbycityclassic.com
Best Billiards Cue
McDermott Cues
McDermott Cues has been selected as the Best Billiards Cue of America’s first 250 years, honoring more than five decades of American craftsmanship, technological innovation, dependable performance, and service to players at every level of the game.
For more than 50 years, McDermott has produced some of the most recognizable and respected cues in American billiards. Its premium cues are manufactured in the United States and are known for quality construction, carefully selected woods, intricate inlays, balanced designs, and extensive customization options.
McDermott’s historic G-Series has become especially associated with the company’s commitment to traditional American cue making. These cues combine exotic woods, detailed decorative work, precise construction, and modern performance technology while continuing to be proudly made in the United States.
The company has also distinguished itself through one of the strongest customer-support programs in the cue industry. McDermott offers the original owner a lifetime warranty against defects and warpage on qualifying McDermott cues, along with a complimentary lifetime maintenance program. These protections demonstrate the company’s confidence in the quality and longevity of its products.
McDermott has consistently combined traditional craftsmanship with modern engineering. Its G-Core shaft uses a carbon-fiber core in the front-impact area to improve stability, radial consistency, control, and predictability. The company’s i-Shaft and iPro technologies extend carbon-fiber reinforcement through the shaft and incorporate patented designs intended to increase accuracy and produce a more consistent hit.
McDermott later expanded its technological influence with the Defy carbon-fiber shaft, which incorporates vibration-dampening material originally developed for the aerospace industry. Its specialized finish is designed to reduce friction while maintaining the smooth feel players traditionally associate with a wooden shaft.
The company has continued to innovate with fully carbon-fiber playing and break cues featuring adjustable weight-and-balance technology. These developments demonstrate McDermott’s ability to preserve the artistry and feel of traditional cues while adapting to the performance demands of modern professional competition.
McDermott cues have been used and trusted by professional competitors, instructors, league players, collectors, and recreational players across generations. The company’s extensive range has allowed developing players to begin with an accessible cue and later advance into handcrafted, customized, and high-performance models without leaving the McDermott family.
What separates McDermott is its complete contribution to cue making: American craftsmanship, visual artistry, technological advancement, playing performance, product variety, warranty protection, and long-term customer support.
As the United States celebrates 250 years since its founding, the Best in Billiards Awards proudly recognize McDermott Cues as the greatest billiards cue brand in American history.
Learn more about McDermott Cue Mfg at https://www.mcdermottcue.com
Best Pool Table
Diamond Pro-Am
The Diamond Pro-Am has been selected as the Best Pool Table of America’s first 250 years, honoring a table that has become a defining standard for professional competition, serious training, commercial poolrooms, and home practice throughout the modern era.
Designed specifically for professional tournaments and upscale billiards establishments, the Diamond Pro-Am was built to provide the demanding playing conditions expected by elite competitors. Diamond emphasizes the table’s precise construction, durable pocket system, consistent ball entry, and ability to withstand the demands of tournament and commercial use.
Diamond tables are manufactured in Indiana and have become a leading choice for professional tournaments, league championships, poolrooms, instructors, and accomplished players. The company identifies its tables as American-made products constructed with close attention to precision, durability, longevity, and consistent playability.
The Pro-Am is available with either one-piece or three-piece slate and offers multiple pocket-size options, allowing the table to be configured for different playing levels and competitive demands. This flexibility makes it suitable for championship events, professional instruction, commercial rooms, and serious home players.
Its heavy-duty construction was developed to preserve stability and playing accuracy through years of intensive use. The table’s adjustable foundation and leveling components help installers create a dependable playing surface, while its robust frame and rail system are designed to maintain alignment and consistency.
The Diamond Pro-Am is also recognized for its distinctive pocket design. Precisely constructed pocket openings and durable leather components are intended to provide reliable ball retention and smooth entry while standing up to the repeated demands of tournament and commercial play.
