Ronnie Allen, one of the most feared players during pool’s golden era for hustlers in the 1960s and ’70s, passed away on February 6. The one-pocket legend was 74 years old.
For much of the prime of his career, Allen was considered the best one-pocket player on the planet. His major titles include Cochran’s One-Pocket event in 1962, the one-pocket division at the 1970 Johnston City jamboree and Red’s Open One-Pocket in 1984. He also won the 1966 All-Around Championship at the Stardust Hotel in Las Vegas.
Perhaps the most well-known anecdote concerning his one-pocket prowess, Allen is said to have taken the microphone at one of the Johnston City events in the early ’70s and offered to play anyone, spotting them a 10-8 handicap.
Allen was inducted into the One-Pocket Hall of Fame in 2004