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John Schmidt (pool player)

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John Schmidt
Picture of John Scmidt
John Schmidt at the 2004 US Open 9-Ball Championship, Chesapeake Conference Center in Chesapeake, Virginia
Born (1973-04-12) April 12, 1973 (age 51)[1]
Keokuk, Iowa, US
Sport country United States
NicknameMr. 600
Professional1999
Pool gamesStraight Pool, 9-ball
Tournament wins
MajorUS Open 9-Ball Championship (2006)

John Schmidt (born April 12, 1973) is an American pool player, born in Keokuk, Iowa.[2] Nicknamed "Mr. 600", specialising in straight pool, Schmidt held the record for the highest 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.[3]

Career

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John Schmidt was born April 12, 1973, in Keokuk, Iowa.[2] At a young age, he played as a golfer, winning tournaments at high school and college.[4] He began playing pool at age 19,[5] but didn't play his first professional tournament until he was aged 27 in 1999.[4] Schmidt won the 2006 US Open 9-Ball Championship Championship, with a 11–6 victory in the final over Rodolfo Luat.[1][6] Schmidt would later go on to win the Dragon 14.1 Tournament in 2012, winning 200–169 against Efren Reyes in the final.[7]

On May 27, 2019, at Easy Street Billiards in Monterey, California, Schmidt defeated the longstanding 14.1 pool record run set by Willie Mosconi in 1954 of 526 with a video-recorded run of 626.[8] 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.[9][10] 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.[8]

Mike Panozzo, publisher of Billiards Digest, praised Schmidt's "focus and the perseverance to run 380, and then you miss and start over again."[11] 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.[12] 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.[11] In similar fashion as Schmidt, the record would be later broken in 2022 by Jayson Shaw of Scotland, who ran 669.[13]

Filmed at the Derby City Classic, Schmidt ran 112 in straight pool on video by Accu-Stats, sharing many insights on the DVD version.[14][15] 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.[16]

Titles and achievements

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References

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  1. ^ a b "John Schmidt Wins US Open". azbilliards.com. October 2006. Archived from the original on March 18, 2016. Retrieved May 29, 2019.
  2. ^ a b "John "Mr. 400" Schmidt Team Captain" Retrieved May 29, 2019
  3. ^ "USA Mosconi Cup 2014 Team members named". azbilliards.com. October 21, 2014. Archived from the original on August 21, 2018. Retrieved August 21, 2018.
  4. ^ a b "John Schmidt | Predator Pro Player | Official Predator USA Site". predatorcues.com. Retrieved December 6, 2020.
  5. ^ "Local pool tournament attracts pro". vvdailypress.com. Archived from the original on November 28, 2020. Retrieved December 6, 2020.
  6. ^ "US Open 9-Ball Championship 2006". azbilliards.com. Archived from the original on September 12, 2017. Retrieved May 29, 2019. Rodolfo
  7. ^ "Schmidt Tops 14.1 Field". azbilliards.com. Archived from the original on August 21, 2018. Retrieved August 21, 2018.
  8. ^ a b "After Much Effort, an 'Unbreakable' Record in Straight Pool Is Topped". The New York Times. May 28, 2019. Retrieved May 29, 2019.
  9. ^ Panazzo, Mike. "For the record..." Billiards Digest. Archived from the original on September 16, 2020. Retrieved October 29, 2020.
  10. ^ "Billiards Digest - Pool's Top Source for News, Views, Tips & More".
  11. ^ a b "Pool pro chases record set in Springfield 65 years ago". springfieldnewssun. Retrieved May 29, 2019.
  12. ^ "Billiard Buzz - Mr. 600". azbilliards.com. Vol. 4, no. June 2019. Retrieved June 14, 2019.[permanent dead link‍]
  13. ^ "JAYSON SHAW ACHIEVES RECORD STRAIGHT POOL HIGH RUN". AZ Billiards. Retrieved July 2, 2022.
  14. ^ 'John Schmidt on Straight Pool' Retrieved May 29, 2019
  15. ^ "Accu-Stats Make It Happen Event Continues at Sandcastle Billiards". azbilliards.com. August 12, 2012. Archived from the original on March 26, 2015. Retrieved May 29, 2019.
  16. ^ 'TAR 28' Retrieved May 29, 2019
  17. ^ "Schmidt Tops 14.1 Field". azbilliards.com. Archived from the original on August 21, 2018. Retrieved May 29, 2019.
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