What distinguishes the Diamond Pro-Am is the way it challenges players without producing unpredictable results. Its demanding pockets, responsive cushions, level slate, and consistent playing characteristics reward accurate shot-making, precise speed control, and disciplined cue-ball positioning.
The table has become closely associated with modern American tournament pool. Its presence at major competitions and league events has helped create more consistent playing conditions while giving amateur players the opportunity to compete on equipment similar to that used by professionals. Diamond identifies its tables as a top choice for professional tournaments and organized competition, including events conducted by the American Poolplayers Association.
The Pro-Am’s influence extends beyond competition. Countless instructors, professional players, poolroom owners, and dedicated amateurs have chosen Diamond tables because practicing on demanding equipment can expose weaknesses, sharpen accuracy, and prepare players for championship conditions.
Its combination of American manufacturing, professional performance, structural strength, recognizable design, and long-term dependability has made the Diamond Pro-Am one of the most influential pool tables of the modern era.
As the United States celebrates 250 years since its founding, the Best in Billiards Awards proudly recognize the Diamond Pro-Am as the greatest pool table in American billiards history.
Learn more about the Pro-Am at https://www.diamondbilliardproducts.com
Best Billiards Magazine
Billiards Buzz
Billiards Buzz has been selected as the Best Billiards Magazine of America’s first 250 years, honoring a publication that has successfully combined tournament reporting, professional-player coverage, instruction, industry news, historical features, and modern digital distribution.
Created by the team behind AZBilliards, Billiards Buzz launched its premiere issue in 2016 as a free monthly digital magazine. From its beginning, the publication was designed to give billiards enthusiasts convenient access to stories about the sport’s leading players, events, manufacturers, instructors, and personalities.
Its digital format represented an important development in billiards publishing. Rather than limiting readership to paid print subscriptions or physical newsstands, Billiards Buzz made its issues readily available online, allowing players and fans throughout the United States and around the world to follow the game.
The magazine has documented an important era in professional billiards, covering major tournaments, international competition, emerging champions, established legends, new equipment, instructional developments, and the continued evolution of the industry. It has provided a platform where championship reporting and billiards education can appear together in one accessible publication.
Billiards Buzz has also featured instructional articles designed to help readers improve their fundamentals, strategy, position play, mental approach, and overall understanding of the game. Its premiere issue established that commitment by combining industry history with instructional and performance-oriented material.
The publication’s connection to AZBilliards has given it access to decades of tournament knowledge, industry relationships, player information, and reporting experience. Each monthly issue has expanded upon the broader AZBilliards mission of documenting and promoting the people, events, products, and stories that shape the sport.
What distinguishes Billiards Buzz is its combination of professional presentation and open accessibility. By offering a polished monthly magazine in a digital format, it has helped billiards content reach readers who might never encounter a traditional printed publication.
The magazine has also provided valuable exposure for professional players, instructors, tournament promoters, manufacturers, sponsors, and other contributors whose work supports the continued growth of billiards. Its features preserve contemporary billiards history while helping readers remain connected to current developments throughout the sport.
Although American billiards publishing has included several historically important magazines, Billiards Buzz represents the successful transition of specialized billiards journalism into the modern digital era. Its combination of news, instruction, personality features, equipment coverage, historical content, and worldwide availability has made it an influential voice within the contemporary game.
As the United States celebrates 250 years since its founding, the Best in Billiards Awards proudly recognize Billiards Buzz as the best billiards magazine in American billiards history.
Learn more about Billiards Buzz at https://www.azbilliards.com
Best Billiards Instructional Publication
SPM Billiards Magazine
SPM Billiards Magazine has been selected as the Best Billiards Instructional Publication of America’s first 250 years, honoring its commitment to player development, instructor recognition, community storytelling, emerging talent, and the continued growth of the game.
SPM Billiards Media traces its roots to the Sneaky Pete Mafia community established in 2014 by Garret Troop. Its original mission was to use social media to bring pool players and billiards enthusiasts together, with the organization later developing into SPM Magazine and a broader multimedia platform.
