Jean Balukas

Jean Balukas, born in 1959, is an American pool player regarded as one of the greatest players of all time. A child prodigy, she took part in a pool exhibition at New York City's Grand Central Terminal at the age of six, placed fifth in the 1969 U.S. Open straight pool championship at nine, and then dominated women's professional pool through the 1970s and 1980s. She won five WPBA World Straight Pool Championship titles, eight BCA U.S. Open Straight Pool Championship titles, the WPBA World 9-Ball Championship and four WPBA U.S. Open 9-Ball Championship titles, along with more than 100 professional tournaments. She left the sport in 1988 after a dispute over her conduct in a match, and she was the youngest inductee into the Billiard Congress of America Hall of Fame.