Don Willis

Don Willis, known as the Cincinnati Kid, was a pool hustler from Canton, Ohio, who lived from 1909 to 1984 and was considered one of the greatest money players of all time. In the late 1940s and 1950s, when pool was in decline and tournament prizes did not pay enough for a full-time income, he travelled America playing private games for money alongside world champion Luther Lassiter, whom he befriended in 1948 after beating him at nine-ball. The two formed what R. A. Dyer called arguably the most formidable road team in American history. Willis never won a major tournament, because he preferred to stay unknown and keep hustling.