Since its creation, SPM has developed a distinctive place within billiards journalism by focusing not only on professional champions and major tournaments, but also on the instructors, junior players, regional competitors, room owners, photographers, promoters, inventors, and industry personalities who form the foundation of the sport.
The magazine has produced dozens of digital issues, featuring internationally accomplished players such as Mika Immonen, Kelly Fisher, Ko Ping Chung, Ko Pin Yi, Jeffrey De Luna, Tony Robles, and Alex Pagulayan. Its extensive archive demonstrates a sustained commitment to documenting both established champions and important contributors who may receive less attention from traditional sports media.
Instruction has remained one of SPM’s defining strengths. Its issues have regularly featured educational material from respected billiards instructors and writers, including Anthony Beeler, Dominic Esposito, Steve Jennings, Rick Prince, Jackie Karol, and other contributors. These articles have addressed fundamentals, banking, aiming, strategy, practice methods, mental performance, and the technical development of players.
SPM has also distinguished itself by formally recognizing excellence in billiards instruction. Its honors have included Pool Instructor of the Year and Pool Instructor of the Decade, helping instructors receive meaningful public recognition for their teaching, innovation, professional service, and influence on students.
The publication has embraced digital innovation throughout its history. SPM introduced interactive features, instructional videos, multimedia content, and what it described as the first digital billiards magazine to feature a video cover. This approach expanded the traditional magazine format by allowing readers to see instruction, interviews, and demonstrations rather than relying entirely on printed words and still photography.
Its commitment to multimedia later expanded through SPM TV, which was created to share interviews and stories involving professional players, instructors, promoters, billiards businesses, and community figures from around the world. The platform’s stated mission has been to strengthen the billiards community and share the stories of the people who contribute to it.
SPM has also provided significant exposure to junior players, women competitors, regional tours, independent instructors, emerging professionals, and billiards entrepreneurs. By giving these individuals a platform, the magazine has helped readers understand that the future of billiards depends not only on major championship winners, but also on the people teaching, organizing, promoting, and supporting the game at the local level.
What separates SPM from other billiards publications is its emphasis on participation and community. It does more than report tournament results. It recognizes instructors, introduces promising players, shares personal journeys, promotes educational content, highlights charitable and grassroots efforts, and helps individuals throughout the industry tell their stories.
While other publications may possess longer histories or larger archives of professional tournament reporting, SPM has established its own important legacy by placing instruction, community involvement, and personal recognition at the center of its editorial mission.
As the United States celebrates 250 years since its founding, the Best in Billiards Awards proudly recognize SPM Billiards Magazine as the finest billiards instruction and community publication in American billiards history.
Learn more about SPM Magazine by visiting https://www.spmbilliardsmedia.com
Best Billiards Broadcaster
Bill Incardona
Bill “Billy” Incardona has been selected as the Best Billiards Commentator and Broadcaster of America’s first 250 years, honoring his extraordinary knowledge, unmistakable personality, championship-level playing experience, and decades of service as one of the most respected voices in billiards history.
Known throughout the sport as “Pittsburgh Billy” and the “Voice of Accu-Stats,” Incardona has helped generations of fans understand championship pool at a much deeper level. He began providing commentary for Accu-Stats broadcasts during the organization’s formative years and became inseparably connected to its historic library of professional matches.
Through thousands of hours in the commentary booth, Incardona helped document and interpret some of the most important tournaments, players, rivalries, and performances of the modern era. His voice became familiar to viewers watching classic matches on videotape, DVD, television, streaming platforms, and live event broadcasts.
Unlike commentators who merely describe the action taking place, Incardona explains the game from inside the player’s mind. He identifies patterns, defensive choices, positional dangers, emotional pressure, and tactical possibilities before they fully develop on the table. His ability to predict a player’s intentions reflects a lifetime spent competing against many of the greatest players in American poolroom history.
Incardona’s credibility was established long before he entered the booth. During the 1960s and 1970s, he became a respected professional competitor and road player known for both his high-level play and his ability to match up intelligently. His accomplishments included winning the 9-ball division at the historic Johnston City tournament in 1972, placing him among the leading American players of that era.
His expertise is particularly respected in one-pocket, a discipline requiring exceptional knowledge of strategy, banking, speed control, defensive movement, and risk management. His commentary has educated countless players by explaining why an apparently simple shot may be dangerous and why a subtle defensive move can completely change the outcome of a game.
In 2007, Incardona was inducted into the One Pocket Hall of Fame. The Hall of Fame recognized both his accomplishments as a player and his work as the “Voice of Accu-Stats,” noting that his commentary had helped educate thousands of players in the game of one-pocket.
Incardona also formed one of billiards’ most memorable commentary partnerships with fellow player and broadcaster Danny DiLiberto. Their chemistry, humor, storytelling, technical knowledge, and contrasting perspectives made them an iconic broadcasting team associated with many classic Accu-Stats productions. The Billiard Congress of America later described Incardona and DiLiberto as one of the sport’s iconic commentator duos.
What separates Incardona from other outstanding commentators is his complete connection to American pool culture. He experienced the road-player era, competed in historic tournaments, matched up in legendary poolrooms, became an accomplished one-pocket authority, and then preserved that knowledge through broadcasting.
His commentary is educational without becoming clinical, entertaining without distracting from the match, and honest without disrespecting the players. His distinctive voice, quick wit, personal stories, and unmatched understanding of pressure situations have made him an essential part of countless memorable broadcasts.
For decades, Accu-Stats preserved the performances of the world’s greatest players, and Bill Incardona supplied much of the knowledge, context, and personality that brought those performances to life. OnePocket.org has credited him with helping educate thousands of players, while modern historical accounts continue to identify him as the unmistakable voice of classic Accu-Stats coverage.
As the United States celebrates 250 years since its founding, the Best in Billiards Awards proudly recognize Bill “Billy” Incardona as the greatest billiards commentator and broadcaster in American billiards history.
Learn more about Bill at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Billy_Incardona
Best Pool Case
Whitten Cases
Whitten Cases has been selected as the Best Pool Case of America’s first 250 years, recognizing nearly four decades of exceptional craftsmanship, refined design, durability, and family tradition.
Founded by Dan Whitten in 1987, the company grew from a single handmade personal case into one of the most respected names in billiards. Its early association with legendary custom cue maker Ginacue helped establish Whitten as the preferred choice for players and collectors seeking a case worthy of protecting a valuable cue.
Each Whitten case is individually handcrafted using premium leather, precise stitching, lightweight protective construction, and customizable configurations. Players can choose their preferred capacity, colors, textures, pockets, straps, handles, and other details, creating a case that is both functional and uniquely personal.
Whitten Cases are especially admired for their timeless appearance. Their clean lines, understated elegance, and recognizable styling have made them a favorite among professional players, custom cue collectors, instructors, and serious competitors for generations.
Now led by Joe Whitten, the company continues the standards established by his family while incorporating modern improvements in weight, protection, and production consistency. Many Whitten cases remain in service for decades, becoming valued collectibles in their own right.
As the United States celebrates 250 years since its founding, the Best in Billiards Awards proudly recognize Whitten Cases as the greatest pool-case manufacturer in American billiards history.
Learn more about Whitten Cases at https://www.whittencases.com
ABOUT BEST IN BILLIARDS
Best in Billiards celebrates and preserves the people, performances, products, companies, publications, and events that have made a lasting impact on the game. Created in recognition of America’s 250th anniversary, the awards honor excellence across every major area of billiards, including legendary players, instructors, equipment makers, broadcasters, publications, and industry leaders. For two years prior to announcing the winners, our board independently reviewed historical records, championship results, industry contributions, product performance, innovation, longevity, influence, craftsmanship, professional reputation, and overall impact on the sport. Using a structured, research-based judging process, Best in Billiards combines documented evidence with expert evaluation to ensure that each recipient is selected fairly, consistently, and on the strength of a truly exceptional legacy.